1st day:
Tallinn
Arrival at
Tallin airport and transfer to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.
2nd day:
Tallinn
After
breakfast at the hotel, in the morning visit of Tallin, the oldest capital of
northern Europe, a merchant city since the Hanseatic League era. Tallin is a
charming mix of medieval tranquillity and modern urban life. The medieval old
town is a lively place in the summer with many shops, galleries, cafes and
outdoor restaurants. The tour takes us around the ancient medieval walls of the
city and in the historical center where the Toompea castle and its cathedral,
the Alexander Nevsky cathedral and the old medieval town hall are located.
Afternoon dedicated to the outskirts of Tallin, with a visit to the ruins of
the Convent of Santa Brigida and a walk in the verdant Kadriorg Park with the magnificent
Kadriorg Palace, commissioned by Tsar Peter the Great for his wife Catherine I
and designed by the Italian Niccolò Michetti, on the models of the Italian
baroque. In the late afternoon return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
3rd day:
Tallinn - Pärnu - Riga
After
breakfast, departure for Pärnu, the summer capital of Estonia. Pärnu located on
the south-west coast, is famous for its wonderful golden sandy beaches, spas
and its vibrant nightlife. We will visit its picturesque old town with typical
wooden houses. After free lunch continuation of the journey to Latvia. Accommodation
in hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Riga
- Jurmala - Riga
In the
morning guided tour of Riga, the largest of the 3 Baltic capitals founded in
1201 by the German bishop, also famous for its various architectural styles,
from Gothic to Liberty. The walking tour of the Old Town includes Riga Castle,
the Cathedral, St. Peter's Church, the Swedish Gates, the Three Brothers, the
Great Guild and Small Guild house and the Freedom Monument. In the afternoon
excursion to nearby Jurmala, the lively Latvian seaside resort, famous for its
wooden architecture and sandy beaches. In the late afternoon return to the
hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Riga
- Gauja National Park - Sigulda - Riga
After
breakfast departure for the Gauja National Park, where we will have a nice walk
along a splendid naturalistic path that leads to the rocky slopes of the Gauja
river valley. During the day we will visit the ancient cave of Gutmana, the
largest sandstone cave in Latvia, the castle of Turaida and then the castles of
Sigulda located on the opposite bank: the neo-Gothic one of the 19th century
and the ruins of the castle of the 13th century century. Return to Riga in the
late afternoon. Dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Riga - Rundale Palace - Siauliai - Klaipeda
After
breakfast continuation of the journey to Lithuania. On the way we will stop at
the magnificent Rundale Palace. The Rundale Palace complex, one of the most
outstanding monuments of Baroque and Rococo architecture in Latvia, was built
between 1736 and 1740 as a summer residence for Ernst Johann Biron, Duke of
Curlandia. The palace was designed by the architect of the Russian court
Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli and built under the surveillance of the same.
At the end
of the visit stop in Siauliai, where the Holy Hill of Crosses stands, a
pilgrimage site and tourist destination symbol of the Lithuanian national
identity.
Following
departure for Klaipeda. Accommodation in hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 7:
Klaipeda - Vilnius
First part
of the morning dedicated to the guided tour of Klaipeda. This city is the only
port city in Lithuania, overlooking the Baltic Sea and only became part of
Lithuania in 1923, before then it had been a German city called Memel. In the
historical center, the theater square stands out with the famous statue
depicting the young Aenchen Von Tharau and the ancient houses that housed the
guilds of German merchants. Free time and early afternoon transfer to the last
city of the tour, Vilnius. Dinner and overnight.
Day 8:
Vilnius - Trakai Castle - Vilnius
In the
morning guided tour of the capital of Lithuania. Vilnius is known for its large
number of medieval buildings (more than 1200) and its 48 churches. During the
tour of the historic center you will see the Vilnius Cathedral, the Gediminas
tower, the church of Saints Peter and Paul, the church of St. Anna, the ancient
University and the Gate of Dawn. After free lunch, continue to Trakai, the
medieval capital of Lithuania, for a visit to the suggestive Castle located on
an island on Lake Galve.
At the end,
return to Vilnius. Possibility to organize a typical farewell dinner.
Overnight.
Day 9:
Vilnius
Return
Breakfast
at the hotel and transfer to the airport.