Camino Latvia east

At a Glance

• Start / Finish: Riga, St. Jēkabs Cathedral / Germaniškis on the Latvian-Lithuanian border
• Length: 145.2 km
• Duration: 5–7 days
• Elevation gain: ↗ 393 m / ↘ 363 m
• Stages: 6 (20–28 km)
• Country: Latvia — Daugava Valley and Zemgale, the final kilometers in Lithuania; currency: the euro
• Label: Yellow arrows and a scallop shell on a dark blue background, sometimes on birdhouses; each stage ends at a church
• Shuttle: Camino Latvia north ends in Riga
• Connection: from the border crossing at the Camino Lituano
• Best time: May through September

Overview

The Camino Latvia east is the connecting route of the Latvian Way of St. James network: 145.2 kilometers from the St. Jēkabs Cathedral in Riga all the way to Germaniškis, the Lithuanian border village just beyond the pilgrimage site of Skaistkalne—and the journey continues from there, because the Camino Lituano begins right at this crossing. The route has two distinct sections: For three days, it follows the Daugava, the largest river in the Baltic region, with the battlefield of Kircholm, the Ķegums power plant, and the Lāčplēsis region near Lielvārde—and the Riga–Daugavpils railroad line serving as a safety net behind him. Then it turns south and crosses the quiet Zemgale Plain for three days.

If you want to hike through the Baltic States in sections, take this route from Riga: Valga–Riga–Germaniškis–Vilnius–Poland forms a continuous, marked “Shell Trail” from the Estonian to the Polish border. There’s just one thing you shouldn’t expect—a network of hostels: You’ll be staying in churches, parsonages, and community centers, and you’ll need to make reservations at least three days in advance.

Other Names

To be honest, let me start by saying: "east" is our term—it's not a Latvian one. The network runs under the umbrella brand Camino Latvia, in Latvian Latvijas Svētā Jēkaba ceļš; there are no branch names—we looked for them specifically, even in Latvian. The Latvians name their sections based on their beginning and end, and this one is called "Rīga–Skaistkalne": 6 stages, officially 149 kilometers.

To make it easier to tell the three branches apart on our map, we'll sort them by compass direction: Camino Latvia north (Valga/Valka–Riga, the common stem), Camino Latvia west (Riga–Žagarė) and Camino Latvia east (this route). The operator counts the same number of kilometers for the through route Valka–Skaistkalne, 429 kilometers in Stage 18— exactly north plus east. And a word about the destination: The club calls it Skaistkalne, the last Latvian village; our route continues for the final few kilometers to Germanish on the Lithuanian side of that same border—where the access road begins.

Who It's Ideal For—and Who It's Not For

This route is for you if you have a week to spare and want a trail that leads somewhere: 145.2 kilometers, 393 meters of elevation gain, three days along the river, three through the plains—and at the end, not a train station plaza, but a boundary stone, beyond which the Camino Lituano continues. This makes the Eastern Axis the logical choice for anyone traveling through the Baltic states in segments. On top of that, there’s a rare convenience: the Riga–Daugavpils railway line runs alongside the first three stages, with stops in Salaspils, Ogre, Ķegums, and Lielvārde—you can even tackle this section as a weekend trip and head home in the evening.

To be honest, though, it’s not for you if you’re looking for wilderness: The first stages run through Latvia’s most densely populated region, with suburbs, railroad embankments, and traces of industry along the way; from Lielvārde on, it gets lonely, but also monotonous. There’s no network of hostels—you’ll stay in parsonages and community centers, and Register at least three days in advance. The food provisions on the last three stages are sparse, and the final stage, at 28.3 kilometers, is the longest—you plan for such gaps in advance, not along the way. If you want to see the most beautiful Latvian scenery, take the Camino Latvia north through the Gauja Valley.

Route & Landscape

The trail begins at the St. Jēkabs Cathedral in Riga and is followed by the Daugava upstream: via Salaspils— where the Battle of Kircholm was fought in 1605 — through riparian forest and pine heathland to Ogre, then at the power plant's reservoir Kegums along to Lielvārde. These three days offer river scenery in the broadest sense: sometimes right along the water, sometimes a few hundred meters away through the woods, always running parallel to the railroad tracks and the country road.

Past Lielvārde, the route turns south, leaving the river behind. Now begins Zemgale: wide-open fields, patches of pine forest, long dirt roads, very little traffic. Over Vecumnieki and the estate Brukna The trail runs eastward past Bauska to the Mēmele and achieves with Skaistkalne the second most important Marian pilgrimage site in Latvia; the last few kilometers cross the border into Germanish. Terrain: Forest and field paths, as well as paved side roads—in the Daugava section, the proportion of paved surfaces is higher than usual along the Latvian route.

Stages, Terrain & Difficulty

The association divides the Eastern Route into six stages ranging from 20 to 28 kilometers; if you hike for five to seven days, you’ll cover 21 to 29 kilometers each day, and those who take their time can split up the last stage. Technically, nothing is difficult: 393 meters of elevation gain over 145.2 kilometers, with no climb worthy of the name. The third stage to Lielvārde is the shortest at 20.5 kilometers, leaving time to explore the town; the sixth is the longest at 28.3 kilometers—and because it also includes a pilgrimage site and a border crossing, you’ll need to set out early that day.

1. Riga → Salaspils (23.4 km) — out of the city along the banks of the Daugava, past the site of the Battle of Kircholm in 1605.
2. Salaspils → Ogre (25.3 km) — Riparian forest and pine heathland along the river to the small town at the mouth of the Ogre.
3. Ogre → Lielvārde (20.5 km) — along the Ķegums Reservoir into Lāčplēsis Country, home of the Lielvārde Belt.
4. Lielvārde → Vecumnieki (22.4 km) — Saying goodbye to the Daugava, heading south into the Zemgale Plain.
5. Vecumnieki → Brukna (25.3 km) — Dirt roads east of Bauska leading to the Bergsegen Community farm.
6. Brukna → Germaniškis (28.3 km) — through the pilgrimage site of Skaistkalne on the Mēmele River and across the border into Lithuania.

The stage locations and order follow the official operator list (149 km to Skaistkalne); the kilometer distances are calibrated based on our route measurement of 145.2 km to Germaniškis.

In the end, there is no destination, but a handoff

Of the three Latvian routes, this is the only one that does not end at a train station, but rather at a boundary marker, beyond which the route continues. In Germanish This is literally where the Lithuanian list of stages begins—Germaniškis, Sodeliškiai, Biržai—and from Biržai, a marked route runs through Panevėžys and Vilnius to the Polish border and beyond. For those who started in Valga, this is where, after a good 420 kilometers, they cross the first national border on a “Shell Trail” that, in theory, doesn’t end until Santiago. And the Latvian association knows exactly what it has at this end: its St. James' Day in July 2026 He didn't celebrate in Riga, but in Skaistkalne— in collaboration with the local parish, at the second-to-last stop along this route.

Skaistkalne is also a fitting conclusion in its own right: Aglona, Latvia's most visited Marian pilgrimage site, with the icon “Our Miraculous Lady—Protector of Latvian Families” in the side altar and the Kaņepenes festivities on the first Sunday in August. A Way of St. James that leads to a Marian pilgrimage site and then passes the torch—this is not a flaw in the narrative structure, but rather Baltic pragmatism: pilgrims make their way to where churches stand, and continue on where their neighbors have marked the path.

In front of it lies the river on which half of Latvia's history hinges. At the September 27, 1605 Jan Karol Chodkiewicz joined in Kircholm— present-day Salaspils, on your first leg of the journey — a Swedish army three times as large, numbering about 3,500 men: one of the most famous cavalry battles in Europe. At Kegums stands the power plant built from 1936 to 1939, the flagship project of the First Latvian Republic, and near Lielvārde is set in the national epic “Lāčplēsis,” which Andrejs Pumpurs published in 1888—the same town is the birthplace of the Lielvārde-Gürtel, whose woven sequence of symbols has yet to be fully deciphered. Three days by a river that is at once a battlefield, a power plant, and an epic—then three days of silence until the handover.

Highlights Along the Way

• St. Jēkabs Cathedral, Riga— First mentioned in 1225; in the Middle Ages, it was the church of the Latvian artisans, with eight guild altars; a Catholic cathedral since 1923; this is where you’ll get your first stamp.
• Salaspils / Kircholm— On September 27, 1605, Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, with a force of about 3,500 men—mostly wing hussars—defeated a Swedish army three times its size here.
• Daugava-Aue— Three days along the Baltic region's largest river: riparian forest, sandy banks, pine heath.
• Ķegums Hydroelectric Power Plant— Built between 1936 and 1939, it is the oldest power plant on the Daugava River and a flagship project of the First Republic; the control room from 1939 is on display at the Energy Museum.
• Lielvārde— The setting of the national epic “Lāčplēsis” (1888) and home to the Lielvārde Belt, with its series of symbols that remain undeciphered to this day.
• Gutshof Brukna— Built by the von Korff family in the late 18th century; since 2001, the Bergsegen community has been operating an addiction treatment program here that relies on prayer and work rather than medication.
• Skaistkalne— After Aglona, Latvia's most visited Marian pilgrimage site; Kaņepenes festivities on the first Sunday in August.
• Bauska and Rundāle— The Ordensburg, built in 1443, and Rastrelli’s Baroque palace are located west of the route: a worthwhile day trip by bus on a day off.
• Border near Germaniškis— This is where Latvia ends, and the Camino Lituano begins. Two paths, one boundary stone.

How Pilgrims Find Their Way onto This Path

The natural feeder is its own north branch: The Camino Latvia north ends after 274.8 kilometers at St. James’s Cathedral in Riga—exactly where this route begins. Anyone wishing to walk the official Valka–Skaistkalne route, which spans 429 kilometers, can combine both sections and will need a good two and a half weeks. The Estonian Way of St. James (Eesti Jaakobitee) starts even further north: Its branch from Pärnu-Jaagupi to Valga connects after about 175 kilometers—thus forming a continuous route from Tallinn to the Lithuanian border, even though the trail markings on the Estonian side are not yet complete everywhere.

The second group is traveling directly to Riga: The airport RIX is the largest in the Baltic region, with direct flights from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; it’s a ten-minute walk from downtown to the starting point. And since the Riga–Daugavpils railway line runs alongside the first three stages, you can also tackle this route in sections: Salaspils, Ogre, Ķegums, and Lielvārde all have train stations.

Continue the pilgrimage?

This axis does not end; it passes on. In Germanish begins the Camino Lituano— The Lithuanian route begins here and leads through Sodeliškiai to Biržai, then 577.7 kilometers across Lithuania: Panevėžys, the Lake District, Vilnius, Trakai, Alytus, and the pine heaths of Dzūkija all the way to the Polish border. There, the Camino Polaco, which continues through Suwałki and Masuria. Those who started in Valga thus have a continuous shell trail under their feet from the Estonian to the Polish border.

A tip to save you some trouble: In Lithuania, they're called two different routes“Camino Lituano.” The one referred to here is the Vilnius Route, designated a Council of Europe Cultural Route in 2016; the other is a network marked by volunteers, whose main trail runs through Žagarė begins — where the Camino Latvia west ends — and passes through Kaunas. The two routes meet in Biržai; when downloading GPX files, be careful which one you choose. What happens next is not a matter of weeks, but of years: westward through Poland and Germany, until eventually the Camino Francés takes over—bit by bit, summer after summer.

Preparation & Practical Information

The best time is May through September; the club recommends spring and summer, fall as a quieter alternative, and winter only for experienced hikers—in December, it gets dark around 3:30 p.m. In the Daugava floodplain, mosquitoes are a real issue in July and August, and there’s a lack of shade on the Zemgale Plain; early summer is the smartest choice for this route. In Riga and Ogre, you can get by with English; in the villages, a translation app will come in handy.

Accommodations are available in churches, parsonages, community centers, and guesthouses —Reserved in advance, at least three days ahead of time, as required by the club; with six stages, this can be done in half an hour. Important for the second half: Starting in Lielvārde, supplies become scarce—make sure to plan ahead for water and provisions for the last three days. The route is marked with yellow arrows and seashells on a dark blue background; it was reviewed and updated for 2026. Still, you should have a GPS track on your phone, especially on the network of dirt roads between Vecumnieki and Skaistkalne. The easiest way to plan your stages and accommodations is directly in the Camino Ninja app.

One Pilgrim's Pass (Credencial) You should bring this with you: The Latvian Association issues its own for 4 euros—available at 14 locations, accredited by the Cathedral in Santiago; international credenciales are stamped in the same way. Those who complete the entire Latvian route will receive a certificate of completion in exchange for a 10-euro donation (as of September 2026).

What the journey will cost you

Latvia is cheaper than Western Europe, but without a Spanish-style hostel system, there’s nothing to keep prices down. Expect to pay 30 to 55 euros a day: Overnight stays for pilgrims in a church, rectory, or community center cost 10 to 20 euros; guesthouse rooms cost 40 to 70 euros; a lunch plate costs 8 to 14 euros; the supermarket is significantly cheaper than in Germany. Plus a one-time fee of 4 euros for the pilgrim pass and an optional 10-euro donation for the certificate (as of September 2026). Riga is the most expensive night—there, it’s worth staying in a hostel bed or setting off immediately on the day of arrival.

For the five to seven days of the East Route, you plan to 200 to 400 euros excluding travel to and from the destination. On the first three stages, the train connections give you flexibility in planning your itinerary, and you can head home in the evening if necessary; on the last three stages, the opposite is true—there, the pre-booked overnight stay at the rectory is not only the cheapest option, but often the only one.

Getting Here

To the start: Riga is the most convenient starting point for all three Latvian routes — Airport RIX has direct flights from German-speaking countries; a bus ride to the city center takes just under 30 minutes, followed by a ten-minute walk to St. Jēkabs Cathedral. If you're coming on foot from the north, you're already on the Camino Latvia north anyway.

From the destination: Germaniškis is a border village with no train station—there are two options: Either you walk along the Camino Lituano the approximately 31 kilometers further on to Biržai, where buses depart for Panevėžys, Vilnius, and Riga. Or you can turn around and take the Skaistkalne the bus via Bauska to Riga — about two hours.

• Riga Airport (RIX): The largest airport in the Baltic region, with direct flights from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland
• Riga–Daugavpils Railway: Stops in Salaspils, Ogre, Ķegums, and Lielvārde—perfect for changing trains; schedules: vivi.lv
• Bus from Skaistkalne: via Bauska to Riga, about two hours
• Buses from Biržai: to Panevėžys, Vilnius, and Riga, if you continue your pilgrimage
• Long-distance buses: luxexpress.eu— Riga and Panevėžys in the Baltic Network