The time Latvia built a tower to beat Estonia

This is the best story in the Baltics and almost nobody outside the region knows it.

Suur Munamägi, at 318 m, is the highest point in Estonia and the highest natural point in all three Baltic states. Gaiziņkalns in Latvia, at 312 m, is six metres short.

In the early 2000s, Latvia began building a 45-metre watchtower on Gaiziņkalns. Work stalled, restarted in 2007, and the finished height would have put the top of the Latvian tower above the top of the Estonian one. Which would, technically, have made the highest accessible point in the Baltics Latvian.

It was never completed. The unfinished structure became a popular attraction anyway, which made it a serious safety problem, so it was closed and then demolished in December 2012, with the rubble cleared away.

Today there is a multilingual sign near the high point and a small wooden marker, and nothing at all at the natural summit itself. Estonia still wins by six metres.

Estonia, for its part, has had an observation tower on Suur Munamägi since 1812. The current one, finished in 1939, is the sixth. One of the early ones was reportedly taken down because it was confusing ships in the Baltic.

Lithuania: Aukštojas, a hill nobody knew about until 2004

Lithuania's highest point has a Denmark-shaped story.

For a long time the official answer was Juozapinė Hill. Then in 2004 a team from Vilnius Gediminas Technical University resurveyed the area with GPS and found that Juozapinė, at 292.70 m, wasn't even second. It was third.

• Aukštojas: 293.84 m — the actual highest point

• Kruopinė (Žybartonys) Hill: 293.65 m — second, by 19 centimetres

• Juozapinė Hill: 292.70 m — third, and the one with the monument on it

The new high point was an unnamed patch of woodland. A national competition was held to name it, and in June 2005 it became Aukštojas, after the pagan creator deity.

Nineteen centimetres separates first from second. Latvia built a tower for six metres; Lithuania's title is a margin you could cover with a spade.

Getting there: it's about 24 km southeast of Vilnius, in the Juozapinė Geomorphological Reserve (established 1992, 251 hectares), close enough to the Belarusian border that the taxi driver understandably wanted to check where exactly I was going. There's a trail to the top, a large stone rolled up there, and a concrete geodetic marker.

The practical warning: there is no public transport and no realistic way back. I took a taxi from Vilnius and asked the driver to wait, using Google Translate, which worked. Arrange your return before you set off, or you'll be on a dirt road by the border with no way home.

Juozapinė is only about 500 m to 1 km away and has a monument to King Mindaugas. If you're going all that way, do both.

Latvia: Gaiziņkalns, and nothing at the top

Gaiziņkalns sits in the Vidzeme Upland just west of Madona, about two hours from Riga, inside Gaiziņkalns Nature Park (established 1987, part of Natura 2000). Around 70% of the area is spruce forest, and the slopes are steep enough that it works as a ski area with three runs and several guesthouses.

It's the one you genuinely need a car for. There's no practical public transport, and the last stretch to the car park is a long gravel road, which was in good condition when I drove it.

There is very little at the summit. Since the tower came down there's a multilingual sign, a small wooden marker giving the name and height, a Latvian flag, and trees. The walk from the car park is minimal.

The drive across Latvia is long and the landscape doesn't change much. Which is part of why I turned the whole thing into a game.

Estonia: Suur Munamägi, the highest of the three

Suur Munamägi means "Big Egg Hill", and at 318 m it's the highest point in Estonia and in the Baltics. It sits in Haanja Nature Park in Võru County, near both the Latvian and Russian borders.

The tower is the point of coming here. It's 29.1 m tall, completed in 1939, and standing at the top puts you at roughly 347 m above sea level. On a clear day the view runs up to 50 km across forest, lakes and the farmsteads of old Võromaa.

Check the opening hours before you drive out. Mine was closed when I arrived. It operates year-round but on seasonal hours, typically shorter in winter. Entry is charged, with a lift and a stairs option at different prices and concessions for students and seniors.

The hill also has a connection to the Struve Geodetic Arc, the 19th-century survey chain that runs from Norway to the Black Sea and is now a UNESCO site.

Doing all three: what I'd actually tell you

It is roughly 1,000 km of driving over two days. Vilnius to Gaiziņkalns is around 300 km, and Gaiziņkalns to Suur Munamägi is another long leg. Add the return.

Lithuania is the only one reachable without a car, and only just, by taxi from Vilnius with a pre-arranged return.

Nothing is open on Sundays. I drove through Latvia on a Sunday and could not find a single shop or restaurant open, which is worth knowing if you were planning to eat, buy anything or fill up.

Fuel is considerably more expensive than in southern Europe. Fill up when you see a station rather than assuming there'll be another.

Watch for wildlife. Loose dogs on rural roads, swooping birds, and moose after dark. Driving at night in rain on single-lane highways is the least pleasant part of the whole trip and I'd plan to avoid it.

Gamify it if you're driving alone. The landscape between these places is flat and repetitive. My rule was: reach the high point, eat something that originates in that country, and find one object made there. It completely changed the trip, and it's why I ended up learning that a Latvian, Alexander Liepa, developed the flavour of Pringles while working for Procter & Gamble, which was the only thing I could find "from Latvia" all day.

Other things the game turned up: mushroom foraging is close to a national pastime in Lithuania, with over 300 edible species, mushrooms appearing in folklore as forest spirits, and an actual foraging festival. And that the easiest place to find a genuinely Lithuanian handmade object is, apparently, a shop in Tallinn.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest point in the Baltics?

Suur Munamägi in Estonia, at 318 m. It's the highest natural point in all three Baltic states.

What is the highest point in Estonia?

Suur Munamägi, 318 m, in Haanja Nature Park, Võru County.

What is the highest point in Latvia?

Gaiziņkalns, 312 m, in the Vidzeme Upland near Madona.

What is the highest point in Lithuania?

Aukštojas Hill, 293.84 m, in the Medininkai Highlands about 24 km southeast of Vilnius.

Wasn't Juozapinė Hill the highest point in Lithuania?

It was considered so for a long time. A 2004 GPS survey found it to be 292.70 m, making it only third, behind Aukštojas at 293.84 m and Kruopinė Hill at 293.65 m.

Why is there no tower on Gaiziņkalns?

A 45-metre tower was built to make Latvia's high point taller than Estonia's. It was never completed, became unsafe, and was demolished in December 2012.

How tall is the Suur Munamägi tower?

29.1 m, completed in 1939. Standing at the top puts you at roughly 347 m above sea level, with views up to 50 km.

Is there a fee for the Suur Munamägi tower?

Yes. There are separate prices for the lift and the stairs, with concessions. The summit itself is free. Hours are seasonal, so check before travelling.

Can you visit the Baltic high points without a car?

Aukštojas is reachable by taxi from Vilnius, but you must arrange your return. Gaiziņkalns realistically requires a car. Suur Munamägi is the most accessible of the three.

How long does it take to do all three?

Two days is realistic, covering around 1,000 km of driving. It can be done faster but there's no reason to.

How hard are they?

None of them is a hike in any meaningful sense. All three are short walks from a road or car park. The challenge is entirely logistical.

Are the Baltic high points worth visiting?

Individually, they're modest. As a set, with the tower rivalry, the 2004 resurvey and the road trip between them, it's a genuinely good few days.

Peaks 20, 21 and 22 of The Peak Project: climbing the highest point in every country in Europe.