Baltic States:
An Amber Coast

Today you can enjoy a big sightseeing tour around the city. The whole history of Vilnius and the architectural treasures are mainly concentrated in the historical part of the city – the Old town which now is included in the UNESCO World Heritage. The most popular places for tourists are the Cathedral Square, the Town Hall Square with its Classical City Hall, the Parliament and President’s Palace, and Vilnius University. In addition to the ancient streets, attention is drawn to the Church of Saint Nicholas, 14th-century buildings, St. Anna’s Church – a gem of Gothic architecture, Gates of Dawn and St. Peter and St. Paul Church.

In the afternoon you will visit Trakai Castle, the largest of extant castles in Lithuania. It is situated on the island in the middle of the Lake Galve, which is connected to the city of Trakai by a wooden bridge. Trakai is the former capital of Lithuania. The 14th-century castle currently houses the Art Museum. As for architectural landmarks, Trakai has a church of the St.Virgin Mary, which was founded in 1409 by Vytautas the Great. The icon of the Trakai Mother has been preserved here, it is considered miraculous. After this incredible visit, you will return to Vilnius.

This day you will travel to Siauliai and visit the Hill of Crosses. This sanctuary is a Lithuanian national pilgrimage center. Ancient legends, mysterious visions, tales of ghosts – all this surrounds the Hill of Crosses. You will know a few versions of why this cult arose and what it is associated with. The Soviet government made desperate attempts to destroy the Hill of Crosses, levelled it with a bulldozer, and destroyed the crosses. They achieved the opposite result – people began to put crosses to get rid of the disease with redoubled energy. Today there are over 100,000 crosses and other religious symbols.

Then your trip continues to Rundale. The Rundale Palace can be called the brightest and most beautiful example of baroque architecture, as well as the Rococo style in the Baltic States. The palace was built in the first part of the 18th-century and was designed by the famous Italian architect F. B. Rastrelli. He created many outstanding buildings including St. Petersburg’s Winter Palace. The interior of the palace is decorated with porcelain, paintings, and 18th-century authentic furniture. The Golden Hall, the White Hall and the Large Gallery are open to visitors in the east building of the palace. Also, you can see the ceremonial salons and private apartments of the Duke of Courland Johan Ernst Biron. The palace boasts a beautiful French-style park. After this excursion further travel to Riga.

Today you will enjoy Riga – the Capital of Latvia and the largest city in the Baltic States.

Riga has long been a Hanseatic city, with buildings of various styles, from the medieval architecture of the old town to the Art Nouveau and modern architecture. During this excursion, you can visit St. Peter’s Church, as well as the Dome Cathedral, which boasts one of the world’s largest pipe organs.
In the afternoon you will travel to Riga’s Art Nouveau district. At the turn of the 20th-century Riga changed an architectural style. Every third building in Riga is in the Art Nouveau style, making the capital of Latvia the city with the highest concentration of architecture of this style worldwide. The buildings were constructed during a period of rapid economic growth, from 1904 to 1914. Art Nouveau is most commonly found in multi-story apartment buildings. It represents a variety of details on the facades, but at the same time, decoration of the interior and the backyards are quite concise.

The next visit is Jurmala. This is the summer “capital” of Latvia and the largest resort on the coast of the Riga Gulf. Jurmala is a city with a 30-kilometer beach, where there are many amazing 19th-century wooden houses. You can see a lot of health centers located here, although the healing air, saturated with the aromas of the sea and pines, is already one of the healing factors.

This day you will have the opportunity to visit Sigulda and Turaida. Sigulda is one of the most picturesque cities in Latvia. This place which is often called Latvian Switzerland gives a chance to relax from the city fuss. The town is part of the Gauja National Park and is known as one of the most popular tourist destinations. Both in summer and winter travelers can enjoy incredible landscapes and natural monuments, as well as ancient castles like Crusader Castle and 19th-century Kropotkin Palace on the outskirts of Sigulda. This place is known as one of the few bobsleigh trails in the world that is open to all, which is a 1,420-metre downhill snowy slope.

Next, you will proceed to Turaida castle-fortress, which is already visible from Sigulda. The Turaida Museum Reserve covers almost 44 hectares and includes archaeological and artistic monuments that can show you the history since the 11th century. Its construction was started as early as 1214. From the territory opens a spectacular view to Gauja. Another famous monument is the wooden Turaida Church. There is also the tomb of Rose, a girl named Maya who died in the name of love. This place is often visited by the newlyweds.

After that, you leave Latvia and continue your trip, heading towards the equally beautiful country of Estonia. You come to Parnu, a port city in south-west Estonia. Parnu is Estonia’s main resort on the Baltic Sea coast. Here you will have a short stop and free time and then a further trip to Tallinn – the capital city of Estonia.

This day you will explore the city of Tallinn. In addition to being the capital, it is a large passenger and cargo seaport. In Tallinn, you can find a variety of historical and cultural attractions, visit the Old Town and narrow streets with its beautiful Gothic merchant houses. As part of the tour, you will visit Toompea Castle, the 13th-century Dome Church, and the 19th-century Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky. Don’t miss an opportunity to climb on the looking point of Toompea Castle – Kohtu. You will be rewarded by a breathtaking view of Tallinn, with Gothic spires and gilded domes, and the shining Baltic Sea on the horizon.

Then you continue with the tour to Rocca al Mare and the Estonian Open-air museum. In 8 kilometers from the center of Tallinn, there is an amazing place that acquaints us with the rural architecture of Estonia. The Estonian Open-Air Museum was founded in 1957 and presents a unique collection of 79 hectares of ancient Estonian buildings. Here you can get an idea of how families in the 18th and 20th centuries lived in different types of wealth and occupations. There are agricultural buildings, windmills and watermills, churches, inns, schools and much more. In the museum, you can buy handicrafts of local masters, ride a horse or eat national Estonian dishes.

This day you have a departure by ferry to Helsinki. It is the capital and largest city of Finland, located in the south of the country on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. During the tour of the city you will be able to see the historic center with the neoclassical ensemble of Senate Square, the Presidential Palace, City Hall, the Parliament building, Finlandia Hall and the Opera House. Stops at the Sibelius Monument and, when possible, at the Temppeliaukio Church (church in the rock). The city has more than 80 interesting museums, including the National Museum of Finland and the Museum of Modern Art. The same day you return to Tallinn.

This is the last day of your trip to the Baltic States. You have a transfer to the airport and a flight home.