Our van Wilma parked at a Danish beach during sunrise

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Van life blog

Image of the large radio telescope at Irbene

Episode #119🇱🇻 Irbene – The Super Not-So-Secret Soviet Listening Station

A Soviet ghost town hidden deep in the Latvian forest? That had been on our list from the very beginning, so we didn’t need much convincing. We just turned up unannounced, and as luck would have it, a friendly guide offered us a private tour in English for the next day. Perfect! The tour was absolutely brilliant and worth every penny. We got into buildings and tunnels and learnt loads, some of it serious, some of it surprisingly funny. Here’s the story of Irbene…

07.10.2026 – 08.10.2026 Stefan (9 November 2026)

🇱🇻 Latvia🌄 On the road🚐 Van life

Episode #118🇱🇻 Kuldīga – The town where fish fly

Welcome to Kuldīga, or Goldingen in German, one of Latvia’s loveliest little towns. Tucked away in western Latvia, Kuldīga has a beautiful historic old town that’s been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2023. With its narrow cobbled streets, old wooden houses and pretty façades, the town is full of character. Many of the buildings date back to the 17th and 18th centuries, when Kuldīga was an important town in the Duchy of Courland. The weather was glorious, so we spent our time pottering around the old town.

05.10.2026 – 07.10.2026 Kathrin (7 November 2026)

🇱🇻 Latvia🌄 On the road🚐 Van life

Episode #117🇱🇻 Bernāti, Liepāja & Jurkalne

We decided it was time to say goodbye to Lithuania and hello to Latvia! First order of business: laundry. Yes, very exciting, but that’s part of van life, too. Longing for a relaxing day, we picked the closest promising-looking campsite with beach access and a washing machine.

03.10.2026 – 04.10.2026 Stefan (4 November 2026)

Van life route

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More road trip blogs

... from before van life

Road trip

Canada road trip 2023

Glacial roads, endless pine forests, and the build that prepped us for winter.

Dive into the blog

Road trip

Denmark road trip 2024

Ferry hops, sea-side park ups, and the calm rhythm of the Danish west coast.

Dive into the blog

Kathrin and Stefan during their trip to Banff, Canada

We are Kathrin & Stefan

Ever since we met we discovered that we share the same passion for traveling and discovering nature and foreign cultures. We love to hike and anything that ups the adrenalin levels. After one of our first multi day hikes (West Highland Way) we started toying with the idea to get our own van. We decided to stress test that type of traveling with a 4 week camping trip through Canada.

It blew our minds and we discovered that we love this mode of traveling. The freedom is just incredible and that is exactly what we are looking for.

So, in 2024 we finally got our van Wilma and are now getting ready for the great escape … err… adventure!

Meet us some more

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