TRAVEL WITH FRIENDS IN 2013 St Petersburg to Berlin via the Baltic States ST PETERSBURG – TALLINN – RIGA – VILNIUS – BERLIN with Liz Gibson 10-29 August 2013 (20 days) Tour St Petersburg to Berlin leader via the Baltic States Discover the extraordinary art treasures of St Petersburg and Berlin, the cultural capitals of Europe, and visit the Baltic States that link these great cities. Beginning in the grand European-inspired capital laid out by Peter the Great and embellished by the later Tsars, journey through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, along the so-called ‘Via Baltica’ – the historic trade route which links southern and northern Europe along the east coast of the Baltic Sea. The capitals Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn will delight you with well-preserved old towns and a wealth of medieval, Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau (Riga) architecture. Finish with a leisurely seven-night stay in Berlin, the new geographical, Liz Gibson is a former political and cultural capital of an expanded Europe. Witness the remarkable Senior Coordinator of Public transformation of this city, which has seen so much turbulence in its history. Programs at AGNSW, Liz continues to lecture on broad ranging aspects of art history and art appreciation. Since leading her first tour to Russia, she has immersed herself in Eastern Europe and its interconnecting layers of At a glace: art and culture. As a result, Liz has developed and led a • Explore the summer palaces, museums and churches of St Petersburg series of successful Art Gallery • Spend a full day at the Hermitage Museum Society tours through Russia, Czech Republic, Baltic States, • Travel along the ‘Via Baltica’ stopping in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, • Take an in-depth look at Berlin, the new cultural capital of Europe Romania and Hungary. • Visit the Reichstag building on a guided art tour St Petersburg Tallinn Estonia RUSSIA Riga Latvia Lithuania Vilnius Poland Berlin GERMANY Fly Coach Map is a guide only Itinerary Fri 9 August 2013 Depart Sydney After lunch at a traditional Russian restaurant, continue to the Suggested departure from Sydney on Qantas/British Airways flights nearby neo-classical Pavlovsk Palace. The residence of Emperor to St Petersburg via London. Paul I, the son of Charles Cameron, the estate’s magnificent palace sits on a hill overlooking an English-style landscaped park, with a Sat 10 Aug Arrive St Petersburg beautiful river running through it. B L Arrive St Petersburg in the afternoon. Transfer and check-in to your Tue 13 Aug St Petersburg hotel superbly located on St Isaac’s Square, within walking distance of many important points of interest, including the Hermitage Museum. Today begins with an introductory lecture on the ‘Hermitage Museum’ by Liz Gibson, followed by a visit to this world famous In the evening join Liz Gibson and fellow Art Lovers for a welcome museum. Located in the former Winter Palace, the official residence briefing and dinner. D of the Tsars, and the Small and Large Hermitages, the museum houses the vast collection of artworks built up by the Tsars, along Sun 11 Aug St Petersburg with the collections of several former leading aristocratic families. Full day introduction to this magnificent city, first planned by Peter the Great and later embellished by the Tsars as a great European Following the morning guided tour, the rest of the day is free to capital. Begin with a visit to the Peter and Paul Fortress built by further explore the Hermitage Museum at your leisure. Peter the Great in 1703 to defend Russia from Swedish attack. Tonight, subject to programs announced approx. two - three Visit the impressive Peter and Paul Cathedral, the burial place of months prior, attend an opera, ballet or concert. B all the Russian Emperors and Empresses from Peter the Great Wed 14 Aug St Petersburg to Alexander III. Continue to Smolny Cathedral, a fine example of Baroque architecture by the Italian architect Rastrelli (also Today journey out of St Petersburg to Peterhof with commanding responsible for the Winter Palace and Catherine’s Palace). views over the Gulf of Finland. Inspired by Versailles, this series of palaces and gardens was laid out on the orders of Peter the After lunch, enjoy a walking tour along (and off) Nevsky Prospect, Great and completed by his daughter, the Empress Elizabeth. Visit St Petersburg’s main avenue, through the historical centre of the the Grand Palace with its numerous gardens, the summer palace city. In the very early days it was the start of the roadway to the Monplaisir, the Royal baths and kitchens which detail everyday life of ancient city of Novgorod, and quickly became adorned with major the Imperial family. palaces, department stores, hotels, restaurants, churches, squares and bridges. B L Enjoy a picnic lunch and afterwards travel to Oranienbaum located in the town of Lomonosov. It was built in Peter the Great’s time by Mon 12 Aug St Petersburg Prince Menshikov, who sought to built a palace to rival Peterhof. B L Drive to the town of Pushkin, formerly known as ‘Tsar’s Village’ Thu 15 Aug St Petersburg (Tsarkoye Selo), renowned for its remarkable ensemble of palaces and parks. It is particularly famous for its impressive Baroque Join Liz Gibson for a lecture on ‘Russian Art’ followed by a visit Catherine Palace, where Empress Catherine the Great lived and died. to the Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood (Resurrection of Christ Church), erected between 1883 and 1907 on the site Pass by the nearby Aleksandrovsky Palace, the favoured home of where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated in 1881. Built in the the last Tsar, Nicholas II (not open to the public). It was from here flamboyant Russian Revival style, both the interior and exterior of that the whole Imperial family left in 1917 to travel to Yekaterinburg, the church are richly decorated with colourful mosaics, designed where they were brutally murdered by revolutionaries. and created by the most prominent Russian artists of the day. Grand Cascade Fountains, Peterhof Catherine’s Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, Pushkin Continue with a visit to the Russian Museum, housed in the Founded in 1323 at the confluence of the rivers Neris and Vilnia, Mikhailovsky Palace, built between 1819 and 1825 for Grand Duke Vilnius is a city of religious tolerance and of churches. The skyline Mikhail, the brother of Alexander I and Nicholas I. Established in is dominated by spires and features much remarkable Baroque 1895 under the decree of the Emperor Nicholas II and opened in architecture. B L 1898, the Russian Museum is today the world’s largest collection of Russian fine arts from the 10th to the 20th centuries, a famous Wed 21 Aug Vilnius restoration centre and one of Russia’s major cultural, educational A morning walking tour will start from Cathedral Square in the and research centres. Remainder of the day at leisure. B heart of the city. Visit St Stanislav’s Cathedral, St Anna’s Church, the Gates of Dawn, Gediminas Castle and the University, one of Fri 16 Aug St Petersburg – Tallinn (Estonia) the oldest in Europe. After a break for lunch, drive a short distance A day’s drive takes you from St Petersburg to Tallinn, the capital of out of the city to the 15th century Trakai Castle, which stands on an Estonia and the best-preserved medieval town in Northern Europe. island in the middle of a lake. Return to Vilnius for a private organ B D concert at St Kazimier’s Cathedral. B D Sat 17 Aug Tallinn Thu 22 Aug Vilnius - Berlin The best way to explore Tallinn is on foot. The morning walking Morning flight from Vilnius to Berlin. Transfer to the hotel situated tour will start in the Upper Town dominated by Toompea Castle, on the River Spree, opposite the Berlin Cathedral and close to ‘Tall Hermann’ tower and the Dome Cathedral. In the Lower Town, Museum Island. see the Church of the Holy Spirit, Niguliste Church and Town Hall Begin your exploration of Berlin with an afternoon walking tour Square, dominated by the medieval Old Town Hall. The morning including the Berlin State Opera, Humboldt University, the Altes will conclude with a visit to the Ethnographical Park Museum ‘Rocco Museum and the Zeughaus (German Historical Museum). Finish Al Mare’. at Pariser Platz, surrounded by the Brandenburg Gate, the Hotel This afternoon is at leisure to further explore Tallinn on your own. Adlon, the Academy of the Arts and Frank Gehry’s DZ Bank Climb the tower of the Town Hall for a spectacular view, take a building. B D walk to Pirita along a seaside boardwalk passing many points of interest. Dinner in the old town. B D Fri 23 Aug Berlin Full day exploration of Berlin. Drive along Oranienburger street, Sun 18 Aug Tallinn – Riga (Latvia) past the New Synagogue, through the government district and Depart Tallinn for a leisurely day’s drive to Riga. En route, stop in Bellevue Palace, today the official residence of the German the Baltic coastal town of Paernu for lunch, before continuing to the president and the Siegessäule. capital of Latvia, known as the ‘Paris of the Baltics’. B D Visit Charlottenburg Palace, the largest palace in Berlin and the Mon 19 Aug Riga only royal residence in the city dating back to the time of the Hohenzollern family. Riga will delight you with its architectural contrasts – from medieval and Gothic, to Renaissance and Art Nouveau. This morning, After a break for lunch see the Olympic Stadium and drive along explore the old town of Riga, including visits to Riga Castle, the Kurfürstendamm, a wide boulevard locally also known as Ku’damm, Dome Cathedral, St Peter’s Church, Large and Small Guild Houses Berlin’s most famous shopping street, past the Kaiser-Wilhelm- and Powder Tower.