Baltic States Tour

You arrive to Vilnius, we meet you at the airport and take you to your 4 Star Hotel in the city center.

We will commence Vilnius tour from the city’s cradle – Gediminas Castle Hill and remnants of the upper castle. From here, we’ll continue to Cathedral Square to see its Neo-Classical Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Ladislaus.

Then, we’ll whisk out through the narrow street to another square for the Presidential Palace and Old Vilnius University, founded in 1579. We’ll walk along the medieval Castle Street in the heart of the Old Town. One of the most breathtaking sights in the area is the “Gothic Triangle,” which includes a magnificent St. Anne’s church.

You might be interested to visit Zverynas on your own.  The explanation about it is in this article.

We will drive out to see the pearl of Baroque architecture in Vilnius, and the Baltic States: St. Peter and Paul’s Church – which contains more than 2000 statues and bas-reliefs. Visit Uzupis Artist’s district famous for declaring its independence on April 1st and writing a constitution on the wall. 

For lunch, we’ll walk up to the City Hall Square, and afterward, see the gorgeous Gate of Dawn. This golden Chapel and City Gate contains a famous icon of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy, believed to have miraculous powers.

We’ll continue the Baltic States tour by bus, to the Parliament building to tell the story of the “Last Revolution.” Next is Vilnius central street – Gediminas Avenue, with a former KGB Building and lots of beautiful buildings and parks.

We will finish the day by a ride on Constitution Street, which the center of the Business city and a modern Vilnius.

We’ll depart Vilnius for a tour of Trakai, the land of lakes and forests. Once the capital and residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, the 14th-century insular castle now houses an intriguing museum.

You’ll also learn of the Karaites, an ethnic minority, brought to Lithuania by Grand Duke  Vytautas from the Crimea 600 years ago, and visit a unique Karaite cemetery.

Next, we’ll drive to Kaunas, the second-largest city in the country. Kaunas’ Old Town is postcard-perfect, with its Catholic churches, narrow streets and cobbled squares, cozy cafes, and art galleries.

We will continue walking along the main pedestrian street, Laisves Aleja, which looks much the same as it did before the war. We’ll stop at the National Art Gallery of M. K. Ciurlionis, the most famous Lithuanian painter and composer.

On the drive westward, we’ll stop in Kedainiai, home to a citadel of Radziwill family, one of the most powerful nobility in the late Middle Ages.

Upon arrival in Klaipeda, we’ll walk through the cute Old Town, notable for its German-influenced medieval architecture. Will pass by the Theatre square to see the statue of Annchen von Tharau. Will cross the Burce bridge to the newer part of the city and will finish at the impressive Stone Sculpture Park.

While speaking about Lithuania history and heritage we will also cover its pagan period and traditions. 

In the morning, we’ll drive to Neringa National Park on the Curonian Spit. We will take a ferry, as it is a sand peninsula, and is not connected by any land way to Lithuania.  The first stop will be at Juodkrante for a walk on the Hill of Witches. Travelers like this natural forest decorated by wooden sculptures of legends from Lithuanian folklore.

We’ll also make a stop to watch one of the most significant populations of cormorants in the area.

Next, we’ll be sure to visit Nida, a lovely artist, and a vacation colony. We will go up to a 60-meter-high dune and will walk through the picturesque streets of a Baltic resort. Here famous writer Thomas Mann found a quiet summerhouse to write his books.

On the way back to Klaipeda, you can have extra fun visiting the Lithuanian Sea Museum and Dolphinarium.

In the morning, we will drive to Palanga resort on the Baltic Sea. Famous for its beaches and the beautiful Botanic Park with the most prominent Amber Museum in the Baltic States. We will walk on the pedestrian alley to the longest pier and will finish the visit to Palanga at the Monkey Bridge.

On the way to Latvia, we will visit the city of Siauliai. Here the first pedestrian street in Lithuania was set. We will walk on it and will have lunch.

En route, we will stop at the Hill of Crosses, to see the unique pilgrimage site with over 500.000 crosses. It is a symbol of Lithuanians’ resistance against foreign rule.

Our first visit to Latvia is at the beautiful Baroque Rundale Palace, built by the famous Italian architect B. Rastrelli for the Duke of Courland. We’ll take a stroll of the grounds and exhibits inside the “Baltic Versailles.”

We’ll kick off our first day in Riga with a city tour of Old Town. First, a visit to the Dome Cathedral built to see its extraordinary organ and its 6,781 pipes. Next, we’ll check out the Great and Small Guilds’ houses and learn about Riga’s economic history.

Through a narrow Brewers street, we will approach the Swedish gate and a Latvian Parliament. We’ll see the Three Brothers’ architectural complex of three houses built over different centuries. No doubt, your guide will tell the legends of Cats’ House.

The unargued highlight of the Riga Old city is the Blackheads’ house. They were a single merchants’ guild competing with a Hanseatic Union. We will finish the walk in the old town at the St. Peter’s church and its tower.

Riga is famous for the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture that stands out on its streets. We will pay special attention to the architectural history of Riga.

In the morning, we will visit the most prominent food market in the Baltic States. It occupies five huge hangers used for construction Zeppelin airships.

On the way north, we’ll visit Sigulda, so-called the “Switzerland of Latvia.” It is in a beautiful Gauja National Park with ancient castles, historic caves, and spring water.  We’ll tour the romantic ruins of Sigulda Castle, will hear the legends of the Gutman caves. And wander the Turaida Castle museum and a beautiful stone art park.

Part III of the Baltic States Tour: Estonia.

It’s time for the third part of our Baltic States Tour. On the way, we’ll stop at Parnu, a resort area and cradle of Estonian independence. We’ll hop on a ferry from Virtsu to Muhu and Saaremaa Islands, to untouched Estonian nature sights. We’ll stay for the night in the capital town of Kuressaare. You can read about my trip to Saaremaa on Jerulita Travel blog.

Visit one of the main medieval attractions of Estonia – 14th-century Kuressaare Bishop’s Castle. Today, it houses a museum on Estonian history and dignity. Next, we’ll drive to the Kaali meteorite craters on Saaremaa. The largest of these craters measures 110 meters in diameter and contains a small lake and a depth of 22 m.

As we drive to the Estonian capital, we’ll stop to see the Angla Windmills – 5 historic windmills standing in a row. In the evening, we’ll arrive in Tallinn.

Today we’ll immerse ourselves into Tallinn, taking in the Old Town, 15th-century Town Hall, and fortifications with 27 iconic towers. We’ll pay a visit to Toompea Castle Hill. In a relatively small area, you will see the seat of the government, the Russian Orthodox church of Alexandr Nevsky, and Tallinn’s Protestant Cathedral. This place is also attractive for panoramic views over the other parts of the city.

Next is the driven part of the tour. We will visit an impressive Kadriorg Park and Palace, and the art museum in it. Will drive by the Rusalka Monument and Pirita Olympic village.

We’ll top it all off with “Rocca al Mare” open-air ethnographic museum. 

Find more about alternative ways to enjoy the city of Tallinn by reading an article about Tallinn city Walks.

Morning transfer to the airport for your return flight, or we can continue on an extension to St. Petersburg, to Helsinki or Stockholm by ferry.

There are several combinations of Baltics. Check Poland and Baltic States tours here.