Kaliningrad & the Baltics
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"This was a journey through history, architectural styles, art, and music. We got a vision of these people's determination to be free and determine their own destiny."
E. & T. Korunes
Jacksonville Beach, FL
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This overland journey roves the countryside and urban centers of four distinct nations: the three independent Baltic countries - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - and Kaliningrad, an exclave of Russia.
Days 1-2: Tallinn
Begin in Estonia's capital, Tallinn, with its collage of narrow cobblestone streets and red-roofed buildings. Step back 700 years for a torchlight tour of a medieval Dominican monastery and visit the famous Song Festival grounds, where the independent spirit of Estonians has been celebrated since 1988, when 300,000 people sang their way to the beginnings of independence from the Soviet Union.
Days 3-5: Sigulda, Riga
Skirting Riga Bay, pause at Sigulda, entrance to Gauja National Park, before coming to Latvia's capital, Riga, with its Art Nouveau architecture. Known for its appealing Old Town and the odd sculptures adorning its old buildings, Riga is a delight to explore on foot.
Days 6-7: Klaipeda, Palanga
Travel across the countryside to the Lithuanian seaport of Klaipeda, pausing at the baroque Rundale Palace and at the Hill of Crosses, a place of national pilgrimage. Explore Klaipeda's narrow streets and merchant houses and visit the Palanga Amber Museum.
Days 8-10: Curonian Spit, Kaliningrad, Kaunas
Continue to Kaliningrad via the narrow, UNESCO-listed Curonian Spit, passing fishing villages, white sand dunes and the wood carvings of the Hill of Witches. Known as Konigsberg until the Soviets renamed it in 1946, Kaliningrad has converted a WWII bunker into a museum. Its Gothic cathedral and its Hansa Square are reminders of an era long past.
Days 11-13: Vilnius, Trakai
Lithuania's beautiful capital, Vilnius, is our final stop. Last to give up its pagan traditions and first to declare independence from the Soviet Union, Lithuania is known for its amber and celebrated for its bravery. An exploration of Vilnius ranges from the medieval, at the restored Brick Gothic castle of Trakai, to the more recent, at the KGB museum, commemorating the travails of thousands of Lithuanians. Stroll the cobbled streets of the Old Town, shopping for linen and glowing amber jewelry.
Trip Details
| Length of Trip: |
13 Days |
| Departures in 2010: |
2 |
| Dates: |
May 3-15 |
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August 2-14 |
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| Land Tour Cost: |
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| 5-16 travelers |
$5,895 |
| Single Supplement |
$1,095 |
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| No Hidden Costs! |
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MIR Signature Features
- Take a torchlight tour of a Dominican monastery in Tallinn
- Enjoy an organ concert in old Riga
- Pay a visit to the ominous KGB Museum in Vilnius
Map - Click to Enlarge
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| Days 1-3: |
Tallinn |
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| Day 4: |
drive to Riga |
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| Days 5-6: |
Riga |
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| Day 7: |
drive to Klaipeda |
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| Day 8: |
Klaipeda, day trip to Palanga |
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| Day 9: |
drive to Kaliningrad via the Curonian Spit |
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| Day 10: |
Kaliningrad |
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| Day 11: |
drive to Vilnius |
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| Days 12-13: |
Vilnius |
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| Tallinn |
Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage site), Toompea, Dome Church, St. Birgitta's Convent, Song Festival Grounds, Kadriorg Park, torchlight tour St. Catherine's Dominican Monastery |
| Parnu |
Sandy beaches of Parnu |
| Sigulda |
Gauja National Park, Turaida Castle |
| Riga |
Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage site), Art Nouveau District, Ethnographic Museum, Dome Cathedral, Museum of History of Riga and Navigation, Riga Opera House, Emila Gustava Chocolate Cafe, boat ride on Daugava River
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| Hill of Crosses |
Hill covered in thousands of crosses of all sizes |
| Klaipeda |
Theater Square, Clock and Watch Museum, fachwerk style architecture |
| Palanga |
Resort town of many sculptures, Palanga Amber Museum |
| Curonian Spit |
Curonian Spit sand dunes (UNESCO World Heritage site), the Hill of Witches, Nida - favorite place of the Nobel Prize-winning author Thomas Mann |
| Kaliningrad |
Russia's Baltic sea port, home town of Immanuel Kant, Bunker Museum, Hanseatic heritage |
| Svetlogorsk |
Amber mine, largest sundial in Europe, Sculpture Park |
| Kaunas |
Cathedral Basilica - largest house of worship in Lithuania, Town Hall, Vytautas Church, Ciurlionis House Museum |
| Vilnius |
2009 European Cultural Capital, Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage site), St. Anne's Church, Gates of Dawn, Church of St. Casimir, Pilies Street, Vilnius University; one of the oldest in Europe, KGB Museum, Trakai Castle, Ethnographic Museum of Karaites |
Suggested Extensions
Combine this tour with Belarus, Ukraine & Moldova. Contact us for more details.
Images on this page courtesy of Lithuanian Tours
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