The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are a wonderful region located in North-eastern Europe next to the shores of the Baltic Sea. At first, these three relatively small countries may not seem like obvious top 3 or thrilling travel destinations in Europe. However, they have much more to offer than you might think during their four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. In fact, it can be the best place to visit in Europe if you are an adventure seeker, nature lover, gastronome, or aesthete. There is something for everyone to discover: from the freezing, but mesmerizing winter fairy tales to the magical Indian summer in the autumn. It has a lot of charm that will keep pulling you back over and over again. Take a glimpse of its states’ beauty and learn more about Indian summer in the Baltics because it’s worth experiencing vistas of ever-changing seasonal nature foliage.

Indian Summer

As we mentioned before, The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are charming holiday destinations in every season of the year and are particularly magical in autumn. This means the period between late September and early October when unusually warm, summer-like weather occurs in Northern Europe. The term for this phenomenon is used as “Indian summer.” It is speculated that the origins of the term date back to early Native American history when warm and cool autumn weather allowed native people to hunt animals and harvest crops for the freezing season. Unlike the United States, the Baltic states have their terminology and meaning behind them. For instance, Lithuania calls it “bobų vasara,” which translates to Bob summer.

There are a couple of hypotheses about the reason for differences in terminology. One reason is agriculture when it was mainly a woman’s job to work in the fields and dig potatoes during a warm period in autumn. It was believed if the weather was great during the harvest, then it was successful. Another might originate from huge spiders called Bobs, which during the autumn season weave nets in the meadows that create a view from a magical world in a fairy tale. On the other hand, Latvia uses “atvasara” – summer comes back, which literally describes this period as summer in the fall. Therefore, Estonia uses “India suvi,” which is the same as the English version and does not have as many meanings as Lithuanian.

Baltics Climate During Fall

The climate of the Baltics is seasonal and has two climate zones: Estonia and Latvia are temperate mild, and Lithuania is continental. The weather of the region is unpredictable during all seasons over the year. It could especially be seen in autumn in the form of heavy rainfalls and temperature leaps from warm to cold and vice versa. September-October has fairly mild and warm weather. Eventually, winter weather knocks on the door in November with the first frost and snowdrifts. Therefore, the average fluctuating temperature during these months is 16°C. Compared to southern countries in Europe, it is not that high, but you have all you need in the Baltics!

Autumn Activities in Baltics

As the season of Indian summer starts in the Baltics, the citizens of these countries and the last tourists enjoy the final heatwave before the winter frost settles in. At that time, you can witness how natural resources like a swamp, grasslands, countless lakes, rivers, and the coastline alter their wardrobe from summer to autumn. The trees change the colors of their greens into bonfire-red and sun flame-gold.

Although major cities like Vilnius (Lithuania), Riga (Latvia), and Tallinn (Estonia) become less crowded during this time of the year, you can still experience various events in other cities across regions. For example, markets and fairs, which are great physical and mental learning experiences during cool yet warm weather.

Therefore, you can explore medieval towns in the region, hike in the nature trails of natural parks, or perhaps enjoy the view of the Curonian Spit, where the sea and the earth become one entity. This part mostly consists of sand and is protected by UNESCO Heritage Centre. Along with it, you can also get a once-in-a-lifetime experience to fly with a hot air balloon over Gothic and Baroque buildings with red-tile roofs in the old town of Vilnius.

Or how about a special gateway in the form of a festival? Maybe a fair? A flower festival with floral compositions and cultural/historical activities in Lithuania or Wandering Light Festival in Estonia with live music and thousands of shining candles, creating a cozy environment for everyone to realize their needs and fulfill their expectations when it comes to art or science.

In addition, this season is perfect for collecting mushrooms, enjoying seasonal foods of every region, and experiencing the fauna and flora in three Baltic states. The time is perfect for long walks and meditation or yoga between spikes and fallen leaves.

The travel season in the Baltics is kicking off in April! Are you a person of action? Are you ready to make memories to last for a lifetime? Book your holiday now!