Riga Cathedral and the Old Town The Hidden Baltics & Belarus AN ESCORTED TOUR OF LATVIA, LITHUANIA AND BElaRUS 13TH TO 22ND JUNE & 5TH TO 14TH SEPTEMBER 2018 Nesvizh Castle, Belarus aving operated voyages around the Baltic for over twenty years, we thought it was time to devise an escorted Htour which allows for some more time to discover the many facets of both Latvia and Lithuania with the added benefit of time to explore the little visited yet intriguing city of Minsk in Belarus.This in-depth journey offers the perfect balance of guided excursions with visits to some stunning National Parks, glorious palaces and gardens, natural wonders such as the Curonian Spit, fascinating museums showcasing remnants of the Soviet era as well as time spent wandering the charming streets of Riga and Vilnius admiring the Gothic architecture. Despite the often turbulent history of conquests and partitions, since the departure of their Soviet masters, both Latvia and Lithuania have retained their unique character and enchanting old quarters which combined with natural treasures has meant they are fast being recognised as two of Europe’s gems and now is the time to discover their many riches. In contrast, the city of Minsk was razed to the ground in World War II and very little remains from the pre-war years, there are however a myriad of places of interest to those interested in the Soviet period and just outside the city is Nesvizh Castle, a combination of Medieval, Renaissance and Classical architecture which we will explore during our time in Belarus. We do hope you can join us for what promises to be a fascinating tour of some relatively unknown places of much interest which are unlikely to remain ‘hidden’ for too much longer given their wealth of cultural and natural wonders. www.noble-caledonia.co.uk Hill of Crosses, Siauliai Church of St Simon and St Helena, Minsk Rugged landscape of the Curonian Spit FINLAND SWEDEN Riga, the 800-year-old capital of RUSSIA Day 2 Riga. Day 3 Rundale Palace & Klaipeda, Lithuania. BALTIC ESTONIA Latvia is famous for its historic centre and Art After a leisurely breakfast transfer to the SEA Nouveau architecture and on a morning city tour Zemgale region of Latvia and the beautiful we visit Albert Street before driving along the Rundale Palace. Constructed in the 1730s to LATVIA Riga boulevards of the city centre and passing by the a design by Bartolomeo Rastrelli, Rundale Pilsrundale Plateliai iconic Freedom Monument. We will take a Palace was originally the summer residence of Siauliai Lapiai walking tour of the Old Town, passing through Ernst Johann von Biron, Duke of Courland. The Klaipeda LITHUANIA Curonian Spit Kaunas Rumsiskes Theatre Square to view the Riga Russian Theatre 136 room palace was badly damaged in 1919 and the Great and Small Guildhalls which reflect during the Latvian War of Independence but Vilnius Minsk Trakai Latvia’s period as a Hanseatic City. Continue to has been fully restored to its former glory and Nesvizh Mir the Swedish Gates, constructed during Riga’s is now considered one of the most outstanding POLAND period under Swedish rule in the 17th century monuments of Baroque and Rococo art in BELARUS before viewing other interesting buildings such northern Europe. Take a guided tour through as the Parliament and the ‘Three Brothers’, the the Palace halls and private quarters, enjoy oldest complex of dwelling houses in the city. lunch in its restaurant and explore the Baroque THE ITINERARY The tour continues to Dome Square to view the style park and rose garden. This afternoon we Day 1 London to Riga, Latvia. Fly by scheduled exterior of the Dome Cathedral and to see the journey south and, after crossing the border flight from London to Riga and transfer to the House of Blackheads; now the temporary into Lithuania, we visit the Hill of Crosses, a centrally located Radisson Blu Elizabete Hotel residence of the President of Latvia. This house pilgrimage site to the north of the city of Siauliai. for a two night stay. Explore Riga at leisure this with its 14th century origins was destroyed in Enjoy a brief visit before we continue on to afternoon before meeting for dinner at a local 1948 and restored in 1999. Enjoy an afternoon Klaipeda and check in into the National Hotel for restaurant. and evening at leisure. a two night stay. Cathedral Tower Square and Gediminas Castle in Vilnius Traditional cottage at Rumsiskes open-air museum Traditional fisherman’s house in Nida Mir Castle Day 4 Klaipeda & the Curonian Spit. After European cities including Berlin, London, Madrid home to an open-air ethnographical museum. breakfast we take a panoramic drive through and Paris. It was from this very same site in 1962 The 150 cottages, windmills and even a church Klaipeda and a ferry across to the Curonian that missiles were deployed to Cuba in what were transferred here from different villages Peninsula, a UNESCO-listed 60 mile long curved became known as the Cuban missile crisis. We to give an authentic representation of life in sand dune spit that separates the lagoon from will visit the four remaining decommissioned Lithuania in the 19th century. En-route to Vilnius the Baltic Sea Coast. Admire the beautiful nuclear missile silos, their control station and we will stop in Trakai, the first capital of Lithuania craftmanship of 80 carved wooden sculptures at the underground facilities, giving an insight and home to the stunning Trakai Castle, a well the Hill of Witches near Juodkrante before into the hidden secrets of the Cold War period. preserved 15th century castle beautifully located driving to the main settlement of Nida, home to After lunch we visit Lapiai and the home of the on the lake. Following lunch at a local restaurant a collection of traditional fishermen’s houses and first British defence attache to Lithuania. He we transfer to Lithuania’s capital Vilnius for a two weathervanes. Following lunch at a local will recount stories of his life from his time as night stay at the Ramada Hotel. restaurant continue to the 52 metre high Great a bomber pilot, a diplomat during the Cold Dune for panoramic views over the dunes and War in Moscow and of life now in independent Day 7 Vilnius. We have a full day to explore lagoon. On a clear day it is possible to see into Lithuania. We will visit his refurbished old house the Old Town of Vilnius which was declared the Russian territory on Kaliningrad at the and the original outbuildings built in 1926, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Our southern end of the Spit. wander around the large garden and see the city tour will commence with a walk to the Lapiai Castle Hill. Following the visit transfer to Gates of Dawn, historically the gates of Vilnius’ Day 5 Plateliai, Lapiai & Kaunas. This morning Kaunas and check in to the Daugirdas Hotel for a original defensive walls. View St Anne’s Church, we drive to Plateliai National Park where we will one night stay. one of the city’s best known landmarks and a visit the nuclear missile site built under great masterpiece of the late Gothic period, before secrecy in 1960 by the Soviets. From here nuclear Day 6 Rumsiskes, Trakai & Vilnius. After strolling down Pilies Street with its market stalls missiles were targeted towards the biggest breakfast at the hotel we will drive to Rumsiskes, towards the city’s 15th century cathedral, the +44 (0)20 7752 0000 Rastrelli’s magnificent Rundale Palace coronation site of the Grand Dukes. The tour Afghanistan war, before we transfer to the Upper example of defensive architecture and one continues with a panoramic drive around Vilnius, Town to visit the Virgin Mary Church and the of the few UNESCO sites in the country. On making two stops representing two stages of impressive Orthodox Cathedral. After some time a guided tour we will learn about the mix of the city’s long history; the 17th century Peter and to explore at leisure we will meet for lunch at a architectural styles and gain an insight in to the Paul’s church and the much more recent KGB local restaurant before driving to Independence history of the castle and its grounds before we Museum, representing the darkest days of the and Victory Squares. Our final stop is at a more enjoy lunch in the restaurant. Transfer back to Soviet era. The museum contains hundreds of recent landmark of the city, the modernist the hotel for some free time before meeting for documents and photographs from the period National Library. Opened in 2006, the 22 floor dinner. and houses the cells used for the imprisonment structure has become the most recognisable of dissidents. Following time for an independent building from the city and our tour will include Day 10 Minsk to London. Transfer to Minsk lunch in the Old Town, visit the 14th century a panoramic view of the city from the open air airport for your return scheduled flight to London. Vilnius University before driving back to the observation deck. Check in to the Marriott Hotel hotel. for a two night stay. Day 8 Minsk, Belarus. Following an early Day 9 Nesvizh & Mir. Following breakfast drive breakfast transfer to Vilnius station and join a to the small town of Nesvizh, whose palace PRICES PER PERSON Based on double occupancy train for the transfer to Minsk, one of Europe’s and castle complex is one of the architectural 2 Chester Close, Belgravia, London, SW1X 7BE least visited capitals. Badly damaged in World treasures of Belarus.