Scooter Archives - The Best Viewpoints

Tower on the highest point of Latvia - Gaizinkalns

October 1, 2023 • 0 Comment

Practical tips and my insights from the highest point of Latvia – Gaizinkalns

I visited the highest point of Latvia during my expedition European Peaks during which I visited the highest country of every European country. To be honest, the highest point of Latvia Gaiziņkalns is a bit disappointing. There is just a tiny tower on the top but no view from it. On the other hand, there are surprising attractions nearby. In winter you can use a small lift for skiing and during summer you can have fun on a water slide. In this article I will let you know how to reach the highest peak of Latvia and I will also share with you my personal experience. Latvia is beautiful!

Important information for visiting the highest point of Latvia -Gaiziņkalns

Short description of the ascent: Short easy walk
Essential equipment: Nothing special, it's a short walk
Best time to visit: All year round
Fees or restrictions: No
Camping allowed: Yes, wild camping is allowed but not on private land
Nearest recommended accommodation: Cosy apartment Amberhouse by a lake at Vestiena
Recommended accommodation in Riga: Radisson Blu Daugava Hotel with view over the river and the old city
Height of the peak: 311 m 
Hiking distance: 885 m 
Time to ascend: 20-30 minutes (one way) 
Difficulty level: * (6 stars maximum)
Personal rating of the mountain: ** (6 stars maximum) 
Beer on the peak: Lačplesis Amber ** (6 stars maximum)

Map of the route to Gaiziņkalns

My story of reaching Gaiziņkalns with personal tips

After my epic night at the biathlon stadium in Estonia I woke up pretty early also in Riga because my Radisson Blu Daugava Hotel offered fantastic sunrise view. Then, I decided to set out directly for a new journey. I enjoyed a nice waking up nature around me on the way. The Baltics in general have some really nice places to offer. My favorite ones were the Estonian national park Haanja looduspark, the small town Alukšne in Latvia lying by a large lake and of course Riga.

Riga during sunrise — *Riga at sunrise; camera Nikon D750; lens Nikon 85mm, f/1.8; Panorama made by 12 pictures – 4 pictures in row; 3x Exposure bracketing*

Aerial view of Riga during sunset — *Riga during sunset; DJI Phantom 4 Pro; 3 pictures used for Exposure bracketing*

Are you alive?

At around 10:00 I realized though that I am falling asleep while driving my scooter so I decided to take a break. I found a nice spot in a field and decided to take a nap. After approximately one hour I was woken up by a local farmer with the words: “Are you alive?” Probably, the farmer has never seen a person taking a nap in his field before.

Scooter parked in the countryside of Latvia — *My scooter parked and I am ready for a nap; camera Nikon D750; lens Sigma 35mm, f/1.4; Single Exposure*

Anyway, the nap gave me new energy to get to the highest peak of Latvia. Except the terrible gravel road everything worked well. The peak Gaiziņkalns was not as interesting as the Estonian one though. The tower was very low so you don’t have any view. Only my drone had one. Maybe, it is better to visit the mountain in winter because there is a skiing lift.

Pink soup Saltibarsciai

My biggest experience from this peak was ordering a soup in a nearby restaurant. First, it was cold. Second, it was pink! Is it really a soup? Anyway, it surprisingly tasted well 🙂

On the way back I had to hurry to get my bus connection to Vilnius. That didn’t work out well. In one sharp gravel turn I lost control over my driving and ended up in a ditch. I can be glad that nothing happened. That made me slow down and rebook my bus.

My tips for Gaiziņkalns

Choose your means of transport to Gaiziņkalns wisely.
Take care what you are ordering in local restaurants.
Check the opening times of local attractions in advance.

Aerial view of Estonian highest mountain Suur Munamägi

September 24, 2023 • 0 Comment

All you need to know about the highest peak of Estonia – Suur Munamägi

In this article I will let you know how to reach the highest peak of Estonia Suur Munamägi and I will also share my personal experience with you. The mountain is located in a beautiful location in the Estonian national park Haanja looduspark. From its peak and tower you can have a nice view of the surrounding countryside and the local restaurant even offers a beer with the peak’s name. Follow my journey to this surprisingly nice mountain.

Important information for visiting the highest point of Estonia – Suur Munamägi

Short description of the ascent: Short easy walk
Essential equipment: Nothing special, it's a short walk
Best time to visit: All year round
Fees or restrictions: No
Camping allowed: Yes, wild camping is allowed but not on private land
Nearest recommended accommodation: Small camping houses in Haanja
Height of the peak: 317 m
Hiking distance: 305 m
Time to ascend: 10 minutes (one way) 
Difficulty level: * (6 stars maximum)
Personal rating of the mountain: *** (6 stars maximum)
Beer on the peak: Suur Munamäe vaatetorn ***** (6 stars maximum)

Map of the route to Suur Munamägi

My story of reaching Suur Munamägi with personal tips

I arrived from Stockholm to Riga on a famous cruise ship with many partying people on board. My goal was to find a scooter and use it for the visit of both the Estonian and Latvian highest peak. That appeared to be a problem. I did neither find any online renter, nor did the local tourist information office have any tips. Luckily, my hostel reception gave me a tip to a local ice-hockey player whose passion was Vespa scooters. He rented me one.

Scooter rider in Riga during sunrise — *Time to leave Riga; camera Nikon D750; lens Sigma 35mm, f/1.4; 3 pictures used for Exposure bracketing*

Don’t bring a heavy backpack on your scooter

His advice to drive with a backpack on my back all the way was not the smartest though. Carrying 20 kg on a 500 km long journey on Baltic roads was a bit too much for my back, especially because half of the Latvian roads that I used were gravel ones.

Passing border on scooter between Estonia and Latvia — *Passing the border to Estonia, GoPro selfie*

The first peak beer

I estimated to travel to Suur Munamägi in around 4 hours (214 km) but it became a whole day trip in the end. I was lucky to come just before the closing time of the tower. Lucky me because I really liked the view. Extra points coming to the tower’s cashier who brought me a trophy from the already closed restaurant – a cold beer named after the peak.

*Suure Munamae beer on top of the tower of the highest Estonian mountain; camera Nikon D750; lens Sigma 35mm, f/1.4; 3 pictures used for Exposure bracketing*

Crazy mosquitoes at Suur Munamägi

What a nice evening even though I missed the sunset! And it could be even better if I had booked some accommodation in advance. Since my enjoyment of the local beer and photography took some time I left the tower at 22:00 and that was quite late to find a place to sleep. My first idea was to sleep by the tower but that idea didn’t end up to be smart because of too many neighbors in mosquito bodies.

I was looking for a more suitable spot then and I found a really nice place on a stand of a biathlon stadium. Thanks to a lot of concrete there was a smaller amount of these annoying insects and my sleeping place also offered a beautiful sunrise.

*Sunrise nearby the highest Estonian mountain; ; camera Nikon D750; lens Nikon 20mm, f/1.8; 3 pictures used for Exposure bracketing*

The next morning I came back for the sunrise to finally enjoy the mountain during daylight. Capturing the first sun rays with my drone was amazing.

*Suur Munamägi captured during sunrise from my drone*

My tips for Suur Munamägi

Book your accommodation in advance.
Bring a lot of mosquito repellent.

May 28, 2023 • 0 Comment

All you need to know about the highest point of Malta – Ta’ Dmejrek

The highest point of Malta Ta’ Dmejrek is the furthest away from any other high points of other countries as it lies far in the Mediterranean Sea. The peak itself isn’t very high but it’s very interesting as you can find it on a top of a cliff. Don’t expect any exciting climbs on the way to the highest peak of Malta since it’s only 253 m high but I liked it anyway! It was a very interesting cultural visit. The cities of Valletta and Mdina on the way to Ta’ Dmejrek at the Dingli cliffs have an interesting history and offer wonderful architecture. Follow this article to find out all you need before your visit of the highest peak of Malta including my personal experience.

Important information for visiting the highest point of Malta – Ta’ Dmejrek

Short description of the ascent: Short easy walk
Essential equipment: Nothing special, it's a short walk
Best time to visit: All year round
Fees or restrictions: No
Camping allowed: No
Nearest accommodation/food supply: Food and drinks at chapel Santa Marija Maddalena, accommodation at Dingli
Height of the peak: 253 m 
Walk between both of the highest points: 1.6 km 
Time of the walk between both of the highest points: 30 min
Water availability on the mountain: Shop at chapel Santa Marija Maddalena 
Difficulty level: * (6 stars maximum) 
Personal rating of the mountain: ** (6 stars maximum) 
Beer on the peak: Cisk Lager  ** (6 stars maximum)

Where is the highest peak of Malta – Ta’ Dmejrek?

Unfortunately, the highest point of Malta isn’t marked and various sources on the internet mention two different options for the exact location. According to them, Ta’ Dmejrek is located either nearby the chapel da Santa Marija Maddalena close to radars or 1.6 km away nearby a mine. You can find both of these places at the Dingli cliffs and I also provide a map to reach both of these places below.

Map of the walk between two highest points of Malta

My story of reaching Ta’ Dmejrek with personal tips

I visited Ta’ Dmejrek as a part of my project European Peaks during which I climbed the highest peak of every European country. After sleeping on the highest mountain in Cyprus in a car I wanted to find some more comfortable accommodation and I got lucky. I managed to book amazing accommodation at the Lucente Guest House which I got in return for drone pictures and videos. The barter trade still works these days.

King's Room of Lucente Guest House in Valletta — *Like a king in Valletta*

Valletta surprised by its amazing architecture and history

The host Charlie was probably the most funny and friendly guy I met on my trip. It was fun making drone movies with him. He showed me the nicest spots around Valletta so I could take some amazing pictures. Charlie showed that he is passionate about his business. Every room of his Guest House was devoted to one part of the Maltese history. I got a room which was associated to the time of the knights. Really cool decorations.

Telephone booth in Valletta at night — *Valletta at night*

I spent the first day flying my drone around Valletta and it was great! I didn’t have to care much about rules because Malta is the most drone friendly country with only a few restrictions.

Valletta from bird's-eye view — *Valletta from bird’s-eye view*

Reaching Ta’ Dmejrek by scooter

The next day I woke up pretty early so I would have enough time to conquer the highest point of Malta. Since the highest point of Malta is closest to the sea from all European highest points, I decided to visit it by scooter. It was not easy to find a scooter rental, but I found one shop online and I got the scooter delivered to my Guest House.

Mdina visited by a scooter — *Time to reach the highest point of Malta*

Malta isn’t a large island. Despite the mountain’s position on the other side of the island, Google Maps said I would reach it on my scooter in 30 minutes. The highest point of Malta Ta’ Dmejrek is situated at the Dingli Cliffs which has one certain advantage. You have a beautiful view over the Mediterranean Sea. The trip seemed to be pretty straightforward but I encountered an unexpected problem. It was very windy so I drove my scooter slowly not to end up below the cliffs.

Aerial view of the highest point of Malta Ta’ Dmejrek at Dingli cliffs — *View over the Dingli cliffs hiding the highest point of Malta Ta’ Dmejrek*

Travelling in Malta during midday is stupid

Another problem showed up when I reached Ta’ Dmejrek. Since it was very hot I drove only in a T-Shirt and since it was windy I didn’t feel anything wrong. However, after stopping my scooter I realized: I am completely sunburned. Again? I am curious when my plan not to get sunburned over the following summer will work. Since it was 12 o’clock there was no natural shadow spot at all in a 10 km radius, so I found a shelter under the only umbrella in a local fast food shop close to the highest point.

I drank 1.5 liters of water in a while and I felt much better. Then I visited the local chapel and took the 200 m walk to the highest point. Later, I also visited another location of Ta’ Dmejrek which I found on the internet. It lies nearby a mine, 1.6 km away from the first highest point. See the map of my walk here. Yeah, I made it!

Beach at Malta — *Time to chill on a beach*

After this dramatic summit I felt like celebrating my victory on a beach so I googled and I found the nicest beach nearby. Not surprisingly. Malta is really a small island.

After the swim I visited one more city called Mdina with a great fortress recommended by Charlie and I saw basically the whole island.

Maltese style rabbit

I left the scooter and was ready to leave to the airport but when saying bye to Charlie he told me: “Did you taste the Maltese style rabbit? If you didn’t, it is like you haven’t been to Malta!” I didn’t have time to taste the rabbit but Charlie insisted. He also promised me to take me to the airport, so I ordered one rabbit at a local restaurant. It took them so much time to prepare and I got really nervous. When the rabbit got served, I ate it so quickly that I didn’t even have time to taste it and I still don’t know if I liked it or not. However, Charlie dropped me at the bag drop at the airport 3 minutes before closing time so I caught my flight. At least after eating the famous rabbit I can say I have been to Malta.

Sunset at Valletta and a sailing boat — *Back in Valletta*

My tips for the mountain Ta’ Dmejrek:

Take a scooter and visit the highest point of Malta at the Dingli Cliffs. But be careful in case of strong winds.
The scooter will enable you to visit the whole island within a day.
Don’t forget sun cream like I did.
If you have time visit also the island of Malta called Gozo known for its amazing nature. I didn’t have time to visit it but it is a definitely good reason to come back.