EuroVelo 13 - Iron Curtain Trail - part Latvia: which way and when to ride
The best month for EuroVelo 13 - Iron Curtain Trail - part Latvia is June: 78% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In June, riding near Šventoji → Ainaži meant an average tailwind of 2.0 km/h (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0% | 22% | 55 | 0 °C | 0% | 100% | 7.3 † |
| February | 0% | 18% | 38 | 0 °C | 0% | 100% | 9.4 † |
| March | 6% | 17% | 36 | 4 °C | 0% | 93% | 11.6 |
| April | 35% | 18% | 36 | 9 °C | 0% | 61% | 14.2 |
| May | 70% | 19% | 45 | 15 °C | 0% | 15% | 16.5 |
| June | 78% | 22% | 61 | 19 °C | 1% | 0% | 17.9 |
| July | 71% | 28% | 82 | 21 °C | 1% | 0% | 17.3 |
| August | 69% | 30% | 88 | 21 °C | 1% | 0% | 15.2 |
| September | 75% | 24% | 64 | 17 °C | 0% | 1% | 12.7 |
| October | 46% | 26% | 74 | 11 °C | 0% | 38% | 10.2 † |
| November | 8% | 22% | 58 | 6 °C | 0% | 89% | 7.9 † |
| December | 0% | 24% | 56 | 3 °C | 0% | 100% | 6.7 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Ainaži → near Šventoji, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Ainaži → near Šventoji | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Šventoji → Ainaži | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −3.8 | 24% | 11% | near Šventoji → Ainaži |
| February | −3.1 | 22% | 10% | near Šventoji → Ainaži |
| March | −2.7 | 20% | 11% | near Šventoji → Ainaži |
| April | −1.1 | 17% | 13% | either |
| May | −0.7 | 13% | 10% | either |
| June | −2.0 | 15% | 8% | near Šventoji → Ainaži |
| July | −2.0 | 14% | 7% | either |
| August | −2.9 | 16% | 7% | near Šventoji → Ainaži |
| September | −2.8 | 19% | 9% | near Šventoji → Ainaži |
| October | −4.0 | 25% | 11% | near Šventoji → Ainaži |
| November | −4.3 | 24% | 9% | near Šventoji → Ainaži |
| December | −5.0 | 28% | 10% | near Šventoji → Ainaži |
Stages
The route is split into 5 stages of about 100–150 km between towns; each stage has its own page.
| Stage | km | Best month | Tailwind Ainaži → near Šventoji in June, km/h |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Ainaži → Riga | 143 | September | 0.0 |
| 2. Riga → near Roja | 115 | September | −3.7 |
| 3. near Roja → Ventspils | 120 | June | −4.1 |
| 4. Ventspils → Liepāja | 128 | June | −2.4 |
| 5. Liepāja → near Šventoji | 61 | June | +1.4 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.