Baltic Chain Story

Three Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – demonstrated their solidarity in their quest for independence by forming a human chain on August 23, 1989. Approximately 2 million people joined their hands that day. The extraordinary event drew global attention and finally led to the Baltic States regaining their independence. The human chain spanning over 600 kilometers was registered in The Guinness Book of Records.

The joint Baltic cycling tour has a long history. The tradition began in the 1950s and was broken in 1991. On November 4, 2010 in Riga, the presidents of three national cycling unions signed a cooperation agreement to restore the tradition of the Baltic cycling tour.

From August 2011, Baltic Chain Tour Via Baltica marks the anniversary of the Baltic Chain. It is also the internationally highest-ranking annual cycling tour in the Baltic Sea area.