A gem of international hiking: the E9 Baltic Coastal Hiking route

How the trail came to be 

The E9 Trail is part of a family of interstate hiking trails in Europe. Its history is part of a project by the European Ramblers Association, founded in 1969. The project was created to unite Europe’s longest hiking trails. 

There are a total of 12 routes in the family. Each one is labelled with the letter “E” and a number between 1 and 12. A while ago we wrote about the E11 tourist route. The E9 trail is twice as long—a whopping 9,890 kilometres. The Baltic Sea Route unites 11 countries:

• Portugal;
• Spain;
• France;
• Great Britain;
• Belgium;
• The Netherlands; 
• Germany;
• Poland;
• Lithuania; 
• Latvia;
• Estonia.

The main idea of the E9 route is to give tourists the opportunity to walk along coastlines, while taking in the natural landscapes and sights of each country.

The E9 in the Baltics

The Baltics account for 1,420 kilometres of the route. Of these, 581 kilometres are in Latvia, 216 kilometres in Lithuania and 622 kilometres in Estonia. The trail starts in the village of Nida in Lithuania, passes through Latvia and ends in the port-capital of Estonia—Tallinn. 

It takes about three months to complete the whole trail. The route is divided by days and degrees of difficulty, so tourists can choose a comfortable distance for themselves. Here’s an outline of what you’ll encounter along the Baltic section of the E9. 

Latvia

In Latvia, the Baltic Coastal Hiking route passes through the Pape Nature Park, along the cliffs between Pāvilosta and Sārnate, and brings tourists to the Slītere National Park and Cape Kolka. The cape separates the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga. It is a popular tourist destination: birdwatching and admiring the Baltic Sea coastline are especially popular. 

The western coast of the Gulf of Riga is lined with modern fishing villages and small yacht harbours. And in the Ķemeri National Park you can discover historic fishing villages. 

There will be beautiful Latvian towns dotted all along the way. For example, the resort town of Jurmala, famous for its wooden architecture. And Old Riga, a favourite tourist destination and UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Keep an eye out for the Vidzeme coast—the most versatile section of the route in Latvia with sandy and rocky beaches, coastal meadows, dunes, forests and fishing villages. 

The trail crosses the Curonian Spit National Park, a UNESCO heritage site. Here tourists can admire sand dunes up to 20 metres high.

Pay attention to the Nemunas Delta Regional Park. Aptly named “bird heaven” due to it being full of migratory and nesting birds. And if you want to relax, go to the beaches of Klaipeda and Palanga.

Estonia

The Estonian section of the E9 trail runs to Pärnu, a popular resort town on the coast of Pärnu Bay. Along the route, you will come across Matsalu National Park, which is the largest wetland in Northern Europe. 

In the city of Haapsalu, the route follows pedestrian pavements and coastal promenades. The coastal zone of the Gulf of Finland is the most versatile area in Estonia with boulders, sandy beaches, grassy meadows and angular breccia.

Breccia— rock fragments combined with mineral deposits.

In Latvia

In Lithuania

In Estonia

The Е9 in other countries

We have collected one site for each country: cities, autonomous communities, parks and sights to look out for as you make your way across the E9 trail.