Course — North-West

The countries located on the shores of the cool Baltic Sea are not like the rest of Europe. In contrast to the hot and temperamental Mediterranean, everything is leisurely and calm here. Both nature and people seem to strive to avoid extremes - but, if necessary, show firmness and determination. Here is a different way of life - more measured, a different sun - not too hot, a different sky - not too deep. And for many Russians, all this is understandable and close, so they associate their dreams of a home abroad with the Baltic. This area is especially interesting for the residents of St. Petersburg, since Finland and Estonia are easily accessible for them by car. Therefore, for the residents of St. Petersburg, a home in these countries is, in fact, a distant dacha. However, from Moscow in just 10-12 hours you can get to the shores of the Baltic, for example, to the Riga seaside. The railway connection is also quite fast and comfortable. It is thanks to transport accessibility among all the Scandinavian countries that Finland enjoys the greatest success among Russians. Moreover, the local resorts are year-round - in winter there is excellent skiing, and in summer - swimming and fishing. A striking feature of Finland is its many lakes, so buying a secluded house on the shore among pine trees and rocks is more than real. The Baltic countries - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - have been familiar and close to Russians since Soviet times, and resorts like Jurmala, Klaipeda or Tartu evoke nostalgia. Several years ago, all over the world talked about a real economic miracle, these countries developed so quickly on the wave of joining the EU. Their real estate markets grew just as rapidly. However, the global crisis hit the fragile states especially hard, and the Baltic countries topped the ratings of falling real estate markets. At the same time, the Scandinavian countries have avoided large spikes in home prices, and recent data show that in both Finland and Sweden and Norway, average property prices are starting to rise slowly. But the Baltic coasts of Poland, Germany and Denmark are little known to Russians. It's a pity - natural beauty is combined in these countries with more (Germany) or less (Poland), but still a stable economy. A special project Homes Overseas will allow readers of the magazine to get acquainted with the countries of the Baltic region and with opportunities for buying real estate.