Araisi, (Latvia) Tartu (Estonia), and Back to Tallinn

Sunday, October 7

Just a few miles outside Cesis is Araisi, an off-the-beaten-path gem.  This tiny backwater is home to an archaeological park whose finds span centuries.  The Lake Fortress is a reconstruction of the dwelling site of the ancient tribe of Latgallians in the 9^th and 10^th centuries. The village of log huts atop a log base on an islet in Araisi Lake was discovered by archeologists in 1965 and has undergone several stages of reconstruction; it’s one of the ten such Lake Fortresses that once existed in Latvia.  

We were the only visitors early this Sunday morning and all was quiet as we carefully picked our way over the logs.  The views over the lake – a pair of swans gliding by, a lone fisherman in a rowboat, the red-roofed Lutheran church framed by fall foliage – were every bit as remarkable as the fortress village itself.  

In the same archaeological park are the ruins of a 14^th -17^th century stone castle ruins, surrounded by a dry moat, and another area containing reconstructed Stone and Bronze Age dwellings.  

Our stop at Araisi was a last-minute detour, as we’d thought it might provide some good photo ops before today’s predicted rain actually began.  It proved to be a good decision, both for the site’s intrinsic value and because we enjoyed a few moments of almost-sunshine and the rain held off for our visit. 

After leaving Araisi, we were on the road for most of the day; given the rain that prevailed, we were as well off in the car as we would have been anywhere else today.  As we encountered bicyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians along the way, we felt that without a doubt!

Back in Estonia, we did stop in Tartu for a short time.  We walked around the Town Hall Square, with its fountain and statue of a kissing couple, in a light rain and drove a bit through its old town and university area.  Tartu is Estonia’s second city and a center of the country’s intellectual and cultural life. It’s beautifully set, climbing hills on the banks of the Emajogi River, and certainly deserves more than our quick look today; alas, we’re running out of time!

By late afternoon, we were back in Tallinn – and the rain was beginning to taper off.  Tomorrow morning, we’ll return the rental car to the airport, and then make our way to the port. From there, a ferry across the Gulf of Finland will take us to Helsinki for the last few days of this trip.