YOUR O.A.T. ADVENTURE TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE®

The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg 2022

Small Groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! (average of 13)

Overseas Adventure Travel ® The Leader in Personalized Small Group Adventures on the Road Less Traveled 1 Dear Traveler,

At last, the world is opening up again for curious travel lovers like you and me. And the O.A.T. Enhanced! The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg itinerary you’ve expressed interest in will be a wonderful way to resume the discoveries that bring us so much joy. You might soon be enjoying standout moments like these:

What I love about the little town of Harmi, Estonia, is that it has a lot of heart. Its residents came together to save their local school, and now it’s a thriving hub for community events. Harmi is a new partner of our Grand Circle Foundation, and you’ll live a Day in the Life here, visiting the school and a family farm, and sharing a farm-to-table lunch with our hosts.

I love the outdoors and I love art, so my walk in the woods with O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader Inese turned into something extraordinary when she led me along the path called the “Witches Hill” in Lithuania. It’s populated by 80 wooden sculptures of witches, faeries, and spirits that derive from old pagan beliefs. You’ll go there, too (and I bet you’ll be as surprised as I was to learn how prevalent those pagan practices still are.)

I was also surprised—and saddened—to learn how terribly the Baltic people were persecuted during the Soviet era. Much of this is chronicled in the KGB Museum outside Vilnius. But the most moving stories of all were the ones I heard directly from the local people I met. You’ll meet them, too, and hear their dramatic personal experiences.

The way we see it, you’ve come a long way to experience the true culture—not some fairytale version of it. So we keep our groups small, with only 8-16 travelers (average 13) to ensure that your encounters with local people are as intimate and authentic as possible. It’s also why your O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader will be a resident “insider” who can show you the culture as only a local can.

To ensure that your adventure is truly unique, put your own personal stamp on it. You can arrive early and stay later, add a pre- or post-trip extension, spend time in a Stopover city, or combine two or more trips. Plus, your itinerary offers ample free time so you can pursue your own interests.

So until the day comes when you are off to enjoy your Enhanced! The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg adventure, I hope you will relish the fun and anticipation that this O.A.T. Adventure Travel Planning Guide® will inspire. Should you have further questions, feel free to call our Regional Adventure Counselors at 1-800-955-1925.

Love and peace,

Harriet R. Lewis Vice Chairman, Overseas Adventure Travel

P.S. For further peace of mind, please know that we are EXTENDING our Risk-Free Booking Policy through 12/31/21. Learn more at www.oattravel.com/risk-free-booking.

USA Today “Best Tours” 10Best Readers’ Presented by Choice Awards Solo Traveler

2 CONTENTS

A Letter from Harriet Lewis ...... 2 The O.A.T. Difference...... 4 The Freedom to Personalize Your Experience ...... 6 Grand Circle Foundation...... 8 The Leader in Solo Travel ...... 9

THE BALTIC CAPITALS & Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, ST. PETERSBURG Shipping & More ...... 94 Your Adventure at a Glance: Where You’re Going, What it Costs, DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY and What’s Included ...... 10 Estonia ...... 97 Your Detailed Day-To-Day Itinerary ...... 12 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 97 Optional Tours ...... 35 Estonia: A Brief History ...... 97 99 Pre-Trip Extensions ...... 36 Latvia ...... Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 99 Post-Trip Extensions ...... 47 Latvia: A Brief History ...... 99 Dates & Prices ...... 60 Lithuania ...... 100 100 ESSENTIAL TRAVEL INFORMATION Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... Lithuania: A Brief History ...... 101 Travel Documents & Entry Requirements. . . 61 Russia ...... 102 Visas Required ...... 62 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 102 Rigors, Vaccines & General Health ...... 64 Russia: A Brief History ...... 103 Vaccines Required ...... 65 Poland ...... 104 Money Matters: Local Currency & Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... 104 Tipping Guidelines...... 67 Poland: A Brief History ...... 105 Air, Optional Tours & Staying in Touch ..... 71 Georgia...... 106 Optional Tours ...... 71 Facts, Figures, & National Holidays ...... 106 Communicating with Home from Abroad . . 72 Georgia: A Brief History ...... 107 Packing: What to Bring & Luggage Limits . . . 74 Denmark ...... 108 Suggested Packing Lists ...... 76 Facts, Figures & National Holidays ...... Electricity Abroad ...... 78 108 Denmark: A Brief History ...... 109 Climate & Average Temperatures ...... 81 RESOURCES ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE Suggested Reading ...... 111 Balkan Culture ...... 86 Suggested Film & Video ...... 114 Religion and Religious Observances ...... 87 Language ...... 87

O.A.T. Health & Safety Measures...... 118 Notes...... 119 Map ...... 123

3 EXPERIENCE THE O.A.T. DIFFERENCE in the Baltics & Russia

This adventure not only showcases iconic sights, but takes you beyond them to experience the culture through unique activities, engagement with the natural world, and authentic encounters with local people. Since our founding in 1978, O.A.T. has become America’s leader in personalized small group journeys on the road less traveled. SMALL GROUPS: 8-16 TRAVELERS LOCAL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION (AVERAGE OF 13)—GUARANTEED To see the world like the locals, you should The world feels more intimate and engaging travel like one. Our small group size allows when your experience of it is also personal us to take the roads and waterways that are and genuine. That’s why our groups never less traveled, and we often follow them using exceed 16 travelers. This gives you access to the same unique modes of transportation people and places larger groups simply can’t that the locals use—be it a canoe, a camel or a reach. More authentic interactions. Deeper vintage cab. bonds with your travel mates. Personal service from your Trip Experience Leader. Smoother UNIQUE LODGINGS transitions. And a far more satisfying Our lodgings reflect the local character, experience than any traditional tour offers. from smaller family-run hotels and historic manors to comfy inns. Occasionally, larger THE BEST TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS hotels closer to city centers are used. Wherever Your English-speaking, O.A.T. Trip Experience you stay, you’re assured fine comfort and Leader is a resident of the region you are hospitality. visiting, so you will get a true insider’s perspective that brings each place alive— OUR WORLDWIDE OFFICES the stories, food, customs, hidden With 36 regional offices around the world, treasures and more. we are perfectly poised to leverage our local relationships to deliver an excellent experience AUTHENTIC CULTURAL CONNECTIONS and value. During this trip, you’ll be supported Engage with local people through visits to by our teams in Vilnius and St. Petersburg. farms, factories, markets, and artisans’ studios; school visits; Home-Hosted meals; and more.

Your Trip Experience Leader is a Baltic resident who can give Experience Latvian family hospitality during your Home- you an insider’s perspective Hosted dinner in Riga

4 THE PILLARS OF DISCOVERY En riching. Inspiring. Unforgettable. These features form the foundation of your The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg adventure.

GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION (GCF) VISIT A DAY IN THE LIFE GCF was established in 1992 to help change Do you ever wonder, “What would it be like people’s lives in the world where we live, to live here?” when you visit new lands? Let’s work, and travel. To date, we have pledged find out during your O.A.T. A Day in the Life, an or donated $200 million worldwide. exclusive, immersive experience that places you in the heart of a community where you’ll meet You’ll see GCF’s work in action when various people where they live, work, and play; we experience A Day in the Life of Kose visit the neighborhood school; lend a hand with and the nearby village of Harmi, whose daily chores; and break bread with our hosts. once-struggling school is now a center of community life, thanks in part to a This adventure includes A Day in the Life GCF grant. experience in Kose, a village of around 2,000 inhabitants in Estonia. After learning about CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS the town from local leaders, we’ll visit a small Every culture has its joys and achievements, school in the nearby village of Harmi. If school and we celebrate them all. But every is in session we’ll meet teachers and students; place also has its challenges, and to gloss then we’ll share lunch with our hosts in over them would not do justice to those their home. whose stories need to be told—nor to you, as a traveler who deserves more than a HOME-HOSTED EXPERIENCES sugar-coated version of things. So our Stories shared. Differences solved. Taste buds Trip Experience Leaders will lead frank engaged. Good will extended. It’s amazing the discussions on controversial issues, and things that can happen across a kitchen table, introduce you to people whose stories will so we’ll break into groups of 4-5 to join a local expand your understanding. family in their home for a snack or a meal. This is a rare opportunity to witness family For example, in Riga, we’ll engage in life, learn local customs, and taste some a conversation about the issue of non- home-cooked fare. citizenship for Russians living in Latvia with a Russian woman who has lived in Latvia On this adventure, we’ll have a unique since 1969 and assimilated to the culture— opportunity to connect with everyday citizens but has never been able to gain citizenship. and enhance our understanding of local life This eye-opening conversation will reveal when we join a local family for a Home-Hosted the prejudices and inequality more than a Dinner featuring typical Latvian cuisine. Since quarter of Latvia’s inhabitants face as a result your hosts likely lived through the Singing of the country’s citizenship policies. Revolution in the late 1980s, you might be interested in discussing Latvia’s remarkable transition from socialist puppet-state to a high-income democracy.

5 You're in control with THE FREEDOM TO PERSONALIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE Exclusively with O.A.T. Your Choice. Your Adventure. Your Way.

It’s your adventure, so why not make it exactly what you want it to be? We offer an exclusive variety of options that let you tailor your adventure so it’s completely your own. In fact, O.A.T. is the only travel company to offer this level of flexibility and choice for a truly personalized experience.

PRE- OR POST-TRIP EXTENSIONS 2. Great value: All extensions include Every O.A.T. adventure offers at least one accommodations, daily breakfast, and optional pre-trip and one post-trip extension. airport transfers. Here’s why more than 55% of O.A.T. travelers 3. Continuity and camaraderie: You’ll usually choose to take a pre- or post-trip extension: travel with the same Trip Experience Leader 1. You’ll maximize your discoveries—often who leads your main trip, enjoying more of in an even smaller group than your main his or her insider expertise—and more time adventure (on average, 6 travelers with a to bond with the group. dedicated Trip Experience Leader)—and take advantage of your included airfare.

Optional Extensions offered with your Eastern Europe adventure

Poland: Krakow, Auschwitz & Warsaw NEW! Copenhagen & Odense: Denmark’s 5 nights pre-trip from $1595 Cultural Capitals 6 nights pre-trip from $2995

Wawel Castle, Krakow, Poland City Hall of Copenhagen, Denmark

Russian Capitals: St. Petersburg & Moscow NEW! Georgia: Villages, Vineyards & 5 nights post-trip from $1995 Vibrant Tbilisi 6 nights post-trip from $2395

St. Petersburg, Russia Tbilisi, Georgia

6 ARRIVE EARLY, STAY LATER • Paris: $895 per person Extending your time abroad—with us or • Amsterdam or Munich: $795 per person on your own—is the best way to broaden • Helsinki: $695 per person your experience. It’s also a practical way to maximize the value of the international airfare Other O.A.T. Stopovers are available. If the city covered in your main itinerary. you’re interested in is not offered, our Regional Adventure Counselors can arrange your airfare. Expand Your Discoveries Before COMBINE ADVENTURES or After Your Adventure You’re already overseas. Why not see more and Arrive early in the first destination on your maximize your value by avoiding the cost and pre-trip extension or main adventure, or stay length of another international flight? Here’s later in the last city on your main adventure or why 2,250 O.A.T. travelers combined two or more post-trip extension. By coming early, you can adventures in 2019: rest after your flight and adjust—with time to explore. By staying later, you have extra time to • Save a total of $600-$3000 per person when you relax, pack, or continue exploring. combine two adventures compared to the cost of taking each trip separately. This option lets you take advantage of our lower • Apply the 5% or 6% Frequent Traveler Credit group rates, with prices from $75 per person you earn on your first trip to your second trip. per night—including accommodations, private airport transfer, and daily breakfast. • Sir Edmund Hillary Club members save an extra $250-$350 per person when booking multiple • Arrive early in Vilnius for $75 per person, trips in a calendar year. per night • Our Regional Adventure Counselors make all • Arrive early in Krakow on the Poland pre-trip the arrangements for a seamless experience. extension for $100 per person, per night Combine this trip with our New! Under the • Arrive early in Copenhagen on the Denmark Midnight Sun: Sami Lapland, Norway & the Arctic pre-trip extension for $150 per person, per night Circle adventure—for a total cost of $9790- • Conclude your main trip with more time in 11,590 per person—and save $900-1300 per St. Petersburg for $125 per person, per night person versus taking each trip separately. • Remain in Moscow after your Russian AIR PREFERENCES Capitals post-trip extension for $100 per 54% of our travelers customize their air person, per night itineraries: • Spend more time in Tbilisi after your Georgia • Choose your departure city and airline post-trip extension for $175 per person, • Depart from one city and return to another per night • Upgrade to Premium Economy or Business Class Accommodations are at the same hotels where you begin or end the main trip and optional FREEDOM OF CHOICE extensions, so transitions will be seamless. DURING YOUR ADVENTURE NEW! Stopover in any major international city Our itineraries provide a balance of included activities and free time so you always have the Travelers with O.A.T. airfare have the opportunity flexibility to participate in included activities, go to Stopover in popular cities. Your price includes off on your own entirely, or do a mix of both. 3 nights accommodations, daily breakfasts, and roundtrip private airport transfers. Here are a few popular destinations:

7 GRAND CIRCLE FOUNDATION Changing people’s lives, one village, one school, one person at a time

ON THIS ADVENTURE … Dear Traveler, Since our inception in 1992, the Grand Circle In 1992 we established Grand Circle Foundation has pledged or donated more Foundation, an entity of the Lewis Family than $200 million to projects around the Foundation, as a means to give back to world. Here are just a few of the ways we have the world that had already given us so partnered with the communities on this trip. much. We’ve pledged or donated more than $200 million worldwide to support Salantai Daycare Center the education of young people and the Total Donations: $45,013 preservation of international treasures This municipally-funded daycare center provides and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and social services for people with mental and the conservation of natural resources for physical disabilities. Because it is set in a rural future generations. area, it is a lifeline for those who might otherwise be isolated. GCF funded renovations to a toilet Of course, none of this would be possible and bathing area; replaced windows; and funded without your help. A portion of the proceeds equipment for a woodworking shop where clients of every adventure is donated to Grand learn an income-generating skill. Circle Foundation—so just as your life will be enriched by the discoveries you’ll make St. Petersburg Music Boarding School on your journey, you’ll also help to enrich Total Donations: $75,327 the lives of the people you’ll meet along the The only institution of its kind in northwest Russia, way. Thank you for traveling with us, and this school provides room, board, and music and academic education for 475 students aged for helping to change people’s lives. 7–17. Many are orphans or disadvantaged. Our Love and peace, partnership has enabled them to obtain recording equipment, instruments, a sound system for the concert hall, and music software. Harriet R. Lewis Chair, Grand Circle Foundation

SCAN ME See how Grand Circle Foundation is giving back in this video Open the camera feature on your mobile device, and hover the lens over this code to scan it. A pop-up notification will take you directly to the video.

www.grandcirclefoundation.org

8 THE LEADER IN SOLO TRAVEL in the Baltics—and Around the World

ON THIS ADVENTURE …

FREE Single Supplements: We don’t charge The leader in solo-friendly a single supplement on this adventure travel for Americans— and optional trip extensions—a savings of by the numbers $400-$1,095 per person compared to other travel companies. But single spaces fill quickly, so early reservations are advised. More than 50% of all O.A.T. travelers are women who travel solo One of our most popular trips for solo travelers. More than 1,110 solo travelers joined us on this adventure in the past two In 2022, we’re offering 30,000 years—either independently or sharing singles spaces across all O.A.T. a room with a mother, daughter, sister, adventures. That’s 86% more than or friend. offered in 2019

High ratings: More than 94% of these solo of our 30,000 single spaces travelers rated their adventure excellent. 92% have FREE Single Supplements. The On average, half of your group will also remaining 8% have the lowest single be traveling independently, so it’s easy supplements in the industry. to forge special bonds as you experience unforgettable moments together. In 2022, we’re offering 25 exclusive women’s departures on some of our You’ll be in good hands, thanks to your most popular itineraries dedicated local Trip Experience Leader (a resident of the Baltics), and the expertise of our regional office teams in St. Petersburg and Vilnius. NEW! 101+ SCAN ME Increased Single Space: In 2022, we have Tips for Solo 126% more single spaces than in 2019, Women Travelers with up to 8 single spaces per departure. This complimentary, 96-page See available FREE single space at booklet is a comprehensive collection of savvy tips www.oattravel.com/blt2022. specifically for seasoned women travelers going solo. Learn about safety for solos, packing like a pro, the best travel apps, self-care on the road, and more. Scan this code to view an online copy or to request one by mail.

9 Our best value in 5 years—with a savings of up to $400 per person The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg Small Group Adventure LithuaniăÁĢķłĢŽŭ̇bķÖĢťāùÖ̳Ά̳Latviă˜ĢėÖ̳Ά̳Estoniă¦ÖķķĢłł̳Ά̳Russia: St. Petersburg

Countries: 4 Ά!ĢŶĢāŭ̆5

Small groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! It’s Included (average of 13)

Explore in a small group of 8-16 19 small group activities FROM PER DAY DAYS • • travelers (average group size of 13) $ $ • Services of a local O.A.T. Trip 3895 244 16 • International airfare, airport transfers, Experience Leader government taxes, fees, and airline fuel Gratuities for local guides, drivers, Including international airfare surcharges unless you choose to make • and luggage porters FREE Single Supplement your own air arrangements 5% Frequent Traveler Credit All land transportation • • toward your next adventure—an • Accommodations for 14 nights average of $315 Maximize Your • 32 meals—14 breakfasts, 10 lunches, Discoveries & Value and 8 dinners (including 1 Home- Hosted Lunch) Optional extension s :

Poland: Krakow, Auschwitz & Warsaw SCAN ME 5 nights pre-trip from $1595 Travel from only $319 per night Watch our #1 most popular video for this adventure New! Copenhagen & Odense: Denmark’s Cultural Capitals Open the camera feature on your mobile device, and hover 6 nights pre-trip from $2995 the lens over this code to scan it. A pop-up notification will take you directly to the video. Travel from only $500 per night Russian Capitals: St. Petersburg & Moscow 5 nights post-trip from $1995 Travel from only $399 per night New! Georgia: Villages, Vineyards & Vibrant Tbilisi 6 nights post-trip from $2395 Travel from only $400 per night PLUS, see Dates & Prices for Stopover city options

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Saint Petersburg, Russia

The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg

10 FINLAND Itinerary Summary PRE-TRIP EXTENSIONS LITHUANIA n l a n d f o f F i St. Petersburg Vilnius G u l Pre-trip extensions: 5 nights in Poland: POLAND BELARUS Tallinn a Narva Krakow, Auschwitz & Warsaw OR Warsaw Kose Aus e chw New! 6 nights in Copenhagen & Odense: itz RUSSIA CZECH Krakow S ESTONIA REP. UKRAINE Parnu Denmark’s Cultural Capitals

c SWEDEN DAYS DESTINATION i DENMARK POST-TRIP EXTENSIONS t Copenhagen St. Petersburg l 1 Fly to Vilnius, Lithuania Odense A I a Riga Salaspils EST. S To Vilnius S LATVIA U

B 2-4 Vilnius GERMANY Rundale Palace LAT. R (Optional Tour) D au LITH. Moscow gav Hill of Crosses a R. Klaipeda From C 5-6 Klaipeda a St. Petersburg s LITHUANIA p Curonian Spit i a RUSSIA n

S To/From U.S. e 7-9 Riga, Latvia Rumšiškės S B G a Internal flight S l E a O KALININGRAD U e R c G a I Land route k A (RUSSIA) Trakai Vilnius Sighnaghi Train route R Tbilisi Ferry route A 10-12 Tallinn, Estonia L TURKEY ARM. AZERB. 080Miles E POLAND B 13-15 St. Petersburg, Russia

What to Expect 16 Return to U.S.

Post-trip extensions: 5 nights in Russian Capitals: St. Petersburg & Moscow OR New! 6 nights in Georgia: Villages, Pacing: 5 locations in 15 days, two full travel days by motorcoach Vineyards & Vibrant Tbilisi Physical requirements: Travel over city streets and paved roads and along cobblestone streets during several walking tours in Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn, which include going up and down many stairs and an uphill hike on the Curonian Spit. Arrive Early, Stay Later Flight Time: Travel time will be 12-20 hours and will most likely have two connections Prices below include accommodations, View all physical requirements at www.oattravel.com/blt2022 daily breakfast, and private airport transfer. • Arrive early in Vilnius before your main The Baltics : The O.A.T. Difference trip for $75 per person, per night • Arrive early in Krakow on your Poland Our Best Value in Over 5 Years: Save up $400 per person with lower prices than pre-trip extension for $100 per person, last year, travel at the lowest price and per diems in the industry. per night

People-to-People Experiences: Discover the multi-faceted culture of the Baltic • Arrive early in Copenhagen on your Denmark pre-trip extension for $150 per region from many perspectives, such as a glimpse into everyday Latvian life in person, per night Riga when we break into even smaller groups of 4-6 travelers and join a local • Conclude your main trip with more time family to share stories and experiences over a Home-Hosted Dinner. We’ll also in St. Petersburg for $125 per person, visit a communal apartment in St. Petersburg where we’ll enjoy traditional per night Russian pies. Plus, embark on a rustic 40-passenger wooden boat, the Galve, for • Remain in Moscow after your Russian a private excursion to a Lithuanian island to meet descendants of the ancient Capitals post-trip extension for $100 per Turkish Kipchak tribe and savor a lunch of traditional Karaite specialties. person, per night

O.A.T. Exclusives: Experience our NEW A Day in the Life of Kose village, where • Spend more time in Tbilisi after your Georgia post-trip extension for $175 per we’ll visit an Estonian school, supported in part by Grand Circle Foundation, person, per night and lend a hand at a local farm to gain a firsthand perspective of the pastoral lifestyle. Throughout our journey, we will participate in Controversial Topics, including the non-citizen status of Russian Latvians, the fight for Estonian independence, and freedom of speech in Russia. Plus, visit Lithuania’s Cold War More than 92% of travelers Museum, located inside a former Soviet bunker that was once top secret. rated this trip excellent

Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oattravel.com/blt2022

11 The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg

YOUR DETAILED ITINERARY

BEGIN YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL PRE-TRIP EXTENSION 5 nights in Poland: Krakow, Auschwitz & Warsaw

Day 1 Depart U.S. Day 5 Depart for Warsaw • Explore Podgorze and Kazimierz Day 2 Arrive in Krakow, Poland Day 6 Explore Warsaw • Optional Day 3 Explore Krakow Chopin recital Day 4 Explore Auschwitz Day 7 Depart for Vilnius, Lithuania • Join main trip

OR 6 nights in Copenhagen & Odense: Denmark’s Cultural Capitals

Day 1 Depart U.S. Day 5 Transfer overland to Odense • Visit the Hans Christian Andersen Museum Day 2 Arrive in Copenhagen, Denmark Day 6 Visit the Ladbyskibet Viking Day 3 Explore Copenhagen • Canal cruise Museum • Explore Kerteminde Day 4 Explore Christiania • Norrebro Day 7 Visit Odense Robotics district • Visit center for troubled youth Day 8 Transfer overland to Copenhagen • Fly to Vilnius, Lithuania • Join main trip

Day 1 Depart U.S. Day 2 Arrive in Vilnius, Lithuania • Destination: Vilnius • Destination: Vilnius

Afternoon/Evening: Depart the U.S. on an • Accommodations: Congress Avenue Hotel overnight flight to Vilnius, Lithuania. or similar Afternoon: After an overnight flight, we’ll arrive at the Vilnius airport, where an O.A.T. representative will greet you and help you transfer 20 minutes to your hotel where we’ll meet travelers from the pre-trip extensions

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

12 to Poland: Krakow, Auschwitz & Warsaw and smoked meat, fish, organic fruits and and New! Copenhagen & Odense: Denmark’s vegetables, and locally sourced honey. You’ll Cultural Capitals. Depending on where you also be able to interact with vendors to learn stay, the hotel may be located in the center more about Lithuanian cuisine and culture. of the Old Town of Vilnius, a mere 5-minute • How to get there: About a 15-minute walk. walk from the famous Cathedral of Vilnius. • Hours: 7am-6pm Tuesday-Saturday; Your accommodations will likely feature 7am-3pm Sunday; closed Monday. complimentary wireless Internet, a minibar, • Cost: Free. and coffee- and tea-making facilities. • Wade into woodworking at the studio of Once checked into the hotel, there is time Jonas Bugailiškis: For more than thirty to rest before a 30-minute discovery walk years, the skillful hands of Jonas Bugailiškis with our Trip Experience Leader around 5pm have been turning wood into whistles, in the Uzupis neighborhood. Known for its instruments, sculptures, and interactive toys. exuberant Bohemian culture, this section of During a visit to the studio, you’ll see many the city is dotted with colorful street art and of Jonas’s own hand-carved works, as well lined with artists’ studios and hip eateries. The as other exhibits that he has collected from community is a self-proclaimed independent around the world. republic, even boasting its own constitution. • How to get there: About a 20-minute walk. Dinner: On your own this evening. Be sure to • Hours: Daily. ask your Trip Experience Leader for dining • Cost: Free. recommendations in the area. Perhaps • Visit the remaining part of the Upper Castle in you’ll seek out traditional dishes such as Vilnius via stony trail to Gediminas’ Tower: cepelinai, Lithuania’s national dish—large Named after the Grand Duke of Lithuania, potato dumplings filled with pork in a sour this tower acts as a symbol of the city and cream sauce. appears in a number of Lithuanian folk songs and legends. Situated upon a hill, it is one of Evening: On your own—you are free to explore the oldest structures in Vilnius, formerly used more of the area or retire to your room to rest as defense construction during a number of after your flight. wars in the Middle Ages. Today, the tower Freedom To Explore: During your three days in grants visitors magnificent views, as well Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, you have the as historical perspective on the city. Hike a freedom to explore this vibrant city—known for cobblestone road up the hill, about a 20-min- its Baroque and Renaissance architecture—on ute walk in each direction. Plan to spend your own during your free time. Below are a approximately 1 hour here during your visit. few recommended options for independent • How to get there: A 20- to 25-minute explorations: walk. • Hours: 10am-7pm, daily. • Taste your way around Lithuania at the Hales • Cost: Free for viewing platform; about $8 Farmers’ Market: Located in Vilnius’s Old USD for Gediminas’ Tower museum. Town, the Hales Farmers’ Market is one of the oldest and largest in the city. Browse the 25,000-square foot indoor market to see (and sample) traditional goodies such as fresh

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

13 Day 3 Explore Vilnius Lunch: Around 1pm in a local tavern.

• Destination: Vilnius Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll have a choice of • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner walking back to the hotel or perhaps exploring • Accommodations: Congress Avenue Hotel more of the Old Town. or similar Dinner: Around 6:30pm, we’ll enjoy a Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the Welcome Dinner at the hotel or local hotel beginning at 7am, featuring restaurant, featuring a selection of local and European-style cuisine. international dishes.

Morning: At about 8:30am, our Trip Experience Evening: The remainder of your night is Leader will lead an approximate one-hour free—you have time to gather with fellow Welcome Briefing at the hotel, during which travelers at the hotel bar, take an evening stroll, we will introduce ourselves and review our or take advantage of the hotel’s amenities. itinerary in more detail (including any changes that may need to occur). Our group will Day 4 Vilnius • Excursion to Trakai also review logistics, safety and emergency • Experience Karai culture • KGB procedures, and answer any questions we Museum visit may have. • Destination: Vilnius Then, at around 10am, we’ll embark on a • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch walking tour of the Lithuanian capital. Although • Accommodations: Congress Avenue Hotel the exact location of its original capital city has or similar been lost to time, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was the first established state in this region. Activity Note: Visiting the Museum of Vilnius distinguished itself as an important Occupations and Freedom Fights (commonly cultural center when Vilnius University opened called the “KGB Museum”) is often an in 1579, immediately attracting students from emotional experience for visitors. as far away as Sweden and Hungary. The 20th Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the century proved a turbulent time for the Baltic hotel starting at 7am, featuring local and city, but its historic buildings survived. We international cuisine. begin our exploration by walking the cobbled streets of the city’s compact Old Town to Morning: Around 8:30am, a local expert admire the carefully restored Baroque buildings will join us at the hotel, likely a journalist or and medieval charm that earned it UNESCO university lecturer, to discuss Lithuania’s past, World Heritage status. We’ll also explore present, and struggle for independence during the Jewish Ghetto, President’s Palace area an approximate 1-hour conversation. and linked courtyards of Vilnius University, At 9:45am, we’ll take a brief journey outside followed by a 30-minute discussion with a local of Vilnius to Trakai, considered the de facto resident about younger generations emigrating medieval Lithuanian capital because Duke from Lithuania to the other European Union Vytautas the Great preferred the natural countries. We’ll have the opportunity to ask this landscape punctuated by azure lakes and lush person about what drives these youths to leave islands over Vilnius. First, we take a 45-minute Lithuania and if they ever plan to return. bus ride, then a 20-minute boat ride over Lake

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

14 Galve to arrive at Trakai Island Castle. Trakai Soviet occupation, both before and after a Castle is a red brick, fairy-tale fortress built by three-year Nazi occupation during World War Vytautas and his father in the early 15th century II. While Lithuania was a state of the USSR, to fend off German knights. At 11:15am, hear anti-Soviet resistance gained power through a short introduction in the courtyard castle a dissident movement, which had the support before we’ll take 30 minutes to explore on our of the church, and the people finally elected a own, or stay with our local guide to learn more, government in 1990 that declared Lithuanian if you prefer. independence. For about an hour beginning at 3pm, we’ll view exhibits that serve as a After our visit, we’ll take a walk along the lake memorial to the victims of the atrocities that shore, across a bridge, and back to the mainland took place here, including a walk through the for further discoveries. Around 12:15pm, we’ll prison where the KGB held dissidents and venture to the Karai community tavern to freedom fighters. meet with local Karaims who belong to the oldest Turkish tribe—Kipchaks. This ethnic Around 4:15pm, we’ll have the option of group was brought from Crimea to Trakai in continuing to explore in the Old Town or the 14th century to act as bodyguards for the heading back to the hotel. castle. There are only 241 people remaining in Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience this indigenous group today. Next, our small Leader can provide recommendations on the group will enjoy a Karai cooking demonstration best restaurants and which traditional dishes led by a local chef, after which we’ll try our you should try. One local dish you may want hand at traditional Karaite specialties, such to seek out is bulviniai blynai, potato pancakes as kibinai (savory meat pastries). fried with eggs and onions. Lunch: We’ll enjoy the fruits of our labor Evening: The evening is free for your own for lunch around 1pm. This is a wonderful discoveries. Perhaps you’d like to squeeze in a opportunity to learn about a community visit to the MO Modern Art Museum to view a leader working hard to preserve a waning collection of 5,000 major Lithuanian art works local culture, as well as to learn new cooking from the 1950s until today. techniques. Of course, the discussion is not limited to food—you’re free to inquire about other aspects of local culture, such as religion Day 5 Rumsiskes Open-Air Museum • as well as the quality of life for the Karaim Travel to Klaipeda community. • Destination: Klaipeda

Afternoon: Around 1:45pm, we’ll walk 15 • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner minutes to reach our bus, stopping outside • Accommodations: National Hotel Klaipeda a Karai school and house of prayer, before or similar departing for Vilnius around 2pm. We’ll Breakfast: Served buffet-style at then drive 45 minutes in the direction of the hotel, starting at 7am, featuring Vilnius to visit the Museum of Occupations European-style cuisine. and Freedom Fights—commonly called the “KGB Museum” because it occupies the Morning: Around 8:30am, we will check former KGB headquarters. For much of the out of our hotel and board our bus for our 20th century, Vilnius was under communist 3-hour drive to Klaipeda. To break up our journey, we’ll stop along the way at roughly

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15 9:45am at Rumsiskes to explore an insightful Freedom To Explore: During your two days open-air ethnographic museum where the in Klaipeda, you have the freedom to explore expertise of our local guide is sure to enrich our this coastal city on your own during your free understanding of regional history and culture. time. Below are a few recommended options for We’ll walk through a collection of 18th- and independent explorations: 19th-century rural dwellings and farmsteads, • Take a stroll through the Botanical Gardens: gaining insights into the history, lifestyles, Located in the northern section of Klaipeda, and character of Lithuania’s four main regions. walk through 25 acres of rock gardens, Around 10:45am, we’ll take a short 5-minute plants, and tree collections, and learn about bus ride to visit an a dwelling used by people Lithuania’s flora, as well as flora from from Lithuania who were deported to Siberia by every continent (the only place in Western the communists, referred to as a yurta. Lithuania where you can do so). The garden After spending about 40 minutes here, we’ll is situated in the valley of the Dane River. depart Rumsiskes around 11:30am and continue It was the site of the first meeting between on by bus toward Klaipeda. a Prussian and a Russian monarch in 1802, leading to the founding of this great park Lunch: At a local tavern around 12:45pm, en to remember the historic moment in 1993. route to Klaipeda. Here, we’ll meet with the Discover over 3,500 species of plants, from owners who will welcome us to this traditional coniferous woody, deciduous woody, herba- eatery and tell us about their life and culture. ceous ornamental, roses, herbs, medicinal Afternoon: Around 2pm, we’ll hit the road plants, and more. The gardens are also a for the final 2-hour stretch of our journey. wonderful place for people-watching and Upon our arrival in Klaipeda—Lithuania’s mingling with locals who bring their families oldest city—we’ll check into our hotel, here to enjoy the flora, as well as to picnic. around 3:45pm. Plan to spend approximately 2 hours here. • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi Depending on the hotel we’re staying at, ride, about $7 USD one way. the hotel may feature an on-site bar and • Hours: 8am-8pm, daily. restaurant. The air-conditioned rooms typically • Cost: About $2 USD. have a safe, cable TV, Wireless Internet, minibar, and a private bath. Around 4pm, enjoy • Visit the Amber Queen Museum: Admire free time until dinner this evening. Or, join your rare pieces of amber from the Baltics and Trip Experience Leader at around 6pm for an all around the world in this large exhibition. optional vicinity walk around your hotel. Learn about amber, its origin, and impor- tance, and bring a unique piece home with Dinner: At a local restaurant, around you, such as antique amber pipes and wares. 6:30pm, featuring a selection of local and One of the most famous Lithuanian legends international cuisine. is that of Jurate, a sea goddess, and Kastytis, a local fisherman. It’s said that Jurate lived Evening: You have the rest of the evening on under the Baltic Sea in a castle constructed of your own. You may choose to join your fellow amber, and upon falling in love with Kastysis, travelers at the bar where you can grab a her punishment by Thunder God Perkunas cocktail and reminisce about your discoveries was the destruction of the castle. According to thus far. Or, you may retire to your room to get some sleep.

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16 legend, the amber ramparts that wash ashore Baltic Sea on the other. After disembarking the after a storm belonged to her castle. Plan to ferry, we’ll take a 15-minute bus ride to the spend approximately 30 minutes here. Curonian Spit, boasting 60 miles of curving • How to get there: A 5-minute walk. coastline. This striking stretch of land has • Hours: 10am-7pm, Monday-Saturday; undergone quite a transformation throughout 10am-4pm, Sunday. the last five centuries. Once a settlement • Cost: About $6 USD. of a now nearly extinct Baltic ethnic group, the Curonians (Kuršiai), the health of this • Visit the artistic landmark of Klaipeda natural environment quickly began declining Sculpture Park: Spanning more than 30 acres, due to significant human impacts, namely this prominent park features 117 Soviet-era deforestation. As a result of this destruction, sculptures designed by 61 sculptors over a the miles of life-giving forests eventually period of 14 years. Find traces of 19th- and gave way to lifeless dunes, which could no 20th-century Lithuania throughout the park longer sustain the Kuršiai, and as a result, as you explore what was formerly the old city swallowed over a dozen villages. Today, thanks cemetery from 1820-1959, adding a layer of to a reforestation project aimed at stabilizing complexity and intrigue to the grounds. The the dunes, the Curonian Spit has made a park winds along a river, providing a calming, remarkable comeback, making it a prime natural atmosphere for appreciating the location for outdoor activities such as bird surrounding art. Plan to spend approximately watching. 1 hour exploring the park. • How to get there: A 10-minute walk. Around 9:30am, we will begin a search along • Hours: Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. the beaches for amber—known as Baltic • Cost: Free. gold—that washes up during storms. Locals combing the beach for these precious stones is Day 6 Klaipeda • Curonian Spit • Hill a common sight, and with the help of our Trip of Witches Experience Leader, we’ll try our luck in finding amber for approximately 30 minutes. • Destination: Klaipeda • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Around 10:15am, we will drive for 30 minutes • Accommodations: National Hotel Klaipeda and come face-to-face with Lithuanian legends or similar as we hike to the “Hill of Witches,” an outdoor sculpture gallery located on a forested sand Breakfast: Served buffet-style at dune. We’ll journey through a dense, lush the hotel starting at 7am, featuring path lined with more than 80 unique wooden European-style cuisine. sculptures based on mythological figures, Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll depart including the dramatic Queen of Serpents Klaipeda for a short bus ride to the ferry statue, goblins, and devils for approximately 1.5 terminal, where we’ll catch a 10-minute ferry hours. We can tap into our local Trip Experience ride at 9am headed to the Curonian Peninsula. Leader’s expertise for richer insights into the Klaipeda is the gateway to a coastal stretch origins of many of these fascinating Lithuanian known as the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World legends along the way. Heritage Site. Shared by both Russia and Around 12:15pm, we’ll depart for a 30 minute Lithuania, this area is separated by a protected drive to lunch. lagoon on one side and exposed to the harsh

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17 Lunch: Around 12:45pm in the private tavern of Day 7 Klaipeda • Travel to Riga, Latvia a local family. • Destination: Riga Afternoon: Around 1:45pm, we will walk 15 • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner minutes to an amber workshop and gallery • Accommodations: Hestia Hotel Jugend Riga located in Nida. The Baltic region contains the or similar largest deposit of natural amber in the world, Activity Note: Today’s drive to Riga is a little dating back approximately 44 million years. over 4 hours total. This industry is a major source of income for the area. Here, we’ll enjoy a hands-on Breakfast: Served buffet-style at masterclass and demonstration given by an the hotel starting at 7am, featuring artisan, where we’ll learn about the many uses European-style cuisine. for this beautiful fossil resin—and even get to take home our own amber necklace. We’ll also Morning: We will depart Klaipeda around 9am sample a special vodka produced with amber and drive towards Latvia, a more than 4-hour before heading back to the bus around 3pm and drive in total. We’ll break up our journey with then driving a little over an hour to the ferry stops along the way, first to the Cold War terminal. Our short ferry ride will depart around museum at around 10am for a tour led by our 4:30pm, putting us back at the hotel around Trip Experience Leader, a recently-added 4:45pm, depending on weather and traffic feature. Located inside a former Soviet conditions. bunker that was once top secret, the museum boasts a collection of authentic machinery an Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience propaganda posters from the Cold War era as Leader can provide recommendations on the well as a well-preserved nuclear missile shaft. best locales for whatever your preferences are. One beloved local dish you may want to seek Around 11:15am, we’ll drive to a local restaurant out is saltibarsciai (cold pink soup), a refreshing for lunch. traditional dish made from beetroot and kefir Lunch: Around 12:45pm at a local restaurant, (a type of milk with the texture of yogurt or featuring traditional Lithuanian cuisine. buttermilk). Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll depart around Evening: You’re free to continue your 2pm for our 15-minute drive to the Hill of discoveries as you’d like. If you’re feeling Crosses. This grassy double hillock is blanketed celebratory, you may want to find raguolis (also by several thousand crosses and is considered referred to as sakotis), a traditional Lithuanian a historically significant site for Lithuanian cake formed into a hollow ring and covered with Catholics. Our Trip Experience Leader will walk what looks like horns created from dripping us through the legacy of this religious group batter as the cake rotates on a machine that in the region before we set out again around functions similarly to a spit cooker. 2:45pm for our final stretch toward Riga, the Latvian capital.

After a roughly 2-hour and 15-minute bus ride, we will check into our hotel around 5pm. Depending on where we stay, typical rooms are air-conditioned and include satellite TV, wireless Internet, and private bath. Hotel

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18 amenities may include a spa and restaurant. neighborhood still resembles how it looked You’ll then have around 1.5 hours of free time during the war. Among the thoughtfully-cu- to settle in or get acquainted with your new rated exhibitions here—several of which are surroundings. outdoors, visitors will see a railway wagon similar to the kind that brought German Jews Dinner: Around 7pm, we’ll enjoy dinner to Riga to be killed, as well as a photographic together at our hotel, with local and section, depicting images of many who lived international dishes available. and died here. Also available to visitors is Evening: On your own—perhaps you’ll start a list of the names of more than 70,000 your explorations of Riga before tomorrow’s Holocaust victims, serving to memorialize all discoveries, or find a spot to simply sit and take that they endured. in the spirit of the city. • How to get there: A 10-minute taxi ride (about $10 USD). Freedom To Explore: During your three days in • Hours: 10am-6pm, Sunday-Friday. Riga, you have the freedom to explore Latvia’s • Cost: Suggested donation of $6 USD. capital on your own during your free time. Below are a few recommended options for • Take a stroll down Miera Street to see a independent explorations: different side of Riga: In recent years, the once-forlorn neighborhood around Miera • Listen to a Riga Cathedral Organ Concert: Street has transformed into the city’s creative Experience a unique performance by choirs hub, earning the quirky and bohemian and organ players in a more than 800-year- neighborhood the nickname “the Republic old cathedral, and see one of the biggest of Miera.” Nowadays, bakers, crafters, and organs in the world, containing over 6,000 artisans all call the area home. Visit Miera to pipes. Considered the largest medieval church glimpse the hippest part of town and perhaps in the Baltic states, the cathedral currently to buy an offbeat souvenir. operates as both a Lutheran place of worship, • How to get there: About a 30-minute walk, as well as museum. During Soviet occupation or a 10-minute taxi ride (about $10 USD). from 1939-1989, religious services were • Hours: Daily from 10am. prohibited, and it was solely utilized as a • Cost: Free. concert hall. Concerts range from 20 minutes to 1 hour in length. Day 8 Explore Riga • Home-Hosted Dinner How to get there: A 20-minute walk. • • Destination: Riga • Hours: 12pm-7pm, daily. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner • Cost: About $23 USD. • Accommodations: Hestia Hotel Jugend Riga Explore a turbulent period of history at • or similar the Riga Ghetto Museum: Learn about the atrocities committed in the Riga Ghetto, one Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: This evening we’ll of several neighborhoods designated by the join a local family for a Home-Hosted Dinner Nazis for both Latvian and German Jews to featuring typical Latvian cuisine and lively live during World War II. The main feature of cultural exchange. This is a unique opportunity the museum is a reconstructed wooden flat, to connect with everyday citizens and enhance demonstrating the conditions in which the your understanding of local life. To facilitate Jews were forced to live. In fact, much of the

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19 a more intimate experience, we’ll be divided Our tour begins with a visit to the Art Nouveau into smaller groups of no more than 5 for our Museum at around 10am—a recently-added dinner. Read more about this activity below. feature. Containing collections of Art Nouveau artifacts made and used in Riga, this museum Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the celebrates the city’s unique architecture and is hotel starting at 7am, featuring local and the only museum to focus on the Art Nouveau international cuisine. period in all of the Baltics. The centerpiece of Morning: Around 8:30am, our small group the museum, which was once the lavish home will enjoy a discussion at the hotel about of architect Konstantīns Pēkšēns, is a series of contemporary Latvia and its past, where a rooms designed to portray a typical, upscale local journalist will provide rich insights into residence during the early 20th century, this complex topic. We’ll also learn about the complete with art, furnishings, and even dominating industries in the area, as well as clothing. the average salaries for workers. The discussion After exploring the museum, we’ll step outside will even touch on what it’s like for a small to experience Riga’s Art Nouveau district country to be part of the European Union, during a tour led by a local guide to see how the as well as the relationship Latvia maintains architectural style influences the city today. with Russia. This is an excellent opportunity Riga contains among the highest concentration to learn about both the domestic and global of Art Noveau architecture in the world, making perspectives of the country. it an excellent place to seek out this distinct Then, around 9:45am, we’ll depart by bus for style. Most buildings were designed in the our city tour of Riga. Set close to the mouth early 20th century and generally represent one of the Daugava River, which travels from the of four niches within the architectural genre: Baltic Sea into Russia, Riga was historically eclectic, perpendicular, national romantic, and an important trade port. Its prosperity also neo-classical. made it a target for conquerors; before Latvia Around 11:45am, we’ll take a 15-minute drive declared itself an independent nation in 1918, to Riga’s Old Town, a dizzying collection of Riga was claimed by Russia, Sweden, Lithuania, cobbled lanes, gargoyle-adorned buildings, and and Germany. As a diverse, thriving city with lovingly restored 17th-century architectural a prominent upper class, Riga experienced treasures under UNESCO World Heritage radical change under occupation by the Soviets Site protection. Led by a local guide, we’ll and Nazis. Riga was heavily damaged during walk approximately one hour down the World War II, but buildings from Riga’s most main avenues, familiarizing ourselves with prosperous eras—particularly the Art Nouveau important landmarks as we go and giving us the period—still stand throughout the city as every opportunity to gather ideas for how to spend effort was made to reconstruct those buildings, our free time in the afternoon. Afterwards, such as St. Peter’s Church. Today, Riga is a you’ll have the option to join your Trip vibrant cosmopolitan city, revered as an artistic Experience Leader for a visit to a local market to hub, particularly in the realm of Soviet ballet. shop and eat like a Latvian local, taking a brief Mikhail Baryshnikov, arguably the most famous walk to the market around 1:15pm. male ballet dancer in the world, was actually born in Riga when it was under Soviet rule and still currently resides here.

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20 Lunch: On your own in Old Town. Those who discussing Latvia’s remarkable transition accompanied our Trip Experience Leader on the from socialist puppet-state to a high-income market visit will have lunch on their own at one democracy. of the many food stalls there. Our cultural conversation will be served up Afternoon: From about 2:30pm onward, alongside typical Latvian dishes, all handmade you’ll have free time to soak in more of Riga’s by our hosts. The cuisine here is quite hearty, so timeless elegance on your own. You may want you can look forward to meat-based dishes like to remain in the Old Town, or if you’d like to get karbonade (pork cutlets with creamy mushroom a little rest, join your Trip Experience Leader sauce) or sipolu sitenis (beef and onion stew), as for an approximately 30-minute walk back to well as starchy accompaniments like kartupelu the hotel. For those who would like to continue pankukas (potato pancakes) and rupjmaize, a exploring, you could also visit the Latvian dark rye bread that’s eaten at nearly every meal. Academy of Sciences, a rare piece of Soviet Our visit will conclude around 8:30pm. architecture known as “Stalin’s birthday cake” Evening: You’ll have the rest of the night to to the locals. Or relax in a café and, if you dare, relax or discover more of the area before our order a beverage with Riga Black Balsam—an explorations tomorrow. herbal liqueur that Latvians celebrate as an invigorating cure-all for whatever ails you. Day 9 Riga • Controversial Topic: The We’ll gather at the hotel at about 6pm to impacts of Latvia’s Russian non-citizen take a 30-minute drive to our Home-Hosted policy with Svetlana Markova • Optional Dinner—a NEW feature. This special meal tour to Rundale Palace will be your opportunity to truly connect with Latvian culture in an intimate, comfortable • Destination: Riga setting: a family home. To ensure a more • Included Meals: Breakfast personal experience, we’ll split into even • Accommodations: Hestia Hotel Jugend Riga smaller groups of no more than 5 travelers for or similar our dinner this evening. Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s activities Dinner: Our bus will drop us off at our hosts’ include a conversation about the Controversial homes by approximately 6:30pm. The families Topic of non-citizenship for Russians living we’ll be dining with this evening all comprise in Latvia. Our conversation will be led by two generations and are all middle class, 73-year-old Svetlana Markova, a Russian making their livings as teachers, engineers, woman who has lived in Latvia since 1969 and small business owners, and healthcare workers. assimilated to the culture—but has never been Latvia has one of the highest gross domestic able to gain citizenship. This eye-opening product (GDP) growth rates in Europe, an conversation will reveal the prejudices and above-average human-rights record, and a inequality more than a quarter of Latvia’s very strong cultural identity—quite a feat for inhabitants face as a result of the country’s a one-time Soviet republic. Since your hosts citizenship policies. Read more about this likely lived through the Singing Revolution activity below. in the late 1980s, you might be interested in Breakfast: Served at the hotel starting at 7am, featuring traditional hot and cold breakfast choices.

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21 Morning: Around 9am, we’ll board our bus and reminder of the division and tension between continue our city tour of Riga. First, we’ll take a these two communities, a disunity further 30-minute drive to Salaspils labor camp, which exacerbated by the controversy surrounding was established in 1941 during the Nazi regime citizenship. and saw the demise of thousands. Although As a Russian living in Latvia, Svetlana is Salaspils was not technically a concentration intimately familiar with this segregation. camp, there was still much violence and During the Soviet Occupation, she and her extremely poor living conditions in this so husband, a construction engineer, were sent called “labor correctional camp.” Here, our to Latvia as part of a professionals’ relocation Trip Experience Leader will lead us through program in 1969. As we’ll learn, the transition the camp, shedding light on the resilience to this new life, without friends, family, or of its survivors. We’ll also witness the Soviet virtually anything she’d ever known, was sculptures, whose looming figures represent very difficult. But, over the decades, Svetlana themes such as humiliation and solidarity to and her husband managed to build a life and honor the trials and triumphs of all who passed family in Riga, raising their two children through the camp’s doors. there, mastering the local language, and We’ll depart the camp by bus around 10:15am cultivating friendships with Latvian citizens. and drive about 15 minutes to the Rumbala Yet, despite their cultural assimilation and Memorial, a recently-added feature, many contributions, Svetlana and her family commemorating the lives lost in Latvia during were denied citizenship in 1991—more than the Holocaust. Your Trip Experience Leader two decades after they had relocated. She will will explain the meaning of this monument reveal to us how this “betrayal” made her as you explore. At about 11am, we’ll then feel and the ongoing discrimination she feels drive approximately 45 minutes to the her family must face, inequities like a lower World War II monument, a recently-added pension than Latvian citizens purely because feature, where our Trip Experience Leader of their non-citizen status. She will also share will lead a conversation on the Latvian World her unyielding beliefs surrounding Latvia’s War II controversy and why the country has naturalization test, an assessment which she conflicting opinions surrounding Victory Day. believes to be unfair and unjust. Throughout our conversation, we will come to not only Around noon, our small group will walk less understand the huge political and cultural than 5 minutes to a nearby café overlooking divide that tears at the seams of the country, the World War II monument, where we’ll meet but also the personal turmoil it has caused with 73-year-old Svetlana Markova to discuss families like Svetlana’s. the Controversial Topic of non-citizenship for Russian Latvians—a perpetual source of Following the restoration of Latvian controversy due to ongoing prejudices and independence in the early 1990s, non-citizen inequities toward Russians living in this Baltic status was given to Soviet-era immigrants nation. The location for our discussion is fitting: and their descendants, as their families had Protests and demonstrations are held here not been citizens of Latvia prior to the Soviet every year on Victory Day, commemorating the occupation. In a country of 1.9 million people, surrender of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union one in four inhabitants—about 27%—are and subsequently the beginning of the Soviet Russian Latvians. Currently, about 216,000 occupation of Latvia. This site remains a painful Russian Latvians hold non-citizen status.

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22 Non-citizens are subject to almost 100 legal Afternoon: You will have the rest of the day restrictions, which include denial of full voting to make your own discoveries. Perhaps you’d rights, entry to various professions, as well like to wind down the day in a café near the as residency and working rights in the E.U. iconic Town Hall Square, a prime spot for In Latvia, dual citizenship is only permitted observing daily life and appreciating the for E.U. and N.A.T.O. member states, and architecture. Alternatively, you may wish to dual citizenship with other countries is only join an optional tour of Rundale Palace led by granted to descendants of those who have been your Trip Experience Leader. Those taking the deported or exiled—including descendants tour will depart by bus from the hotel around of Latvians. However, Latvian and Russian 2:15pm and take a 1-hour and 15-minute drive dual citizenship is not permitted for ethnic to the sprawling Baroque palace originally Russians, leaving many to feel that these constructed for the Dukes of Courland. Upon restrictions have pushed them to the fringes arrival at about 3:45pm, we’ll set out on a of Latvian society. The government does offer 1-hour guided tour of the palace with our a path to citizenship for non-citizens through Trip Experience Leader, where we’ll learn the a naturalization test that covers Latvian history behind the rooms adorned with period language, geography, and history. Over 150,000 furnishings and take in the vast grounds. We’ll non-citizens have completed the program since have time to explore the manicured rose garden 1991; however, the test presents difficulties for located on both sides of the parterre, home to many. Specifically, the prerequisite to recognize 52 rose circles blooming with varietals from Latvia’s occupation by the Soviets has remained different countries. an obstacle for countless non-citizens. At around 6pm, those on the optional tour will Today, many Latvians still feel threatened by walk to a local restaurant for dinner. Russia and express concerns over the loyalty Dinner: On your own—ask your Trip of Russian Latvians should Russia attack. Experience Leader for a recommendation or However, Svetlana’s firsthand experience discover somewhere new to try, or at a local provides an eye-opening contrast to these restaurant around 6:15pm for those on the concerns. We’ll hear her story for about 20 optional tour. minutes, and then our small group will have roughly 40 minutes to ask any questions we Evening: Free for your own discoveries. You have about life here in Riga or perhaps the may retire to your room to get some sleep. discrimination Svetlana has faced in the past. Or, perhaps you and your fellow travelers will This is a unique opportunity to understand the head to the hotel’s bar for a nightcap to discuss difficulties of an ethnic minority, particularly in your discoveries thus far. Travelers on the a country with such a complex history. optional tour will take a 1-hour and 15-minute drive back to the hotel around 7:30pm before After our 1-hour conversation, enjoy free time enjoying a free evening. to explore as you wish. Check with your Trip Experience Leader for ideas.

Lunch: On your own around 1pm. Your Trip Experience Leader can provide dining suggestions, if you’d like.

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23 Day 10 Travel to Tallinn, Estonia • Song through a relatively bloodless revolution. Festival Grounds visit Today, Tallinn manages to preserve its history and quaint medieval buildings, while • Destination: Tallinn at the same time continuously evolving and • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner modernizing. As the home of the only technical • Accommodations: Hestia Hotel Europa university in Estonia, Tallinn has earned a or similar reputation as quite the technology hub. Activity Note: Today will be a particularly long After a 30-minute visit here, we’ll depart travel day. Our bus transfer from Riga to Tallinn for the city’s upper town, where we’ll get will take approximately 9 hours, with several panoramic views of our new surroundings from included stops along the way. a viewing platform. At around 5:30pm, we’ll Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel take a 30-minute drive to our hotel, concluding starting at 7am, featuring traditional hot and our journey for the day. Once there, we will cold breakfast items. receive our room assignments and check into our hotel, which is conveniently located near Morning: Around 9am, we will depart by bus Tallinn’s Old Town. Depending on the hotel for Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. This is a you’ll stay at, the facilities may include a lobby long drive of approximately 9 hours, which bar, rooftop bar and terrace, restaurant, and we will break up throughout the day. Our first fitness center. The air-conditioned rooms stop is at noon in Parnu. Here, we’ll have a typically include a safe, an iron and ironing chance to stretch our legs and catch a glimpse board, satellite TV, wireless Internet, coffee- of Estonia’s premier seaside resort during a and tea-making facilities, and a private bath 30-minute walk led by our Trip Experience with hair dryer. Enjoy approximately 1 hour to Leader. Along the way, we’ll visit the Mary settle in before dinner. Magdalene studio, where we’ll meet local craftswomen who specialize in traditional Dinner: We will enjoy dinner together at a hotel Latvian art. They’ll show us their open studios restaurant, around 7pm. and provide insight on the revival of Latvian Evening: On your own—you are free to explore culture and traditions after the end of Soviet Tallinn, the northernmost of the Baltic capitals, occupation in the country. on your own or retire to your room to rest after Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a local restaurant a long day of travel. in Parnu. Freedom To Explore: During your three days Afternoon: We’ll depart the restaurant around in Tallinn, you have the freedom to explore this 1:30pm, and after about 2 hours, arriving in multicultural city on your own during your free Tallinn around 3:30pm. Our first stop here will time. Below are a few recommended options for be the Song Festival grounds, a recently-added independent explorations: feature. Tallinn was the site of Estonia’s • Browse through boutiques in St. Catherine’s “Singing Revolution”—a series of protests Guild: A small, atmospheric alleyway, in the late 1980s where thousands gathered half-hidden behind a church and dating back and sang for independence from the Soviet to the medieval area, is lined with various Union. After four years of singing and other shops, workshops, galleries, and restaurants, acts of protest, Estonia achieved something beckoning history-loving visitors with its old remarkable—independence from the Soviets

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24 world charms. One of the oldest monasteries paper goods—are produced. This is a great was once located here, and you can still spot opportunity to learn about Estonia’s second tombstones dating back to that time. As you largest ethnic minority. make your way down the street, you’ll also • How to get there: A 20- to 25-minute come upon a “sweaters wall,” where locals walk. sell hand knits and local embroidery. Plan to • Hours: Upon request. spend approximately 30 minutes strolling • Cost: Free. this area, not including time for a meal, should you want to eat. Day 11 Tallinn • Controversial Topic: The • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute walk. contentious relationship between Estonia • Hours: 11am-6pm, Monday-Saturday. & Russia with Annelli Kaar Cost: Free. • • Destination: Tallinn • Step back in time at the KGB Museum: During • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Tallinn’s • Accommodations: Hestia Hotel Europa Hotel Viru saw many foreign visitors from or similar beyond the Iron Curtain. To help keep track of these guests and the information they Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s activities brought with them, the hotel was secretly include a conversation about the Controversial wired so the KGB could listen in conversa- Topic of the ongoing tensions between Estonia tions. After the Iron Curtain fell, KGB staffers and Russia with Estonian freedom fighter packed up their listening room and returned Annelli Kaar. Estonia is the closest Baltic to Russia. Today, the room—which has now state to Russia, and as we’ll learn during our been turned into a museum—remains exactly conversation today, that proximity makes as they left it. Come take a tour to get a be- Estonians very uneasy—especially after hind-the-scenes look at the KGB’s influence watching Russia annex Crimea in 2014. Read in Tallinn, and how life was impacted by more about this complex topic below. the occupation. On display are a number of Breakfast: Served at the hotel starting at KGB artifacts, such as uniforms, cameras 7am, featuring traditional hot and cold and spy gear. breakfast choices. • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute walk. Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll board our • Hours: 11am-6pm, Monday-Saturday. private motorcoach for a 30-minute drive to • Cost: About $14. a nearby TV tower, where we’ll engage in a • Discover one of the oldest medieval buildings Controversial Topic about the present day in the Old Town when you visit the Ukrainian relationship between Estonia and Russia—one Greek Catholic Church: Also known as the that remains riddled with tension and public Church of the Mother of God with Three criticism. Our conversation will be led by Hands, this small church and monastery 48-year-old Estonian freedom fighter serves as the center of Ukrainian religious and Annelli Kaar. The location is particularly cultural life in Tallinn. Call ahead to reserve a relevant to the topic, as the TV tower here tour with Monk Anatoliy, who will show you formerly broadcasted pro-independence the church, cultural center, prayer rooms, communications at the height of the nation’s and workshops, where a variety of handmade struggle to break free from the Soviet Union. It cratfs—including toys, ornamental eggs, and

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25 was also the site of a number of high-profile the four-year-long Singing Revolution, the demonstrations, which are believed to have singing of forbidden national songs in protest, been turning points for the movement. of which Annelli participated (despite women and children being told to stay home). This As the closest of the Baltic states to Russia, non-violent form of protest even took place Estonia is the most vulnerable to its influence. right here at the TV tower, providing our small The entire world can perhaps sympathize with group a first-row seat to history. In order to this vulnerability after witnessing the 2014 understand Estonia-Russian relations today, annexation of Crimea following the Ukrainian Annelli will break down this history for us and revolution. In light of this highly controversial explain where it has led. (and most would say, illegal) action, it seems that Russia does not shy away from its history, Following World War II, the Baltic states nor does it mind repeating it. Despite the were officially incorporated into the Soviet evidence, Estonia’s president Kersti Kaljulaid Union via military occupation and annexation. agreed to meet with Vladimir Putin in April Over the decades, the Baltic states saw a 2019—the first Baltic president to meet with sharp decline in trust and satisfaction with him in roughly a decade. This meeting occurred Soviet Union authorities—including former much to the dismay of local Estonians, who Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev, were quick to chastise her actions. Her response who attempted to boost the failing economy to this flurry of criticism was that it’s “only through controversial means, like rescinding natural” to speak to your neighbors, shrugging limitations on political freedoms. In addition off any implications that it could send the to questionable practices and an imbalance of wrong signals or put national security at risk. freedoms, the Soviet-Afghan War and nuclear Still, many Estonians feel the shadow of Russia fallout in Chernobyl led to an even further continues to loom over them and that exploring degradation of trust between the Baltic states the possibility of a relationship is simply and Russia. Furthermore, as already stated, playing with fire. non-Russian populations became increasingly concerned about the threat to their national To contextualize the topic, Annelli, an active identities posed by the migration of various participant in pro-freedom demonstrations, ethnic groups. All of these factors combined will describe the events she witnessed firsthand culminated in mass demonstrations throughout as a young woman. In the years leading up to the 1980s and into the 1990s, perhaps the most Estonian independence, Annelli’s family was famous of which were the aforementioned deeply affected by Soviet occupation, having Singing Revolution of 1988 and the Baltic suffered the deporation and persecution Chain of 1989, a demonstration in which of several family members. She was just 18 more than 2 million Estonians, Latvians, years old when the fight came to a head. At and Lithuanians joined hands in a show of the time, she was an activist with the Youth solidarity—a chain which ran the length of Group for Protection of National Heritage, all three countries. By the end of the 1980s, an organization aimed at the preservation pro-independence campaigns spread like of Estonian identity. The influx of foreign wildlife throughout the Baltic states. After years workers—who carried out the economic of struggle—often met with violent resistance agenda of the Soviet Union—ignited growing by Soviet Paratroopers—Estonia defiantly concerns over this issue. These apprehensions, declared its independence on August 20, 1991. A along with a slew of others, eventually led to few weeks later, the Soviet Union begrudgingly

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26 recognized this declaration, followed by and groats porridge. Or, you can walk back international recognition of the Republic to the hotel and enjoy lunch at the hotel’s of Estonia. restaurant.

We’ll hear from Annelli about this Controversial Afternoon: After lunch, enjoy some free time Topic for about 20 minutes, before opening to explore. Perhaps you’d like to visit the up the conversation for approximately 45 Marzipan Room to learn about Tallinn’s affinity minutes of questions. Take this opportunity to for the confection, which your Trip Experience ask Annelli what it was like to experience these Leader will be glad to assist with. demonstrations. You might also want to ask her We’ll gather together at our hotel around what it was like for women freedom fighters at 6:30pm and walk about 15 minutes to a local this time compared to her male counterparts. restaurant for dinner. At around 10am, we’ll spend about 30 minutes exploring the grounds of the TV tower, learning Dinner: Around 6:45pm at a local restaurant in greater detail about the specific events that in the Rottermani district, featuring regional occurred here. specialties.

Then, around 10:30am, we’ll depart for the Evening: We’ll return to the hotel around 30-minute drive down to Tallinn’s historical 8:15pm where you’ll have the evening on your Old Town, where we’ll enjoy a roughly 1.5-hour own. You can gather with fellow travelers at the walking tour led by a local guide. During our hotel bar, take an evening stroll, or return early tour, we’ll explore notable sites and wander to your room before our discoveries tomorrow. Tallinn’s ancient, cobbled streets. Estonia’s capital and largest city, Tallinn, sits on the Bay Day 12 Tallinn • A Day in the Life of a Kose of Finland, directly across from Helsinki. Due village • Grand Circle Foundation visit: to its history and geographic location, we’ll Harmi village school find both Scandinavian and Russian influences in the language and culture here. We’ll begin • Destination: Tallinn our explorations in the city’s UNESCO World • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Heritage-designated Old Town, a tangled • Accommodations: Hestia Hotel Europa warren of historic streets lined with outdoor or similar cafés and wonderfully preserved 14th- and Exclusive O.A.T. Activities: We’ll visit the 15th-century buildings. Our tour will end in the village of Kose today to experience A Day in Town Hall Square, at which point you’ll have the Life of a rural Estonian community. After free time until dinner this evening. You may learning about the town from local leaders, decide to continue exploring the Old Town on Helen and Ants Kari, we’ll visit a small school your own, or feel free to consult with your Trip in the nearby village of Harmi, supported by Experience Leader for alternative suggestions. Grand Circle Foundation since 2019. With Lunch: On your own around 12:30pm. Consider our travelers’ help, Grand Circle Foundation asking your Trip Experience Leader for has donated $2,000 to the school, which has recommendations on where to get authentic been used to modernize the building and Estonian cuisine, such as smoked fish, keep the school open for future generations. home-made rye bread, or mulgipuder, potato During our visit, we’ll meet with teachers and students (when possible) to learn more about

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27 the education system in rural Estonia. Our At about 10:45am, Helen will accompany us on experience concludes with lunch in the Karis’ a 15-minute drive to the village of Harmi, home home. Read more about these activities below. to just 50 people. Our destination is a local school—supported by Grand Circle Foundation Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel since 2019—where we’ll learn about education starting at 7am, featuring traditional hot and in rural Estonia. Upon arrival, we’ll meet with cold breakfast items. at least one of the teachers (depending on their Morning: Around 9am, we’ll board our bus and availability) and if school is in session, have the take a 45-minute drive to the village of Kose for opportunity to play games and interact with our NEW A Day in the Life experience. Situated school children who range in age from 6 to 14 just southeast of Tallinn, this village of around years old. Unlike in larger towns, where there 2,000 inhabitants embodies a pastoral lifestyle are typically 25 to 30 children per classroom, and has a strong sense of community. students at the Harmi school enjoy class sizes of just 6 to 10 children, which allows for a At about 9:45am, we’ll begin our explorations more individualized approach to learning, when we meet with local residents, Helen and encourages a sense of community, and helps Ants Kari, as well as their two sons, Orm and keep local traditions alive. Currently, the school Aaren. Helen was born and raised here, and has no acting principal, but is instead run by a currently serves as the community leader. community board and teachers. Years ago, the She and her husband are in their 30s, and plan was to close this school down; however, upon deciding to settle here, purchased an Helen took action and founded the Educational old, abandoned homestead, which they then Society of Harmi, a non-profit which provides renovated by hand. This has made life for their educational funding to rural villages. Thanks family much easier financially, and it has also to the generosity of our travelers, Grand allowed them to remain in Helen’s village, as Circle Foundation has donated nearly $2,000 opposed to migrating into the city. Helen will to the cause to-date, which has been used to lead us on a 1-hour guided walk through her modernize the building’s old wooden-stove village, pointing out notable sights and spots as heating system and to help keep the school we go. She will share stories from her childhood open for future generations. about various establishments and landmarks, and she may even take us into a local store We’ll then depart the school around noon to get a feel for daily life (perhaps even meet for a 15-minute drive to Helen and Ants’ the owners, if they’re available). We can also homestead. Once we arrive, we’ll learn about take this opportunity to ask Helen about local the renovations they did to their home, traditions, rural living, evolving cultural values, including the traditional method they used to and challenges facing the community, such as craft wooden shingles for their roof. Until the securing funding for education—a topic we’ll end of the 19th century, thatched roofs were explore in-depth after our walk. commonplace in rural areas, but by 1930, the increased availability of nails and construction Grand Circle Foundation tools enabled people to switch to wooden shingles. The method Helen and Ants use is MTU Harmi referred to as pilbas, a roughly 3-millimeter Total donated: $1,997 wide shingle that is split from a rock using Partner since: 2019

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28 special tools. After an introduction, we’ll have Day 13 Tallinn • Travel to St. a chance to make some for ourselves, guided by Petersburg, Russia our expert hosts. • Destination: St. Petersburg Shortly before 12:45pm, we’ll then help to • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner prepare lunch using locally-sourced and • Accommodations: Ambassador Hotel seasonal ingredients. or similar

Lunch: At the homestead around 12:45pm with Activity Note: Today will be a particularly long Helen and her family, featuring a traditional travel day. Our bus transfer from Tallinn to meat and vegetable stew comprised of locally St. Petersburg will take about 9.5 hours, with grown farm-fresh fare. several included stops along the way. We will cross the border to Russia today, so make sure Afternoon: Around 1:45pm, we’ll say to have your passport and visa at hand. The goodbye to our new friends in Kose and take border crossing can take anywhere from 2-4 a 45-minute drive to the Kadriorg Garden, a hours. Lunch will be early today to speed up our manicured garden set on the grounds of an border crossing. ornate palace. We’ll then have the choice to stay and explore the park under the guidance Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel of our Trip Experience Leader or return to starting at 7am, featuring traditional hot and the hotel by bus or tram. The rest of the day cold breakfast items. is yours to explore independently. You may Morning: This morning, we’ll journey further choose to explore the Rotermann Quarter. After east by coach to begin our Russian portion Estonia gained independence, this run-down of the adventure. This is a more than 9-hour neighborhood experienced a great renewal. drive, which we’ll break up throughout the day. Now full of modern buildings, it’s become a center for shopping and culture—whether you Around 8:30am, we depart for St. Petersburg, browse the open-air markets or relax in a café. with a 15-minute stop along the way around 10am to stretch our legs. Then, around 11:30am, Dinner: On your own tonight. Perhaps you’ll we’ll arrive in Narva, Estonia, where we’ll sample kama, a blend of flours used in making pause for an early lunch. many traditional Estonian desserts. You may seek out mannavaht, a fruity semolina mousse, Lunch: Around 11:30am at a local restaurant, or kohupiimakreem, curd cheese cream. You featuring local cuisine. might also want to pair your meal with a famous Tallinn beverage: honey beer. Afternoon: By 12:30pm, we’ll be back on the road, headed in the direction of St. Petersburg, the city that Pushkin described as “Tsar Peter the Great’s Window to the West.” The border crossing can take anywhere from 2-4 hours, putting us in St. Petersburg sometime in the afternoon. Upon our arrival in the Russian port city, we’ll check into our centrally-located hotel. Depending on which hotel we’ll stay at, it may feature a bar and restaurant with panoramic views of the historic city center. The

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29 air-conditioned rooms typically have Wireless basketball courts, a playground, and several Internet, telephone, satellite TV, minibar, safe, cafés and food trucks. Climb the on-site and a private bath. lighthouse to see the city from a unique vantage point. Around 6pm, a local person will come to our hotel to give us an informative talk on modern • How to get here: About a 15-minute taxi Russia. With a history, culture, and political ($5 USD). system quite different from our own, Russia • Hours: Daily. can often mystify foreign visitors. This talk • Cost: Free. will give us context and understanding for the • Explore the Erarta Contemporary Art Gallery: discoveries to come over the next few days. Discover contemporary, aspiring Russian artists as well as renowned masters. This Dinner: Around 7pm, we’ll enjoy dinner at a privately-owned museum—the largest of its hotel restaurant, featuring local cuisine. kind in Russia—and non-profit organization Evening: On your own beginning around provides educational projects to foster a 8:30pm. You are free to enjoy the facilities connection between artwork and the viewer. of our hotel, relax with a book, or take in the Containing 2,800 works of contemporary art nightlife of St. Petersburg. created by more than 300 artists from over 20 regions of Russia, Erarta aims to expose Freedom To Explore: During your two full visitors to a wide variety of paintings, graph- days in St. Petersburg, you have the freedom ics, sculptures, objects, installations and to explore this sprawling port city on your more. The collection is continuously growing, own during your free time. Below are a few and the artwork of budding, lesser-known recommended options for independent artists is frequently displayed here. Plan to explorations: spend approximately 1-2 hours here during your visit. • Stock up on snacks at the Vasileostrovsky Market: In the heart of the city on Vasilievsky • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi Island, this historic food hall—dating back to ride, about $5 USD one way. the 18th century—brings a variety of modern • Hours: 10am-10pm, Wednesday-Monday. concept restaurants and grocery stalls under • Cost: About $8 USD. one roof. A popular gathering spot for locals, you’ll likely see generations of Russians doing their shopping or sitting down with friends and family for a bite to eat. Stop by to enjoy a meal, or just to browse the market’s wares. • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi ride, about $5 USD one way. • Hours: 10am-9pm, daily. • Cost: Free. • Stretch your legs at the Sevcabel Port: Once a Soviet-era engineering plant, this Vasilievskiy Island property had recently been reconfigured into a popular outdoor park. The park features waterfront walking paths,

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30 Day 14 St. Petersburg • Controversial opulent palaces, inspired arts and architecture Topic: Growing threats to civil throughout the city, and handling peasant liberties in Russia with Olga and rebellions. We’ll learn why St. Petersburg is Irina • Hermitage Museum • Optional called the “Venice of the North” during our Russian Ballet performance or Optional visit to several of the city’s picturesque islands, canals, and bridges—as well as make a photo Russian Folk Show stop by the late 19th-century Church on Spilled • Destination: St. Petersburg Blood, one of the most recognizable Russian • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch landmarks. Around 10:30am, we’ll then drive • Accommodations: Ambassador Hotel approximately 30 minutes to visit St. Isaac’s or similar Cathedral, whose gilded dome dominates St. Petersburg’s skyline. Since 1931, the cathedral Exclusive O.A.T. Activity: Today’s activities has actually served as a museum and only holds include a conversation about the Controversial mass on special occasions. As we explore this Topic of increasing threats to civil liberties in mid-19th-century structure that took forty Russia with 55-year-old Irina Robertovna and years to construct, we’ll have the opportunity 38-year-old Olga Sergeevna. This conversation to admire the imposing, neoclassical exterior as will reveal how different generations feel about well as learn about the treasures housed inside. Vladimir Putin’s leadership, including his rocky relationship with the free press, his anti-gay Around 11:15am, we’ll drive 30 minutes to policies, and his annexation of Crimea. Read a communal apartment building to visit more about this timely topic below. two local women who share one of these apartments—55-year-old Irina Robertovna, Activity Note: The Hermitage Museum is closed a retired teacher, and 38-year-old Olga on Mondays, and St. Isaac’s Cathedral is closed Sergeevna, an accountant—arriving around on Wednesdays. If Day 14 falls on a Monday 11:45am. Here we’ll discuss the Controversial or Wednesday, your Trip Experience Leader Topic of increasing threats to civil libertires will inform you of the final schedule and can in Russia with both women, who each bring a help you make arrangements to visit in your unique perspective to our conversation today. free time. Irina lived through the collapse of the Breakfast: Served at the hotel, beginning Soviet Union and the political movement at 7am, featuring traditional hot and cold of Perestroika, a period of time when food breakfast items. shortages, financial instability, and public Morning: Around 9am, we’ll depart via safety were a daily concern. Remembering motorcoach for an approximately 3-hour city these hardships makes her feel grateful for tour to explore the highlights of St. Petersburg, all that she has today, but it also instills a Russia’s imperial capital and second-largest fear of change—even if it has the potential city. Built at the mouth of the River Neva early to be positive. The trauma of her past largely in the 18th century by Peter the Great, the goal informs her feelings on Putin and the regime, was to create a Russian capital that would rival maintaining that although some things could the splendor of Paris. Before the monarchy be better, she’s merely happy that they’re not was overthrown in the Russian Revolution, worse. Although Irina is retired from teaching, the tsars and tsarinas of the empire lived the her meager pension forces her to work as a high life in St. Petersburg. They built colorful, real estate agent. She has lived in a communal

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31 apartment all her life, and although she hopes share one bathroom and kitchen. Across the to one day have a place of her own, it can take country, 18% of Russians live below the poverty up to thirty years to acquire one, even with the line, with nearly two thirds reporting that they assistance of state-run housing programs. cannot afford to purchase household essentials and almost one household in six saying they Olga, on the other hand, is considerably can afford food but not clothing or utilities. Yet less apathetic toward Russia’s political and 78% of Russia’s citizens continue to vote for the economic position. She admits to having voted current administration, Irina falling into that for Putin for his first two presidential terms; category. Her position is “the devil you know is however, she feels that he should have served better than the devil you don’t.” However, 22% these terms and then allowed a successor to of Russians—Olga included—vote against Putin take office. If he had, she believes he would in the hopes of making a positive difference in be remembered as a great leader. But since her country. the early years of these terms, she has been disappointed to see his thirst for power and The most recent vote in Russia was on the controversial actions, like the annexation of amendments of 2020. This marked the second Crimea, only increase. She is also alarmed by time substantial amendments were made the further oppression of civil liberties and to the Russian constitution—the last time angry that, in the 21st century, Russia isn’t being in 1993. After Putin introduced these any closer to being a democratic nation. Every amendments—which included extending day she worries about the future her three presidential term limits, allowing the president little children will face under such tyrannical to fire federal judges, and banning gay conditions, and she hopes to counter the marriage—a national vote was held. They were influence of this propaganda by impressing approved on July 1, 2020 by contested popular upon them the importance of freedom and vote, signed into law by executive order on July justice. 3, and put into effect the next day. During our hour-long interactive conversation with Olga While freedom of speech and the press are and Irina, they will share their contrasting both part of the Russian constitution, the views on this latest election, and their opinion Russian government maintains control over its on how much freedom they believe Russians citizens’ liberties by selectively implementing have in general. Part of our conversation will the law with specific restrictions and censures include 40 minutes to ask the women any that align with the government’s interests. questions you might have. Perhaps you’ll ask Since Vladimir Putin came to power in the Irina why she supports Putin: To feel safe? Out year 2000, it is estimated that 21 journalists of fear? Out of habit? Or you may ask Olga if she have been killed for speaking out against feel safe expressing her freedom of speech and his policies—forcing the press to practice what her hopes are for the future. self-censorship when it comes to coverage of issues considered controversial by the Lunch: Around 12:45pm, Olga and Irina will government. This restriction of information is a invite us to sit down in their apartment to a holdover from Soviet times—as are communal light lunch of traditional Russian pies. apartments such as the one Olga and Irina Afternoon: We’ll depart around 1:15pm for share. In St. Petersburg alone, there are still a 15-minute drive to the expansive Baroque around 70,000 of these communal apartment Hermitage Museum, arriving around buildings, in which up to ten unrelated families

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32 1:30pm. Today, this one-time palace of the which you’ll be offered local refreshments. tsars—founded by Catherine the Great in You’ll gain a new appreciation for Russian 1764—is also one of the oldest museums in the culture and the traditions that make it unique. world, as well as the second-largest, occupying Depart for this Optional Tour around 6:15pm a complex of five historic buildings. We’ll for a 7pm performance. explore the massive fine art collection and learn about the structure of the former palace itself Day 15 St. Petersburg • Explore for approximately 2 hours, before enjoying 1 Peterhof Palace hour of free time either in the Hermitage or • Destination: St. Petersburg Palace Square. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Around 4:30pm, we’ll depart for the 30-minute • Accommodations: Ambassador Hotel drive back to the hotel. or similar

Dinner: On your own this evening. Ask your Activity Note: The fountains at Peterhof Palace Trip Experience Leader for a recommendation are only operational from May 1-October 10. or discover somewhere new to try. If you Travelers arriving outside of that timeframe enjoy meat, keep an eye out for Chicken Kiev, will still enjoy a comprehensive visit to Peterhof stuffed chicken breast covered in eggs and and its gardens, but without the full effect of breadcrumbs and either fried or baked. the fountains.

Evening: On your own. You may also join Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel us on an Optional Tour to witness one of St. starting at 7am, featuring traditional hot and Petersburg’s greatest contributions to the arts cold breakfast choices. when we take in a Russian ballet performance, Morning: Around 8am, our small group right here in the cradle of the artform, where will depart for Peterhof Palace, arriving the dancing style was first developed to approximately 1 hour later. Also known as the entertain the tsars. Home to one of the most “Russian Versailles,” most visitors conclude distinguished and influential ballet schools in that the nickname does a disservice to the the world, St. Petersburg is where the Russian grandeur and scope of this royal estate, which style of ballet was developed, and for more includes manicured parks, gardens, and than 300 years has been the training ground ornate fountains. Residence of the tsars until for some of the world’s most famous ballet the Revolution of 1917, the entire complex dancers, such as Mikhail Baryshnikov and with its series of palaces and lush gardens is a George Balanchine, founder of the New York UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ll explore the City Ballet. Depart for this Optional Tour around grounds of this historical site before departing 7pm for an 8pm performance. around noon for a 30-minute ride to a nearby When the ballet is not available, enjoy an residential district for lunch. evening of music and dance at the optional Lunch: Around 12:30pm, we’ll enjoy a typical Russian Folk Show. Join us for a performance Russian lunch in a small restaurant popular in the revered Concert Hall of Nikolaevsky among locals. Palace. You’ll enjoy dances and songs from different provinces of Russia represented by Afternoon: Around 2pm, we’ll begin the 1-hour four professional folk groups. This 2-hour show return trip to St. Petersburg, where we’ll enjoy consists of two acts and an intermission, during an afternoon at leisure. If you would like to

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33 spend your free time exploring the city’s many Day 16 St. Petersburg • Return to U.S. or museums—including the Russian Museum, begin post-trip extension home to the world’s largest collection of • Included Meals: Breakfast Russian fine art—the bus will make a stop at Arts Square en route to our hotel. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel, beginning at 7am, featuring traditional hot and Dinner: Around 6:30pm, we’ll drive 15 minutes cold breakfast items. to a local restaurant to celebrate our Baltic Capitals and Russia travel experiences during a Morning: Depending on your flight itinerary, Farewell Dinner. depart for the airport for your flight to the U.S. Or, transfer to the train station to begin Evening: You’re free to head back into the your post-trip extension to Russian Capitals: St. city, relax at the hotel with fellow travelers, or Petersburg & Moscow or New! Georgia: Villages, prepare for your morning departure tomorrow. Vineyards & Vibrant Tbilisi.

END YOUR ADVENTURE WITH AN OPTIONAL POST-TRIP EXTENSION 5 nights in Russian Capitals: St. Petersburg & Moscow

Day 1 St. Petersburg • Peter & Day 4 Moscow tour • Tretyakov Gallery Paul Fortress Day 5 Moscow • Kremlin grounds • Day 2 St. Petersburg • Excursion to Optional Imperial Russia: The Kremlin Catherine Palace Armory Tour Day 3 Train ride to Moscow, Russia • Day 6 Moscow • Return to U.S. Optional Moscow Circus tour

OR 6 nights in Georgia: Villages, Vineyards & Vibrant Tbilisi

Day 1 St. Petersburg • Fly to Day 5 Explore Sighnaghi • Visit Tbilisi, Georgia Bodbe Convent Day 2 Explore Mount Mtatsminda • Visit Day 6 Visit Telavi • Alaverdi Monastery • Georgian National Museum Winery visit • Overland to Tbilisi Day 3 Explore Tbilisi Day 7 Tbilisi • Return to U.S. Day 4 Visit the settlement village of Tserovani • Overland to Sighnaghi

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

34 OPTIONAL TOURS

During your trip you will be able to book optional tours directly with your Trip Experience Leader. He or she will ask you to confirm the payment for these tours by filling out a payment form. Optional tours can only be purchased with a credit or debit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. We also accept Visa and MasterCard debit cards, but it must be a debit card that allows you to sign for purchases.

In order to correctly process these charges, there can be a delay of 2-3 months from the date of your return for the charges to be posted to your account. Therefore we ask that you use a card that will not expire in the 2-3 months following your return.

Please note: Optional tour prices are listed in U.S. dollar estimates determined at the time of publication and are subject to change. Optional tours may vary.

Rundale Palace Please note: The Russian Ballet Performance may (Day 9 $115 per person) not be available due to the theater schedule. On those departures, an optional Russian Folk Show Visit the opulent Rundale Palace and its will be offered instead. sprawling gardens. Constructed in the 1730s, the palace was designed by Bartolomeo The Russian Ballet Performance may not be Rastrelli as a summer residence for the Duke available due to theater schedule. of Courland. After a tumultuous history where its ownership often changed hands, Rundale became a museum and attraction for travelers Russian Folk Show to Latvia in 1972 and now also houses leaders (Day 14 $90 per person) of foreign nations while they are visiting Join us for an evening folk show performance the country. in the magnificent Concert Hall of Nikolaevsky Palace. You’ll enjoy dances and songs from Russian Ballet Performance different provinces of Russia, represented by four professional folk groups. This two-hour (Day 14 $120 per person) show consists of two parts and an intermission, Witness one of St. Petersburg’s greatest during which you’ll be offered local contributions to the arts when we attend a refreshments. You’ll gain a new appreciation ballet performance. Home to one of the most for Russian culture and the traditions that make distinguished and influential ballet schools in it unique. the world, St. Petersburg is where the Russian The Russian Ballet Performance may not be style of ballet was developed, and for more available due to theater schedule. than 300 years has been the training ground for some of the world’s most famous ballet dancers, such as Mikhail Baryshnikov and George Balanchine, founder of the New York City Ballet.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

35 PRE-TRIP Poland: Krakow, Auschwitz & Warsaw

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Flight from Warsaw to Vilnius, Lithuania » 4 small group activities » Accommodations: 3 nights in Krakow at » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Hotel Kossak or similar and 2 nights in Experience Leader Warsaw at Polonia Palace Hotel or similar » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and » 10 meals—5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, luggage porters and 2 dinners » All transfers

PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Before you travel to the Baltic capitals, discover two of Poland’s historic and cultural epicenters—Krakow and Warsaw. Explore the centuries-old streets of Krakow with its stunning architecture, experience an emotionally-charged tour of the Auschwitz concentration camp of World War II, and venture through rebuilt Warsaw, Poland’s energetic capital city.

Day 1 Depart U.S. Around 6pm, join your Trip Experience Leader for an optional orientation walk of the area, Afternoon/Evening: Today, you’ll depart including shops, restaurants, and ATMs. on your overnight flight from the U.S. to Krakow, Poland. Dinner: At around 6:30pm, we’ll enjoy a Welcome Dinner at the hotel restaurant, Day 2 Arrive in Krakow, Poland toasting to our arrival in this historic city. • Destination: Krakow Evening: You’re free to relax at the hotel after • Included Meals: Dinner your flight or continue celebrating the kickoff • Accommodations: Golden Tulip Kazimierz of your journey with your fellow travelers. or similar Freedom To Explore: During your three Afternoon: We will arrive in Krakow, Poland, nights in Krakow, you have the freedom to this afternoon and transfer 30 minutes by bus explore this former capital city—also known to your hotel. Likely located in the heart of as “Little Rome” or “Polish Jerusalem”—on Krakow, the hotel is situated near charming your own during your free time. Below are a sites such as the medieval Market Square. Each few recommended options for independent of its air-conditioned rooms typically include a explorations: TV, minibar, safe, iron, coffee- and tea-making • Learn about glass artistry at the Workshop facilities, wireless Internet, and hair dryer. and Stained Glass Museum: Observe artists and craftsmen as they form unique stained

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

36 glass items, and make your own small and social hub for Krakow. Popular among the memento out of provided materials under the younger generation, this destination is prime guidance of an artist. Located in the oldest for taking in a contemporary art exhibition glass studio still in operation in Poland—over or simply people watching over a coffee and one hundred years old, you may also wish local fare from the on-site eatery. to take a guided tour through the museum, • How to get there: A 25-minute walk. providing background on the premises and • Hours: From 10am, daily. origins of the workshop. Over 200 stained • Cost: Free. glass windows created here can be spotted in the city of Krakow, including windows in the Day 3 Explore Krakow Wawel Castle and Franciscan Basilica. Plan • Destination: Krakow to spend approximately 1 hour here during • Included Meals: Breakfast your visit. • Accommodations: Golden Tulip Kazimierz How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. • or similar • Hours: 12pm-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday. • Cost: About $9 USD. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel starting at 7am, featuring hot and cold choices. • Visit the historic Wieliczka Salt Mines: The mines, almost 2 miles in length, 450 feet Morning: Around 9am, our group will come deep, and often called “the Underground Salt together for a 30-minute Welcome Briefing. Cathedral of Poland,” feature 20 chambers During this briefing, we’ll review our itinerary and an underground lake. You’ll venture in more detail (including any changes that may deep into the mines, with over 900 steps to need to occur). Our Trip Experience Leader will descend, and learn about the technology and also discuss logistics, safety and emergency history of the construction. Once belonging procedures, and answer any questions we to the Polish royal family, the mines are over may have. 700 years old and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not only are they former salt Around 10am, we begin our discoveries of mines, but they are also an art gallery of salt Krakow on a 3-hour city tour, first walking and rock sculptures, featuring chiseled mythical later riding through its lovely streets in golf figures. During your visit, it’s even possible carts—which, in recent years, has become a to taste the salt in several spots within the popular way of seeing the sights. While Poland mines. Standard mine tours are approximate- moved its capital to Warsaw in 1596, Krakow ly 2 hours. remains the country’s cultural and intellectual epicenter, teeming with avant garde art, How to get there: A 45- to 50-minute taxi • jazz music, and students. Unlike many of ride, about $13-$15 USD. the surrounding cities, Krakow managed to Hours: 7:30am-7:30pm, daily, • escape significant damage during World War April-October. II, making it a historical hub and giving it a Cost: About $24-$26 USD. • reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in • Discover Soviet culture at the Forum central Europe. Krakow’s Old Town—or Stare Przestrzenie Café Club: This former Miastro—in particular offers seven centuries of Communist hotel forum is now home to Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture, numerous art galleries and performance all surrounded by a ring of parkland known as spaces, and concerts, serving as a cultural the Planty.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

37 Lunch: Around 1pm, you’ll have lunch on Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll drive 1.5 your own. Your Trip Experience Leader can hours to reach Auschwitz, arriving around provide recommendations on the best locales 10am. Here, we’ll delve deep into the camp’s for whatever your preferences are. Try to find controversial history and role in the Holocaust pierogi—hearty, Polish dumplings. Or seek out during a two-hour tour led by a local guide. bigos, or “Hunter’s Soup,” made of sausage, While the Auschwitz concentration camp sauerkraut, mushrooms, and onions. complex was used to contain the diverse Afternoon: After lunch, you have the rest of the enemies of the Nazi regime, it is infamous day to do as you’d like. Or, you can explore the for its shocking treatment of the 1.1 million medieval splendors of Krakow independently. Jews who were deported there from European Perhaps you’ll mingle with the many jazz countries occupied by or allied with Germany. musicians, students, and street artists that The Jews who were sent to Auschwitz often bring the city to life. You may also care to visit faced starvation, extreme cold, hard labor, the Krakow Underground Museum, an exhibit constant abuse, and in some cases, death upon which illuminates the close connection between arrival. In total, at least 960,000 Jews were medieval Krakow and other European cities killed in Auschwitz, in addition to thousands of during the same time period. Roma, Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, disabled people, as well as members of the LGBTQ Dinner: On your own. Consider asking your community. Today, the complex stands as a Trip Experience Leader about their favorite stark reminder of one of the darkest periods restaurant. One delicacy to look out for is in history. As we discover different historic zapiekanka, an open-face, toasted sandwich buildings and areas of the concentration camp, on baguette or other type of long bread, we’ll learn stories of the brave and resilient topped with sautéed mushrooms, cheese and individuals who endured this brutal period sometimes various other ingredients. in history. Evening: On your own—you may retire to your We depart by bus back to Krakow around noon, room to rest before tomorrow’s explorations. enjoying some snacks on the road to keep Or, you may choose to venture out to discover hunger at bay before lunch. We’ll arrive back Krakow’s nightlife. Your Trip Experience Leader around 1:30pm. can provide recommendations of the best bars and restaurants in the area. Lunch: On your own anytime after we arrive back in Krakow after 1:30pm. Perhaps you Day 4 Explore Auschwitz might seek out pierogis, warm dumplings typically filled with potato and cheese. • Destination: Krakow • Included Meals: Breakfast Afternoon: Your afternoon is free to spend as • Accommodations: Golden Tulip Kazimierz you wish. Maybe you’ll visit the local stained or similar glass museum to observe the process of this traditional art form. Activity Note: Today, we’ll visit the Auschwitz concentration camp which may be a Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience particularly emotional experience. Leader can recommend an interesting, local restaurant for you to try. A popular dish you Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel starting at 7am, featuring hot and cold choices.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

38 may want to seek out is golabki, boiled cabbage this historic district until about 12:30pm, at leaves stuffed with minced pork or beef, which point we’ll walk to a local restaurant in chopped onions, and rice or barley. Kazimierz for lunch.

Evening: You are free to make your own Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a local restaurant. discoveries in Krakow, spend time with your Afternoon: Around 2:15, we will take a roughly fellow travelers at the hotel, or retire to your 30-minute drive to the train station to take our room to rest. train to Warsaw, which departs around 2:45pm and will take a little over 2 hours. Upon arrival, Day 5 Depart for Warsaw • Explore we’ll check into our hotel around 5:30pm. Take Podgorze and Kazimierz some free time to settle in before we head to a • Destination: Warsaw local restaurant for dinner. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Dinner: We’ll have dinner at a local • Accommodations: Polonia Palace Hotel restaurant around 7pm, serving Polish and or similar international cuisine. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Evening: We’ll check into our hotel around starting at 7am, featuring hot and cold choices. 8pm after dinner. Depending on where we Morning: Today, around 9:30am, we’ll depart stay, our hotel is likely located within the city by bus for Warsaw, the capital of Poland, center, featuring modern accommodations with stops along the way. At around 9:45am, and amenities, typically including a safe, we’ll stop first at Podgorze, a neighborhood complimentary access to the fitness center, and of Krakow that was once home to the Jewish wireless Internet. ghetto during the Nazi regime. Here, a local After you get settled, enjoy the freedom to guide will lead us through this historic central explore Warsaw this evening. Stroll through square before we leave to visit Oskar Schindler’s the city at night or enjoy a beer at the hotel bar Enamel Factory Museum around 10am. We’ll with your fellow travelers and take in the spirit arrive at about 11:30am and a local guide will of the city. lead us through the museum. Once a former enamel factory where Schindler employed Freedom To Explore: During your two days in Jews to save them from concentration camps, Warsaw, you have the freedom to explore this this museum provides a unique perspective on formerly war-torn capital on your own during life in Krakow from 1939-1945, displaying 45 your free time. Below are a few recommended meticulously-assembled rooms designed to options for independent explorations: show what streets, hair salons, train stations, and more looked like in Krakow during this • Learn about the history of Polish Jews at the contentious period in history. POLIN Museum: The Hebrew word “Polin” refers to a legend about the arrival of the At approximately 11:30am, we’ll drive about first Jews to Poland. This museum tells the 15 minutes to the Kazimierz neighborhood 1,000-year-old history of Polish Jews and of Krakow, a former Jewish district. Our educates visitors about past and present Trip Experience Leader will take us through Jewish culture. Situated in the former Jewish Ghetto of Warsaw, visitors can explore mul- timedia exhibits and period-specific galleries

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

39 providing insight into how Jews came to live II. It’s also home to the city’s oldest market, in Poland, how they once flourished, the which now is filled with over 300 shopkeepers horrors of the second world war, and finally, selling clothing, accessories, and fresh food. the postwar years. Designed by Finnish • How to get there: A 20-minute taxi ride, architects Rainer Mahlamäki and Ilmari about $15 USD. Lahdelma, the building is comprised of glass, • Hours: 8am-5pm, daily. copper, and concrete, and faces the memorial • Cost: Free. commemorating the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. Plan to spend 2-3 hours exploring Day 6 Explore Warsaw • Optional the museum. Chopin recital • How to get there: A 10-to 15-minute taxi • Destination: Warsaw ride, about $6-$8 USD. • Included Meals: Breakfast • Hours: 10am-6pm, daily. • Accommodations: Polonia Palace Hotel • Cost: About $6-$8 USD, free on Thursdays. or similar • Spend an afternoon at the National Museum: Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Founded in 1862, the National Museum is one starting at 7am, featuring local cuisine and of the oldest museums in Europe, featuring seasonal dishes. a collection of over 830,000 paintings and sculptures of both foreign and domestic Morning: Around 9am, we’ll embark by bus origin. From ancient times to modern day, on a 3.5-hour city tour of Poland’s flourishing peruse paintings, sculptures, drawings, capital, Warsaw. Unlike Krakow, much of prints, photographs, coins, as well as Warsaw was destroyed in World War II, and utilitarian objects and designs. The museum since then, the city has used its vivacious also features a selection of archaeological spirit to rebuild. We’ll stroll through the films, as well as the largest and most valuable Łazienki Park together, Warsaw’s largest collection of archaeological artifacts from park and home to the 13th-century Ujazdów foreign excavation sites ever obtained by a Castle. Then, around 11am, we’ll arrive in Polish museum. Plan to spend approximately Warsaw’s Old Town, where we can see a 1-2 hours here. fusion of Renaissance, Baroque, and Gothic • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute walk. architecture, designed to make the area look • Hours: 10am-6pm, Tuesday-Sunday. as it did in the 17th and 18th centuries. On top • Cost: About $8 USD, free on Tuesdays. of colorful open-air cafés and art stalls, the Old Town houses the Royal Castle—or Zamek • Meander through the trendy Rozyckiego Królewski—built in the 1740s as a precise Bazar and Praga district: This up-and- recreation of the 14th-century original. Also coming neighborhood has undergone rapid in the Old Town is Warsaw’s monument of a transformation in recent years, now it is sword-wielding mermaid—the beloved symbol home to clubs, restaurants, theaters, and of the city—as well as St. John’s Archcathedral, artist studios. Located on the left bank of the one of the oldest churches in Warsaw. Our tour Vistula River, Praga boasts some of Warsaw’s will end around 12:30pm in the Old Town. oldest surviving structures after World War Lunch: On your own—your Trip Experience Leader can recommend their favorite local restaurant. For those who enjoy a wholesome

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

40 stew, bigos is a common Polish staple: chopped Evening: If you choose to take the optional meat of various kinds simmering in sauerkraut Chopin tour this evening, you’ll return to the and fresh, shredded cabbage. hotel around 8:30pm, with the remainder of the evening on your own. If you decide not to Afternoon: The remainder of the day is yours join the Chopin recital concert, you are free to explore the city on your own. Perhaps you’ll to explore more of this historic city, return stroll the cobbled streets or relax in one of the to your room to rest before your explorations many charming cafés. Or, you might take local tomorrow, or join fellow travelers in the main transportation back to the hotel and explore the hotel area for a nightcap to discuss the day’s surrounding area. activities. As the evening approaches, at around 5pm, you can join us for an optional Chopin recital Day 7 Depart for Vilnius, Lithuania • at Warsaw’s concert hall. It is an exclusive Join main trip opportunity to have a special evening with the • Destination: Vilnius romantic compositions of Fryderyk Chopin. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Enjoy a welcome drink around 5:15pm before taking your seat with the general audience for Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel the music performance around 5:30pm. starting at 7am, featuring local cuisine and seasonal dishes. Dinner: On your own for those who do not attend the Optional Chopin recital. Your Trip Morning: Around 8:45am, we’ll depart our Experience Leader can recommend their hotel and transfer by bus to the airport to fly to favorite local restaurant. Explore Warsaw’s Vilnius, Lithuania, where we’ll join our fellow thriving culinary scene and try a hearty, travelers to begin our discoveries of The Baltic traditional meal at a local restaurant. For those Capitals & St. Petersburg. who do join the Optional Tour, dinner is at a Lunch: Upon arrival in Vilnius around 1pm, local restaurant around 6:30pm. we’ll enjoy a boxed lunch.

OPTIONAL TOUR

Chopin recital (Day 6 $105 per person) On this Optional Tour, join a general audience at Warsaw’s concert hall for a Chopin recital. Enjoy a welcome drink before taking your seat for an evening of classical music as the instruments fill the space with their melodies. After the concert, gather with the group for an included dinner.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

41 PRE-TRIP Copenhagen & Odense: Denmark’s Cultural Capitals

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Accommodations: 3 nights in Copenhagen » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip at the Phoenix Hotel or similar and 3 nights Experience Leader in Odense at the Hotel Odeon or similar » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and » 11 meals—6 breakfasts, 3 lunches, luggage porters and 2 dinner » All transfers » 5 small group activities

PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Experience the myriad highlights of two of Denmark’s most charming cities. In Copenhagen, you’ll witness the quirky collision of modern design and fairytale construction before discovering a different side of the Danish capital in the counter-cultural Christiania district and the melting pot neighborhood of Norrebro. And along Odense’s cobblestone lanes, you’ll walk in the footsteps of Viking chieftains, tech titans, and native son Hans Christian Andersen.

Day 1 Depart U.S. Then, enjoy a walk (less than one mile) around the vicinity of your hotel with your Trip Fly overnight from the U.S. to Experience Leader to introduce you to the area Copenhagen, Denmark. in which you’ll be staying.

Day 2 Arrive in Copenhagen, Denmark Dinner: You’re free to explore Copenhagen’s local restaurants tonight. For a quick bite, you • Destination: Copenhagen can stop by one of the many sausage stands for • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner a traditional rod polse (red sausage). Frikadeller • Accommodations: Phoenix Copenhagen is another popular Danish dish consisting of Hotel or similar meatballs fried in butter, and are often served Morning/Afternoon: You’ll arrive in with boiled potatoes. Copenhagen this morning or afternoon. Please Evening: You are free to return to your room refer to your personal air itinerary for exact to rest after your overseas flight, or you may departure and arrival times. venture out to experience Copenhagen’s lively Upon arrival, you’ll be met at the airport clubs and cafes—ask your Trip Experience and assisted to your centrally-located hotel, Leader for recommendations. Your hotel is also where we’ll stay for the next three nights. located within walking distance of theaters, Typical rooms include a minibar, safe, wireless shops, the famous Little Mermaid statue, and Internet, and a private en suite bathroom. the impressive Gefion Fountain.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

42 Day 3 Explore Copenhagen • Canal cruise Dinner: Included at a local restaurant.

• Destination: Copenhagen Evening: After arriving back at our hotel, you • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner may continue making independent discoveries • Accommodations: Phoenix Copenhagen or rest up for the day of exploration ahead. Hotel or similar

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel, Day 4 Explore Christiania • Norrebro with Danish and American options available. district • Visit center for troubled youth • Destination: Copenhagen Morning: Following breakfast, we’ll join our • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Trip Experience Leader on a stroll through Denmark’s lively capital. Singer Danny Kaye • Accommodations: Phoenix Copenhagen once called Copenhagen a “friendly old girl of a Hotel or similar town”—and this morning, we’ll see why. Home Breakfast: At the hotel. to more than 630,000 Danes, Copenhagen is a bustling metropolis full of world-class Morning: After breakfast, we’ll discover museums, flashy modern architecture, and a the controversial Christiania district of buzzy after-hours scene. But in spite of this Copenhagen during a walking tour. This unique big-city bustle, Copenhagen is surprisingly enclave of the city was established in 1971 cozy. Its easy-to-navigate lanes are anchored by a counterculture group who inhabited an by 17th- and 18th-century palaces and lined abandoned military barracks and developed with kaleidoscopic townhomes, imbuing the their own set of societal rules, completely city with a welcoming, fairytale charm. As independent from the Danish government. we walk, we’ll witness sites like Amalienborg Today it is still semi-autonomous, and a haven Palace where the royal family resides, the for artists, musicians, and those seeking an Maersk Opera House, and Denmark’s recycling alternative lifestyle. plant that doubles as a ski slope. The district is a mix of workshops, homemade Our walk concludes in Copenhagen’s Nyhavn houses, art galleries, music venues, organic (waterfront) district—but our discoveries restaurants, and green spaces. Cars and do not. Aboard a canal boat, we’ll motor past cameras are prohibited in Christiania to protect historical sailing vessels and modern pleasure the alternative nature of the neighborhood. cruisers as we take in panoramas of the harbor, We’ll have some free time to explore Christiania ancient castles, and colorful rowhouses. independently before transferring to the Lunch: On your own. Perhaps you’ll seek Norrebro district via public transit. Located out a Scandinavian favorite: smørrebrød, an northeast of the city center, Norrebro was open-faced sandwich consisting of buttered rye absorbed by Copenhagen in the mid-1800s and bread topped with cold cuts or salmon. quickly attracted immigrants and Danes alike who were eager to make their fortunes in the Afternoon: Free for independent discovery. city. Today, nearly 20% of the neighborhood’s You might choose to admire the huge residents hold foreign passports—typically collection of antique sculptures and French and from another European nation or Asia. As a Danish paintings on display at the Carlsberg result, Norrebro is magnificently multicultural Glyptotek museum. and more than a little off beat. We’ll witness bold street art, trendy cafes, and second-hand

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

43 boutiques as hip locals pedal past us on So it’s perhaps no wonder then that one of the vintage bicycles. Our walk concludes at world’s most beloved children’s authors, Hans nearby community center, which strives to Christian Andersen, was born here. help troubled youth and lonely individuals When we arrive in the late morning, we’ll drop by uniting them through sports. During our our luggage off at the hotel and set out on an visit, we’ll meet with a few members of the orientation walk with our Trip Experience organization to learn more about its mission. Leader. As we stroll, be on the lookout for Lunch: Included at a local restaurant in statues scattered throughout the city depicting Norrebro. Andersen’s most famous literary characters.

Afternoon: Free for your own discoveries. Lunch: At a local restaurant. Perhaps you’ll visit the Tivoli Gardens, a Afternoon: We’ll check into our historic amusement park where you can tap centrally-located hotel and receive our room into your inner child as you enjoy carnival rides, assignments, after which you’ll have some time games, and more. Or you may choose to stroll to settle in, rest, and unpack. Depending on through Copenhagen’s fine botanical gardens. where we stay, your room will likely feature a Covering nearly 25 acres of land, this garden flat-screen TV, safe, complimentary wireless houses the largest collection of living plants in Internet, and a private bathroom. Then the world. we’ll continue delving into Odense’s literary Dinner: On your own. You may want to take history with a visit to the Hans Christian advantage of our proximity to the sea by Andersen Museum. indulging in a plate of fiskefrikadeller—fish The Danish—and in particular the people cakes served with cucumber. of Odense, where Andersen lived until he Evening: You have the freedom to spend the was fourteen—are justifiably proud of their rest of your evening as you wish—ask your Trip native. As you explore the museum, you may Experience Leader for recommendations. be surprised to learn just how many childhood classics were penned by the author, including Day 5 Transfer overland to Odense • Visit Thumbelina, The Princess and the Pea, The Ugly the Hans Christian Andersen Museum Duckling, and the Emperor’s New Clothes, to name a few. The museum’s exhibits showcase • Destination: Odense Andersen’s life and works through displays • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch of personal artifacts (like his top hat and • Accommodations: Hotel Odeon or similar suitcase), his papers, and even a recreation Breakfast: At the hotel. of his private study. While here, feel free to ask your Trip Experience Leader what H.C. Morning: We begin our day by checking out of Andersen (as the Danes call him) means to him our hotel in Copenhagen and driving to Odense, or her; all Danish children grow up well versed Denmark’s third largest city and the main city his fairytales. on Funen Island. It’s said that Odense is where fairytales come to life, and you simply have to take a look around to see why: brightly colored, timber-clad houses line charmingly cobbled streets that seem straight out of a storybook.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

44 Afterwards, you’ll have the remainder of the the town features a variety of small museums afternoon free to continue exploring Odense on and galleries housed in red-roofed buildings, your own. Architecture buffs might like to visit and water views are around almost every the city’s impressive Gothic cathedral, which corner. As you stroll, take advantage of this dates back to the 11th century. opportunity to ask your friendly guide what he or she most likes about living in Kerteminde, Dinner: On your own—ask your Trip and about the challenges of living in a place Experience Leader for recommendations. that is so far north. Evening: In the mood for something sweet? Lunch: On your own. With its seaside location, Seek out flødeboller, a traditional Danish Kerteminde unsurprisingly is best known for its meringue-and-marzipan confection that’s fresh seafood. covered in chocolate. Afternoon: You’ll have time to continue Day 6 Visit the Ladbyskibet Viking exploring Kerteminde on your own. Perhaps Museum • Explore Kerteminde you’ll visit the Johannes Larsen Museum, dedicated to the life and works of Johannes • Destination: Odense Larsen, one of the most prominent artists of the • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Fyn school of painters. Or you might like to take • Accommodations: Hotel Odeon or similar a coastal walk—your Trip Experience Leader Breakfast: At the hotel. can point you in the right direction. In the mid-afternoon, we’ll regroup and drive back to Morning: Today’s discoveries take us into our hotel in Odense. Once there, the rest of the Denmark’s legendary Viking past. Aboard our afternoon is yours to do as you like. private motorcoach, we’ll drive to the nearby Ladbyskibet Viking Museum. The Museum Dinner: We’ll head to Storms, the hippest new was built around the burial site of a Viking dining experience in town. Housed in a former Chieftain; archaeological excavations show that warehouse, Storms is a collection of food stalls the chieftain was buried in a boat (as was the showcasing cuisine from around the world, custom for high-ranking Vikings at the time) all under one roof. The hall also features bar along with eleven horses and numerous dogs, stalls where you can whet your whistle with a so that he would be prepared for life in the local brew. afterworld. Evening: Free to do as you’d like—perhaps Enter into the burial mound to view the grave you’ll stay at Storms after dinner to sample a ship, then spend time in the museum’s exhibits selection of the craft beers on offer. to view the artifacts that have been excavated from the site. Taken together, they show Day 7 Visit Odense Robotics not just how the Vikings died, but how they • Destination: Odense lived as well. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Next up, we’ll drive a few minutes to • Accommodations: Hotel Odeon or similar Kerteminde, a picturesque seaside town. Here, Breakfast: At the hotel. we’ll embark on a local sightseeing tour with a retired Kerteminde resident. A popular retreat for artists due its particular qualities of light,

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

45 Morning: Up to this point, we’ve devoted Morning: After breakfast, we’ll make our to our time to uncovering Odense’s past. But the airport in Copenhagen and fly to Vilnius, today we look to the future, with a visit to Lithuania, where we’ll begin our The Baltic the city’s robotics center. Odense is home to Capitals & St. Petersburg adventure. some of the most cutting-edge automation companies in Northern Europe, and the city’s myriad educational and research institutions are paving the way for innovation. During our visit to the robotics center, we’ll learn how this industry developed in Denmark. We’ll also have the opportunity to meet with a leader of a start-up company that operates within the robotics center to discuss the futuristic goals that are being pursued here.

Lunch: We’ll travel about 30 minutes by bus to Rogeri Hindsholm, a local restaurant and smokehouse specializing in seasonal dishes made with Danish produce, fish, meats, and cheeses.

Afternoon: After we return to Odense, the remainder of the day is yours. You might want to browse the unique artwork on display at Brandts Klaedefabrik, and cultural center featuring studios, workshops, exhibition rooms, and even a theater and concert hall. This is also an ideal spot to pick up a one-of-a-kind souvenir for yourself or a loved one.

Dinner: On your own. Perhaps you’ll seek out one final taste of Denmark, or ask your Trip Experience Leader where to find flavors that remind you of home.

Evening: At leisure. You may wish to take one final stroll along Odense’s quaint, cobbled streets. Or return to your room to prepare for our transfer to Copenhagen tomorrow.

Day 8 Transfer overland to Copenhagen • Fly to Vilnius, Lithuania • Join main trip • Destination: Vilnius, Lithuania • Included Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

46 POST-TRIP Russian Capitals: St. Petersburg & Moscow

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Train ride from St. Petersburg to Moscow » 6 small group activities » Accommodations: 2 nights in St. Petersburg » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip at Ambassador Hotel or similar and 3 nights Experience Leader in Moscow at the Courtyard by Marriott » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and Moscow or similar luggage porters » 10 meals—5 breakfasts, 4 lunches, » All transfers and 1 dinner

POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

After two nights in St. Petersburg, explore the highlights of Moscow, an ancient city replete with an untold wealth of modern museums, medieval cathedrals, and monuments to historic battles and fallen heroes. Witness the massive Kremlin complex and unforgettable Red Square, two of the most powerful symbols of the Cold War era.

Day 1 St. Petersburg • Peter & Dostoevsky, Trotsky, and even Peter’s own Paul Fortress son, Alexei. Within the fortress walls—with its tall spire and Baroque interior—resides Saints • Destination: St. Petersburg Peter and Paul Cathedral, the final resting • Included Meals: Lunch place of most Russian tsars since the city’s • Accommodations: Ambassador Hotel namesake was buried here, including the last or similar Romanov family—Nicholas, Alexandra, and Activity note: The Peter & Paul Fortress is their children, who were murdered during the closed on Wednesdays. If Day 1 falls on a Russian Revolution. Wednesday, then Day 1 and Day 2’s activities Lunch: Around 12:30pm, we’ll have lunch at a will be exchanged. local restaurant downtown. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Afternoon: Starting around 1:30pm, we’ll enjoy starting at 7am, featuring traditional hot and some free time to pursue individual discoveries cold breakfast items. in St. Petersburg, perhaps to visit the Fabergé Morning: Around 9:30am, we’ll depart for Museum or stop by the ornate Church of the the 30-minute drive to the Peter and Paul Savior on Spilled Blood. This multi-colored Fortress. Constructed in 1703 as the primary cathedral, built in memory of Emperor defense for the new city, the fortress was Alexander II who was assassinated in 1881, is mostly utilized as a prison for the likes of one of the most famous churches in the world.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

47 Prominently situated along the river, the façade basketball courts, a playground, and several is decorated with thousands of intricately cafés and food trucks. Climb the on-site detailed mosaics. lighthouse to see the city from a unique vantage point. Dinner: On your own—consider asking your Trip Experience Leader about their favorite • How to get here: About a 15-minute taxi restaurant. You may seek out borscht, a sour ($5 USD). beetroot soup. • Hours: Daily. • Cost: Free. Evening: Your free time continues into the • Explore the Erarta Contemporary Art Gallery: evening when you may want to stroll through Discover contemporary, aspiring Russian the city by night, visit a local pub, or relax at artists as well as renowned masters. This the hotel. privately-owned museum—the largest of its Freedom To Explore: During your two full kind in Russia—and non-profit organization days in St. Petersburg, you have the freedom provides educational projects to foster a to explore this sprawling port city on your connection between artwork and the viewer. own during your free time. Below are a few Containing 2,800 works of contemporary art recommended options for independent created by more than 300 artists from over explorations: 20 regions of Russia, Erarta aims to expose visitors to a wide variety of paintings, graph- • Stock up on snacks at the Vasileostrovsky ics, sculptures, objects, installations and Market: In the heart of the city on Vasilievsky more. The collection is continuously growing, Island, this historic food hall—dating back to and the artwork of budding, lesser-known the 18th century—brings a variety of modern artists is frequently displayed here. Plan to concept restaurants and grocery stalls under spend approximately 1-2 hours here during one roof. A popular gathering spot for locals, your visit. you’ll likely see generations of Russians doing • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi their shopping or sitting down with friends ride, about $5 USD one way. and family for a bite to eat. Stop by to enjoy a • Hours: 10am-10pm, Wednesday-Monday. meal, or just to browse the market’s wares. • Cost: About $8 USD. • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi ride, about $5 USD one way. Day 2 St. Petersburg • Excursion to • Hours: 10am-9pm, daily. Catherine Palace • Cost: Free. • Destination: St. Petersburg • Stretch your legs at the Sevcabel Port: • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Once a Soviet-era engineering plant, this • Accommodations: Ambassador Hotel Vasilievskiy Island property had recently been or similar reconfigured into a popular outdoor park. The park features waterfront walking paths, Activity Note: Ticket availability for Catherine’s Palace is limited, and the grounds are closed on Tuesdays. The palace is also occasionally closed for private events. In the instance that it is closed, this visit will be replaced with either Yusupoff Palace or Pavlovsk Palace and Park.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

48 Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Day 3 Train ride to Moscow, Russia • starting at 7am, featuring traditional hot and Optional Moscow Circus tour cold breakfast items. • Destination: Moscow Morning: Around 8:45am, our bus will arrive • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch to transport us to Tsarskoe Selo (the “tsar’s • Accommodations: Hotel Vremena Goda village”) for a visit to Catherine Palace. Upon or similar arrival around 10am, we’ll enjoy 2.5 hours Activity Note: Today, we’ll take a 4-hour train to explore this summer house for the tsars. ride from St. Petersburg to Moscow. Bring a Built in the late 18th century, the more than book or simply enjoy the scenery. Based on the 20 rooms in the palace have been expertly order of today’s activities, lunch will be later restored, allowing us to examine an impeccable in the day, so you may want to bring snacks to example of Baroque style during this time enjoy during the train ride. Depending on your period. For many travelers, the elaborate departure date, the Red Square may be closed construction of the facade alone is worth a visit, for visits due to state events and holidays. If the as it’s gilded in hundreds of pounds of gold. site is not available for tours, we will have the Here, we’ll walk the grounds, and see the Grand chance to see and take pictures of the square Hall of Mirrors, Marble Staircase, and even the from the outside. legendary Amber Room. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Our visit will conclude around 12:30pm, at beginning at 7am, featuring traditional hot and which time we’ll begin our return trip to St. cold breakfast items. Petersburg, stopping en route for lunch. Morning: Around 8:15am, we’ll depart St. Lunch: Around 12:45pm, we’ll enjoy a typical Petersburg for the 15-minute ride to the train Russian lunch at a local restaurant. station. We’ll board our train at about 9am and Afternoon: We’ll depart the restaurant around our journey to Moscow will last approximately 1:45pm, arriving at our hotel in St. Petersburg four hours. around 2:30pm, where the remainder of Lunch: Enjoy a boxed lunch on the train. the day is free to explore on your own. After marveling at 18th-century accomplishments Afternoon: Upon arrival around 1pm, we’ll this morning, perhaps you’ll choose to spend transfer approximately 25 minutes to our the afternoon among the more than 2,800 hotel to receive our room assignments. Our contemporary works of art on display the Erarta hotel is located just steps from Moscow’s Red gallery. Square and the iconic Bolshoi Theatre. Typical guestrooms are traditionally furnished and may Dinner: On your own—your Trip Experience each come with a flat-screen TV, private bath Leader can provide recommendations on the with hair dryer, and complimentary wireless best places to get traditional cuisine. Internet. Evening: You are free to explore on your own At about 2:30pm, we will depart for a 1-hour this evening. Perhaps you’d like to visit the walking tour led by our Trip Experience Leader, Soulmate Café to unwind for the day with some first getting acquainted with the vicinity of feline friends. the hotel, and later exploring the famed Red Square, considered the most important square

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49 in the city. Our hotel will be about a 5-minute media center with a focus on Russian History. walk from there, so you have plenty of time to Visitors also enjoy a one-of-a-kind view explore on your own. at the River Outlook, a picturesque vantage point of the Kremlin, Cathedral of Christ the Beginning around 3:30pm, enjoy time at Saviour, the towers of Moscow city, and the leisure exploring the city. Around 6pm, you can Moskva River. Another beloved feature of the join an Optional Tour to the famous Moscow park is the Floating Bridge, a thin, V-shaped Circus, when performances are available. This structure with a large outward extension culturally-rich entertainment has enjoyed above the river. acclaim around the world since the reign of Catherine the Great. The Circus showcases the • How to get there: A 20-minute walk. artistry of professional acrobats, clowns, and • Hours: Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. animal trainers. You’ll also witness juggling, • Cost: Free. along with the humor and merriment that are • Enjoy culture and leisure at the iconic Gorky unique to a circus atmosphere. Park: Dotted with ponds, picnic areas, bike trails, and more, Gorky Park is a central Dinner: On your own—consider asking your meeting place for locals looking to relax and Trip Experience Leader where to find authentic even appreciate art. In fact, located within cuisine in the vicinity of the Red Square. the park is Muzeon, an outdoor sculpture park Perhaps you’ll seek out some beef Stroganov, containing Soviet, socialist and contemporary sautéed pieces of beef served in a creamy sauce. sculptures, as well as the Garage Museum of If you choose to join the Optional Tour, we Contemporary Art, which showcases Russian suggest you have dinner beforehand as we will contemporary collections. Perhaps the most return to the hotel around 10pm. notable art piece in the park, however, is the more than 300-foot tall monument of Peter Evening: You’re free to relax at the hotel after the Great, rising out of the water. In terms of the long train ride or explore the area we’re outdoor recreation, there are 13 bicycle-and staying in. skate-rental establishments throughout the grounds, as well as table tennis courts, Freedom To Explore: During your three days in beach volleyball courts, and more. There are Moscow, you have the freedom to explore this also numerous eateries in the form of small multifaceted metropolis on your own during kiosks—the main area being the Gorky Park your free time. Below are a few recommended Food Row. options for independent explorations: • How to get there: A 15-minute taxi ride, • Stroll through Moscow’s first new park in about $5 USD. 50 years, Zaryadye Park: Inaugurated in • Hours: Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. 2017, this sprawling, 35-acre urban park • Cost: Free. is located close to the walls of the Kremlin • Enjoy an evening of culture at the Bolshoi and Red Square. It was previously the site Theatre Opera and Ballet: Bolshoi means of the 3,000-room Rossiya Hotel until “big” in English, but this Moscow theatre its demolition in 2006. In addition to its earned its name not for the size of its stage, meticulously-landscaped grounds, the park but for the talent that appeared upon it: serves as a cultural and educational center, Nearly every Russian performer of note featuring a concert hall, amphitheater, an ice has appeared here, including Mikhail cave, botanical center, as well as an extensive

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

50 Baryshnikov, the world-renowned dancer. Lunch: Around 1pm, we’ll enjoy lunch together Depending on the season, you can watch a at a local restaurant, featuring a selection of ballet or opera. Or, if you’d prefer, take a tour local and international dishes. of the theatre during the day to learn about its Afternoon: Around 2pm, we’ll depart via star-studded history. bus for the 15-minute ride to Tretyakov • How to get there: About a 25-minute walk. Gallery, located near the Kremlin in Moscow’s • Hours: Tours in English are offered on historic Zamoskvorechye district. In 1892, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at the merchant Pavel Tretyakov donated his 11:30am. For show times, please consult expansive art collection to the city of Moscow. the box office. Originally comprised of an eclectic collection • Cost: About $30 USD for a tour; show ticket of 18th- and 19th-century Russian works, costs vary on seat and season. the gallery continued to expand and is today Russia’s most prominent national collection of Day 4 Moscow tour • Tretyakov Gallery fine art. It contains more than 130,000 pieces • Destination: Moscow and showcases creations from generations of • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Russian artists from the eleventh to the 20th • Accommodations: Hotel Vremena Goda centuries, featuring styles of Impressionism, or similar Art Nouveau, and more.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Around 4pm, we will ride the Moscow Metro, starting at 7am, featuring traditional hot and an attraction unto itself, back to our hotel. cold breakfast items. Started in the 1930s, stations were embellished by Soviet artisans with decorations including Morning: Around 9am, we’ll depart for a chandeliers, inlaid marble floors, and filigreed 4-hour city tour of Moscow by both foot wall moldings. Though the city has changed, and motorcoach, led by a local guide. As the the Moscow Metro remains an unusual nation’s capital, Moscow is a hub of rich object of beauty as well as a daily method of history, lively nightlife, a sophisticated arts transportation for nine million people. scene, as well as economic power. From the ornate architecture of Saint Basil’s Cathedral We will head back to the hotel where you can to the complicated, communist past, there is relax a little, arriving at around 5:15pm. much to be curious about in the most populous Dinner: On your own this evening. Russian city. Throughout our tour, enjoy views of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, among Evening: Your evening is free for your own the tallest Orthodox Christian churches in the discoveries. Perhaps you’ll take a nighttime world. Then, we’ll drive along the Kremlin stroll or relax in the lounge. Embankment, a popular area for strolling that stretches from the walls of the Kazan Kremlin to the Kazan National Cultural Centre. Later, we’ll pass by Lubyanskaya Square, and visit Sparrow Hills, one of the highest points in Moscow, as well as Victory Park.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

51 Day 5 Moscow • Kremlin grounds • discover more about the history of Russia Optional Imperial Russia: The Kremlin through objects such as coronation regalia, Armory Tour ceremonial weaponry, and the world’s largest collection of Imperial Fabergé eggs. We’ll • Destination: Moscow return to our hotel by about 1:30pm, at which • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner point you’ll savor lunch independently and • Accommodations: Hotel Vremena Goda enjoy some time at leisure. or similar Around 6:45pm, we’ll depart for the Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel 15-minute walk to a local restaurant for our starting at 7am, featuring traditional hot and Farewell Dinner. cold breakfast items. Dinner: Around 7pm at a local restaurant for Morning: Around 9:30am, we’ll depart for our Farewell Dinner. a 30-minute walk to the Kremlin, a fortified complex located in the center of Moscow. We’ll Evening: Relax at the hotel and pack your discover the history of this UNESCO World things for your early flight back home. Heritage Site—from its eleventh-century fortifications to the legendary churches of Day 6 Moscow • Return to U.S. Cathedral Square. • Included Meals: Breakfast

Lunch: On your own, whenever you’d like. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel Afternoon: After the tour of the Kremlin starting at 7am, featuring traditional hot grounds, you’re free to explore Moscow on and cold breakfast items. If you have an your own, or you can join an Optional Tour early-morning flight, then a breakfast box will beginning around noon. This tour visits some be provided to you. of Imperial Russia’s treasures in the Kremlin Morning: Depending on your flight schedule, Armory, an internationally acclaimed museum. check out of the hotel and depart for the almost The arsenal of the tsars from the 16th to early 2-hour drive to the airport to catch your 20th centuries, the Armory was later turned flight home. into an exhibition hall for the public. We’ll

OPTIONAL TOURS

Moscow Circus that are unique to a circus atmosphere. Please (Day 3 $75 per person) note: Availability of performances is subject to the Join an optional tour to see the Moscow Circus. circus schedule. Performances may vary. This culturally-rich entertainment has enjoyed acclaim around the world since the reign of Catherine the Great. The Circus showcases the artistry of professional acrobats, clowns, and animal trainers. You’ll also witness impressive juggling, along with the humor and merriment

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

52 Imperial Russia: The Kremlin Armory Tour (Day 5 $60 per person) On this tour, we’ll see some of Imperial Russia’s treasures in this internationally-acclaimed museum. The arsenal of the tsars from the 16th to early 20th centuries, the Armory was later turned into an exhibition hall for the public. Discover more about the history of Russia through objects such as coronation regalia, ceremonial weaponry, and the world’s largest collection of Imperial Fabergé eggs.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

53 POST-TRIP Georgia: Villages, Vineyards & Vibrant Tbilisi

INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE

» Accommodations: 4 nights in Tbilisi at the » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Marriott Tbilisi or similar and 2 nights in Experience Leader Sighnaghi at Kabadoni or similar » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and » 11 meals—6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, luggage porters and 3 dinner » All transfers » 7 small group activities

POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY

Uncover the hidden splendor of the South Caucasus in Georgia. Not quite European nor entirely Asian, this former Soviet Republic is dazzlingly diverse, boasting towering cascades and verdant valleys, onion-domed cathedrals and mosaic-covered mosques, and an indulgent food and wine culture that’s the pride of the nation. From the hip capital of Tbilisi, to the colorful hilltop enclave of Sighnaghi, to the resilient settlement village of Tserovani—and all the vineyards in between—the time to discover Georgia’s complex history and cultural treasures is now.

Day 1 St. Petersburg • Fly to air-conditioned and include a minibar, satellite Tbilisi, Georgia TV, wireless Internet access, and a private bath with hair dryer. • Destination: Tbilisi • Accommodations: Courtyard by Marriott The remainder of the afternoon is yours. Tbilisi or similar Dinner: On your own. You may choose to dine Morning: Following our The Baltic Capitals & at the hotel’s restaurant, or ask your Trip St. Petersburg adventure, we’ll transfer to the Experience Leader to recommend a café in airport for our flight to Tbilisi. Old Town.

Lunch: On your own. Evening: You have the freedom to spend Afternoon: Upon arrival in Tbilisi, we’ll the evening as you please. You might begin transfer by bus to our hotel, check in, and exploring the Georgian capital independently, receive our room assignment. We stay in Tbilisi or retire to your room to rest for tomorrow’s for three nights—and our hotel will most discoveries. likely be situated in the heart of the Georgian capital, within easy walking distance of Tbilisi’s Old Town. On-site amenities may include a restaurant and bar, and typical rooms are

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54 Day 2 Explore Mount Mtatsminda • Visit After witnessing evidence of the conquering Georgian National Museum cultures from high above the city, we’ll take the funicular back down the mountain to discover • Destination: Tbilisi it up close as we walk back toward our hotel. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner As you navigate the spider web of cobblestone • Accommodations: Courtyard by Marriott streets, keep an eye out for Tbilisi’s eclectic Tbilisi or similar mix of architectural styles. Our Trip Experience Activity Note: The Georgia National Museum is Leader will point out popular spots for lunch closed on Mondays. during our stroll.

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel, Lunch: On your own in Old Town. You can with Georgian and American options available. choose from many cafés and restaurants in the area or ask your Trip Experience Leader Morning: After breakfast, our small group will where you can find khinkali, flavorful Georgian gather with our Trip Experience Leader for dumplings. a Welcome Briefing at our hotel. During this 45-minute briefing, we’ll review our itinerary Afternoon: After lunch, a short walk will bring in more detail (including any changes that may us to the Georgian National Museum. For richer need to occur). Our Trip Experience Leader will insights into life in the Caucasus, we’ll view also discuss logistics, safety and emergency exhibits on Georgia’s national dress to learn procedures, and answer any questions we may why it varies by region and its significance have. Then, we’ll board a bus bound for Mount in Georgian culture. We’ll also spend time Mtatsminda (or Holy Mountain). Upon arrival, at the Soviet Occupation Exhibition Hall to we’ll board a funicular for the 1,640-foot get a glimpse of life in Georgia during the vertical climb to the top, where we’ll enjoy the seven-decade long Soviet rule that ended in sweeping views of Tbilisi with the Caucasus 1991. Artifacts that shed light on the repressive Mountains in the distance. nature of Soviet rule include extensive files on “rebellious” Georgian public figures ordered to Legend has it that the Georgian capital was be exiled or shot. founded by a fifth-century king who was hunting in the forest with a falcon. When his The remainder of the afternoon is yours. You hunting bird fell into a hot springs and was may choose to remain at the museum, explore boiled alive, the king decided to build a city over more of the city independently, or return to our the steaming waters and he named it Tbilisi, hotel to rest. which means “warm place” in Georgian. True Dinner: We’ll sit down to several courses of or not, by the sixth century Tbilisi found itself traditional Georgian dishes during a Welcome at the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road, Dinner at a local restaurant. We hope everyone and caravans laden with silk and gold passed enjoys their meal, because Georgians take through the Georgian capital while journeying great pride in their homeland’s reputation for between Asia and Europe. But the prized culinary excellence. location had a downside—a wave of invaders would conquer Tbilisi, with Arab, Ottoman, Evening: On your own to relax in your room Mongol, and Russian forces each leaving behind after our hearty meal. Or you can head to one of their distinctive cultural mark. the city’s trendy bars and nightspots.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

55 Day 3 Explore Tbilisi Lunch: On your own. Perhaps you’ll seek out khachapuri, the delicious local cheese-stuffed • Destination: Tbilisi bread. It’s hard to make a bad dining choice in • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Tbilisi, but the best dishes are usually found • Accommodations: Courtyard by Marriott in the smaller cafés and tavern-style cellar Tbilisi or similar restaurants. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel, Afternoon: A bus will bring us back to the hotel with Georgian and American options available. after lunch, and you have the afternoon to do Morning: Our morning will focus on Old as you please. With so much to see and do in Town, an area of twisting cobblestone lanes, Tbilisi, you can use this free time to explore an Byzantine churches, and pastel homes with area of interest that appeals to you most—the carved wooden balconies. We’ll begin with a museums, ancient churches, café culture, craft drive to Europe Square, the city’s urban heart shops, and more. You could wander through one that’s surrounded by stately buildings. From of the city’s 19th-century neighborhoods, or there, we’ll make our way up the Metekhi walk across the Peace Bridge, the bow-shaped Plateau to view Tbilisi’s Old Town from across glass and steel structure spanning the Kura the Mtkvari River. You might spot the metallic River, to visit Rike Park. This expansive public sheen of the Mother of Georgia statue in recreational area has winding trails, dancing the distance. Built in 1958 to commemorate fountains, and futuristic buildings. And it’s Tbilisi’s 1,500th anniversary, this 65-foot tall supposedly all laid out in an abstract map of aluminum-coated figure towers over the city Georgia. A walk across the bridge will also take from atop Sololaki Hill. A cable car will carry us you right near the historic Armenian district of over the Mtkvari River and right to the statue’s Avlasbari, one of the oldest areas of the city. base. From there, we’ll walk into the heart of Dinner: We’ll enjoy a traditional meal and a Old Town to continue our discoveries. lively folk music and dance show at a local Tbilisi has long been at the crossroads of many restaurant this evening. different faiths. We’ll learn more about its Evening: At leisure. You could keep the evening religious openness at the beginning and end going at a local wine bar. As the world’s oldest of our walk, with stops at a mosque where wine-producing country, Georgians are fiercely both Sunni and Shia Muslims pray, as well as proud of their wines. A great place to discover Sioni (Zion) Cathedral, home to the Cross of what makes them so special is a spot called Vino St. Nino, the woman who spread Christianity Underground. across Georgia in the fourth century. We’ll also witness a popular waterfall in the middle of Old Town and visit the ancient district of Day 4 Visit the settlement village of Abanotubani to see the cluster of dome-roofed Tserovani • Overland to Sighnaghi brick bathhouses built over the hot springs that • Destination: Sighnaghi gave Tbilisi its name. For a taste of everyday • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch life, we’ll explore an underground bazaar where • Accommodations: Kabadoni Boutique Hotel locally made crafts, wines, spices, and jams or similar are sold. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel, with Georgian and American options available.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

56 Morning: After checking out of our hotel For Better Future are threefold: To improve this morning, we’ll board a bus bound for economic opportunities within the settlement; Tserovani, a refugee settlement-turned-village to help integrate IDPs into Georgian society; on the outskirts of Tbilisi. Tserovani is home and to support individuals who remained in the to more than 8,000 internally displaced people Akhalgori region and, in doing so, maintain a (IDPs) from South Ossetia, a contested state bond between wayward South Ossetia and the along the Georgia/Russia border. In 2008, rest of Georgia. Ossetian separatists and Russians joined Lunch: After our visit to For Better Future forces against Georgia in a war over South concludes, we’ll make our way to local family Ossetia’s sovereignty. Up to 25,000 Ossetians homes for lunch. The houses in Tserovani are are believed to have been displaced in Georgia very small—typically just over 600 square feet, within a matter of months, and settlements like with one or two bedrooms, a small living area, Tserovani sprang up practically overnight to and a tiny kitchen. Depending on which families accommodate them. we visit and the size of their homes, we may be Upon arrival in Tserovani, we’ll take a brief split into smaller groups for our meal. stroll to better acquaint ourselves with the The children and young adults will likely be at community. Of the 12 settlements that were school and work during our visit, so we’ll be built in 2008, Tserovani is the largest: 2,000 joining one or two older family members for identical white cottages arranged in an lunch today. Quarters will be tight but cozy: As orderly grid. Over the years, the Tserovani has we dine on homemade specialties—perhaps transformed from a make-shift settlement khachapuri or lobiani (bread stuffed with to a tiny, functioning town, complete with beans)—we’ll learn about the family’s former an administrative building, grocery store, life in South Ossetia, the challenges of starting small health clinic, and a school. However, job over in the settlement, and why they decided to opportunities are virtually non-existent, so remain in Tserovani after so many years. locals must commute to Tbilisi by minibus each day for work. Afternoon: We’ll bid our hosts—and Tibilisi—farewell after lunch and begin our Our walk concludes at the headquarters eastward journey toward Sighnaghi, the of For Better Future, a non-governmental hilltop village where we’ll spend the next two organization (NGO) aimed at promoting the nights. Depending on where we stay, our hotel economic and social welfare of displaced should be close to the town’s historic heart, Ossetian women and youth. We’ll be greeted by with amenities that include a restaurant and the founder, Nana Chkareuli, who will tell us bar/lounge area. Rooms should include wireless more about the foundation and its mission. Internet access, satellite TV, and private bath Nana established For Better Future in 2008 with hair dryer. after arriving in Tserovani from the Akhalgori After checking in and receiving our room region of South Ossetia. In addition to teaching assignments, we’ll have some free time to relax leadership skills to women and youth in before embarking on an orientation walk with Tserovani, the foundation also operates our Trip Experience Leader. an enamel workshop where craftswomen learn how to make colorful jewelry, which is eventually sold in Tbilisi. The goals of

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

57 Dinner: On your own. Ask your Trip Experience History and Ethnography, which features Leader for dining suggestions. A local favorite is thousands of historical artifacts including Pheasant’s Tears, a winery and restaurant with ancient wooden tools, musical instruments, excellent Georgian food and a wide selection of and textiles. qveri wines from their own nearby vineyards. Dinner: Around 7pm at a local restaurant in Evening: At leisure. Take an evening stroll Sighnaghi, with traditional Georgian dishes. through town, walk the city walls, or watch the Evening: After the short walk back to our hotel, sun going down over the valley with the Greater you are free to retire for the evening or stop at Caucasus in the distance. a local wine bar to try out some of the unique local vintages. Day 5 Explore Sighnaghi • Visit Bodbe Convent Day 6 Visit Telavi • Alaverdi Monastery • • Destination: Sighnaghi Winery visit • Overland to Tbilisi • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner • Destination: Tbilisi • Accommodations: Kabadoni Boutique Hotel • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch or similar • Accommodations: Courtyard by Marriott Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel, Tbilisi or similar with Georgian and American options available. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel, Morning: Our first full day in Sighnaghi begins with Georgian and American options available. with walking tour of Old Town. Considered Morning: After breakfast, we’ll drive to the one of Georgia’s most picturesque locales, regional capital of Telavi, where we’ll visit a Sighnaghi is enclosed by a fortified wall and colorful market to mingle with the locals and has cobblestone streets lined with 18th- and sample a few nuts, dried fruits, and traditional 19th-century homes with brightly painted Georgian sweets. Then, we’ll drive to the balconies. The town’s name comes from a Alaverdi Monastery. Rebuilt many times, the Turkish word meaning “shelter,” and the 23 medieval walled complex dates back to the sixth towers of its 18th-century fortress were each century and includes a famous 1,000-year-old named for a nearby village—and could shelter wine cellar. And there are a few remaining all of its residents in time of danger. resident monks who are keeping Alaverdi’s After our walk concludes, we’ll travel by bus to wine-making tradition alive—although seeing the village of Bodbe to visit the Monastery of St. a wine bottle that says “Since 1011” does look Nino, one of Georgia’s major pilgrimage sites. like a printing error. Now a nunnery, the hilltop monastic complex With our interest in Georgian wines piqued, with ninth-century roots is the revered burial we’ll depart Alaverdi for one of the region’s site of St. Nino. many local wineries. Lunch: We’ll return to Sighnaghi in time for Lunch: At a family-owned winery, where we’ll lunch on our own. sample some local vintages accompanied by a Afternoon: The remainder of the afternoon light lunch of traditional Georgian dishes. is yours to explore Sighnaghi independently. Perhaps you’ll opt to visit the Museum of

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

58 Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll continue our regional discoveries at the Nukriani Community Organization, whose mission is to preserve rural Georgian traditions. We’ll visit one of the workshops here to learn about a trio of favorite Georgian food items: shoti puri, the canoe-shaped Georgian bread; churchkhela, the candle-shaped Georgian sweet made with jam and walnuts; and a stuffed pastry called kada.

After having our fill of local cuisine and culture, we’ll begin our return trip to Tbilisi, arriving at our hotel just before dinner time. We’ll likely return to the same hotel we stayed at earlier in our journey, located within easy walking distance of Tbilisi’s Old Town. On-site amenities may include a restaurant and bar, and typical rooms are air-conditioned and include a minibar, satellite TV, wireless Internet access, and a private bath with hair dryer.

Dinner: On your own. You might want to seek out one of your favorite Georgian dishes, or try something new before you depart.

Evening: At leisure. Enjoy this opportunity to take one last stroll through Tbilisi, or return to your room to prepare for your flight tomorrow.

Day 7 Tbilisi • Return to U.S. • Included Meals: Breakfast

Breakfast: Served buffet-style at the hotel, with Georgian and American options available.

Morning: Depending on your flight schedule, check out of the hotel and depart for the airport to catch your flight home.

Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925

59 The Baltic Capitals & OUR SMALL GROUP ADVENTURE COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY To ensure the safety of all of our travelers, we are requiring that all travelers St. Petersburg joining us on one of our Small Group Adventures must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure of their adventure— and provide proof of their vaccination on-site. 2022 Dates & Prices For more details, please visit www.oattravel.com/covid-update.

MAY 14-31; JUNE; AUG DEPART FROM APRIL MAY 1-11 AUG 1-25 27-31; SEP 1 JULY SEP 2-30 OCTOBER

New York $ 3995 $4295 $4595 $4795 $4895 $4395 $3895

Los Angeles, Newark $ 4095 $4395 $4695 $4895 $4995 $4495 $3995

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Minneapolis, Orlando, $ 4195 $ 4495 $ 4795 $ 4995 $ 5095 $ 4595 $ 4095 Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC

Dallas, Denver, Houston, Portland, $ 4295 $ 4595 $ 4895 $ 5095 $ 5195 $ 4695 $ 4195 Tampa

Additional departure cities are available. Upgrade to Business Class may be available for the international portion of your flight. Call for details.

JUNE; MAY 14-31; AUG 27-31; APRIL MAY 1-11 AUG 1-25 SEPTEMBER JULY OCTOBER Without international airfare $3095 $3395 $3295 $3495 $3595 $2995

BLT2022

NEW! STOPOVERS RISK-FREE BOOKING POLICY: RESERVE WITH CONFIDENCE— All O.A.T. Stopovers include 3 nights in a centrally- NOW THROUGH 12/31/21 located hotel, daily breakfasts, and roundtrip private airport transfers. We will waive any change fees if you transfer to another departure date for any reason—up until 24 hours prior to departure. See details at www.oattravel.com/ Paris: $895 per person riskfree-booking. Amsterdam or Munich: $795 per person Helsinki: $695 per person Other O.A.T. Stopovers are available. If a city you Prices are per person. Airfare prices include government taxes, fees, and airline fuel are interested in is not offered, we can arrange surcharges. All prices and availability are effective as of the date of this publication, and your airfare for that, too. are subject to change without notice. Standard Terms & Conditions apply, please visit our Call your Regional Adventure Counselor for full website: www.oattravel.com/tc. Every effort has been made to produce this information details at 1-800-955-1925. accurately. We reserve the right to correct errors.

SAVE UP TO 10% WITH FREE SINGLE SUPPLEMENTS SHARE YOUR LOVE OF TRAVEL OUR GOOD BUY PLAN We offer FREE Single Supplements on all New travelers you refer will instantly save The earlier you reserve your departure of our adventures and pre- and post-trip $100, and you’ll earn increasing rewards— and pay in full, the more you’ll save—up extensions. up to a FREE trip! to 10%—plus, you’ll lock in your price. Each departure has limited solo space For details, visit www.oattravel.com/va For details, visit www.oattravel.com/gbd available—call today to reserve.

Publication Date 5/10/21

Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oattravel.com/blt2022

60 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Your Passport • Must be in good condition

• Must be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S.

• Must have the required number of blank pages (details below)

• The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable

Need to Renew Your Passport? Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport

Recommended Blank Pages Please confirm that your passport has enough blank pages for this adventure.

• Main trip only: You will need 5 blank passport pages.

• Pre-trip to Krakow and Warsaw, Poland: This extension does not need any additional pages beyond the 5 needed for the main trip.

• Pre-trip to Copenhagen, Denmark: This extension does not need any additional pages beyond the 5 needed for the main trip.

• Post-trip to Moscow: This extension does not need any additional pages beyond the 5 needed for the main trip.

• Post-trip to Tbilisi, Georgia: You will need an additional blank page, for a total of 6 pages.

• Both a pre- and a post-trip extension: You will need a total of 6 blank pages.

• Stopover in Amsterdam, Helsinki, or Munich: You will need to add 2 additional pages to the applicable total listed above.

• Stopover in Barcelona, Copenhagen, Istanbul, London, or Paris: You will need to add an additional page to the applicable total listed above.

61 Visas Required We’ll be sending you a detailed Visa Packet with instructions, application forms, and fees about 100 days prior to your departure. In the meantime, we’re providing the information below as a guideline on what to expect. This info is for U.S. citizens only. All visas and fees are subject to change.

• Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania: No visas required: U.S. citizens do not need visas for stays of less than 90 days in any of these countries

• Russia (main trip and optional post-trip extension): Visa required. Can only be obtained in advance: You must obtain this visa before you depart the U.S. It is very important that you apply for your visa through PVS International. Obtaining a Russian visa on your own through an embassy or consulate is a complicated and bureaucratic process. It requires a letter of sponsorship that Overseas Adventure Travel is unable to supply to you individually. PVS is able to work within this restriction when your application is processed through them, but for legal reasons cannot assist you with applying directly to the embassy. Details on obtaining your visa through PVS International will be included with your application. Please note: Russia has strict rules about re-using a previous visa. For example, your visa must be in a valid (not expired) passport. If you have been to Russia before and think your visa may still be valid, please check now by calling PVS at 1-800-556-9990 or by contacting the embassy.

• Poland (optional pre-trip extension): No visa required: U.S. citizens do not need visas for stays of less than 90 days.

• Denmark (optional pre-trip extension or optional stopover): No visa required: U.S. citizens do not need visas for stays of less than 90 days.

• Georgia (optional post-trip extension): No visa required: U.S. citizens do not need visas for stays of less than 90 days.

• Turkey (optional stopover only): Visa required. We suggest you obtain an e-visa in advance through the Turkish government’s website as visas cannot be obtained upon arrival.

• The Netherlands, Spain, Finland, England, Germany, and France (optional stopovers only): No visas required. A visa is not required for U.S. citizens for stays of up to 90 days.

Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about visa requirements. We recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www.pvsinternational.org.

Traveling With a Minor? Some governments may require certain documentation for minors to enter and depart the country or to obtain a visa (if applicable). For further detail on the required documentation, please contact your local embassy or consulate.

62 Emergency Photocopies of Key Documents We recommend you carry color photocopies of key documents including the photo page of your passport plus any applicable visas, air itinerary, credit cards (front and back), and an alternative form of ID. Add emergency phone numbers like your credit card company and the number for your travel protection plan. Store copies separate from the originals.

If you plan to email this information to yourself, please keep in mind that email is not always secure; consider using password protection or encryption. Also email is not always available worldwide. As an alternative, you could load these documents onto a flash drive instead, which can do double-duty as a place to backup photos during your trip.

Overseas Taxes & Fees This tour may have taxes and fees that cannot be included in your airline ticket price because you are required to pay them in person onsite. All taxes are subject to change without notice and can be paid in cash (either U.S. or local currency). If applicable, you will receive a list of these fees with your Final Documents.

63 RIGORS, VACCINES & GENERAL HEALTH

Is This Adventure Right for You? Please review the information below prior to departing on this adventure. We reserve the right for our Trip Experience Leaders to modify participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their condition would adversely affect the health, safety, or enjoyment of themselves or of other travelers.

PACING • 5 locations in 15 days

• Several long overland drives of 3-9 hours each, including two full travel days on Day 10 and Day 13

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids

• You should be able to walk 3-5 miles unassisted over the course of each day, and over cobblestone city streets in Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, and participate in 6-8 hours of daily physical activity

• We reserve the right for Trip Experience Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience

CLIMATE • Due to the varied geography of the destinations, you will experience a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions

TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION • Travel over city streets and paved roads

• Go for several walking tours along cobblestone streets in Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn, which includes going up and down many stairs; an uphill hike on the Curonian Spit

• Travel by 30-passenger air-conditioned coach; tram; train; small boat; and ferry

ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES • Hotels feature a variety of Western-style amenities and personal services

• All accommodations feature private baths

Steps to Take Before Your Trip Before you leave on this adventure, we recommend the following:

64 • Check with the CDC for their recommendations for the countries you’ll be visiting. You can contact them online at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel or by phone at 1-800-232-4636.

• Have a medical checkup with your doctor at least 6 weeks before your trip.

• Pick up any necessary medications, both prescription and over-the-counter.

• Have a dental and/or eye checkup. (Recommended, but less urgent)

Vaccines Required

COVID-19 Overseas Adventure Travel requires that all travelers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are able provide proof of their vaccination upon arrival at their destination. A full vaccination is defined as having been inoculated at least 14 days prior to departure by an approved vaccine. This requirement is not contingent on the countries the tour visits, but a strict company policy due to the nature of the pandemic.

Medication Suggestions • An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness

• A pain medication. You might need this in the unlikely event of an injury in a location where medical attention would be delayed.

Traveling with Medications • Pack medications in your carry-on bag to avoid loss and to have them handy.

• Keep medicines in their original, labeled containers for a quicker security screen at the airport and a better experience if you get stopped by customs while overseas.

• Bring copies of your prescriptions, written using the generic drug name rather than a brand name to be prepared for any unforeseen loss of your medications.

We recommend checking with the State Department for medication restrictions by country: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel- Country-Information-Pages.html. (Pick the country and then follow the links to “Local Laws & Special Circumstances”; if you don’t see any medications specifically mentioned, then you can presume major U.S. brands should be OK).

For Russia, the State Department did warn that large quantities of medication will receive scrutiny by Russian customs; they recommend that all U.S. citizens entering Russia with any prescription medication carry a copy of their valid U.S. prescription. This is your proof that your prescription medication was lawfully obtained in the United States.

Bringing medicines to Georgia: Some prescription medications are restricted in Georgia, especially narcotics/opiates or psychotropic drugs. As a visitor, you are allowed to bring a personal supply for up to 31 days of any such medications. However, we suggest that you

65 document your personal supply by bringing one of the following: the original prescription bottles, a copy of your prescription, or a doctor’s note. Codeine in particular is not allowed in Georgia, so please do not bring any medications that contain it.

Staying Healthy on Your Trip Jet Lag Tips

• Start your trip well-rested.

• Begin a gradual transition to your new time zone before you leave or switch to your destination time zone when you get on the plane.

• Attempt to sleep and eat according to the new schedule.

• Avoid heavy eating and drinking caffeine or alcoholic beverages right before–and during– your flight.

• Drink plenty of water and/or fruit juice while flying

• Stretch your legs, neck, and back periodically while seated on the plane.

• After arrival, avoid the temptation to nap.

• Don’t push yourself to see a lot on your first day.

• Try to stay awake your first day until after dinner.

Allergies

If you have any serious allergies or dietary restrictions, we advise you to notify us at least 30 days prior to your departure. Please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814, and we will communicate them to our regional office. Every effort will be made to accommodate you.

Water • Tap water in the region is safe to drink, and it is OK to brush your teeth or wash fruit with tap water.

• We recommend that you bring a reusable water bottle from home and fill it up at the hotel before setting out for the day.

• Or if you prefer bottled water, it is readily available and inexpensive. (Bottled water is not included in the price of your tour.)

Food • We’ve carefully chosen the restaurants for your group meals. Your Trip Experience Leader can suggest restaurants for the meal you take on your own.

• Be very careful with food sold from vendors on the street, and with uncooked foods.

66 MONEY MATTERS: LOCAL CURRENCY & TIPPING GUIDELINES

Top Three Tips • Carry a mix of different types of payments, such as local currency, an ATM card, and a credit card.

• Traveler’s checks are not recommended. They can be difficult to exchange and the commission fee for cashing them is quite high.

• You will not be able to pay with U.S. dollars on this trip; you will need local currency instead.

Local Currency For current exchange rates, please refer to an online converter tool like www.xe.com/ currencyconverter, your bank, or the financial section of your newspaper.

Euro Countries The euro is the official currency in many member countries of the European Union. Unless otherwise listed, the countries you will be visiting will use the euro. Euro banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros

• Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents; 1 and 2 euros

Russia The monetary unit of Russia is the ruble, which is divided into 100 copeks. On price tags, it is abbreviated to p. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 10, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000 rubles

• Coins: 10 and 50 copeks and 1, 2, 5 and 10 rubles

Russian rubles can be very difficult to get outside of Russia, so we recommend exchanging money after you arrive.

Poland The Polish monetary unit is the zloty, which is divided into 100 groszy. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 zloty

• Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 groszy; 1, 2, and 5 zloty

67 Georgia The currency in Georgia is the Georgian Lari (GEL), which is divided into 100 tetri. Banknotes and coins come in denominations of:

• Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 Lari

• Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 Tetri and 1 and 2 Lari

Local currency is strongly preferred. If you do manage to find a shop that accepts U.S. dollars or Euros, it will be at a bad exchange rate.

Denmark The monetary unit of Denmark is the krone which is divided into 100 oere. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows:

• Banknotes: 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000 krone

• Coins: 50 ore and 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 krone

Danish krone are not the same as Norwegian krone or Swedish krona.

How to Exchange Money If you want to exchange money before your trip, you can usually do so through your bank or at an exchange office. Your departure airport in the U.S., a travel agent, or an AAA office are also possible outlets. Or you can wait and change money on the trip instead—but it might be helpful to arrive with some local currency in case you run into a bank holiday or an “out of order” ATM.

On your trip, the easiest way to obtain local currency is to withdraw funds from a local ATM. The ATM will give you local money and your bank at home will convert that into U.S. dollars.

You may be able to exchange cash at some hotels, large post offices, and money exchange offices, however they do not typically offer good exchange rates and can be difficult to find. To exchange cash, you’ll usually need your passport and bills in good condition (not worn, torn, or dirty). New bills (post 2004) are best.

Please note that many banks in Europe will only exchange money for their own customers. Never exchange money on the street. All exchange methods involve fees, which may be built into the conversion rate; ask beforehand.

ATMs When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may not allow cash advances on credit cards; you might need to try more than one ATM or more than one card.

Many banks charge a fee of $1-$10 each time you use a foreign ATM. Others may charge you a percentage of the amount you withdraw. We recommend that you check with your bank before you depart.

68 Lastly, don’t forget to memorize the actual digits of your card’s PIN number (many keypads at foreign ATMs do not include letters on their keys—they only display numbers.)

The Baltics: International ATM networks are widely available throughout the Baltics, so ATMs shouldn’t be too hard to find.

Russia: International ATM networks are widely available in larger cities and small towns.

Poland: ATMs are widely available throughout larger cities and small towns in Poland.

Georgia: ATMs are plentiful in cities and towns throughout Georgia.

Scandinavia: ATMs are widely available throughout Scandinavia and should not be hard to find, especially in larger cities.

Credit & Debit Cards Even if you don’t plan on using a credit card during your trip, we still suggest that you bring one or two as a backup, especially if you are planning a large purchase (artwork, jewelry). We also suggest that you bring more than one brand of card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express) if possible, because not every shop will take every card. For example, although the Discover card is accepted in some countries outside the U.S., it is not widely adopted, so other brands will work at a much larger range of stores, restaurants, etc.

The Baltics: Credit cards are widely accepted in this region, especially Visa and MasterCard. American Express is not widely accepted in the Baltics.

Russia: Credit and debit cards are widely accepted in Russia, though some smaller establishments may require cash. Please note, American Express is not accepted in Russia.

Poland: Credit and debit card use is common in Poland.

Georgia: You can make purchases by Visa and MasterCard at some shops, restaurants, and hotels in Tbillisi. Outside the capital, it will be harder to use a credit card.

Scandinavia: Credit and debit cards are readily accepted in Scandinavia. Some cafes, restaurants, and attractions will only accept credit cards. Visa is the most widely accepted credit card in Scandinavia, followed by MasterCard and then American Express.

Chip Cards Many countries have adopted a new type of credit card that has an embedded computer chip. These cards are inserted into the reader instead of swiped. The card owner then authorizes the purchase using a PIN instead of signing.

This new technology is only now gaining traction in the U.S., so occasionally there are machines in other countries that can’t read U.S. cards. Or the machine can read the card, but asks for a PIN. This doesn’t happen often, and is nothing to worry about. You can usually resolve the situation

69 by asking the cashier to let you sign. (If you don’t speak the language, just mime signing on your hand.) If you are not able to sign for a purchase, such as at an automated ticket booth, you can use another form of payment, such as a debit card that has a PIN.

Notify Card Providers of Upcoming Travel Many credit card companies and banks have fraud alert departments that will freeze your card if they see suspicious charges—such as charges or withdrawals from another country. To avoid an accidental security block, it is a good idea to notify your credit card company and/or bank you will be using your cards abroad. You can do this by calling their customer service number a week or two before your departure. Some banks or credit card companies will also let you do this online.

You should also double-check what phone number you could call if you have a problem with a card while you are abroad. Don’t assume you can use the 1-800 number printed on the back of your card—most 1 800 numbers don’t work outside of the U.S.!

Tipping Guidelines Of course, whether you tip, and how much, is always at your own discretion. But for those of you who have asked for tipping suggestions, we offer these guidelines.

• O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader: It is customary to express a personal “thank you” to your Trip Experience Leader at the end of your trip. As a guideline, many travelers give $8-$12 USD (or equivalent in local currency) per person for each day their Trip Experience Leader is with them. Please note that these tips can only be in cash. If you are taking any of the optional extensions, your Trip Experience Leader during the extension(s) may not be the same as the one on your main trip.

• Housekeeping staff at hotels: $1-$2 per room, per night

• Waiters: When dining as a group, your tip is included—there is no need for you to leave an additional tip. When dining on your own, remember that tips are usually not included in the bill. The VAT, which may be listed on the bill, is a sales tax. It is customary to leave about 10% of the check as a tip.

• Taxi drivers: Tipping is not customary, but many locals will round up the fare and let the driver keep the change.

Please Note: Your tour price includes gratuities on the main trip and optional extensions for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters that may assist you during the scheduled activities on your adventure. All tips are quoted in U.S. dollars; tips can be converted and paid in local currency or in U.S. dollars. Please do not use personal or traveler’s checks for tips.

70 AIR, OPTIONAL TOURS & STAYING IN TOUCH

Land Only Travelers & Personalized Air Quick Definitions

• Land Only: You will be booking your own international flights. Airport transfers are not included.

• Air-Inclusive: You booked international air with us. Airport transfers are included as long as you didn’t customize your trip’s dates (see next bullet).

• Personalized Air: You booked international air with us, and have customized it in some way. If you have customized your trip’s dates to arrive early, stay longer, or stop on your own in a connecting city, airport transfers will NOT be included. You must also arrange your own accommodations for any additional nights. For your convenience, a preliminary list of your included hotels is available on your My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount under “My Reservations”.

Airport Transfers Can Be Purchased For eligible flights, airport transfers may be purchased separately as an optional add-on, subject to availability. To be eligible, your flight(s) must meet the following requirements:

• You must fly into or fly home from the same airport as O.A.T. travelers who purchased included airfare.

• Your flight(s) must arrive/depart on the same day that the group arrives or departs.

Airport transfers can be purchased up to 45 days prior to your departure; they are not available for purchase onsite. To learn more, or purchase airport transfers, please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814.

If you don’t meet the requirements above, you’ll need to make your own transfer arrangements. We suggest the Rome to Rio website as a handy resource: www.rome2rio.com.

Optional Tours Optional tours are additional add-on tours that allow you to personalize your adventure by tailoring it to your tastes and needs. And if you decide not to join an optional tour? Then you’ll have free time to relax or explore on your own—it’s about options, not obligations.

What You Need to Know • All optional tours are subject to change and availability.

71 • Optional tours that are reserved with your Trip Experience Leader can be paid for using credit/debit cards only. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit cards; we can also take MasterCard or Visa debit cards as long as the card allows you to sign for purchases. (You won’t be able to enter a PIN.)

• To ensure that you are charged in U.S. dollars, your payment will be processed by our U.S. headquarters in Boston. This process can take up to three months, so we ask that you only use a card that will still be valid three months after your trip is over. The charge may appear on your credit card statement as being from Boston, MA or may be labeled as “OPT Boston”.

• Your Trip Experience Leader will give you details on the optional tours while you’re on the trip. But if you’d like to look over descriptions of them earlier, you can do so at any time by referring to your Day-to-Day Itinerary (available online by signing into My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount).

Communicating with Home from Abroad

Cell Phones If you want to use your cell phone on the trip, check with your phone provider to see if your phone and service will work outside of the U.S. It may turn out to be cheaper to rent an international phone or buy a SIM card onsite. If you want to use a local SIM, just make certain your phone can accept one.

Calling Apps Another option is to use a smartphone app like Skype or FaceTime. These services are usually less expensive than making a traditional call, but you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and the calls may count towards your phone plan’s data allowance. Many smartphones—and some tablets or laptops—come with one of these apps pre-installed or you can download them for free from the appropriate apps store.

Calling Cards and 1-800 Numbers When calling the U.S. from a foreign country, a prepaid calling card can be useful because it circumvents unexpected charges from the hotel. Calling cards purchased locally are typically the best (less expensive, more likely to work with the local phones, etc.).

One reminder: Do not call U.S. 1-800 numbers outside the continental United States. This can result in costly long distance fees, since 1-800 numbers do not work outside the country.

Internet Most hotels in the countries visited during the course of this itinerary offer complimentary wireless internet in each room. Please feel free to bring your own device(s) on the trip if you plan on using Wi-Fi where it is available.

72 How to Call Overseas When calling overseas from the U.S., dial 011 for international exchange, then the country code (indicated by a plus sign: +), and then the number. Note that foreign phone numbers may not have the same number of digits as U.S. numbers; even within a country the number of digits can vary depending on the city and if the phone is a land line or cell phone.

Estonia: +372 Poland: +48

Latvia: +371 Georgia: +995

Lithuania: +370 Denmark: +45

Russia: +7

73 PACKING: WHAT TO BRING & LUGGAGE LIMITS

Luggage Limits

MAIN TRIP LIMITS

Pieces per person One checked bag and one carry-on per person.

Weight restrictions Varies by airline. The current standard is 50 lbs for checked bags and 15 lbs for carry-ons.

Size Restrictions Varies by airline. Measured in linear inches (length+width+depth). Generally, 62 linear inches is the checked bag limit; carry-on limit is 45 linear inches.

Luggage Type Duffel bag or soft-sided suitcase. Please do not bring a hard-sided (clamshell) suitcase.

TRIP EXTENSION(S) LIMITS

Extension to Poland: Checked luggage is limited to 44 lbs; carry-ons are limited to 15 lbs.

Extension to Moscow: Same as the main trip.

REMARKS/SUGGESTIONS

Luggage rules: Luggage rules and limits are set by governmental and airline policy. Enforcement of the rules may include spot checks or may be inconsistent. However one thing is the same across the board: If you are found to have oversized or overweight luggage, you will be subject to additional fees, to be assessed by—and paid to—the airline in question.

Don’t Forget: • These luggage limits may change. If the airline(s) notify us of any changes, we will include an update in your Final Documents booklet.

• It’s a good idea to reconfirm baggage restrictions and fees directly with the airline a week or so prior to departure. For your convenience, we maintain a list of the toll-free numbers for the most common airlines on our website in the FAQ section.

• Baggage fees are not included in your trip price; they are payable directly to the airlines.

74 • The luggage limits above are based on your regional flights, which may be less than your international flights. Even if your international airline offers a larger weight limit, you will need to pack according to the lower restrictions.

Your Luggage • Checked Luggage: One duffel bag or soft-sided suitcase. Look for one with heavy nylon fabric, wrap-around handles, built-in wheels, and a heavy duty lockable zipper. Please do not bring a rigid (plastic shell) suitcase.

• Carry-on Bag: You are allowed one carry-on bag per person. We suggest a tote or small backpack that can be used as both a carry-on bag for your flight and to carry your daily necessities—water bottle, camera, etc—during your daily activities.

• Locks: For flights that originate in the U.S., you can either use a TSA-approved lock or leave your luggage unlocked. Outside of the U.S. we strongly recommend locking your luggage as a theft-prevention measure.

Clothing Suggestions: Functional Tips As you will experience a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions, we suggest several layers of clothing. If you like to hand-wash your clothes, look for fabrics that will dry out overnight. You can buy clothing designed especially for travel, with features like wrinkle- resistant fabric or built-in sun protection.

• Footwear: You’ll be on your feet a lot during the trip, and walking over some rough and slippery surfaces. The soles of your shoes should offer good traction.

Style Hints

• Dress on our trip is functional and casual. You might want to bring one slightly dressier outfit for dining on your own at nicer restaurants or for the Farewell Dinner, but that is completely up to you.

• During our adventure, we’ll visit local religious sites, many of which are Russian Orthodox. Russian Orthodox churches strongly prefer that visitors of both genders dress modestly. In this context, “modestly dressed” means you should be covered to the knees and you should cover your shoulders—no shorts, no skirts above the knee, no sleeveless shirts, and no low or revealing necklines.

• In many Orthodox churches, local women will cover their hair with a scarf. Female travelers are not usually required to do this, but covering your hair inside the church would be a nice gesture of respect. Your Trip Experience Leader will remind you about upcoming visits to these churches the day before so that you can plan your outfit accordingly.

75 Suggested Packing Lists We have included suggestions from Trip Experience Leaders and former travelers to help you pack. These lists are only jumping-off points—they offer recommendations based on experience, but not requirements. You may also want to consult the “Climate” chapter of this handbook.

And don’t forget a reusable water bottle—you’ll need it to take advantage of any refills we offer as we are working to eliminate single-use plastic bottles on all of our trips.

Recommended Clothing ‰Shirts: A mixture of short and long-sleeved shirts in a breathable fabric, like cotton or cotton-blend. Polo shirts are more versatile than T-shirts.

‰Trousers and/or jeans: Comfortable and loose fitting is best. Avoid tight-fitting jeans for comfort and ease of movement.

‰Light wool or fleece sweater; vest or another layer for warmth, like a warm jacket. ‰Shoes and socks: Shoes should be comfortable walking/ running shoes or low-cut hiking shoes, with arch support. Bring at least a couple pairs of medium- to heavy-weight socks for hiking.

‰Underwear and sleepwear ‰Light rain jacket/windbreaker with hood ‰Wide-brim sun hat ‰Swimsuit for hotel pools or saunas ‰At least one outfit for visiting a Russian Orthodox church: Long trousers or a skirt that falls below the knees, and a shirt with sleeves; plus a headscarf (for female travelers).

Seasonal Clothing Recommendations For summer departures: ‰If you wear shorts even in cool weather, you could bring a pair or two for summer departures. But if you view highs in the 60s as chilly, then you should bring long trousers.

‰Sleeveless tops are socially acceptable, but considering the summer temperatures, you might not need/want them.

For spring and early fall departures: ‰Light sweater and/or a warm jacket

76 ‰Gloves, and a scarf

For late fall and winter departures: ‰Winter coat, hat, warm gloves, scarf, and long underwear

Essential Items ‰Daily essentials: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, hairbrush or comb, shaving items, deodorant, etc. Our hotels will provide the basics like soap and shampoo, but most hotels do not provide a washcloth, so you may wish to pack one.

‰Spare eyeglasses/contact lenses ‰Sunglasses, 100% UV block ‰Sunscreen, SPF 15 or stronger ‰Insect repellent ‰Cold-water hand-wash laundry soap such as Woolite and plastic hang-up clothespins ‰Light folding umbrella ‰Photocopies of passport, air ticket, credit cards ‰Moisturizer and sun-blocking lip balm ‰Packets of pocket-size tissues or small roll of toilet paper ‰Moist towelettes (not individual packets) and/or anti-bacterial “water-free” hand cleanser

‰Water bottle (narrow-mouth) ‰Electrical converter & plug adapters

Medicines & First Aid Gear ‰Your own prescription medicines ‰Travel first aid kit: Band-Aids, headache and pain relief, laxatives and anti-diarrhea tablets, something for upset stomach. Maybe a cold remedy, moleskin foot pads, antibiotic cream, or allergy medication.

‰An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness

77 ‰Optional: A strong prescription pain medication for rare emergency purposes ‰Optional: motion sickness medication (for long bus rides, if you are prone to motion sickness)

TIP: The State Department says that if you are bringing prescription medications into Russia, they recommend carrying a copy of your valid U.S. prescription. That way, if the Russian customs officials ask, you have proof that your prescription medication was lawfully obtained in the United States.

Optional Gear ‰Travel alarm or travel watch with alarm ‰Folding walking staff, sold in most camping stores (preferably rubber-tipped) ‰Hanging toiletry bag (with hook to hang on doorknob and pockets to organize items) ‰Basic sewing kit ‰Reading materials ‰Travel journal/note pad and pens ‰Phrase book ‰Pocket-size calculator for exchange rates

Home-Hosted Visits Many of our adventures feature a visit with a local family, often as part of the A Day in the Life experience. It is customary, though not necessary, to return your hosts’ generosity with a small gift. If you do bring a gift, we recommend that you bring something the whole family can enjoy, or something that represents your region, state, or hometown. Get creative and keep it small—peach jelly from Georgia, maple sugar candy from New England, orange blossom soap from California; something that can be used or used up is best. When choosing a gift, be certain to consider the local culture as well. For example, we do not recommend alcohol in Muslim communities because it is forbidden in Islam, and your hosts may be religious. Not all O.A.T. adventures include a Home-Hosted Visit; please check your final itinerary before you depart.

Electricity Abroad When traveling overseas, the voltage is usually different and the plugs might not be the same shape.

78 Voltage Electricity in this region is 220-240 volts. In the U.S. it is 110 volts. Most of the things a traveler will want to plug in—battery chargers, MP3 players, tablets or computers—can run off both 110 and 220-240. But you should check the item or the owner’s guide first to confirm this before you plug it in. If you have something that needs 110 volts—like a shaver or a hairdryer—you can bring a transformer to change the current. (But transformers tend to burn out, so it might be better to leave whatever it is at home.)

Plugs The shape of plugs will vary from country to country, and sometimes even within a country depending on when that building was built. To plug something from the U.S. into a local socket you’ll need an adapter that fits between the plug and the socket. Because there are many different types of plugs in this region, it may be easier to purchase an all-in-one, universal adapter/ converter combo. Versatile and lightweight, these can usually be found at your local electronics goods or hardware stores. Sometimes you can buy them at large retailers too, like Target or Walmart. If you forget to bring an adapter, you might also find them for sale at the airport when you arrive at your destination.

Different plug shapes are named by letters of the alphabet. Standard U.S. plugs are Type A and Type B. Here is the list of plugs for the countries on this trip:

Estonia: C and F

Latvia: C and F

Lithuania: C and F

Russia: C and F

Poland: C and E

Georgia: C and F (note that Type C plugs can fit into Type F sockets)

79 Denmark: C and F

Type C Type E Type F

Availability Barring the occasional and unpredictable power outage, electricity is as readily available on this adventure as it is in the U.S.

80 CLIMATE & AVERAGE TEMPERATURES

Tallinn, Estonia: The climate in northerly Tallinn is tempered by its location on the Baltic Sea. In summer, the city gets cooling sea breezes; in winter the same sea air keeps the snowfall in check. That’s not to say that Tallinn doesn’t get snow—a couple feet a year—but it’s considerably less than in nearby Finland or Russia. Spring and fall bring mild temperatures but can also feature sea fog and/or sudden rain. In summer, high temperatures rarely top the low 80s.

Riga, Latvia: Summers in Riga tend to be short and cool with cloud cover; highs are generally in the 60s or 70s in July, but can sometimes go up to the 80s. Winters are usually dark and cold, with heavy snowfall from mid-December to mid-March. The city is overcast for roughly 40 percent of the year.

Vilnius, Lithuania: Vilnius has bigger extremes between summer and winter than Tallinn or Riga. Summer highs can easily be in the high 80s, although usually it’s a few degrees cooler. In contrast most of winter is below freezing. Rainy days are possible all year round, but most rain falls during summer.

St. Petersburg, Russia: The weather in St. Petersburg is similar to that of its neighbors, Helsinki and Tallinn. Summer is often comfortably warm and bright, but hot spells also occur, as do afternoon rain showers. By the middle of August, autumn has arrived and by October, the temperatures usually have dropped to the 50s and 40s, and a crispness has entered the air or there may even be snow. The climate in St. Petersburg is varied, and quick to change from sun to rain to wind—even within the space of one day. (Our regional office suggests wearing layers and bringing an umbrella, just in case.)

Moscow, Russia: Moscow has a continental climate, with very cold, long winters and warm, humid summers. Summer can bring occasional hot spells while winter temperatures are frequently far below freezing. Winter snows start in November and the snow blanket persists well into spring. Moscow has little rainfall, most of its precipitation falls as snow.

Poland: Poland has a long border with the Czech and Slovak Republics in the south and a coastline on the Baltic Sea in the north. Most of Poland has a very similar climate and the same sequence of weather throughout the year. Winter cold increases towards the east and in the southern mountains, while the coastlands of the Baltic Sea have slightly milder winters and cooler summers. Precipitation is well distributed around the year with a summer maximum of rain, often heavy and accompanied by thunder. Much of the winter precipitation is snow. Summer temperatures do not differ very much over the country. It rarely gets excessively hot but fine, sunny spells of weather and occasional droughts occur. Winters are distinctly cold and the length of really cold spells varies considerably from year to year.

Copenhagen, Denmark: The weather in Copenhagen is mild through all the four seasons—with highs usually in the 60s and lows usually in the 50s—although temperatures in winter can drop down into the 30s and 40s. On the other end of the scale, summertime highs rarely go above 80

81 °F despite the occasional heat wave. Rainfall is moderate too, but spread throughout the year, so showers are possible in any season. Grey skies are the norm rather than the exception in Copenhagen.

Georgia: With the Greater Caucasus mountain range acting as a barrier to cold air from Russia, most of Georgia’s climate is influenced by the Black Sea to the west. For this reason, it is generally warmer/wetter in the western lowlands and colder/drier in the east. But elevation also plays a part. Towns in the mountains or foothills (like Stephantsminda) will be 20 degrees colder than the rest of the country, so pack accordingly.

Tbilisi, Georgia: Summers are generally sunny with moderate highs in the mid-70s to mid-80s range; at night the lows will be in the 60s. However, lowland cities like Tbilisi get sticky and humid in the summer, especially in August. Fall is cooler (in the 50s and 60s during the day) and more comfortable. Winter temps drop below freezing so snow is not uncommon, but it doesn’t accumulate. Spring brings back pleasant temperatures but is also the rainiest season.

The Baltics The Baltic climate might be more temperate than you’d expect. Even though Estonia is on the same latitude as parts of Alaska, the climate is closer to that of New England or the Canadian seaboard (due to the influence of the shallow Baltic Sea). During spring and fall, high temperatures tend to be in the 50s. In summer, highs are generally in the 60s or 70s—despite the extra hours of daylight during the “White Nights”. Sometimes, however, the summer months will exhibit heat up to 90-95 degrees as well. Rain showers are more frequent in summer and early fall. Be aware however, that late fall (October & November) and winter can bring snow, dark (daylight hours are brief), and can be very cold, with temperatures below freezing, strong winds and freezing rains.

One intriguing climate phenomenon experienced in many cities throughout the region is the “White Nights”, a term used to describe the unusually long hours of daylight around the summer solstice. In Latvia or Lithuania the sun might not set until 9 pm, and in parts of Russia and Estonia, daylight can last until 10:30 pm!

NOTE: If you are taking one of our optional stopovers before or after your OAT adventure, please be aware the climate and temperatures might be different from what you experienced during your tour. To prepare for weather differences and pack appropriate clothing, we recommend the following world weather sites:

• www.intellicast.com

• www.weather.com

• www.wunderground.com

82 Climate Averages & Online Forecast The following charts reflect the average climate as opposed to exact weather conditions. This means they serve only as general indicators of what can reasonably be expected. An extreme heat wave or cold snap could fall outside these ranges. As your departure approaches, we encourage you to go online to www.oattravel.com/myaccount for your 10-day forecast.

Average Daily High/Low Temperatures (°F), Humidity & Monthly Rainfall

MONTH TALLINN, ESTONIA RIGA, LATVIA

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) Humidity (am-pm) (inches) JAN 30 to 20 87 to 85 2.0 29 to 22 87 to 83 1.3 FEB 29 to 19 87 to 80 1.3 29 to 21 86 to 78 0.9 MAR 36 to 24 88 to 73 1.4 37 to 28 87 to 70 1.0 APR 47 to 32 86 to 64 1.4 48 to 35 86 to 61 1.4 MAY 59 to 41 84 to 55 1.5 60 to 45 83 to 56 1.7 JUN 66 to 50 87 to 59 2.4 66 to 52 88 to 61 2.3 JUL 70 to 54 91 to 63 3.0 69 to 56 90 to 65 2.8 AUG 68 to 53 92 to 67 3.3 68 to 55 91 to 65 2.7 SEP 58 to 45 92 to 72 3.0 59 to 48 90 to 69 2.6 OCT 48 to 38 89 to 76 3.0 50 to 41 88 to 74 2.1 NOV 38 to 30 89 to 85 2.7 39 to 33 88 to 83 2.0 DEC 33 to 24 88 to 86 2.4 32 to 25 88 to 85 1.5

83 MONTH VILNIUS, LITHUANIA ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (avg) (inches) Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall JAN 26 to 17 87 1.5 24 to 15 86 to 83 11 FEB 28 to 17 84 1.4 25 to 16 86 to 79 7 MAR 35 to 24 81 1.5 34 to 24 85 to 70 11 APR 50 to 33 76 1.8 46 to 33 83 to 59 12 MAY 64 to 44 75 2.0 60 to 44 80 to 51 14 JUN 69 to 50 71 2.9 66 to 52 82 to 57 16 JUL 71 to 53 77 3.1 70 to 56 87 to 61 16 AUG 69 to 51 82 3.0 66 to 54 90 to 64 15 SEP 60 to 446 84 2.6 56 to 45 90 to 69 16 OCT 50 to 37 89 2.0 45 to 37 87 to 75 20 NOV 37 to 30 89 2.0 35 to 28 87 to 83 14 DEC 30 to 23 87 1.9 28 to 20 87 to 85 10

MONTH MOSCOW, RUSSIA WARSAW, POLAND

Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (am-pm) (inches) Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall JAN 21 to 11 85 to 81 1.4 33 to 24 88 to 84 15 FEB 24 to 12 86 to 76 1.1 34 to 24 89 to 79 13 MAR 34 to 22 86 to 68 1.3 44 to 31 88 to 67 15 APR 49 to 34 85 to 57 1.5 54 to 37 83 to 58 15 MAY 63 to 44 84 to 51 2.0 65 to 47 79 to 56 15 JUN 69 to 51 87 to 57 2.6 70 to 52 80 to 60 16 JUL 71 to 55 90 to 60 3.2 73 to 55 83 to 60 15 AUG 68 to 52 93 to 63 2.8 73 to 54 86 to 58 13 SEP 57 to 43 93 to 67 2.3 64 to 47 91 to 66 14 OCT 45 to 33 89 to 73 2.0 54 to 40 92 to 75 15 NOV 32 to 24 88 to 82 1.7 42 to 33 91 to 85 16 DEC 25 to 16 86 to 84 1.7 36 to 27 90 to 87 15

84 MONTH COPENHAGEN, DENMARK TBILISI, GEORGIA

Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Avg Temp. (High- % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall Low) Humidity (Avg) with Rainfall JAN 37 to 30 89 to 85 18 43 to 28 87 7 FEB 36 to 28 89 to 80 15 46 to 30 84 8 MAR 41 to 32 89 to 74 15 54 to 36 82 11 APR 49 to 36 84 to 63 15 65 to 45 76 11 MAY 60 to 45 76 to 57 14 74 to 54 75 10 JUN 66 to 52 76 to 59 16 82 to 60 71 7 JUL 69 to 55 78 to 60 15 87 to 66 77 4 AUG 69 to 54 82 to 60 16 87 to 66 82 6 SEP 61 to 50 86 to 67 15 79 to 59 84 7 OCT 53 to 44 87 to 76 19 68 to 49 89 9 NOV 44 to 37 87 to 82 19 55 to 39 89 6 DEC 39 to 32 88 to 85 18 46 to 32 87 8

85 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS: CULTURE, ETIQUETTE & MORE

O.A.T. Trip Experience Leaders: A World of Difference During your adventure you’ll be accompanied by one of our local, expert Trip Experience Leaders. All are fluent in English and possess the skills, certification, and experience necessary to ensure an enriching adventure. As locals of the regions you’ll explore with them, our Trip Experience Leaders provide the kind of firsthand knowledge and insight that make local history, culture, and wildlife come alive. Coupled with their unbridled enthusiasm, caring personalities, and ability to bring diverse groups of travelers together, our Trip Experience Leaders ensure that your experience with O.A.T. is one you’ll remember for a lifetime.

Balkan Culture On August 23, 1989, two million people joined hands and formed a human chain stretching for 420 miles from Talinn, Estonia; through Riga, Latvia; and into Vilnius, Lithuania. Known as “The Baltic Way,” it gave powerful expression to the yearning of the Baltic people for freedom from Soviet oppression. It also remains an indelible image of their solidarity. The people of these three states have endured the same historical challenges, and have built a remarkable symbiotic relationship based on mutual cooperation, shared values, and similar societies.

Still, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are culturally, ethnically, and linguistically distinct. Latvians and Lithuanians descend from the ancient Balts. Their languages are similar but still not mutually intelligible. Estonians are a separate Finnic ethnic group, with a language that is close to Finnish but unrelated to all other European tongues. There are large minorities in all three countries: mostly Poles in Lithuania, and Russians in Latvia and Estonia. After World War II, many ethnic Russians were purposely transplanted here as part of the Soviet agenda of Russification. Since independence, the Baltics have struggled to better integrate these second or third generation Baltic Russians, most of whom have never known another home.

There are also religious differences. Lithuania is Catholic, whereas Latvia and Estonia are Lutheran and Orthodox. This was the last corner of Europe to be Christianized, and today there is a growing neo-pagan religious movement. It is tolerated and even celebrated by non-believers because it focuses on a reverence for nature and one’s ancestry; and is bound up in national myths, customs, folk art, and songs. Song, in particular, is a revered art form in all three Baltic States. Children learn singing and dancing at an early age, often becoming part of folk ensembles that perform publicly. The importance of these art forms has been recognized by UNESCO, which declared them Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Not all religions were benignly tolerated. Historically, Latvia and Lithuania had thriving Jewish populations dating to the Middle Ages. (Estonia’s Jewish community was smaller.) In the mid- 18th century, Lithuania had the world’s largest Jewish community. Vilnius (known as Vilna in Yiddish) was at one point about 30% Jewish, with more than 100 synagogues. Riga, Latvia was also a flourishing center of Jewish artistic, commercial, and intellectual life. But tragically, more

86 than 94% of the Baltic Jews were exterminated during the Holocaust, ending a long history of cultural contributions. Today, the small Jewish communities in all three Baltic capitals are not remnants but new: They re-emerged due to the influx of Soviet Jewry after the war.

The stereotype of the Baltic people as being polite but reserved (or in the case of Latvia, introverted) is just that: a stereotype based more on outward manners than any ingrained mentality. Ask a Lithuanian how they spent the midsummer Joninės holiday, ask an Estonian about Skype (they invented it), or ask a Latvian about their favorite basketball team, and you will be engaged in animated conversation for hours.

Religion and Religious Observances Nominally, Estonia and Latvia are considered Lutheran countries, but there are also sizeable Catholic and Russian Orthodox communities. However, in actual practice, church attendance is low, and (especially in Estonia), many people describe themselves as secular or not religious. Catholicism is the predominant religion in Lithuania (75%), but people are generally less observant than their highly devout Polish neighbors.

In all three countries, the celebrations of many popular holidays, even Christian ones, include customs derived from old pagan beliefs. For instance, in Lithuania on Christmas Eve (called Kucios), deceased ancestors are honored, the table is decorated with pagan agricultural symbols, and it is said that animals can talk. One of the most popular celebrations across all three countries is St. John’s Eve, which coincides with the summer solstice. It is celebrated with bonfires, feasting, folk songs, and games such as woodland flower foraging for young couples (which may involve frolics of the amorous sort). It is all derived from pagan fertility celebrations.

Language Each of the three Baltic nations has its own titular, official language that is spoken by the vast majority of people: Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian. The second most widely spoken language is Russian, thanks to nearly 50 years of Soviet occupation when it was compulsory to teach it in schools. Many people also speak German, but today, especially among young people and in cities, English is the most popular foreign language. About 46% of Estonians speak it, with smaller but still sizeable numbers of English speakers in Latvia and Lithuania.

Language is more complicated in Russia, where the national official language (Russian) is spoken by 81% of the population, but where there are also 35 different regional languages that have secondary official status in different parts of the country. Overall, at least 15% of Russians speak a foreign language, and for 80% of them that language is English. The number of English speakers is much higher in major cities, especially Moscow and St. Petersburg; and higher among younger generations and those who work in facilities that serve a lot of travelers.

The vast majority of Poles speak the national language, Polish. But in a country that has historically been very ethnically diverse, there are also many recognized minority languages including Kashubian, Silesian, German, Romany, and Yiddish. English is the most popular foreign language spoken by an impressive 30% of the people. The number of English speakers is a little higher in cities like Warsaw.

87 Denmark is a country with one official language, Danish, and two official regional languages, Faroese and Greenlandic, for the country’s two self-governing territories. A number of citizens also speak German due to the close boarder, but English is spoken as a second language by over 80% of the population as it is a mandatory language in schools until fifth grade.

The official language of Georgia, Georgian, is a South Caucasian language with eighteen different dialects and is rated as one of the toughest languages to learn by the U.S. State Department. The second officially recognized language is Abkhazian, the language of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, an independent region on the coast of Georgia. Due to the previous occupation of Georgia, Russian is the most common second language in the country. Over the last twenty years, Georgia has developed an interest in making English an official language as it increased in use around the world. To accomplish their goal, Georgia made English mandatory in schools, and today almost half of the younger generation speaks English fluently as their second language.

Personal Space Our Trip Experience Leaders have remarked that personal space seems to be bigger in the Baltics than the U.S., especially in the countryside. Kissing, hugging, and touching in general is usually not done unless you know the other person.

Taking Photographs The etiquette of photographing most people in Europe is about the same as it would be on the streets of your hometown. You need permission to take a close-up, but not for a crowd scene. Consent is especially important if you want to take a photo of a child or minor—ask their parent for permission first. To get a great portrait, show interest in your subject and try to have a bit of social interaction to put them at ease. Then use sign language to inquire if a picture is OK.

Safety & Security As you travel, exercise the same caution and awareness that you would in a large American city. Don’t be overly nervous or suspicious, but keep your eyes open. If you are venturing out after dark, go with one or two other people.

Carry a one-day supply of cash in your pocket. Carry most of your money, and your passport, in a travel pouch or money belt under your shirt. Replenish your pocket supply when you are in a safe and quiet place, or in our vehicle. Don’t leave valuables unattended in your hotel room. Most hotels will offer use of a hotel safe at the front desk or an electronic in-room safe (for which you can set your own personal number). Please utilize them.

Pickpockets may create a sudden distraction. In any sort of puzzling street situation, try to keep one hand on your wallet or money belt. If an encounter with a local turns out to be long and complicated and involves money or your valuables, be very careful. Con artists sometimes target travelers.

88 Customer Service That the Soviet era left its mark on Russia (and the neighboring Baltics) is understandable and expected. But what might surprise you is its effect on customer service standards, even today. A famous story illustrates this influence: when the first McDonald’s opened in Moscow, the new employees were given extensive customer service training, to which one of the puzzled newcomers asked “Why do we have to be so nice to the customers? After all, we have the hamburgers and they don’t!”

This is not to say that you won’t experience genuine kindness and good service while in this region, but rather that you should be prepared—service in restaurants and shops may not be what you expect.

Hotels With an emphasis on minimalism and functional design, you’ll discover that hotel rooms in this region are traditionally much smaller than in the United States, and tend to feature a sleek, modern look. Rooms are comfortable, clean, and well-equipped, but you should expect to experience how locals make use of limited space, which may mean that the bathrooms are smaller, or the beds are closer together, than you’d find at home.

Baltic Cuisine The cuisines of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are all rooted in the region’s shared climate and coastal and agricultural resources—not to mention the influences of their common invaders. Baltic food is very hearty, but can also be very delicately seasoned. Meat figures prominently, as do potatoes, dark rye bread, and all manner of pickled vegetables. For the dishes below, while some ingredients may vary from country to country, often the difference is in name only.

Estonian Cuisine Estonia capitalizes on its coastal bounty with kiluvõileib—a ubiquitous sandwich of smoked sprats, buttered dark rye bread, hard-boiled egg and topped with dill or scallions. It may not look appetizing, but it sure is tasty—as is the national dish, verivorst, a blood sausage accented with barley, onions, allspice, and marjoram. Mulgipuder is made from mashed potatoes and groats mixed with lots of butter and a bacon-based sauce. Estonians love aspics, which are jellied meat (or seafood) and vegetable loaves, sliced and served on dark bread. Rosolje is a delicious Estonian potato and beet salad with chopped onions, pickles, and a creamy mustard dressing.

For dessert, try vastlakukkel, a cream puff that was once reserved as a pre-Lenten delicacy, but is now happily indulged in year round. In a hurry? Grab a kohuke, a candy bar of sweet cheese curd covered with caramel or chocolate. By the way, Estonia is famous for chocolate, especially the Kalev brand, the oldest in the country. Need more sweets? Try Vana Tallinn, a rum-based liqueur served in coffee or over crushed ice or ice cream. For something less alcoholic, kvass tastes like a cross between beer and soda, and is made from fermented dark rye bread.

89 Latvian Cuisine Latvia has a national specialty called piradziņi that looks like a plain yeast roll—until you bite into it and find that it is filled with onions, minced meat, bacon, cabbage, or creamy cheese. Leave room for karbonade, a breaded and fried pork schnitzel with a creamy mushroom sauce. You might also try rasol, a potato and beet salad with layers of meat or fish (typically herring), hard- boiled eggs, and other vegetables, bound with mayonnaise and sour cream.

End your meal with maizes zupa, a rye bread pudding made with apples, cinnamon, raisins, plums, cranberries, and whipped cream. With all that food you might need a digestif, so try Black Balsam, a vodka liqueur made with pepper, ginger, linden flower, raspberry, and bilberry.

Lithuanian Cuisine Lithuania has a national dish called cepelinai (zeppelins) which are potato dumplings stuffed with meat and served with sour cream, spirgai (cracklings), or mushrooms. Lithuanian stuffed cabbage rolls are called balandėliai (little doves), and as elsewhere, they are filled with meat and served with a tomato or sour cream sauce. But since rice is not native to Lithuania, here the filling may be pearl barley. Kugelis is a crusty, grated potato casserole baked with eggs, milk, onions, and herbs, served with dollops of sour cream. Served pancake-style, they are called bulviniai blynai. On a hot day, try chilled šaltibaršciai, a shocking pink soup of hard-boiled eggs, beets, cucumbers, dill, and scallions with yogurt-like kefir.

Walk into a Lithuanian tavern, and your beer may come with a snack of kepta duona, deep-fried dark rye bread seasoned with salt and garlic, served with a cheese sauce.

Finally, your sweet tooth will crave grybukai, spicy mushroom-shaped cookies; or raguolis or sakotis, a hollow cake made by dripping batter over a spit. The spiky-looking tube is drizzled with chocolate and sliced into halo-like servings—the crowning glory of your Baltic repast.

Russian Cuisine Russian cuisine is an amalgam of peasant food and luxurious ingredients; native foodstuffs prepared according to techniques introduced by foreign chefs; and contributions made by minority groups such as Jews, Tatars, and Georgians. Much of this has to do with the dramatic socio-political changes that affected not just the availability of certain foods, but attitudes about it. So you have Old Russian cuisine, Moscow cuisine, Soviet cuisine, modern cuisine and more.

One of the best ways to get acquainted with a variety of Russian delicacies is zakuski, the lavish spread of appetizers meant to accompany icy fingers of Russian vodka. It arose as a way to welcome guests whose arrival times could not be predicted. While the main meal was prepared, zakuski would help to mitigate the effects of the strong alcohol.

Zakuski choices will usually include caviar; an array of charcuterie meats; and smoked salmon, sturgeon (balyk) or whitefish. Blini are the crepe-like buckwheat pancakes that you can wrap all your zakuski choices in. During the pre-Lenten festival called Maslenitsa, blini are the star attraction. Another staple is selyodka pod shuba, which literally means “herring under fur coat.”

90 It’s a platter of herring smothered with onions, potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, shredded carrots, beets, and mayonnaise. Your table will also feature a huge array of pickled vegetables (from cucumbers to mushrooms to tomatoes and more); plus assorted cheeses and breads.

A zakuski favorite that has made its way around the world is Olivier salad, aka Russian salad. It was invented in the 1860s by a Belgian chef, Lucien Olivier, at The Hermitage, a popular Moscow restaurant. The original recipe included caviar, grouse, smoked duck, crawfish, veal tongue, and a secret sauce. Today’s version replaces the exotic fare with potatoes, carrots, eggs, peas, pickles, and chicken or beef in a mayonnaise sauce. It is a must on New Year’s Eve.

Russian pirozhki are pan-fried or oven-baked turnovers stuffed with just about anything: meat, fish, egg, potato, cabbage, cottage cheese, or jam. You might also find pelmeni, which are dumplings that can be filled with beef lamb, pork, or chicken. (A vegetarian version called vareniki can be filled with potatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, sweet cottage cheese or cherries.)

Russians love soup and there are dozens of delicious varieties. Try rassolnik, chicken soup with pickles; salanka meat soup with olives and sausages; or uha (fish soup.) The king of Russian soups is borscht, a red beet soup that may also include meat, potatoes, carrots, or tomatoes. It’s usually served with dill and sour cream, and can be enjoyed hot or cold.

As for main courses, one internationally loved Russian dish is Beef Stroganoff. Named after a 19th century count, it is made with beef, onions, and mushrooms, sautéed in white wine and sour cream. Another dish with a complicated provenance is Chicken Kiev. It is neither Kievan nor even Ukrainian, and was created by a French chef in St. Petersburg or Moscow. It was popular with sophisticated diners in postwar New York and Chicago, and soon the Soviets offered it in state- owned hotels and restaurants. Pedigree aside, the dish is a breaded chicken cutlet stuffed with a roll of seasoned butter and fried. If done correctly, the butter does not completely melt.

For dessert try medovik, a super sweet honey cake made with sour cream, custard and dried fruit, or buttercream and walnuts. Ptichye Moloko (“bird’s milk”) is a cake or candy made with marshmallow coated in chocolate. Another marshmallow treat is zefir, a puffy shell filled with puréed apples, berries or peaches.

Polish Cuisine As with many European countries, Polish cuisine feels the influence of many cultures: Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Jewish, Hungarian, German, etc., as well as a pinch of Russian, Italian, and Turkish. The focus is on meat, especially chicken and pork, and winter vegetables (cabbage in the dish bigos), and spices, as well as different kinds of noodles – particularly the pierogi. Traditionally, Poles take their festive meals seriously, and feast days — like Christmas Eve or Easter Breakfast — can involve days of preparation.

Normally the main meal is eaten in mid-afternoon or later, and involves three courses, starting with a soup, such as bouillon or tomato or more festive barszcz (beet) followed sometimes by an appetizer. The main course is usually meaty — a roast or breaded pork cutlet. Vegetables, though now replaced by leaf salad, were traditionally served as ‘surówka’ - shredded root vegetables with

91 lemon and sugar (carrot, celeriac, beetroot) or fermented cabbage. Popular side dishes are now boiled potatoes, and, less commonly the traditional kasha (cereals). Meals often conclude with a dessert such as makowiec, a poppy seed pastry, or drodówka, a type of yeast cake.

Georgian Cuisine A 2019 New Yorker article described Georgian cuisine as “the next big thing.” Here is your chance to get ahead of the trend. If you are lucky, your introduction might begin at a supra, a traditional, spontaneous feast where the food and wine just keep coming, along with many sentimental toasts and heartfelt hospitality. The supra table will undoubtedly include khachapuri, which can refer to any number of cheese-filled breads, usually served with a raw or sunny-side up egg. Georgian chefs make good use of herbs such as parsley, fenugreek, and cilantro, but the iconic flavor profile comes from tarragon, which accents everything, including a bright green, carbonated lemonade (tarkhuna).

You might begin your meal with khinkali, a chunky dumpling filled with soup and lamb, beef or pork; or spinach, mushroom, or cheese. The dough is twisted to create a handy knob on top. For an unusual burst of flavor, try chrianteli, a cold soup made from puréed cherries, garlic, cilantro and dill. Move on to the main course, perhaps shkmeruli, a chicken in garlic sauce; grilled sturgeon garnished with dill and served with a pomegranate sauce; or hot and spicy beef ostri in tomato sauce. In the winter, you may enjoy a hearty plate of satsivi, chicken or turkey braised with a paste of walnuts, garlic, and herbs.

Walking through the markets, you might see stalls overflowing with what look like multicolored batons. These would be tklapi, which are rolled-up sheets of dried fruit purée. Made of apricots, plums, peaches and more, there are sweet and sour varieties eaten as snacks and also as additions to popular dishes such as kharcho, the quintessential Georgian comfort food. Besides tklapi, kharcho is made with seared chicken or beef, garlic, and crushed walnuts all simmered for hours until its ladled into a bowl and served with chewy bread.

Georgians do wonderful things with vegetables and one of their most inventive dishes is a salad called pkhali. It comes in many varieties (such as carrot, spinach, or beet) and is actually more of a pâté that you can spread. When chopped and drizzled with honey, it makes a delicious dessert called gozinaki. Churchkhelas will also satisfy your sweet tooth. These waxy-looking confections are walnuts strung like beads, then dipped in a thick, sugary syrup made with grapes, apricots, pomegranates, or other fruit. It’s sometimes called “the Georgian Snickers”.

Whatever you choose, you will have some wonderful Georgian wines to pair it with, since viniculture has been prevalent here for 7,000 years. Try a dry, white Mtsvane or a tannic, ruby colored Orovela. You may be offered a glass of traditional “orange wine” but don’t be fooled: there are no oranges in it. The deep amber color comes from the grape skins which have been fermented along with the grapes, adding a rich color and a depth of fruity flavor.

As you may have noticed walnuts are a popular ingredient here. If you have a nut allergy, let your Trip Experience Leader know early on and ask them to write something down in Georgian for you to show the waiter when dining on your own.

92 Danish Cuisine Twenty years ago one might’ve described Danish food as peasant cooking—hearty, stick-to- your-ribs Viking fare that would get you through a long day of farming, fishing, or raiding. Today, Denmark is the epicenter of the New Nordic cuisine, a movement begun by Danish chefs René Redzepi and Claus Meyer, who helmed Copenhagen’s Noma restaurant (considered the world’s best) and influenced chefs everywhere with their philosophy that celebrates sustainable, locavore, and seasonal ingredients—many of which are foraged and were previously forgotten. It has inspired many cooks to revisit and refine some of the classics of Danish cuisine, like these:

Perhaps the best-known Danish delights are smørrebrød—open-faced sandwiches built on a base of buttered rugbrød, a dense, dark rye bread. These are not random sandwiches, they are artfully composed, so the dish is colorful and the garnishes are complementary. Toppings might include syltede sild (pickled herring) with micro greens; shrimp and egg with dill; or roast beef with pickles, onions, and horseradish. A favorite is dyrlægens natmad, which translates as “veterinarian’s midnight snack” and includes corned beef, sky (Danish meat aspic), and leverpostej (liver pâté) topped with slivered red onions, sprouts, and parsley or dill.

The national dish is stegt flæsk, crispy pork belly chunks served with boiled potatoes and parsley sauce. So many Danes have a “burning love” for bacon, they named a dish after this affliction, brændende kærlighed, which is mashed potatoes topped with oven-roasted cubes of bacon, caramelized onions, and butter. Another pork favorite is brunkål, brown cabbage braised with sugar till it’s caramelized, then roasted with pork shanks, and served with pickled cucumber.

For a dish that looks as impressive as it tastes, there’s forloren hare, a Danish meatloaf made with ground pork, leeks, and egg. Bacon strips are woven around the loaf, which is then baked till it looks like an elegant brown basket. On the flip side there’s the humble røde pølser, which translates as “red sausage” and is a Danish hot dog. They are sold from pølsevogen (hot dog wagons) all over, and come with toppings like fried onions, pickles, and a variety of condiments.

Not all protein is pork. Try rødspættefilet, a filet of plaice (a mild white fish) that is breaded and fried. It can be eaten as an entrée, or as the stjerneskud (“shooting star”) of a smørrebrød topped with shrimp, lettuce and caviar from the Limfjord. Tarteletter are flaky pastry tartlets filled with chicken and asparagus in a creamy béchamel sauce. Roast duck or andesteg is a holiday favorite, stuffed with apples and prunes, then roasted until golden-brown and served with a sauce made with reserved duck fat, whiskey, and wine.

For something sweet to go with your coffee (bica), order a Danish but call it by its proper name, wienerbrød, which means “Vienna bread” and is a more accurate reflection of its provenance. Even though Danes did not invent them, they love these flaky, croissant-like glazed pastries filled with cream or fruit. They also love risalamande, a cold rice pudding topped with hot cherries, with an almond hidden in the custard. If you order frugtsalat, be your fruit salad may be turbo-charged with bits of chocolate and marzipan, and maybe topped with whipped cream.

93 Then there’s the cake that literally towers above them all, kransekake. It’s a cone of concentric almond cake rings bound together with a white icing glaze, and sometimes decorated with berries or nuts. They are served at festive occasions (especially New Year’s), and the center of the tower might hold candies, chocolates, and even champagne or wine bottles.

Shopping: What to Buy, Customs, Shipping & More There may be scheduled visits to local shops during your adventure. There is no requirement to make a purchase during these stops, and any purchase made is a direct transaction with the shop in question, subject to the vendor’s terms of purchase. O.A.T. is not responsible for purchases you make on your trip or for the shipment of your purchases.

Returns If you discover an issue with an item, you should contact the vendor directly and expect that any resolution will take longer than it would in the U.S. We recommend that you keep a copy of all your receipts, invoices, or contracts, along with the shop’s contact information. Keep in mind, local practice may vary from U.S. standards, so don’t assume that you have a certain number of days after the purchase to speak up or that you are guaranteed a refund.

Crafts & Souvenirs

The Baltics Specialties of the Baltics include amber, CDs of traditional music, ceramics, knit goods, lace, leather-bound books, linen, local liquors such as Vana Tallinn and Black Balzam, silverware, and woodcarvings. You can also pick up candies, vodka, glass and woodwork, artwork, vintage items, and USSR-era knickknacks throughout the region in shops and at flea markets.

Russia Among the best buys in Russia are black caviar (sold in small sealed jars), the traditional Russian wooden nest of dolls (matryoshkas), hand-embroidered shirts and blouses, balalaikas, samovars, watches (Raketa brand and military watches), chess sets, pure wool scarves, lacquer boxes, hats, vodka, amber, malachite jewelry, porcelain and books. You’ll also find a variety of small Christmas and Easter gifts made by Russian craftsmen for sale throughout the year that make great unique presents for friends.

To bring back a little of Russia with you, you have some traditional items to choose from. The blue and white Russian porcelain Gzhel is used for vases, table settings, some delicate toys, and figurines. Nesting dolls are also widely available in St Petersburg, as well as Russian and Ukrainian style shirts with intricate embroidery. Palekh boxes (brightly colored and lacquered with native artwork) are on sale in better souvenir shops. Kiosks offer amber and silver jewelry, and some churches allow you to purchase Russian Orthodox religious items.

94 Poland Polish folk objects make good mementos and are an excellent value. Some interesting possibilities include embroidery, lace, dolls in folk costumes, prints and engravings, amber, pottery, and woodcarvings. The wide range of chain stores specializing in different local wares makes shopping in Poland relatively easy. Desa stores carry tapestries, painting, sculptures, and porcelain.

Georgia With plenty of artisan shops in the capital city Tbilisi, you’ll soon find that handmade items are the best souvenirs you can buy in Georgia. Blue and white tablecloths known as supra have been part of the country’s culture for centuries and have designs featuring birds, deer, and other figures. Traditional drinking horns called kantsi are also popular choice, as are textiles and ceramics. Although not handmade, brightly colored khinkali socks are another unique souvenir— the print is of traditional Georgian dumplings. You may also wish to take some of Georgia’s famous wine back home.

Bargaining: Bargaining is common in open-air markets, but not in shops.

Denmark A showcase for world-famous Danish design and craftsmanship, Copenhagen seems to have been designed with shoppers in mind. The best buys are such luxury items as crystal, porcelain, silver, and furs. Look for offers and sales (tilbud or udsalg in Danish) and check antiques and secondhand shops for classics at cut-rate prices.

VAT: Although prices are inflated by a hefty 25% Value-Added Tax (Danes call it MOMS), non-European Union citizens can receive about an 18% refund. For more details and a list of all tax-free shops, ask at the tourist office for a copy of the Tax-Free Shopping Guide.

U.S. Customs Regulations & Shipping Charges For all things related to U.S. Customs, the ultimate authority is the U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection. Their website, www.cbp.gov has the answers to the most frequently asked questions. Or you can call them at 1-877-227-5511.

The top three points to know are:

• At time of writing, your personal duty-free allowance is $800 for items brought with you. Items totaling more than $800 are subject to duty fees.

• Items shipped home are always subject to duty when received in the U.S. Even when the shop has offered to include shipping and duties in the price, this typically means shipping to the nearest customs facility and payment of the export duties—not door-to-door shipping or payment of the import duties. All additional duties or shipping charges would be your responsibility. Unless an item is small enough to send by parcel service (like FedEx), chances are you will need to arrange shipping or pick-up once the item is in the U.S. and will need to pay customs duties.

95 • It is illegal to import products made from endangered animal species. U.S. Customs & Border Protection will seize these items, as well as most furs, coral, tortoise shell, reptile skins, feathers, plants, and items made from animal skins.

96 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY

Estonia

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 17,462 square miles

• Capital: Tallinn

• Language: Estonian is the official language, with some Russian, Ukrainian, and Finnish also spoken.

• Location: Estonia is bordered on the east by Russia and on the west by the Baltic Sea. To the south is Latvia and to the north is the Gulf of Finland. Estonia has numerous lakes and forests and many rivers, most of which drain northward into the Gulf of Finland or eastward into Lake Peipus.

• Population: 1,265,420 (estimate)

• Religions: Lutheran 9.9%, Orthodox 16.2%, other Christian (including Methodis, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal) 2.2%, other 0.9%, none 54.1%, unspecified 16.7%

• Time zone: Estonia is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, 7 hours ahead of Eastern Time. The country observes daylight savings time from late March until late September.

National Holidays: Estonia

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 Labor Day Estonia celebrates a number of national 06/23 Victory Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be traveling 06/24 Midsummer Day during these holidays, please visit www. timeanddate.com/holidays. 08/20 Independence Restoration Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 12/24 Christmas Eve

02/24 Independence Day 12/25 Christmas Day

12/26 Boxing Day

Estonia: A Brief History Life in Estonia must’ve been pretty good for the Finno-Ugric people who’d arrived there during the third millennium BC. They were nomadic hunters with a nature-centered religion, but they gave up their roaming to mingle with the resident Neolithic people, trading along the Amber Route. They never gave up their pagan religion, though others tried to pry it from them. That happened in 1193, when Celestine III called a crusade. Teutonic knights raided Estonia, aided

97 by Danish troops, but the Estonians resisted for 30 years. By the mid-1200s Estonia was ruled by Danes in the north and Teutons in the south, including land-owning bishops who still tried to convert the pagans. Though some Estonians professed Christianity, they secretly practiced paganism—and occasionally laid siege to monasteries and bishops’’castles.

The Baltic Germans remained and built thriving cities. Tallinn, Tartu, Viljandi, and Pärnu all became members of the Hanseatic League. In the mid-1500s, Ivan the Terrible came crashing down with his Tatar cavalry. To stop him, Poland, Denmark, and Sweden sent troops to fight in The Livonian War. Half the rural population perished. In the end, Sweden retained power in Estonia, and governed through the 17th century. But by 1700, Denmark, Poland, and Russia rose to reclaim lands lost in the Livonian War. This time Russia won Estonia, and held it for 200 years.

By the late 19th century Estonia was swept up in the romantic nationalism movement. The first Estonian language newspaper was published, native folklore was celebrated, and in 1869 the first Estonian song festival was held. But it wasn’t until after the Russian Revolution of 1917 that Estonia felt confident enough to declare independence. The Soviet Socialist Republic sent their military to overrun Estonia, but ceded their claim with the 1920 Tartu Treaty. Estonia was free.

By 1939, Germany and Russia had signed a secret non–aggression pact (the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact) that carved up most of Europe. Estonia went to Russia, and tens of thousands of Estonians were forced into the army or sent to labor camps. When the Germans marched in in 1941, the Estonians initially welcomed them—until the Nazis began executing communist collaborators and forcibly conscripting citizens. Many Estonians fled to Finland and joined the Finnish Army. In 1941 there were about 2,000 Jews in Estonia. Almost all were killed by the Nazis, who murdered 10,000 more (from elsewhere in Europe) in Estonian camps.

With the end of the war the Soviets returned. Executions began, and 2.5% of the population was deported to Siberia. A program of Russification was set in motion, bringing in thousands of Russian immigrants and attempting to systematically dismantle Estonian culture.

In the 1980s, the era of glasnost rekindled Estonian hopes for freedom. One of Estonia’s most powerful acts of resistance was a song festival held in protest 1988, which drew international attention. On the 50th anniversary of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, a human protest chain stretched across the Baltics to Tallinn. Finally in 1991, Estonia gained independence. In 2004, Estonia joined NATO and the European Union. Its expansive economic growth was halted by the 2008 economic downturn, but it rebounded, largely on the strength of its dynamic tech sector.

Today, Estonia is a tech leader. Taxes are done online in under 5 minutes; all public services are available on the web; and voting is done online. In 2007, several Estonian institutions were hit by Russian cyberattacks. The government reported that Russia had instigated a disinformation campaign to split Estonia’s many Russian speakers. With Estonia leading the charge, NATO established the Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence (CCDCOE) in Tallinn in 2008.

98 Latvia

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 24,938 square miles

• Capital: Riga

• Languages: Latvian is the official language; Russian and Lithuanian are also spoken.

• Ethnicities: Latvian 56.3%, Russian 33.8%, Belarusian 3.5%, Ukrainian 2.3%, Polish 2.2%, Lithuanian 1.3%, other 3.4%

• Location: Latvia is bordered by Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus, and the Baltic Sea.

• Geography: Riga, the Latvian capital, is often described as a cultural capital for the entire Baltic region and is home to some of the most elegant and continental architecture in the Baltics. Most of Latvia is rich flat plain, but due to the high water table, only about 28% is arable. Perhaps this explains why nearly 2/3 of the Latvian population is urban.

• Population: 2,165, 165

• Religions: Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7%

• Time Zone: Latvia is seven hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 1pm in Riga.

National Holidays: Latvia

In addition to the holidays listed below, Latvia 06/23 Midsummer Eve celebrates a number of national holidays that 06/24 Midsummer Day follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be traveling during these 11/18 Republic of Latvia Proclamation Day holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/ holidays. 12/24 Christmas Eve

01/01 New Year’s Day 12/25 Christmas Day

05/01 Labor Day 12/26 Second Day of Christmas

05/04 Independence Restoration Day 12/31 New Year’s Eve

Latvia: A Brief History Modern Latvians descend from the Balts, who arrived around 2000 BC from Belarus, and traded along the Amber Route. By 1000 AD, the Balts had diverged into four tribes, the largest of which, the Latgals, ruled most of Latvia. The Balts were pagans and in 1193, Pope Celestine III asked the Teutonic knights to launch a northern crusade. The knights established a base in Riga, and had some success in converting the Latgals (though many pagan ways continued in secret).

99 Soon, German settlers arrived and began developing trade. In 1282, Riga joined the Hanseatic League. With its connections to Germany and proximity to Russia, Riga prospered for 300 years. But most of the wealth went to the German overlords, as the Latvians were little more than serfs. From the mid-16th to the early 18th century, Latvia was partitioned between Poland and Sweden, but by 1721 Russia had annexed the whole of Latvia, and held it for the next 200 years.

Forced integration into the Russian empire caused many locals to identify as Latvians for the first time. The move towards a national identity was lead by the so-called “Young Latvians” from the 1850s through the 1880s. Also in the late 19th century, the Latvian Jewish community made significant contributions to industry and trade, operating woodworking factories, timber and grain mills, export companies and distilleries. Following the 1917 Russian Revolution, Latvia declared independence. The new nation was recognized by the Soviet Union in 1920.

In 1939 Russia and Germany secretly agreed to a non-aggression pact that carved Europe up between them. Latvia fell into the Russian sphere, and in 1939 the Red Army arrived. During the first year of Soviet occupation, 35,000 Latvians, especially the intelligentsia, were deported to Russia. The terror continued with the Nazi occupation in 1941. Both powers used forced conscriptions, deportations, and executions against the local population. Latvia’s Jews fared worst of all. Prior to the war there were 94,000 of them; in 1944, only a few hundred remained.

Near the end of the war, the Russians returned and annexed Latvia. On top of the devastation of World War II, there were mass deportations that sent 120,000 Latvians to Siberia. At this same time, the Soviets began a process of Russification, resettling thousands of ethnic Russians in Latvia, imposing the Russian language, and instituting a Russian curriculum in schools. By 1989, native Latvians comprised only 52% of the population, as opposed 77% before the war.

The reform of the communist regime under Mikhail Gorbachev inspired Latvia’s independence movement. On August 23, 1989, Latvia joined Estonia and Lithuania in forming a 420-mile, human chain of two million protestors. It was the anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact that had carved the Baltics up between Germany and Russia. The movement gained traction as the Baltics launched the so-called “Singing Revolution,” in which millions of people publicly gathered to sing folk songs that became protest anthems. The crumbling Soviet Union was too weak to stop it. Two years later, Latvia declared independence.

Latvia quickly reached major milestones such as joining the European Union and NATO. Many Latvians credit the leadership of Vaira Vike-Friberga, the Baltic’s first female head of state, who was president from 1999 to 2007. While the EU brought tangible benefits, the global economic crisis of 2008 hit Latvia hard. Many young people left to find opportunities elsewhere. Recently, the economy has begun to rebound. In 2015, Raimonds Vejonis of the Green Party became president, campaigning for the environment and national security. While many people are optimistic, given the Russian incursions into Ukraine in 2014, it is a cautious optimism.

Lithuania

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 25,213 square miles

100 • Capital: Vilnius

• Languages: Lithuanian (official), Russian, and Polish.

• Ethnicities: Lithuanian 84.1%, Polish 6.6%, Russian 5.8%, Belarusian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.2%

• Location: Lithuania is bordered by Belarus, Latvia, Russia, and Poland.

• Geography: Lithuania is the largest and most populous of the three Baltic states, but only has about 55 miles of coastline. The land is fertile, low-lying, and in many places covered with thick pine forests or sparkling lakes. The country’s capital, Vilnius, is known for Baroque beauty, artists, and of course, artists’ hangouts—cafes and bars.

• Population: 2,884,433 (Estimate)

• Religions: Roman Catholic 77.2%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Old Believer 0.8%, Evangelical Lutheran 0.6%, Evangelical Reformist 0.2%, other 0.8%, none 6.1%, unspecified 10.1%

• Time Zone: Lithuania is seven hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 1pm in Vilnius.

National Holidays: Lithuania

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 Labor Day Lithuania celebrates a number of national 06/24 St. John’s Day/Day of Dew holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be traveling 07/06 King Mindaugas’ Coronation Day during these holidays, please visit www. timeanddate.com/holidays. 08/15 Feast of the Assumption of Mary

01/01 New Year’s Day 11/01 All Saints’ Day

02/16 Independence Day/National Day 12/24 Christmas Eve

03/11 Independence Restoration Day 12/25 Christmas Day

Lithuania: A Brief History Around 2000 BC, the Balts settled in present-day Lithuania, coming from the southeast. They are considered the ancestors of the Lithuanian people. Early on, Lithuanians showed their disdain for outsiders seeking to change their ways. In 1009 AD, an early chronicler tells of one St. Bruno, who was struck dead by a flying brick for attempting to convert the pagan king to Christianity. In 1193, Pope Celestine III bade Teutonic knights to crusade against northern pagans. Their attacks continued until 1386, when Jogaila became the Grand Duke of Lithuania and married the Polish Princess Jadwiga. He got Lithuanian pagans to convert to Christianity, kicked the Teutonic knights out, and began a Polish-Lithuanian union that was to last 400 years.

101 The 1400s saw Lithuania’s golden age of prosperity. The Polish-Lithuanian empire expanded to include parts of Russia, Ukraine, and Slovakia. Its capital, Vilnius, grew to a population of over 25,000 and experienced a cultural flowering. A university was founded, there was a literary renaissance, and Baroque palaces and churches were built. So were more than 100 synagogues, as Vilnius had become a hub for Lithuania’s large Jewish community. Called “Vilna” in Yiddish, it was the “Jerusalem of the North,” with thriving yeshivas, theaters, businesses, and more.

Lithuania’s Jews (called Litvaks) experienced varying periods of peace and persecution, but by 1772, when Russia partitioned the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, everyone’s fortunes declined. Russia cracked down on Polish culture: Books could only be printed in the Cyrillic alphabet, Polish was banned, Catholic churches were closed and replaced with Orthodox ones. They enacted anti-Semitic rules and by 1881, there were regular pogroms against Jews.

Lithuania gained independence (along with Estonia and Latvia) after World War I. But in 1939, an event happened that continues to impact Lithuanian life: Russia and Germany secretly signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which divided Europe into spheres of influence in exchange for non- aggression. Lithuania was originally to go to Germany, but was reassigned to Russia. In 1940, Germany began to advance eastwards, and 150,000 Red Army troops mobilized in Lithuania. Farms, factories and mines were collectivized, and anyone suspected of being anti-communist was purged. When the Nazis arrived, some anti-Soviet Lithuanians welcomed them. Many also participated in the round up and murder of Lithuanian Jews. By the war’s end, the entire Jewish population was gone—a scant few to emigration, the majority to extermination.

Lithuania was annexed by the USSR in 1944 and armed guerilla fighters, known as “Forest Brothers,” began rebelling. The Soviets retaliated brutally: Between 1944 and 1952, thousands were executed and over 250,000 families were deported to Siberian gulags. The Soviet grip did not loosen until 1988, as a nationalist revival movement arose. Called the “Singing Revolution,” it swept the Baltics as people gathered to sing patriotic songs in defiance of the Soviets. The Reform Movement of Lithuania (along with their Estonian and Latvian counterparts) arranged a grand- scale protest to mark the 50th anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. On August 23, 1989, two million people joined hands to form a human chain called “The Baltic Way” that stretched across all three nations. By March 11th, 1990, Lithuania declared independence. The Soviets responded by storming of the Vilnius TV tower, but gave in on September 6, 1991.

In 2004 Lithuania joined NATO and the EU, but the country suffered badly in the recession of 2009. The nation’s first female president, Dalia Grybauskaite, was elected in 2009 and re-elected in 2014. Today, the economy of Lithuania is rebounding. They have resumed cordial (but wary) relations with Russia, and in 2015 Lithuania adopted the euro.

Russia

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 6,601,670 square miles, the largest country on Earth

• Capital: Moscow

102 • Language: Russian.

• Location: Russia spans two continents, with the part west of the Urals considered to be in Europe while the rest of the country is in Asia. On its west, Russia is bordered by Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, and the Black Sea. On the south, the Russian border touches Georgia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China. The North Pacific Ocean defines Russia’s eastern edge, and the Arctic Ocean lies to Russia’s north.

• Population: 142,423,773 (estimate)

• Religion: Russian Orthodox 15-20%, Muslim 10-15%, other Christian 2%

• Time zone: From April through most of September, Moscow and St. Petersburg are 8 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Daylight Time, 11 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Daylight Time.

National Holidays: Russia

In addition to the holidays listed below, 03/08 International Women’s Day Russia celebrates a number of national April or May Orthodox Easter (moves holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such each year) as New Year Holiday Week. To find out if you will be traveling during these holidays, please 05/01 Labor Day visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 05/09 Victory Day 01/01 New Year’s Day 06/12 Russia Day 01/07 Orthodox Christmas Day 11/04 Unity Day (observed on Monday when 02/23 Defender of the Fatherland Day falls on a weekend)

Russia: A Brief History With a history as sprawling as its physical borders, the arc of Russia is nothing short of epic. No summary can do justice to the historical currents that still pulse through modern Russian consciousness. But a good starting point is 862 AD, the birth of Rus, the first Russian state established by the Varangians (Vikings), who ruled the resident Slavs and Finno-Ugric people. It began in Novgorod, and gradually absorbed the region around Kiev to form Kievan Rus.

Kievan Rus was derailed for 300 years after the Mongol invasion in 1223. A hero of this age was Alexander Nevsky, who managed to preserve the Russian state and Russian Orthodoxy. The most transformative of all rulers was Peter the Great (1689-1725), who dragged Russia into the modern age, “kicking and screaming.” A giant in stature as well as impact (Peter was 6’8”), he defeated Sweden in the Great Northern War; founded a dazzling new capital, St. Petersburg; and made Russia a world power. Forty years later, his spirit lived on in Catherine the Great, a fan of Enlightenment thinking but also expansionism: She annexed the Crimea, Poland, and beyond.

103 Serfdom was abolished in 1861, but the misery of the peasants continued. Revolutionaries mobilized the industrial working class just as the nation had suffered disastrous wars, economic crises, and a tone-deaf monarchy. It led to widespread rioting and the murder of the last Romanovs. The 1917 Russian Revolution burned on as Marxist Bolsheviks seized power under Vladimir Lenin. A civil war ensued, the Communists won, and the Soviet Union was born in 1922.

After Lenin’s death in 1924, Josef Stalin became the dictator. Trotsky and other “Old Bolsheviks” were killed or exiled. As the 1930s began, Stalin launched the Great Purges, when millions were executed or exiled to Siberia. The USSR became an industrial power, but there was widespread misery. Soon there was a distraction: World War II, called the Great Patriotic War in Russia.

At first, Russia struck a secret deal with Germany: The 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non- aggression treaty that carved Europe into German and Soviet spheres. In 1940 the USSR annexed Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. But soon Germany marched into the new Soviet territories and right up to Moscow. The Red Army stopped the Nazis at Stalingrad in 1943 and drove them back, capturing Berlin before Germany surrendered in 1945. During the war the Soviet Union lost more than 27 million citizens (including 18 million civilians), the highest recorded losses for any military conflict the world has ever known.

The Red Army continued to occupy Eastern Europe after the war, installing satellite states as the US helped Western Europe stabilize. Both powers sought dominance over the Third World during the Cold War. Stalin died in 1953 and Nikita Khrushchev took over. He instituted reforms, presided over the space race, and faced less stellar events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and an escalating arms race. Things changed in the ‘80s with Mikhail Gorbachev and his policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring). However, an unsuccessful military coup that tried to remove him instead led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Boris Yeltsin came to power, the USSR splintered into 15 republics, and was officially dissolved in December, 1991.

Vladimir Putin was elected in 2000. Though Putin is still the most popular Russian politician, controversies include increased state control of the media, government influence on elections (in Russia and abroad), the murder of dissidents, and ongoing Ukrainian interference. At the same time, high oil prices boosted Russia’s economy and standard of living. In 2018 Putin won his fourth term, which will last until 2024—barring any further constitutional manipulation.

Poland

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 120,728 square miles

• Capital: Warsaw

• Government: Republic

• Language: Polish is the official language. It is a Slavonic language. Unlike Russian, it uses the familiar Roman alphabet, but with many additional accents. German, Russian, English, and French are spoken by most members of the travel industry and in hotels.

104 • Location: Situated in the heart of Europe, Poland’s low-lying plains extend from the Baltic shore in the north to the Tatra Mountains on its southern border with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. To the east of the Polish border are Lithuania, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine; to the west is Germany.

• Population: 38,562,189 (estimate)

• Religion: Catholic 87.2%, Eastern Orthodox 1.3%, Protestant 0.4%, other 0.4%, and unspecified 10.8%

• Time zone: The time in Poland is six hours ahead of Eastern Time in North America: when it is 12 noon in New York, it is 6 pm in Warsaw and Krakow.

National Holidays: Poland

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 Labor Day/May Day Poland celebrates a number of national 05/03 Constitution Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be traveling 08/15 Assumption of Mary during these holidays, please visit www. timeanddate.com/holidays. 11/01 All Saints’ Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 11/11 Independence Day

01/06 Epiphany 12/25 Christmas Day

12/26 Boxing Day

Poland: A Brief History Poland’s sovereignty has never been easy or taken for granted. From its earliest incarnation as an independent state in 966, Poland has been occupied by foreign powers, sandwiched between hostile neighbors and even wiped off the world map for 123 years. But through it all, there have been remarkable leaders and a commitment to cultural preservation that continues to inspire.

The first nation builders were the Slavs. Their most prominent clan, the Polanie (“people of the open country”) gave the nation its name, and the Piast dynasty. The most important Piast ruler was Duke Mieszko. In 966, he consolidated power by being baptized a Catholic and marrying Doubravka, a Bohemian princess. Mieszko’s son Boleslaw expanded his dominion to an area roughly equivalent to Poland’s current borders. He became Poland’s first legitimate king in 1025.

Kazimierz III the Great presided over a period of prosperity and expansion from 1333–70. He was a visionary who promoted legal, educational, and civil reforms. Among them was a law providing privileges for Jews, which set the stage for Poland as a haven for a group that made significant cultural contributions for 600 years. He built universities and founded so many new towns it gave rise to a saying that Kazimierz “found Poland built of wood, but left it in stone.”

105 When Kazimierz died without heir, the Polish Princess Jadwiga married the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Jogaila. Their two states became the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569. It had a central parliament and local assemblies, and an elected king. But a fatal loophole was that in the absence of a serious Polish contender, nobles could elect a foreigner. This opened the door for rampant bribery and a series of kings whose allegiances were not with Poland.

By the beginning of the 17th century, foreign invaders carved up the kingdom. Most devastating was the Swedish invasion of 1655–70, called “The Deluge.” Next came the Ottomans, but Poland had a bright moment when King Jan III Sobieski defeated the Turks at the Battle of Vienna in 1683, preventing their further spread into Europe. He was unable to prevent Poland’s collapse: In 1772, the Commonwealth was partitioned by Prussia, Austria, and Russia. It was divided two more times, despite a revolt led by Tadeusz Kosciuszko, hero of the American Revolution.

In 1795, Poland ceased to exist as a nation, its borders erased for 123 years. But its spirit was kept alive by nationalist societies, and by romantic artists like the composer Frederic Chopin. It wasn’t until after World War in 1918 that an independent Polish state came back into existence. The Second Republic only lasted 20 years before the Nazi occupation of World War II. The Germans first targeted Gdansk, then Warsaw, and met fierce resistance. But the Poles were outnumbered and underarmed. The Nazis intended to make Poland their living room by evicting its inhabitants. A million Poles were murdered in camps; nearly all of the nation’s three million Jews were exterminated; and when the Soviets came in 1944, they continued the genocide. By the end of the war, 20% of the Polish population had died, and Poland became a Soviet satellite.

The postwar years saw various protests, but it wasn’t until the Gdansk shipyard strikes of 1980 that change happened. The workers’ main issue was the right to unionize, but in their “21 Demands” they sought far-reaching changes in areas from food supplies to free speech to maternity leave and more. The Solidarity Strike was joined by workers in mines, factories, and more. Through the leadership of Lech Walesa, the protests remained non-violent, but the struggle lasted till the end of the decade. When the Iron Curtain fell, Walesa was elected President, and Third Polish Republic was born. Poland joined NATO in 1999, and the EU in 2004.

Georgia

Facts, Figures, & National Holidays • Area: 26,911 square miles

• Capital: Tbilisi

• Government: Semi-presidential republic

• Languages: The official language is Georgian

• Location: Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan.

106 • Geography: The terrain is largely mountainous with the Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south, lowlands that open to the Black Sea in the west, and the Mtkvari River Basin in the east.

• Population: 3.997 million (estimate)

• Religion: Eastern Orthodox 83.4%, Muslim 10.7%, Armenian Apostolic 2.9%, other or unaffiliated 2.9%

• Time Zone: Georgia Standard Time: four hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, or nine hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.When it is noon in Georgia, it is 3am in New York, and midnight in Los Angeles. Georgia does not observe Daylight Savings time, so during the summer months these times would be 1 hour different (so noon in Georgia would be 4am in New York and 1am in LA).

National Holidays: Georgia

In addition to the holidays listed below, 03/08 International Women’s Day Georgia celebrates a number of national 04/09 Day of National Unity holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter. To find out if you will be traveling 05/09 Day of Victory over Fascism during these holidays, please visit www. timeanddate.com/holidays. 05/12 St. Andrew’s Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 05/26 Independence Day

01/07 Orthodox Christmas Day 08/28 St. Mary’s Day

01/19 Orthodox Epiphany 10/14 Svetitskovloba (first Christian church in Georgia) 03/03 Mother’s Day 11/23 St. George’s Day

Georgia: A Brief History Archaeological evidence of human habitation in the region of present-day Georgia dates back almost two million years. Archaeologists have also traced the world’s earliest known wine creation to the people of the South Caucasus in around 6,000 BCE—a time when early Georgians discovered that grape juice buried underground in clay pots for the winter would turn into wine. Over the millennia, the early Georgian Colchis Kingdom had contact with the Greeks, giving way to the legends of Jason and the Argonauts and the Golden Fleece.

Early in the fourth century CE, Georgia became the second country in the world to convert to Christianity (a half century after Armenia), followed by the development of a unique alphabet with characters specific to the Georgian language that helped spread Christianity throughout the country. Then, in the 5th century CE, western Georgia became tied to the expanding Byzantine Empire, while the eastern and southern regions fell under Persian control. The Persians were then

107 briefly driven out by the man considered to be the father of the Georgian nation, King Vakhtang Gorgasali, who moved his capital from Mtskheta to Tbilisi. In 654, Arab invaders set up an emirate Tbilisi.

After time spent under the Persian, Arab, and Turkish empires, the 11th through the 13th centuries would represent Georgia’s Golden Age, a period when it flourished as a regional center of education, science, and literature. Just as the Georgian Empire reached its zenith, the Mongols arrived in 1220 and ended up ruling for the next century. Then, Timur (Tamerlane), the Turco- Mongol scourge of Central Asia, invaded Georgia eight times between 1386 and 1403, ravaging the country but never establishing firm control over Christian Georgia.

By the middle of the 15th century, a unified kingdom of Georgia collapsed, fragmenting into several independent kingdoms. Neighboring Persian and Ottoman Empires took advantage of a weakened Georgia and conquered and occupied most territories for the next two centuries. Finally, in 1762, Heraclius II became the king of a unified Georgia for the first time in three centuries. But searching for a reliable protector to ensure Georgia’s survival, Heraclius then signed the Treaty of Georgievsk in 1783, which made Georgia a Russian protectorate.

After a Persian invasion in 1795, the Russian Empire formally annexes Georgia in 1801. Under Russian rule, almost all Georgian territories taken by the Persian and Ottoman Empires are recovered. Then, following the Russian Revolution and collapse of the Russian Empire, Georgia declares its independence in 1918—the first time it is free since its Golden Age. It didn’t last long, however. In 1921, the fledgling Georgian state was absorbed into the U.S.S.R., and would remain so until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

While declaring its independence in 1991, the next several years were difficult times in Georgia. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the disputed regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (backed by Russia) declared their independence and broke away from Georgia. A five-day war between Georgia and Russia in August 2008 resulted in the expulsion of ethnic Georgians from South Ossetia. While both regions receive military and economic aid from Russia, the international community still considers them to be a part of Georgian territory.

Denmark

Facts, Figures & National Holidays • Area: 16,640 square miles

• Capital: Copenhagen

• Government: Constitutional monarchy

• Geography: Denmark is the smallest of the Scandinavian countries (it’s about half the size of Maine). The country occupies the Jutland peninsula, a lowland area, where the highest elevation is only 565 feet above sea level. But that doesn’t mean that the country is entirely flat. Most of its terrain consists of folds, undulations, small, often steep hills, and long, low rises. There are also forests, rivers, lakes, and beaches, many of which are excellent for swimming, though the water may be too cold for some people.

108 • Languages: Danish, Faeroese, Greenlandic (an Inuit dialect), and a small German- speaking minority

• Location: Denmark consists of the peninsula of Jutland and a group of islands at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Germany. The two largest islands are Sjaelland, site of Copenhagen, and Fyn. Denmark also has two self-governing dependencies—Greenland and the Faeroe Islands.

• Population: 5,605,948 (estimate)

• Religion: Evangelical Lutheran 76%, Muslim 4%, other 16%

• Time zone: Denmark is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, six hours ahead of Eastern Time. Daylight Saving Time is in effect in Denmark from the end of March until the end of September.

National Holidays: Denmark

In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 May Day/Labor Day Denmark celebrates a number of national 05/05 Liberation Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter and Ascension Day. To find out if you 06/05 Constitution Day will be traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 12/25 Christmas Day

01/01 New Year’s Day 12/26 2nd Christmas Day

Denmark: A Brief History About 10,000 years ago, the glacial ice sheets that covered northern Europe began to retreat, attracting huge herds of reindeer. These in turn attracted hunter-gatherers who arrived from southern and eastern Europe. As the climate further warmed, the reindeer migrated north, but the early Danes remained in this fertile land, establishing farming communities by 3000 BC.

By 1800 BC, these proto-Danes were trading weapons, jewelry, amber and furs with people as far away as Rome. They buried their dead in peat bogs and many of those bodies have been remarkably preserved. The first people identified as Danes came from Sweden around 500 AD. They had a written system of communication based on runes. (The symbol we now use for bluetooth devices is based on the runic signature of Harald Bluetooth, or Harald I, the Danish Viking who became king around 900 AD.)

The Viking Age began in 793 AD with the raid on Lindisfarne, an English island monastery. Sporadic raids had likely occurred before this, by Vikings from Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. They were not unified and the Danish Vikings primarily raided northeastern England, which at the time was a collection of warring Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Danish Vikings had established a large settlement in Kent by 850 AD, and as more Danish colonists arrived, all of northeastern England fell under their control. The exception was Wessex, which reached an agreement with the Danes granting Wessex sovereignty, while the rest of the region was ruled as the Danelaw.

109 The Danish King Harald Bluetooth converted to Christianity in 965 AD, possibly to appease the Franks at Denmark’s door. Harald forcibly established the new religion, and elevated the status of the Christian clergy. But Christianity did not bring peace. The Danes continued to fight to maintain and expand their territory, conquering parts of Germany and Estonia. After the Viking Age ended in 1066, Denmark’s power declined. In 1397, the Union of Kalmar united Denmark, Sweden, and Norway under a single monarch, with Denmark as the dominant power.

Beginning in the 16th century, Denmark and Sweden began a lengthy rivalry. In 1658, Sweden took the Danish regions of Skåne, Halland and Blekinge, which are still Sweden’s southernmost provinces. In the ensuing century, Denmark suffered more defeats: in 1814, it had to cede Norway to Sweden. But there were important domestic gains. . . . As 19th-century Europe was swept by nationalist fervor and revolution, Denmark had already abolished serfdom and established universal public education. By the 1830s, social and agricultural reforms had boosted the economy; there was a peasant landowner class; and a free press. In 1849, a new constitution created a legislative democracy, ending the monarchy’s previous absolute power.

Denmark remained neutral during World War I, and tried to do the same during World War II. It signed a non-aggression pact with the Third Reich. But Germany invaded in 1940, threatening to bomb Copenhagen. With only a small military, the Danish government yielded. The Nazis at first allowed the Danes some autonomy. But when it began pressuring officials to comply with anti- Semitic policies, the Danish government resigned in protest. The Nazis took over in earnest, and the resistance movement grew. Tipped off by a Nazi diplomat that Germany was about to deport Denmark’s Jews to concentration camps, the Resistance and many citizens managed to evacuate 7,220 of Denmark’s 7,800 Jews to safety in Sweden.

After Germany’s defeat, Denmark joined the United Nations in 1945, and became a founding member of NATO in 1949. The latter half of the 20th century saw Denmark’s emergence as a prosperous, stable social democracy with one of the world’s highest standards of living. In 2000, Denmark voted by referendum not to adopt the euro. It is one of only 5 countries in the world that meets the UN goal for wealthy nations to provide 0.7% of its gross national income for international development assistance. In addition, Denmark has established Danida, Danish Development Assistance, to fight poverty and improve education in developing countries. The current Prime Minister, Mette Fredericksen, is the second woman and youngest person (at 44) to hold that office. She is the leader of the center-left Socialist Democratic Party.

110 RESOURCES

Suggested Reading

The Baltics The Baltic: A History of the Region and Its People by Alan Palmer (2006, History) The author includes all nine nations who share a common shore, showing how their histories, cultures, commerce and beliefs have evolved over the centuries.

The Czar’s Madman by Jaan Kross (1978, Historical Fiction) In 1818, a nobleman of Livonia (between modern Latvia and Estonia) is imprisoned for having written a critical letter to the czar. Upon his release, spies in his household must decide if his radical ideas are treasonous or simply insane.

Autumn Ball by Mati Unt (1979, Fiction) This darkly comic novel peers into the lives of six disparate and desperate characters who all reside in a Soviet-era, pre-fab housing block on the edge of Tallinn.

Purge by Sofi Oksanen (2008, Fiction) The author weaves together the lives of two women in 1990s Estonia who are brought together by tragic—and sometimes shocking—circumstances. A bestseller in Europe, the novel has been translated into at least 32 languages.

Vilnius Poker by Ricardas Gavelis (1989, Fiction) A love story told from four different points of view explores larger themes of life under an absurdist Soviet regime in 1970s and 1980s Vilnius.

Tula by Jurgis Kuncinas (1993, Fiction) Considered a classic of Lithuanian literature, this quirky love story is set in the late-Soviet era in the so-called “independent republic of Uzupis,” a bohemian quarter in Vilnius.

We Are Here: Memories of the Lithuanian Holocaust by Ellen Cassedy (2012, Memoir) A heartfelt and personal investigation into the Lithuanian Holocaust by an American journalist who uses her own family history to illustrate this dark era.

The Book of Riga edited by Becca Parkinson and Eva Eglaja-Kristsone (2018, Fiction) This short story collection showcases some of the best Baltic writers across all genres to tell the story of Riga—a city over 800 years old.

The Dogs of Riga by Henning Mankell (1992, Mystery) Fans of the BBC series Wallander will love this book, in which the adroit Swedish detective travels to Riga to solve the mystery of two bodies that have washed up ashore. He becomes immersed in a web of bureaucracy, corruption, and secrecy as he navigates his way around post-independence Latvia.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys ( 2012, Fiction) This highly acclaimed novel tells the story of Lina, a Lithuanian teenager who is forcibly deported to a Siberian work camp in 1941. A talented artist, she uses her drawings as a way to maintain her dignity and identity—and perhaps

111 reach her father, who is being held in a different camp. Although fiction, the story is based on accounts from survivors and historical research, and therefore provides a good sense of the Soviet suppression in the Baltics.

Set Sail for Murder by Carolyn Hart (2008, Mystery) Sailing to Copenhagen, Tallinn, and St. Petersburg with Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Lennox is his old friend, retired investigative reporter Henrietta O’ Dwyer Collins. But can she find out who is trying to kill Jimmy’s dashing wife before disaster strikes?

Russia Peter the Great, His Life, and World (1980); The Romanovs, The Final Chapter (1995); and Nicholas and Alexandra (1967) by Robert Massie (Biography/History) Three definitive works by the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian. Massie portrays a giant of history in Peter the Great; unfolds the mystery of what might be the remains of the Romanovs in The Final Chapter; and dazzles with the fairytale romance of the last emperor and his bride in Nicholas and Alexandra.

Russia, A Concise History by Ronald Hingley (1991, History) A readable, condensed history of Russia’s multiple transformations by a well-known Russian scholar.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (2014, Fiction) In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to lifelong house arrest in Moscow’s Metropol Hotel. Though physically constrained, his life becomes more emotionally expansive as he contends with the events of 30 years of Russian history.

The Night Witches by Russ Braun and Garth Ennis (2019, Graphic Novel/Historical Fiction) During World War II, a new breed of fighter pilot emerges to defend the Soviet Motherland—the all-female Night Witches. Piloting obsolete biplanes, these heroines patrol the lethal skies above the Eastern Front, but as the young Lieutenant Anna Kharkova discovers, the Nazi foe has a homegrown counterpart in Stalin’s secret police.

Putin Country: A Journey into the Real Russia by Anne Garrels (2017, Nonfiction) A longtime NPR foreign correspondent looks beyond the capitals of Moscow and St. Petersburg to better understand life for the ordinary Russians who comprise Vladimir Putin’s political base.

Secondhand Time by Svetlana Alexievich (2013, Memoir) The author won the Nobel Prize for inventing a “new kind of literary genre” that gathers a chorus of voices to describe a specific historical moment. Here, her interviewees chronicle the demise of Soviet communism over thirty years, with stunning emotional resonance and clarity.

Russian Stories edited by Christoph Keller (2019, Fiction) If you don’t have time to read the heavyweights, this anthology brings together classic tales from the likes of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov along with their most acclaimed contemporary heirs.

112 Poland God’s Playground: A History of Poland by Norman Davies (2005, History) Critics regard this work as the best and most exciting history of Poland, covering 1,000 years in two volumes. The author also offers a condensed version—Heart of Europe: A Short History of Poland.

Gimpel the Fool and Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer (1957, Fiction) From the master of Yiddish literature (and Nobel Laureate), this collection vividly depicts Jewish life in a rural shtetl, while mixing magic and reality.

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly (2016, Historical fiction) Loosely based on the true story of an American who campaigned for a group of concentration camp survivors known as “the Rabbits”, this novel follows the intersecting lives of three very different women—a New York socialite, a Polish teenager, and a German doctor.

Georgia The Caucasus: An Introduction by Thomas de Waal (2nd Ed 2018, History) An accessible overview of the complex history and region of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia. Includes coverage of Georgia’s break-away regions, the “Five-Day-War” between Russia and Georgia, and recent political upheavals in all three countries.

For the Love of Wine: My Odyssey Through the World’s Most Ancient Wine Culture by Alice Feiring (2016 Non-Fiction) A lively account by an acclaimed journalist who meets with winemakers, craftspeople, and artists throughout Georgia while collecting recipes and stories.

The Eighth Life: (for Brilka) by Nino Haratischvili (2014, Fiction) Tells the story of one Georgian family as they protect a secret recipe for chocolate throughout the ups and downs of their county during the 20th century.

My Dear Son: The Memoirs of Stalin’s Mother by Keke Jughashvili (2012, Memoir) Preserved in an archive for 70 years, the book is a transcript of the memories of Ekaterine (Keke) Jughashvili, Georgian-born Stalin’s mother, which she dictated in 1935, two years before her death. It does make for fascinating reading.

Stories I Stole by Wendell Steavenson (2003 Travel Literature) Very well received book from a journalist at Time’s London office who leaves her job on whim to spend two adventurous wine- soaked years getting to know the former Soviet Republic of Georgia.

Please Don’t Call it Soviet Georgia by Mary Russell (1992, Travelogue). English traveler and author Mary Russell records her impressions of traveling through Georgia following the break-up of the Soviet Union as Georgia begins its path to independence.

113 Denmark We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen (2011, Fiction) An epic seafaring adventure that follows the inhabitants of the Danish town of Marstal from 1848 to World War II, when the men sail the world and the women who are left behind form a community. The book is long (600 plus pages) and deals frankly with war, violence, and cruelty. But it was a runaway international bestseller and lauded for its use of fantastical elements.

Iceland’s Bell by Halldor Laxness (2003, Fiction) Nobel Laureate Halldor Laxness reinvents the traditional Icelandic saga and injects it with a modern sensibility and a satirical undercurrent that speaks to our age. The plot pits an impoverished Danish colony – Iceland in the 17th century – against the grand historical workings of Danish and Icelandic history. Three interconnected stories reveal the political and personal conflicts of the day in historical context.

On Tycho’s Island: Tycho Brahe and his Assistants, 1570-1601 by John Robert Christianson (1999, Biography/History) Chiefly famed as an astronomer, this book offers a fuller vision of Tycho Brahe as Renaissance man and scientist. From his private island in Denmark, Brahe assembled and manipulated the artists, nobility and the intelligentsia of the age to create breakthroughs in astronomy, science and research.

Winter’s Tales and Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen (1934, Stories) Best known for Out Of Africa, her memoir of 20 years running and living on a coffee plantation in Africa, Karen Blixen (pen name, Isak Dinesen) also wrote short tales based in her homeland, Denmark. Winter’s Tales and Seven Gothic Tales are generally considered the high water marks of her shorter works.

The Complete Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (Folklore) There are several different anthologies of these fairy tales, written by Denmark’s famous poet, novelist, and writer of short stories. Considered a genius for his inventiveness and imagination, his works continue to captivate both children and adults.

Suggested Film & Video

The Baltics The Other Dream Team (2012, Documentary) The 1988 Soviet Olympic basketball team included four Lithuanian starters who never got credit for their contribution. Fast forward to 1992, after Lithuania’s independence. The struggling nation could not afford to send their basketball team to the Barcelona Olympics, until some unlikely champions stepped in: the American rock band, the Grateful Dead. A must for sports fans and anyone who loves a feel-good story.

The Chronicles of Melanie (2016, Drama) In 1941, the Soviets rounded up 40,000 Latvians, Lithuanians, and Estonians, and executed or deported them to Siberian gulags. This is the true story of Melanija Vanaga, who was separated from her husband and sent east with her eight year-old son. To endure her brutal existence, for 16 years she writes love letters to her husband that can never be sent.

114 The Singing Revolution (2006, Documentary) Can music change the world? Between 1987 and 1991, hundreds of thousands of Estonians gathered publicly to sing forbidden patriotic songs and share protest speeches. Their revolution succeeded without a single loss of life. This film reveals how it happened.

Loss (2008, Drama) This taut thriller concerns a Lithuanian priest who resettles in Ireland. But when another Lithuanian émigré, Valda, arrives, a secret from his past comes along with her, and disrupts the lives of six different people. This film was the first from Lithuania to be submitted for an Academy Award.

Baltic Storm (2003, Drama) This thriller focuses on the 1994 sinking of the ferry MS Estonia, in which 852 lives were lost. Based on the reporting of German journalist Jutta Rabe, it suggests that the sinking (and subsequent cover up) was connected to a Swedish military operation in which Russian defense technology was being smuggled to the west. Starring Greta Scacchi, Jürgen Prochnow, and Donald Sutherland.

The Invisible Front (2014, Documentary) A documentary about the Lithuanian resistance told through the experience of one of its leaders, Juozas Luksa, and his fellow “Forest Brothers.”

Russia The Dawns Here are Quiet (1972, Drama) An Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Film. Heroism knows no gender in this heartbreaking World War II story about female Russian soldiers sent to fight Germans in the Karelian forest (near Finland). Their male sergeant (who has asked for troops who don’t drink or chase after women) is shocked when he sees that his new anti- aircraft gunners are young women, but a mutual respect gradually evolves. The WWII scenes are shot in black and white and the backstories of the women are in color.

The Death of Stalin (2017, Satire) As the dictator is dying of a cerebral hemorrhage, his Council of Ministers scrambles to grab power for themselves. Scheming, treachery, horror and plenty of black comedy ensue, courtesy of a brilliant cast that includes Steve Buscemi as Nikita Kruschev and Jeffrey Tambor as Malenkov, Michael Palin as Molotov, and the brilliant Simon Russell Beale as the depraved head of the secret police, Beria. From one of the creators of Veep.

Russia: Land of the Tsars (2003, Documentary) Filmed on location in Russia by the A&E crew, this documentary captures the imperial history of the Tsars. Look for the special edition set that includes bonus episodes from the TV show A&E Biography on Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible, and Rasputin.

Russian Ark (2002, Historical Fantasy) Three centuries of Russian history unfold in this breathtaking film, which consists of one entirely unbroken shot as the camera (and an unseen narrator) glides through the Winter Palace of the Hermitage. We meet famous characters overhear whispered conversations, spy on state meetings, and also glimpse the Hermitage’s fabled artwork.

Catherine the Great (2019, Historical Miniseries) Helen Mirren plays the aging empress, who, along with her lover and advisor Grigory Potemkim, expanded the borders of Russia and launched its rise as a major European power. Awash in sumptuous period details, the series reveals an

115 amazing woman who outsmarted a succession of ruthless, petty, and grasping men. Confident in her power and free in her sexuality, Catherine was unfairly maligned by those same men. Mirren redeems her.

Poland The Pianist (2002, Drama) Three Oscar wins for this unforgettable, harrowing and true story of Wadyslaw Szpillman, an up and coming classical pianist who hid and survived for five years in the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto after his entire family was deported to Treblinka.

Man of Iron (1981, Drama) A dissolute journalist is sent to report on the Solidarity movement in the Gdansk shipyards, knowing that his information is being funneled to state police. But as he becomes involved in the lives of shipyard workers, activists, and their leader Lech Walesa, things change. From one of Poland’s premier auteurs, Andrzej Wadja.

Georgia Since Otar Left (2003, Drama) A touching story about the lives of three Georgian women living in Tbilisi, which is still struggling with power and water outages after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The mother and daughter attempts to hide the fate of beloved Otar (who lives in Paris and is not seen by the audience) from their elderly grandmother. French with English subtitles.

Father of a Soldier (1964, War) This WWII classic recounts the story of an aging Georgian winemaker searching for his son, an army lieutenant who has been injured—but when the father arrives at the hospital, his son has already been sent back to the front. This award-winning film about the strength of family bonds is often available on Amazon Prime and is worth seeking out. Russian with English subtitles.

Tangerines (2014 War). Considered a small masterpiece, the film takes place in 1992, when the Georgian region of Abkhazia fights to secede and an Estonian man wants to harvest his crop of tangerines while war rages on around him. Georgian with English subtitles (should be available on Amazon’s video service).

Denmark The Danish Girl (2015, Drama) The Danish artist Einar Wegener (later known as Lili Elbe) was one of the first people to undergo sex reassignment surgery. This biopic depicts Elbe’s early career and marriage to artist Gerda Gottlieb, and the Bohemian worlds of Copenhagen and Paris in the 20s and early 30s.

A Royal Affair (2012, Historical Drama) The mentally ill King Christian VII comes to rely on his friend and physician, Johann Struensee (Mads Mikkelsen), a radical Enlightenment thinker from Germany. So, too, does the lonely Queen Caroline (Alicia Vikander), who begins a passionate affair with the doctor. The king learns of their liaison, but protects them, and makes Struensee a Royal Advisor who essentially rules in the king’s name. But his reforms are cut short when plotting aristocrats use the affair and Struensee’s foreign status to bring a tragic end to this true story.

116 Pele the Conqueror (1988, Drama) Directed by Billie August, this Danish-Swedish production won the 1989 Oscar for Best Foreign Film, and star Max von Sydow was nominated for Best Actor. It follows the early 19th-century widower Lasse, who emigrates with his 12-year old son Pelle to the Danish island of Bornholm in search of a better life. That is not what they find.

Babette’s Feast (1988, Comedy) Set on the rugged coast of 19th century Denmark, this film is from a short story by Isak Dinesen. Two beautiful daughters grow up with a clergyman father, who preaches self-denial. After his death, the sisters uphold his inflexible practices until the arrival of a French refugee, Babette. She cooks and for them, and introduces them to the deep pleasure of a gourmet French meal. Winner of the 1987 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

The Danish Solution (2003, Documentary) Filmmakers Karen Cantor and Camilla Kjaerulff , with Garrison Keillor narrating, reveal how the citizens of Denmark protected their Jewish population against Hitler’s attempt to impose export his final solution into Denmark.

Useful Websites

Overseas Adventure Travel World Weather www.oattravel.com www.intellicast.com www.weather.com Overseas Adventure Travel Store www.wunderground.com www.oatshop.com Basic Travel Phrases (80 languages) Overseas Adventure Travel Frequently www.travlang.com/languages Asked Questions www.oattravel.com/faq Packing Tips www.travelite.org International Health Information/CDC (Centers for Disease Control) U.S. Customs & Border Protection http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel www.cbp.gov/travel

Electricity & Plugs Transportation Security www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/ Administration (TSA) plugs-and-sockets www.tsa.gov

Foreign Exchange Rates National Passport Information Center www.xe.com/currencyconverter www.travel.state.gov www.oanda.com/converter/classic Holidays Worldwide ATM Locators www.timeanddate.com/holidays www.mastercard.com/atm www.visa.com/atmlocator

117 VACCINATIONS NOW REQUIRED FOR ALL TRAVELERS, SHIP CREW, TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADERS, AND COACH DRIVERS Plus, updated Health & Safety Protocols for our Land Tours

The health and safety of our travelers is always our #1 priority, and we understand travelers are concerned about exploring the world in light of the unprecedented crisis we are currently facing. To ensure your safety and give you peace of mind, we have worked with our regional team and listened to government guidance and feedback from our travelers to create these health and safety protocols for our trips. As we continue to make changes, we will keep our website updated with the latest information.

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS • All travelers, ship crew, and Trip Experience AND UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY Leaders will have their temperature checked PROTOCOLS FOR SMALL SHIP every time they return to the ship using a non- ADVENTURES contact infrared temperature scanner. • All travelers must be fully vaccinated against • All meals are served by the dining staff— COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure buffets are no longer available. and provide proof of vaccination upon VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS AND boarding the ship. If you are unable to UPDATED HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS provide proof of vaccination upon arrival at FOR SMALL GROUP ADVENTURES ON LAND your destination, you will have to return • All travelers must be fully vaccinated against home at your own expense. COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to departure. If To meet this requirement, please bring your you are unable to provide proof of vaccination original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card upon arrival at your destination, you will with you on your trip. The white card must have to return home at your own expense. display your name, type of vaccine, and the To meet this requirement, please bring your date(s) the vaccine was administered. We also original COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card with suggest taking a picture of this card to keep for you on your trip. The white card must display your records as a backup. your name, type of vaccine, and the date(s) • All local Trip Experience Leaders, the vaccine was administered. We also suggest fully ship staff, and crew will be taking a picture of this card to keep for your vaccinated against COVID-19. records as a backup. fully • All coach drivers will be • All local Trip Experience Leaders will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. vaccinated against COVID-19. • All public areas will be sanitized nightly and • All coach drivers will be fully vaccinated all ships are equipped with High Efficiency against COVID-19. Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.

Help us ensure travelers’ safety and health while on our trips. Please follow best health and hygiene practices to prevent the spread of illness—wash your hands regularly and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Together, we can create a safer travel experience for everyone.

Learn more at www.oattravel.com/covid-update

118 Notes

119 Notes

120 Notes

121 Notes

122

n Sea A spia

Ca I

Moscow S AZERB.

Sighnaghi

S U

A

I ARM. From Petersburg St.

St. Petersburg St. R

G St. Petersburg St. Tbilisi

R

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Narva

d

n

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R R l

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a L

i g u E

F a

D

B

f o Kose s

Vilnius f

ė l k š

i u Parnu ESTONIA š

Salaspils G Rundale Palace (Optional Tour) Rum Tallinn Trakai FINLAND Riga Hill of Crosses

LITHUANIA

LATVIA

a

e

S

c

i

t

l a B (RUSSIA) KALININGRAD Klaipeda Curonian Spit Curonian POLAND Vilnius To Vilnius To BELARUS UKRAINE SWEDEN Copenhagen Krakow

LITHUANIA z it GERMANY w Miles

Warsaw h POLAND

c To/From U.S. Internal flight Land route Train route Ferry route

s DENMARK u Odense A REP. PRE-TRIP EXTENSIONS

CZECH 080

123 YOUR TRIP EXPERIENCE LEADER

Your O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader is an insider who lives in the destinations you are exploring. They are not just knowledgeable, but personable and personal—eager to understand your own interests, and happy to share their own. This makes all the diff erence between just visiting a place, and experiencing its true spirit.

For your The Baltic Capitals & St. Petersburg adventure, your Trip Experience Leaders have earned an overall “Excellence” rating of 97% in post-trip surveys completed by our travelers.

The Leader in Personalized Small Group Adventures on the Road Less Traveled

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