Three Baltic Long-Distance Trails: Driving While Others Walk

Latvia has invested significantly in long-distance trail infrastructure over the past decade, and three major routes now crisscross the country's most varied landscapes. For motorhome travellers, these trails offer a different kind of itinerary: not the trail itself, but its corridor — a sequence of villages, campsites, and nature areas strung along a route designed to take in the best of Latvia's outdoor character.

Mežtaka — The Baltic Forest Trail (E11)

The Mežtaka ('Forest Walk') is Latvia's 674 km section of the European Long-Distance Path E11, which runs 2,141 km through the Baltics from the Polish border to the Gulf of Finland. In Latvia, the route passes through state forest managed by LVM, connecting ancient pine forest, river valleys, and hillforts. The trail is divided into approximately 20 km daily stages with camping and transport options at each end.

For campervan travellers, the Mežtaka corridor runs roughly north–south through Latvia's interior. Driving the same corridor, campervan travellers can overnight at the stage endpoints and walk individual sections — the trail passes many LVM free camping spots. More information at baltictrails.eu.

Jūrtaka — The Baltic Coastal Trail (E9)

The Jūrtaka follows 581 km of Latvia's Baltic Sea coastline as part of the E9 European path. The route alternates between empty stretches of sandy beach, pine forest behind the dunes, and small fishing villages. LVM manages several sections and provides overnight infrastructure. The Jūrmala stretch (near Riga) is accessible and developed; the Kurzeme coast north of Ventspils is more remote.

Ezertaka — The Latgale Lake Trail

The Ezertaka ('Lake Walk') is Latgale-specific — a 1,107 km regional long-distance route through Latvia's eastern lake district, passing 134 named lakes and water bodies. The trail is split into 49 stages, 13 of which span multiple days. Latgale has the highest concentration of lakes in the Baltics, and the Ezertaka corridor is the most efficient way to experience the region's quiet lakeside villages, Orthodox churches, and wide-sky agricultural landscape.

Motorhome Strategy

Use the LVM GEO Mobile app (available on iOS and Android) to find free LVM camping spots near any of the three trail corridors. The app shows all LVM-managed recreation infrastructure including shelters, fire rings, and parking areas — most of which are free. Download the offline maps before heading into Kurzeme or Latgale where mobile coverage is patchy.