Baltic countries and Russia

Product Description

ITINERARY

DAY 01 VILNIUS

Arrival at Vilnius International Airport, assistance transfer to the hotel. Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is known for its baroque architecture, which is particularly appreciated in the medieval old town. Accommodation.

 

DAY 02 VILNIUS

Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning PANORAMIC VISIT OF THE CITY OF VILNIUS, capital of Lithuania. In the 14th century it was declared the capital of the state of Lithuania, by the Grand Duke Gediminas, who in 1323 invited many artisans and merchants from all over Europe to settle in order to give a boost to the commercial and structural development of the city. The old town of Vilnius is one of the largest in all of Eastern Europe. It has a total of 359 hectares in which there are about 1,500 buildings distributed, giving a perfect combination of different architectural styles, from Gothic to postmodernism. In 1994 this part of the city was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. To highlight, the church of Santa Ana and THE CHURCH OF SAN PEDRO AND SAN PABLO, as well as the cathedral. Also significant are the courtyards of the old VILNIUS UNIVERSITY, (founded in 1579, it is the oldest university in Eastern Europe); the Gediminas castle tower, with impressive views of the entire city; the famous “Gate of Dawn” and the Amber Gallery. Lunch at a local restaurant. Free afternoon. Accommodation. Optional: In the afternoon, transfer and guided visit to Trakai, the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania is located 27 km east of Vilnius and is one of the favorite places for the people of Vilnius to go on excursions. Trakai Castle is situated on an island in the middle of Lake Galve. It is the most famous and photographed castle in all of Lithuania. This red brick fortification was built by Grand Duke Vytautas in the second half of the 14th century. Vytautas brought Tartars from the Crimean peninsula as his personal guard, they are the Karaites, an ethnic group of Turkish origin who practice a unique and particular religion; Their descendants still preserve all the traditions of their ancestors established there, giving the city a touch of distinction. Return to Vilnius.

 

DAY 03 VILNIUS – HILL OF CROSSES – RUNDALE – RIGA

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Latvia. Visit of the “HILL OF THE CROSSES” in Siauliai, a sanctuary for many Catholics. The first few hundred crosses were put up by the people of the region to honor the dead of the anti-tsarist revolt of 1831. When the Soviet authorities took power in Lithuania after World War II, they tried to remove the crosses many times. But the crosses always reappeared, people put them up again overnight. Today more than 50,000 crosses testify to the spirit of the Lithuanian people. The hill was visited by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Lithuania in 1993. Lunch at a local restaurant.

Depart for Rundale. Visit of RUNDALE PALACE – former summer residence of the Dukes of Courland. Built in the first half of the 18th century by the Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, who also designed the Winter Palace of the Tsars in Saint Petersburg. The construction was seriously damaged during the various wars that devastated the country since its construction. The interior was renovated and today the palace looks splendid. Large crystal chandeliers, silk lined walls, precious stucco moldings, sculptures, huge fireplaces, halls of mirrors and all kinds of works of art and rich objects adorn the different halls and rooms of the palace. The frescoes by Italian artists, Francesco Martini and Carlo Zucci, stand out, and of singular beauty are the Golden Room, the White Room, the Porcelain Room, which houses a magnificent collection of porcelain figures of different styles, and the dressing room of the Duchess. Also of singular beauty, the gardens of the palace, in French style. Arrival in Riga. Overnight at the hotel.

 

DAY 04 RIGA

Breakfast at the hotel. PANORAMIC VISIT OF RIGA known as the “Paris of the North”. Riga is the largest of the three Baltic capitals with almost one million inhabitants. Located on the banks of the Daugava River, according to ancient chronicles the city was founded in 1201 and became an important commercial center in the 13th century, as a city belonging to the German Hansa. The beauty of its old town stands out, in whose buildings all architectural styles are reflected: Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Classic, Art Nouveau, etc. VISIT TO THE CENTRAL MARKET OF RIGA, the largest market in the Baltic States and one of the largest in Europe. Opened in 1930, the main structures of the market are five pavilions built by reusing old German Zeppelin hangars. We continue the tour through the area of ​​the boulevards in the center of Riga, where we can enjoy numerous buildings and monuments. Thus we will see the Arsenal Tower, the National Theater, the Art Nouveau buildings from the turn of the century, the Freedom Monument, the Opera House, the University of Riga and the many bridges over the Daugava River.

VISIT OF THE CATHEDRAL OF RIGA, better known as the Dome, the largest of the Baltic countries, a Gothic jewel built in 1211 closed to the Daugava River. Dedicated to Protestant worship, its austere interiors impress with their solidity: some of its walls are more than 2 meters thick. It is famous for its spectacular organ, the largest in Europe built in 1844: four keyboards and more than 6,700 pipes. Lunch at a local restaurant. Free afternoon. Overnight at the hotel. OPTIONAL VISIT TO JŪRMALA THE MOST IMPORTANT AND TRADITIONAL SUMMER PLACE IN THE BALTIC COUNTRIES, IT IS FAMOUS FOR ITS NATURAL RICHES, ITS MILD CLIMATE, AND ITS MINERAL WATERS, BUT ITS MAIN ATTRACTION IS WITHOUT DOUBT THE IMMENSE BEACH OF FINE SAND THAT EXTENDS LONG OVER 33 KM, BORDERED BY DENSE PINE FORESTS, BETWEEN THE BALTIC SEA AND THE LIELUPE RIVER.

 

DAY 05 RIGA – SIGULDA – TURAIDA – GUTMANIS – PARNU – TALLINN

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart for Sigulda. Excursion to the GAUJA VALLEY and visit of SIGULDA and TURAIDA – known as the “Latvian Switzerland”. Visit of THE RUINS OF THE CASTLE OF THE ORDER OF TEUTONIC KNIGHTS (13th C.) which was connected to other small buildings by means of underground passages and visit of the MEDIEVAL CASTLE OF TURAIDA (1214), the best preserved in all of Latvia. We will also see the Sigulda Local History Museum, the tomb of Turaida, THE GUTMANIS CAVE and THE DAINA PARK, a sculpture park dedicated to Latvian folklore. Lunch at a local restaurant. Continuation to Parnu. PANORAMIC VISIT OF PARNU. Located 130 km south of Tallinn at the mouth of the Pärnu River, on the shores of the Baltic Sea, it is known as the “summer capital” of Estonia due to the great animation that reigns in the city during the summer period, thanks to the many visitors attracted for its sandy beaches and the beautiful forests that surround them. The city has 750 years of history and a Hanseatic past. Depart for Tallinn. Arrival and lodging in the hotel.

 

DAY 06 TALLINN

Breakfast at the hotel. PANORAMIC VISIT OF TALLINN. Tallinn, medieval city recognized as the oldest in northern Europe. In today’s Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, you can see a perfect symbiosis between the oldest traditions and the latest modernity. The old town is included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage. Unlike many European cities that have mixed old buildings with new ones, Tallinn’s Old Town is preserved as it has been for centuries, retaining its ancient walls, with narrow cobbled streets, glowing torches and secret alleys, which they make the city known as the „The Forgotten Pearl of the Baltic“. Visit to the historic center of the city where the famous towers of “The Long Hermann” and “La gordita Margarete” will be visited, as well as the Town Hall Square and the churches of San Olaf and San Nicolás. Toompea Hill is home to a great concentration of historical monuments, THE ALEXANDER NEVSKY CATHEDRAL, Orthodox, and the Lutheran Toomkirik Cathedral from 1233; the Estonian Parliament housed in Toompea Castle; the Estonian art museum; and the Kiek-in-de-Kök, a tower-museum built in 1475. Lunch at a local restaurant. Free afternoon. Overnight at the hotel.

Optional: Visit to the open-air Ethnographic Museum “Rocca–al-Mare”. Magnificent recreation of a typical Estonian village, situated in a beautiful forest along the Baltic coast. The open-air museum, which includes 72 buildings, among which the characteristic water and windmills stand out, allows the visitor to discover rural life in Estonia during the 18th and 19th centuries.

 

DAY 07 TALLINN

Breakfast at the hotel. Day off. Overnight at the hotel. Optional: Visit to Helsinki – In the morning transfer to the port of Tallinn to take the express ferry to Helsinki. Crossing. Arrival in Helsinki. Meeting with the guide and visit of the city of Helsinki, established in 1550 and the capital of Finland since 1812. Helsinki is one of the smallest capitals in the world with it’s approximately half a million inhabitants. The great Plaza del Mercado next to the southern part of the port is the place from where the city opens up to the world; there begins the elegant Esplanadi boulevard. The belt of islands and islets that surrounds the coast offers a wide variety of destinations to visit. A visit to any of the many cafes and terraces where you can try Finnish beer is a must. At the agreed time, transfer to the port. Arrival in Tallinn. Transfer to the hotel.

 

DAY 08 TALLINN – SAINT PETERSBURG

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer from Tallinn to St. Petersburg by regular coach. Arrival in St. Petersburg: “The Venice of the North”, “The Palmyra of the North” and the “Cultural Capital of Russia” are some of the names associated with St. Petersburg, the second largest and most populous Russian city. Located in the northwest of the country, on the Baltic Sea coast, Saint Petersburg has always had strategic significance for Russia. You can see the influence of Italian architecture in the eighteenth century and to a lesser extent of the French. A large number of monuments and ensembles of baroque and neoclassical architecture were built in the city. Transfer to the hotel. Accommodation.

 

DAY 09 SAINT PETERSBURG

Breakfast buffet. In the morning excursion to PUSHKIN, a city located 27 kilometers from Saint Petersburg where you will visit the luxurious palace of Catherine I with its unforgettable Amber Room. It was the official residence of the tsars, the palace, in baroque style, is impressive, of enormous dimensions and its magnificent fountains and gardens. In the afternoon free time for personal activities. Accommodation.

 

DAY 10 SAINT PETERSBURG

Breakfast buffet. In the morning the PANORAMIC VISIT OF THE CITY knowing its main architectural monuments, avenues and canals of this wonderful city, excursion to the PETER AND PAUL FORTRESS with the Czars’ pantheon. It is the authentic old nucleus of the city. It was the first building that he had built according to Peter the Great’s own design on a small marshy island located between the Great Neva and the Kronwerk channel. The fortress, which is now considered the best preserved 18th-century military fortification in Europe, was designed to defend the outlet to the Baltic Sea. Then visit the Winter Palace, former residence of the Tsars of Russia which currently houses the famous HERMITAGE museum, located in the center of the city, is considered one of the largest museums and art galleries in the world. It has some three million pieces of art that are exhibited in more than 400 rooms. Accommodation.

 

DAY 11 SAINT PETERSBURG – NOVGOROD – VALDAY – TVER

Breakfast buffet. In the morning departure to NOVGOROD, a picturesque city that was one of the most important and wealthy centers of Russia. We will make a PANORAMIC TOUR and visit the KREMLIN, SAINT SOPHIA CATHEDRAL – one of the oldest in Russia, built in the 11th century. Lunch in a typical restaurant. We continue our trip to another city VALDAY, where the famous Iversky monastery (founded in 1653) is located on one of the islands of the nearby Lake Valday. It is a major industrial and transportation center situated at the confluence of the Volga Rivers. We continue towards TVER, we make a short walk through this beautiful city. Accommodation and dinner at the hotel.

 

DAY 12 TVER – SERGIEV POSAD – SUZDAL

Breakfast buffet. In the morning we go to a KLIN city that is known for having been TCHAIKOVSKY’S RESIDENCE, whose house has been converted into a museum. We take photos without going inside. It is here that the composer created the music for his famous ballets Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker. Departure to the world famous GOLDEN RING of Russia. Visit SERGIEV POSAD, the main sanctuary of the Orthodox Church, with its Trinity Monastery built in the 14th century and considered the most important spiritual center in Russia. Lunch in a typical restaurant. In the afternoon we travel to Suzdal, the most beautiful of the cities of the Golden Ring. Arrival in SUZDAL. Accommodation and dinner at the hotel.

 

DAY 13 SUZDAL – VLADIMIR – MOSCOW

Breakfast buffet. In the morning, panoramic tour of the ancient Russian cities VLADIMIR and SUZDAL, including their main cathedrals and historical monuments. SUZDAL is a city-museum whose architectural monuments form a magnificent and harmonious whole. In the Monastery of San Eugenio we will listen to the concert of bells. We will also include the Museum of Wooden Architecture, which illustrates the old peasant way of life with its log houses, mills and the Church of the Transfiguration. MATRESHKAS PAINTING CLASS. The first set of the Russian doll was carved in 1890. Traditionally, the outer shell is a woman, dressed in a sarafan, a long, shapeless traditional Russian peasant dress. The number of dolls inside can be any, the smallest is typically a baby made from a single piece of wood. Lunch at a local restaurant. After that we travel to VLADIMIR. The city is home to a museum of religious history and antiquities, an art gallery and a teacher training college. The historical buildings of the city that we will visit are the Cathedral of the Assumption, the Golden Gate, and an old city gate. I return to Moscow. Accommodation.

 

DAY 14 MOSCOW

Breakfast buffet. Moscow is the heart of Russia, an ancient and ever-young city, with many faces and at the same time only one. Moscow grows and transforms visibly, without losing its appearance of an authentic Russian city. In the morning PANORAMIC VISIT OF THE CITY that includes the Red Square: in previous times, all kinds of events, both religious and secular, took place in the Red Square. In Soviet times the holidays of the October Socialist Revolution and Victory in World War II were commemorated with military parades. In addition, it includes some monuments, cathedrals and avenues of the Russian capital. Accommodation.

 

DAY 15 MOSCOW

Breakfast buffet. In the morning, excursion to the KREMLIN WITH ITS CATHEDRALS, one of the most impressive artistic ensembles in the world, one city within another, which was born in 1156. Great Italian artists left their creative mark here in the time of Ivan III. Highlights include: the Palace of the Arsenal with 875 cannons, the Senate Palace, the Kremlin Theater and the Palace of Congresses, the Tsar Cannon, never fired but the largest in the world, the Cathedrals of the Archangel Michael, the Cathedral of the Twelve Apostles , that of the Assumption, the most elegant and representative with bulb-shaped domes. Excursion to the ARMERIA, collection of jewels and weapons of the Russian crown. In the afternoon free time for personal activities. Accommodation.

 

DAY 16 MOSCOW

Breakfast buffet. At the indicated time, transfer to the airport by our correspondent at the destination. End of our services.