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15 Days Best of the Baltic- featuring Heavenly Helsinki Tour Package Duration: 15 Days / 14 Nights Priced From: $4,106 (All pricing reflects per-person Land Only expenses) Dates: Sep, May, Jun, Sep  When in Poland, enjoy a taste of a history that spans from the 13th to the 20th century and appreciate the country's wondrous sites that range from sky-scraping churches or castles overlooking the expansive cities. Vilnius, Lithuania, is a place that isn't rare in antiquity; the Peter and Paul Church, the Gedimino Tower and the Gates of Dawn are all sites to keep in mind before arriving here. The Rundale Palace, standing in the Bauska region of Latvia, holds some artistic treasures that can be easily admired. The beauty of this country shines through the 15th- and 16th-century merchant houses that line the streets of the capital city, Riga. Tallinn, Estonia, isn't merely a Baltic Sea harbour that is essential to the country's economy, it also serves as the centre of a vibrant culture. Come and witness the beauty of the Alexander Nevsky or Toomkirik Lutheran Cathedrals and we might better understand why people are so proud to be called "Estonian". The Presidential Palace, City Hall and Parliament buildings in the capital of Finland, Helsinki, are examples of some of the finest architectural achievements in this particular country. Tour Itinerary Day 1 Arrive in Warsaw Arrival in Warsaw. After WWII, a reconstruction campaign by its citizens resulted in today's meticulous restoration of Warsaw's Old Town with its churches, palaces and market-place. It is an outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century. Overnight in Warsaw. Dinner if required. Day 2 Warsaw: City Tour & Wilanow Palace Warsaw has shrugged off its dour Eastern Bloc image, and is finally showing its true colours. The vibrant heart of the largest country in "New Europe", Warsaw is now poised to make is presence felt as a business and cultural hub. We begin our sightseeing today with a drive along the Royal Route and a brief orientation drive around the city before beginning our walking tour of the Old Town, a UNESCO protected site. We visit the Historical Museum and then have some free time in the vicinity for shopping and lunch. We then proceed to Wilanow Palace, the former residence of King Jan III Sobieski and today housing a superb art collection. We proceed to Lazienki Park for a walk through the park to visit the Palace on the Water. We visit the Castle Square Uprising Monument and then drive over to the Praga area for a view of the river. Overnight in Warsaw. Breakfast and dinner. Day 3 Warsaw - Zelazowa Wola - Torun Today we travel northward to Torun via Zelazowa Wola and the house of composer, Frederic Chopin, where we break for lunch. We continue to the picturesque medieval town of Torun. Torun escaped World War II with little damage and many of its buildings remain untouched since the Middle Ages. A highlight of our tour today will be the Nicolaus Copernicus Museum, Copernius House. The museum collects materials about the life and work of Copernicus: a library, old prints and books from the time of Copernicus, various editions of his work, "Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres," and models of the astronomical instruments he used. Overnight in Torun. Breakfast and dinner. Day 4 Torun - Malbork - Gdansk Today we travel from Torun to Malbork. On arrival we will visit Malbork Castle (a UNESCO site), the largest castle in Poland and one of the oldest in Europe. This is a splendid example of a classic medieval fortress with multiple defensive walls, a labyrinth of rooms and chambers with great architectural details and decorations. We will have free time for lunch and exploration followed by a transfer to Gdansk where we will have a tour on arrival. Gdansk is absolutely charming, and the architecture with its tall, narrow buildings, peaked roofs and decorative facades combine perfectly with the cobblestone streets. The famous Gdansk Shipyards are visible from most parts of the city. We visit the marvellous Old Town and its main street--Dlugi Targ (Long Market). Overnight in Gdansk. Breakfast and dinner. Day 5 Gdansk: Kaszuby Region Today we explore the Polish folklore of the Kaszuby Region. Kashubia, the northern part of Poland, is characterized by the beauty of its landscapes and its numerous architectural monuments. The heart of Kashubia is the Carthusian district (Kartuzy), known as the "Kashubian Switzerland" and one of the most beautiful parts of Poland. Owing to the preponderance of hills, hillocks, forests and numerous lakes, Kashubia has come to be known as "the land of a thousand lakes". The Kashubian Regional Museum in Kartuzy will introduce you to some of the intricacies of Kashubian domestic, cultural and religious traditions. Kashubians are a very ancient ethnic group of Slavonic Balts. They resisted polonisation for centuries but regard themselves as Poles. After the partitions of Poland, despite systematic Germanisation, the Kashubians maintained close ties with Poland. They did not lose their identity, historical heritage or original culture. We stop in Wdzydze Kiszewskie to visit the oldest ethnographical open-air museum in Poland, picturesquely located within the Wdzydze Landscape Park. The museum includes buildings collected from the central and southern Kashubia region. Overnight in Gdansk. Breakfast and dinner. Day 6 Gdansk - Olsztyn - Warsaw This morning we travel back south to Warsaw via Olsztyn, a city located in the heart of one of Poland's favorite vacation areas. We'll pause here to see the room in which Copernicus lived during a visit to the Museum of Warmia and Mazuria, housed in the old Gothic castle. We'll also visit the Gothic St. James Cathedral before continuing our journey. We arrive in Warsaw later in the afternoon. Overnight in Warsaw. Breakfast and dinner. Day 7 Warsaw, Poland - Vilnius, Lithuania Today we fly from Warsaw to Vilnius and transfer to our hotel. "Narrow cobblestone streets and an orgy of Baroque: almost like a Jesuit city somewhere in the middle of Latin America," wrote the author Czeslaw Milosz of pre-war Vilnius. Soviet-era satellite suburbs aside, it's a description which still rings true today. Despite being the capital of the medieval Lithuanian state, Vilnius was occupied by Poland between the wars and was inhabited mainly by Poles and Jews who played such a prominent role in the city's life that it was known as the "Northern Jerusalem". Vilnius is still a cosmopolitan place--around twenty percent of its population is Polish and another twenty percent is Russian--though with just 543,000 inhabitants it has an almost village-like atmosphere, making it an easy place to get to know. Overnight in Vilnius. Breakfast and dinner. Day 8 Vilnius & Trakai Sweden, Poland, France and Russia have ruled Vilnius in the past, and this morning we will see the influence that past rule had on this beautiful city. The Old Town, the historical centre of Vilnius, is one of the largest in Europe, and the most valuable historic and cultural sites are concentrated here. The buildings in the old town--there are nearly 1,500--were built over several centuries, creating a splendid blend of many different architectural styles. Our walking tour will take us to the Cathedral Square in the heart of the city. All streets radiate out from this square, and the dominating cathedral rises majestically in the centre. Inside the cathedral we will see the famous chapel of Saint Kazimieras, considered to be an architectural jewel. Rising in the distance behind Cathedral Square is the Gedimino Tower, once part of the 14th century defense system. We will also see the baroque style Peter and Paul Church, originally built in the 14th century. The Gates of Dawn on the eastern side of the old town were once one of the original nine gates into the city, the original Gothic defensive wall was once over 2 km (1.5 miles) long. From this remaining gate we will walk down through the streets of the old town. Nearby is the Jewish quarter with its lanes fashioned with cobblestones and hidden courtyards. After lunch we travel to Trakai, a former capital of Lithuania. The town, situated on the shores of several lakes, has two prominent castles. The castles were built to fend off German knights in the 14th century. Trakai is famous for its population of Kara-Kalpak people. Brought to Trakai from the Crimean Peninsula by the Grand Duke Vytautas in the late 14th century, the Kara-Kalpak still hold their Jewish religious services in the yellow Kinessa, built in 1812. Our tour here includes a visit to the Trakai Historical Museum, housed within the main rooms of Trakai's island castle. We return to Vilnius. Overnight in Vilnius. Breakfast and dinner. Day 9 Vilnius - Kaunas - Siauliai, Lithuania - Riga, Latvia We travel by road today to Riga via Kaunas with a stop there to see the Castle and Old Town, at the confluence of the two largest Lithuanian rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris, where the town was founded. We see the Town Hall Square, with the 15th-16th century merchants' houses and the 17th century's white, the baroque Town Hall dominating its center; the nearby majestic Kaunas Cathedral and the Gothic Vytautas Church built in 1400 on the riverbank. Kaunas is the most authentically Lithuanian city, as the percentage of native Lithuanians who live in Kaunas is greater than in any other Lithuanian city. After our visit here we continue north to Riga past rolling green hills. En route we stop at the Hill of Crosses, located just north of the small industrial city of Siauliai. Siauliai is the Lithuanian national pilgrimage center, and a city of famous cultural traditions and legends. Standing upon a small hill are thousands of crosses that represent Christian devotion and a memorial to Lithuanian national identity. This site represents a compelling resistance memorial to the German and Soviet occupation. Today newlyweds often come here after their wedding ceremony to ask for God's blessing. After our stop we will proceed to the border and continue on to Riga. Overnight in Riga. Breakfast and dinner. Day 10 Riga: City Tour Riga, founded in 1201 by the German bishop Albert, is the largest of the three Baltic capitals and boasts a true kaleidoscope of various architectural styles. We will start our day with a panorama drive taking in the most famous sights of Riga. Our route along the embankment of the River Daugava provides us with wonderful panoramic views of the city. We will follows through to the center of the town to the Jugendstil district, Alberta Street--a real open-air architectural museum, and one of the best collections of Art Nouveau buildings in Europe. We will then drive through the modern part of the city, observing the university building, National Opera, Academy of Arts and central train station. We will then leave our bus at the entrance to the Old Town. Our walking tour of the Old Town will include Riga Castle, Dome Cathedral, St. Peter's Church, Swedish Gates, "Three Brothers", Large and Small Guild Houses and the Freedom Monument. Overnight in Riga. Breakfast and dinner. Day 11 Riga: Rundale Palace & Ethnographic Open Air Museum This morning we travel about 90 minutes to a region known as Bauska where we visit Rundale Palace, an architectural pearl created by architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, designer of the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. Construction of the palace was completed only in 1768 and now it is a magnificent sample of baroque style with elements of classicism, with crystal chandeliers, rich stucco moulding, silk wallpaper, collection of paintings, and frescoes by Italian artists. This is the place where leaders of the state, wishing to receive high guests with really regal honours, hosted the royal couple from Denmark when they visited in Latvia. After lunch we will drive to the Ethnographic Open Air Museum. The museum is an island of Latvian folk art, where the ancient way of life is carefully recreated and preserved for posterity. More than ninety authentic houses, farmsteads, windmills, wooden churches, fishermen's villages and other historic structures have been brought here from different regions of Latvia and represent the life of craftspeople, peasants and fishermen from centuries past. Overnight in Riga. Breakfast and dinner. Day 12 Riga, Latvia - Parnu - Tallinn, Estonia This morning we depart Riga for Tallinn, visiting Parnu en route. There was a trading settlement in Parnu before the German crusaders arrived, but recorded history of the city dates back to the 13th century. From the middle of the 19th century, Parnu developed as a resort town with its good beaches and relatively good weather. During the Soviet era, Parnu's guesthouses, inns and hotels were converted to sanatoria. We will do a walking tour of parts of the Old Town including the town's oldest building, the Red Tower. We continue to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. Historically, the city has been attacked, sacked, razed and pillaged on numerous occasions. Although extensively bombed by Soviet air forces during the latter stages of World War II, much of the medieval Old Town still retains its charm. The Tallinn Old Town became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1997. Overnight in Tallinn. Breakfast and dinner. Day 13 Tallinn: City Tour Today we have a guided WALKING tour of this important Baltic Sea harbour city. We begin with a visit to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, built in the nineteenth century. The cathedral dominates the Lossi Plats, and is an imposing testament to the Russian imperialist influence. We also visit the Dominican Monastery, which played an important role in bringing Christianity to Estonia. We have the opportunity to visit the Toompea Castle site, a thirteenth century castle where the current parliament of Estonia holds its sessions. In the immediate area we will also visit the Toomkirik Lutheran cathedral, founded in 1233, with its impressive carved tombs inside. This afternoon you will have some free time to stroll through the picturesque Old Town with its jumble of medieval buildings, turrets and walls. Overnight in Tallinn. Breakfast and dinner. Day 14 Tallinn, Estonia - Helsinki, Finland This morning we take a fast ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki (HAVE YOUR PASSPORTS HANDY!) and embark upon a tour of this sophisticated capital. Affectionately known as the 'Daughter of the Baltic', Helsinki is sited at the arrowhead of a peninsula, surrounded by an archipelago of 315 islands, perfectly placed between its two great trading cousins, Stockholm and Moscow. In a European perspective, Helsinki is relatively young (450 years), yet it is Finland's sixth-oldest town. The Swedes, who extended their empire into Finland in 1155, founded the city of 'Helsingfors' (the name still used by the Swedes) in 1550 when King Gustav Vasa needed a site for a strategic, competitively placed trading port. It languished as a coastal backwater until Imperialist Russia invaded in 1809. Today we will enjoy a comprehensive walking tour taking in the most important and interesting parts of Helsinki, such as the historical centre and the diplomatic quarters, the Presidential Palace, City Hall, the Parliament building, Finlandia Hall and the Opera House. We stop at Senate Square, and, if possible, Temppeliaukio Church. During the afternoon you can explore the busy market place or the many souvenir shops close to the harbour. Overnight in Helsinki. Breakfast and dinner. Day 15 Departure from Helsinki Today we depart from Helsinki. NOTE: If you would like to extend your time in Helsinki, please let us quote you rates for extra accommodation at the hotel used on tour. Breakfast. HYVAA MATKAA!! Save time, money and stress! For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by our Poland vacation specialist. Contact : Travelwizard.com Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252 9/09 |
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