DISCOVER THE BALTIC (LITHUANIA – LATVIA – ESTONIA) |
Day 1/ Vilnius
13:55 Arrival to Vilnius (capital of Lithuania). Meeting with English speaking guide at airport. Transfer to hotel for accommodation. Vilnius Panoramic tour . St. Peter and Paul church – he church is considered a masterpiece of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Baroque Overnight in Vilnius
Day 2/ Thursday/ Vilnius
Breakfast at the hotel.
10:00 Meeting with English speaking guide at the hotel reception.
Vilnius city tour. Nowadays Vilnius is a modern European city, a political, economical,cultural, educational, trade centre of the Republic, the biggest town in the country with a population of about 550 000. Vilnius tour includes visits to the Cathedral and the Cathedral square, bell tower, Lithuanian Gothic nook – the ensemble of St. Ann’s Church and Bernardines’ Church and Monastery, Pilies street, the main pedestrian tourist area of the old town, Presidential Palace square, the ensemble of old Vilnius University, founded in 1579, the former Jewish quarter, the Gates of Dawn with a chapel, which houses a holy image of the Virgin Mary, reputed for powers to perform miracles. Amber Gallery.
Afternoon free of leisure.
Overnight in Vilnius
Day 3/ Vilnius – Trakai – Druskininkai
Breakfast at the hotel.
10:00 Meeting with English speaking guide at the hotel reception.
Departure to Trakai. The picturesque Trakai national park with pine forests and lakes, and the ancient Lithuanian capital – the residence of Grand Dukes of the country. Visit to the 15th century insular castle hosted the museum of Lithuanian history nowadays. The history of this region includes the story of the small ethnic group Karaites, brought by Vytautas the Great from Crimea 600 years ago. Trakai is famous with Special Karaites dish – Kibinai (meat stuffed pastry. Trakai Castle visit.
Continue to Druskininkai without guide. The famous spa town on the Nemunas River in southern Lithuania.
Grutas park visit (with audioguide). Grutas Park is the famous socialist sculpture park. But it’s more than that – a peculiar mix of a collection of socialist realist sculptures/statues, a complex of communism-era-themed museums, a children’s playground and a mini-zoo plus a mock gulag-style landscaped park. It’s sometimes referred to in the press as ‘Stalin World’, but that’s not its official designation,
Accommodation at the spa hotel with water park. Free of leisure time
Overnight in Druskininkai.
Day 4/ Druskininkai
Breakfast at the hotel. All day free of leisure in SPA town.
We recomend skiing in Snow Arena in Druskininkai. It is the only winter sports complex in the Baltic States that is open all year round. For several years in a row, Snow Arena has been one of the top five best winter sports complexes in the world. Snow Arena has 2 indoor alpine skiing and outdoor skiing tracks. The Arena is modern venue, covered with high-quality snow, which is made without chemicals and bacterial additives. Friday – Sunday skiing ticket prices: 2 hours – 23 EUR, 4 hours – 26 EUR, full day – 29 EUR |
Day 5/ Druskininkai – Siauliai – Rundale – Riga
Breakfast at the hotel.
09:00 Departure to Riga (Capital of Latvia) without guide via Hill of Crosses and Rundale. Hill of Crosses – near Siauliai, where the Pope John Paul II held the most highly attended mass in the country during his visit to Lithuania in 1993. It is believed that the first crosses were placed here just after the 1831 uprising, and today the hill is home to thousands of all different sizes and colours. Interspersed amongst the crosses are traditional Lithuanian koplytstulpis – wooden figures – and magnificent stone statues of Christ. It is a unique example of Christianity in Lithuania, revealing the creation of Catholic believers, who took those thousands of crosses into one place. Next stop is at Rundale Palace (excursion with guide), a beautiful example of the Italian baroque, built by famous architect Rastrielli. The Palace built for favourite of Jekaterina II Count Biron reminds you of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Continue to Riga. Accommodation at the hotel.
Overnight in Riga.
Day 6/ Riga
Breakfast at the hotel.
10:00 Meeting with English speaking guide at the hotel reception.
Tour of Riga – the capital of Latvia, famous for its art nouveau (Jugendstil) style. Nowhere in Europe does art nouveau define the city space as wonderfully as it does here. World War II devastated many of Europe’s art nouveau style treasures, but in Riga 40 percent of the downtown buildings are of this style. There is also a sprawling medieval old city, a labyrinth of cobblestone roads and merchant houses. In the city tour : the Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, Cat’s House, Great and Small Guild Houses, House of Blackheads, Riga’s Castle, Freedom Monument, Opera building and Mentzendorf’s House – the unique example of mediaeval Riga’s architecture with frescoes.
Afternoon free of leisure.
Overnight in Riga.
Day 7/ Riga – Sigulda – Tallinn
Breakfast at the hotel.
09: 00 Meeting with English speaking guide at the hotel reception.
Departure to Tallinn via Sigulda. Sigulda, a small town in Gauja National Park, which is sometimes called “Latvian Switzerland”. A visit to Turaidas Castle where, located is the grave of Turaidas Rose, a Latvian maiden who chose to die rather than give in to the wishes of a filthy nobleman. Gutmanis Cave visit.
Continue to Tallinn without guide. Stop at famous Parnu beach. Arrival to Tallinn. Accommodation at the hotel. Overnight in Tallinn.
Day 8/ Tallinn
Breakfast at the hotel.
10:00 Meeting with English speaking guide at the hotel reception. Walking tour of the Tallinn old town. The walking tour gives an introduction to the historical heart of Tallinn, which, especially during the 15th century, was a rich and prosperous town of Hansa merchants. You will see Dome Hill (Toompea), from Castle Square where Toompea Castle, the seat of the Estonian Parliament is facing the 19th century symbol of the Tsar’s power in Estonia, Alexander Nevski Cathedral, Dome Church (13th century), enjoying a breathtaking view from a viewing platform, the tour continues by strolling along the narrow cobblestone streets down to the Town Hall Square that features the gothic Town Hall from 13/14th century – one of the oldest in Northern Europe.
Afternoon free of leisure.
Overnight in Tallinn.
Day 9/ departure day
Breakfast boxes at the hotel.
04:10 at night departure to Tallinn airport. Flight: 06:30.