Travel: How not to be arrested in Latvia (and Estonia)

A road trip through these former Iron Curtain countries offers natural beauty, fabulous food and situations fraught with tension

It’s early in the morning and we’re on our way to the Tallinn airport to pick up a rented car. The cab driver apprises us in great detail about the high percentage of road accidents in Latvia and how difficult it is to drive in some areas. Then, he asks, “So, where are you guys coming from?”

Latvian countryside is dotted with small villages and many of them have their own church(Saubhadra Chatterji)

The ropeway in Sigulda, Latvia offers a wonderful view of the meandering Gauja river that covers a large part of that country (Saubhadra Chatterji)

Tartu’s university was established in 1632 and The Kissing Students sculpture has evolved as the city’s most recognised symbol (Saubhadra Chatterji)

When asked how difficult it is to drive in latvia, the driver advises: “just assume everyone else on the road is an idiot”

Pärnu is a picturesque old town but is better known for its beaches (Saubhadra Chatterji)

An old manor house turned into Restaurant Põhjaka Mois, is a must-visit for road trippers (Saubhadra Chatterji)

The sleepy town of Pärnu has three nepali restaurants that serve hot food with a generous dose of chillies

A woman in traditional attire at The Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia (Saubhadra Chatterji)

Lamb with vegetables and carrot-mustard sauce at Põhjaka Mois (Saubhadra Chatterji)

The highlights of Riga include a gripping visit to the former KGB headquarters and an enchanting play at the Latvian National Opera

The old houses of the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum (Saubhadra Chatterji)

Oscar Wilde and his Estonian counterpart Eduard Vilde never met in real life. But in Tartu, they are found sitting on a bench together (Saubhadra Chatterji)