Along the Baltic Coast: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland

Arrival to Warsaw, the capital of Poland; meeting with the guide at the Frederic Chopin airport; transfer to the hotel; time to refresh; welcome dinner.

DAY 2 – WARSAW

Warsaw city sightseeing: transfer to the Lazienki Royal Park with the Palace on the Water and the Island Theatre; from there route leads through  Warsaw City with skyscrapers and monumental architecture from communism time,

then the Grand Theatre and Opera House, Jablonowski Palace, Tomb of Unknown Soldier and Saski Park, Town Hall, Umschlagplatz and the Monument of Heroes of Ghetto; transfer to the Old Town (UNESCO Heritage); visit to the Royal Castle and the cathedral, Market Square, and defensive walls with barbican; further walk to the New Town: The Krasinski Palace, Palace of Justice and Monument of Warsaw Uprising; dinner.

DAY 3  – WARSAW – TORUN – MALBORK

Transfer to Torun, the best example of medieval gothic town (UNESCO Heritage) and birthplace of great Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who made a crucial discovery that the Earth is not the centre of universe; walk along the Old Town, visit to the Copernicus House and the Cathedral with a bell tower offering a splendid view over the city; optional visit to a gingerbread factory and time for a souvenir hunt; further transfer to Malbork; dinner.

DAY 4 – MALBORK – TRICITY (GDANSK – SOPOT – GDYNIA) – MALBORK

Morning departure for Gdansk;  transfer to Westerplatte Peninsula guarding an entrance to the Gdansk harbour, a place where the WW II began, and the Polish Military Transit Depot was fighting against 13 times more

numerous German enemy; continue to the Gdansk Shipyard, the birthplace of Solidarity movement and stop by the Monument to Fallen Ship Workers (a homage to dockyard workers who died in December 1970) and a famous gate to the shipyard; Guided Gdansk Old Town Sightseeing – visit to the Europe’s biggest gothic brick church of St Mary, picturesque Dluga Street, Golden Gate, the Town Hall, Neptune fountain, the Arthur’s Court, the Green Gate overlooking Motlawa River, Old Crane; optional visit to the Arthur’s Court museum and the Amber Chamber for an amber polishing demonstration; free time for lunch and souvenir hunt; transfer to Oliwa Park with cathedral – the longest Cisterians church in the world, participation in unique organ concert; transfer to Gdynia harbor for a quick photo shot; transfer to Sopot, walk around the famous resort and along the longest wooden pier in Europe, elegant dinner in the fancy restaurant located at the end of the pier; evening transfer to Malbork.

DAY 5 – MALBORK – GIERLOZ – SUWALKI

Guided tour in Malbork Castle – the medieval capital of the Teutonic Order Knights in Eastern Europe and the biggest red brick gothic castle in the world (UNESCO Heritage); transfer to Gierloz; stop in Swieta Lipka in Jesuit monastery; drive to Gierloz; guided sightseeing of Wolfschanze – the Headquarter of Hitler on the Eastern front during the II WW; transfer through picturesque Masuria Region famous for its lakes and green forests to Suwalki; dinner.

DAY 6 – SUWALKI – KAUNAS (LITHUANIA) – TRAKAI – VILNIUS

Morning departure via Lithuanian border to Kaunas; short sightseeing of the city, visit to the Vytautas Church, dedicated to Virgin Mary, and walk along Freedom Avenue (Laisves Aleja), which is believed to be the longest pedestrian walkway in Europe; transfer to Trakai, the ancient capital of Lithuania and visit to the famous insular Trakai Castle – an excellent example of Gothic architecture; further drive to Vilnius; dinner

DAY 7 – VILNIUS

Vilnius City sightseeing, including Gates of Dawn, famous Gediminas castle, the Cathedral, charming St Anna Church, Vilnius University, and its inner yards – one of the oldest and most famous establishments of higher education in Eastern and Central Europe, which was founded in 1579 , the Hill of 3 crosses; afternoon to your leisure; dinner in a local restaurant.

DAY 8 – VILNIUS – SIAULALI – RUNDALE (LATVIA) – RIGA

Morning departure to Riga (Latvia); on the way visit to the most saint place in Lithuania – the Hill of Crosses, the national pilgrimage center with a huge number and variety of crosses brought by Christian pilgrims from all over the

world; entering the Latvia country; stop in Rundale Palace, one of the most outstanding monuments of Baroque and Rococo art in Latvia, built in XVIII century as a summer residence of Duke Ernst Johann of Courland, designed by the Italian architect B.F. Rastrelli, the main architect of Saint Petersburg these times; arrival to Riga; dinner.

DAY 9 – RIGA

Riga is famous for its architecture from 19th century and its Art Nouveau style (UNESCO). The city’s pearl of art is the Blackheads House, a striking gothic building with a Dutch renaissance façade. We would see also the Dome Cathedral (the largest place of worship in the Baltics), Freedom Monument and Powder Tower. Afternoon at your disposal or optional tour to the Latvian seaside resort – Jurmala, located 15 km from Riga: dinner.

DAY 10 – RIGA – SIGULDA – TARTU (ESTONIA) – TALLINN

Morning transfer to Sigulda to see the ruins of the castles of Sigulda, Cesis and Turaida, visit to Turaida’s museum – home of numerous statues and sculptures spread in a park. Transfer to Tartu, the oldest town in Estonia already  

mentioned in XI century. Walk around the historic centre: university, town hall, ruins of the cathedral, bridges of Angel and Devil. Evening arrival to Tallinn. Dinner.

DAY 11 – TALLINN

Tallinn city sightseeing: Toompea Castle, city walls with Kiek in de Kok – 45m, six-storey cannon tower from 15th century, Dome Church, the oldest church in Estonia founded in 1219. In the Town Hall Square we would see town hall and a famous pharmacy (one of the oldest continuosly running pharmacies in Europe since 1422). Afternoon free to your leisure or an optional tour to baroque Kadriorg Palace. Farewell dinner.

DIA 12 – TALLINN– HELSINKI (FINLAND)

Morning ferry to Helsinki; Helsinki city sightseeing – the historical centre, the Presidential Palace, City Hall, the Parliament buildings, Finlandia Hall and the Opera House; stops in the park with the Sibelius Monument and, when

 possible, at the Temppeliaukio Church (church in the rock). Transfer to the airport. Departure.

END OF OUR SERVICES

• Transfer to/from the airport
• Transportation during the trip
• 11 nights in double rooms: 11 nights in hotels (2 in Warsaw, 2 in Malbork, 1 in Suwalki, 2 in Vilnus, 2 in Riga, 2 in Tallin)
• 11 x Half Board (breakfast and dinner): the first meal is a dinner on the day of arrival, the last meal is a breakfast on the day of departure
• English speaking guide
• All fees and entrances