Camino Estonia 2025

[Madis]

I am starting weekend dayhikes from my hometown of Tallinn, Estonia. The branch trail that connects to Camino Latvia in Valga / Valka is 330km long. Its a very new Camino trail. The yellow arrows were marked down in 2022 according to their website:
https://www.caminoestonia.com/language/en/camino-estonia-general-information/

I myself plan to walk 1-2 stages per month (its a total of 13 stages). This way I can see the seasons change while walking southwards. Potentially will have time to walk a few stages of Camino Latvia towards Riga after finishing this first Camino route.

Here is a public link where I do daily posts on Facebook about the journey:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=madis.valja&set=a.9839616656053366
(you do NOT need a Facebook user to see this public folder, just close the large popup and click on the images below)

Each picture will be summing up 1 day on the trail. I only walked from Dome Church to my doorstep today, so most of the journey is still ahead. I will walk again tomorrow.

Once I have finished the whole trail in Estonia, I will let you know here as well. After that I will transfer the same stories over to my blog.

 

[Pathfinder075]

It looks interesting, but not sure I'd want to walk it in Winter.
How far do you intend to walk in total?
Will you go past Riga eventually or is that your end point for now?
Would you ever consider walking the whole route from your home to Santiago?

I have met a few people on Camino over the years that have walked from Germany and Poland, but Estonia is quite a bit further. The most I have contemplated is the Francigena to Rome and that would still take me the best part of three months.

Good luck with your walk.

Buen Camino.

 

[Madis]

It looks interesting, but not sure I'd want to walk it in Winter.
How far do you intend to walk in total?
Will you go past Riga eventually or is that your end point for now?
Would you ever consider walking the whole route from your home to Santiago?

I have met a few people on Camino over the years that have walked from Germany and Poland, but Estonia is quite a bit further. The most I have contemplated is the Francigena to Rome and that would still take me the best part of three months.

Good luck with your walk.

Buen Camino.

I want to reach at least the end of the 330km trail inside Estonia before the year ends. Max goal would be to reach Riga in Latvia this year. We will see how things go.

Inside Estonia I can easily do daytrips and catch public transport back home for the same day. Once I would reach Latvia I would need to consider doing weekend trips with camping gear or taking a few days of holidays and doing a longer stretch.

Valka (LV) to Riga (LV) is already 276 km on the trail. Its not realistic anymore to do weekend hikes and come back home, so I would probably plan ahead and take some days off from work +have camping gear with me. I would not like to camp when nights are colder than +10 celsius (50 farenheit).

From Riga (LV) to the next bigger city Kaunas (LT) its almost 500km on the trail so that would need careful thinking already on how to approach best. From Kaunas (LT) to Torun (PL) its about 750km on the trail. Torun (PL) to Krakow (PL) about 560km. As you can see its only very big distances.

I assume that in Poland there is some pilgrim infrastructure for accommodation, but for Baltics outside of Estonia I would need to have camping gear with me just in case. I am not sure yet if that is something for me. That is why I first want to get across Estonia and then think about if, how and when to continue.

If I would ever consider reaching Santiago or go past to Finisterre then realistically it will take me 15 years using vacation days I get off work that I do not spend with the family.

 

[MonicaMcL]

The link doesn't bring me to your page. What is it called? I would love to follow. I am an Estonian/ US citizen born in the YS to an Estonian mother. I don't speak Estonian, unfortunately, but I love Estonia and halt to learn of the Estonian Camino.

 

[lovingkindness]

I am starting weekend dayhikes from my hometown of Tallinn, Estonia. The branch trail that connects to Camino Latvia in Valga / Valka is 330km long. Its a very new Camino trail. The yellow arrows were marked down in 2022 according to their website:
https://www.caminoestonia.com/language/en/camino-estonia-general-information/

I myself plan to walk 1-2 stages per month (its a total of 13 stages). This way I can see the seasons change while walking southwards. Potentially will have time to walk a few stages of Camino Latvia towards Riga after finishing this first Camino route.

Here is a public link where I do daily posts on Facebook about the journey:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.9839616656053366&type=3
(you do NOT need a Facebook user to see this public folder, just close the large popup and click on the images below)

Each picture will be summing up 1 day on the trail. I only walked from Dome Church to my doorstep today, so most of the journey is still ahead. I will walk again tomorrow.

Once I have finished the whole trail in Estonia, I will let you know here as well. After that I will transfer the same stories over to my blog.

Hello @Madis
How exciting it is to read your plans. I wish you every success!

A few years ago I improvised a trail from Estonia via Vilnius into Poland, a little like the one you are planning. I arrived in Kaunus just in time for the very first Sugihara festival then walked on to Vilnius from there. You can read more about the journey below, if you wish...

Regards,
-Lovingindness

 

[lovingkindness]

Ps Here is a link to camino trails in Poland.

Camino - Droga św. Jakuba w Polsce - www.camino.net.pl

camino.net.pl

 

[Madis]

The link doesn't bring me to your page. What is it called? I would love to follow. I am an Estonian/ US citizen born in the YS to an Estonian mother. I don't speak Estonian, unfortunately, but I love Estonia and halt to learn of the Estonian Camino.

Thanks for letting me know about the broken link. Please let me know if this link works:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=madis.valja&set=a.9839616656053366

 

[lovingkindness]

Good morning @Madis and others...

re caminos in Poland:

In 2015 I followed a few Drogi SW Jakuba through Poland (Zygorzylec - Olztyn): the Dolnośląska Droga Św. Jakuba; Wielkopolska Droga Św. Jakuba and the Droga Polska/Camino Polaco. (see interactive map, camino net pl)

It was a beautiful experience.

I didn't have a budget. I lived from day to day making music in the streets, the churches, here and there. I would introduce myself to the village folk and local authorities towards the end of a day's walk, asking for advice regarding trails and help in finding shelter for the night.

Afterwards I put together a simple resource (pdf) with stages walked and places where I found refuge. Although this was all a few years ago now, and I was walking the trails in the opposite direction to your plans @Madis , there may still be something of use in it for you. Many of the places where I found assistance continue to offer it today.

Buen Camino!



Jakob's Well [studenia jakubowa], Jakubow, Poland 2015