Road Trip Gauja to Tartu 1-Day
In June 2022 we made a 2-week road trip in the Baltic States. We started in Vilnius (Lithuania), rented a car, and explored as much as we could on the way to Tallinn (Estonia) while stopping by Latvia.
On our 10th day we went from Gauja national park where we just spent 3 days to Tartu. It was the day we left Latvia for Estonia.
Along the way we made 2 stops. The first one was Sangaste Castle, a beautiful castle that had been feature in national geographic and Otepää. More the lake next to Otepää which is huge and gorgeous.
We then drove to Tartu, the second biggest city in Estonia.
If you too are planning a trip to the Baltic states, you will most probably do such a road trip on your way to Estonia and Tallinn. Let ‘s dive in this Road Trip Gauja to Tartu 1-Day
Table of Contents
Mapping the day
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The road trip
Once again, it is super easy to drive in Latvia and later in Estonia. Most of the road regulation are the same as the rest of EU. Plus, there isn’t a lot of traffic making it really enjoyable. The plan for today is as follow:
- Gauja national park to Sangaste Castle: 1h50, 137km
- Sangaste Castle to Otepää: 20min, 22.4km
- Otepää to Tartu: 40min, 44.2km
Where to Stay in Tartu
We stayed 1 night in Tartu which gave us plenty of time to explore the city. The first visited some part when we arrived in the afternoon and then the next morning. As we stayed only one night, we used a street parking right in front the hotel we stayed.
- (€): Looming Hostel
- (€€): Estonishing Stay Premium Lofts
- (€€€): Antonius Hotel
What to Eat
During this road trip, we ate in the small coffee shop/Canteen in the Sangaste Castle. They offer buffet where you paid on the weight of the portion you take.
The food was good, and we the place is super cosy.
Road Trip Gauja to Tartu 1-Day
Gauja national park to Sangaste Castle
Alright, let hit the road. The first part of the trip will be the longest of the day, but it isn’t that much. The roads are tranquil and to be honest, we didn’t even notice the border between Latvia and Estonia. Once in Sangaste Castle, you can park right in front of the main gate.
You will right away notice the yellow frame of national geographic which stands to show you from where their featured photo was taken.
Then, you can go on and visit the castle. It is open for visitor and cost 7€ per person. A cool thing is that you are free to go everywhere in the castle. It serves as an hotel today, so some rooms may be locked but apart of that, you are free to hang around. We went from the basement and the machine room to the top tower via rooms and main areas.
If you are hungry and lunch time is there, you can stop at the small coffee shop/Canteen located behind the yellow frame, where the stables are. (The cost is 1.5€ per 100g of food).
If you want, you can also visit the stables but that will require to buy another ticket. So, we didn’t do it.
Sangaste Castle to Otepää
Let’s go back on the road but not for long. Otepää is not far away. There, we parked next to the lake. There is a huge building with a big and free parking lot that you cannot miss.
We then just walk around the lake for a while, walk back. The lake is obviously quite huge. So, it would take hours to walk all around.
We also sat on a bench and enjoy for a while.
Otepää to Tartu
We then drove to Tartu. We stayed at Estonishing Stay Premium Lofts which had an amazing location. We parked in front on the street. In June it was easy to find a spot there. It cost us 9€ and was 10€ for 24h at the time.
We then went walking around Tartu, and start to explore this beautiful city.
Esmu greizsirdīga uz saviem vecākiem – I am jealous of my parents”
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