While hitchhiking through Latvia and its neighbors we ended up in the forests from the region of Sigulda. Due to having no host and wanting to be in nature it was time for some camping. Find out about the wild camping in the forest of Sigulda story.
Where is it located?
Sigulda is located in the North East of the capital Riga, around 50 kilometers away. Due to the beautiful landscape of the region, it is known as the latvian Switzerland. For sure not for the cold temperature and the prices are also not even close to being as high as in Switzerland. The city is surrounded by a lot of nature.
When talking about the country Latvia, they are bordering the Baltic Sea and are in the middle of the Baltic Region. With sharing a border to Russia and Belarus, there is a lot of tension there, especially right now. Also Latvia is sharing a border with Lithuania and Estonia.
Latvia is part of the European Union, Nato and is using the Euro.
A little bit less than two million people are living in the country and it is known for its beaches and great forests. One of the two things will be mentioned in this article, to the other, there is later time.
How to get there?
There is generally speaking a bus, which is leaving from Riga and takes around an hour to reach the city of Sigulda. Another option would be to try hitchhiking, which is working in Latvia. It is for sure worth a try, but of course taking a bus there will also not be very expensive. One way with the bus or the train will cost you less than $5.
In the whole Baltic region, the public transport, compared to many other countries in Europe, is quite cheap. Especially compare the countries in the western region of the continent.
Also when being in Estonia, Lithuania or Poland, the international bus transportation is also a cheap version, which is possible every day.
Where to stay, when not wanting to do wild camping?
Sigulda is a quite touristic place, when not going during winter times, like we did. There are many places in nature, where you can rent little houses, staying also in hotels and hostels as well.
Most places are in the city, but there are not even 12000 people living there so it is not a big city. While being there it is also possible to visit castles and of course nature.
Also it is possible, going there in the morning and returning in the afternoon to Riga, without needing to spend a night there. The distance is not that long and the city itself isn’t big.
What was the weather like?
We were there in October and it was actually raining the whole night, which was a bit bad. We had issues finding a place, which was not swampy. That means basically for camping, that it was hard finding a good place to put a tent, which was not an official camping ground.
It was not helping that the weather was cold, rainy and we did it when it was completely dark, which didn’t make it easier. We were forced to stay near the sidewalk, because as we went further into the forest or closer to the river, it got worse.
When going to that region in summer, it should be better for wild camping, that is what I suppose is going to be the case.
My experience
When hitchhiking through Riga and were just able to reach Sigulda at the end of the day, it was dark already. We were actually not planning to go there, but our driver was on the way there, so we just joined. Also it was recommended.
When arriving, we were lucky to get dropped off right at the entrance from the forest, which saved a bit of walking time.
Walking through any forest in darkness is something which I honestly never liked, but there was no other way. We went in with the torches and were searching for a good place to sleep which was just not easy. It took a long time and when we decided to just sleep next to the sidewalk I was just happy to finally lay inside the tent.
The next morning, few people were walking past us, so it was time to get ready and leave. To our luck, the rain was starting to end and so it was time to make breakfast at the river. That was a great way to start the day, to be going in the direction of the Baltic Sea, feeling the super cold water again.
Also seeing the forest with light was great, because it looked quite nice and peaceful as well. Being away from society was always great to receive some peace and good feelings.
Summary
Going to Sigulda was for sure a good idea, being close to the capital but also being super far away from everything is great!
We didn’t have luck with the weather and the season was also not the best, but still it has its pros, for example not many people around. It felt safe going there so there need be no worries, when wanting to do camping there as well.
With the good location, by not being too far away from the capital, it is easy to reach from it. Even without hitchhiking or having a car it is not a problem. More than every hour, there are buses and trains going there, during the day. At night it is not good, which is expected.
It is good for a daily trip or also longer, when wanting to stay in nature and being away from the city life a little bit.
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