BALTICS TRIP DOSSIER
June 17th to July 2nd 2006
17th June. Fly to
Vilnius [Lithuania]. Check into Ambassador hotel
Located on the
edge of the Neris River, Vilnius is surrounded by green pine clad hills, an idyllic
location which perhaps partly explains why the locals are so friendly and
welcoming. The Old Town is the largest in Eastern Europe and is a fascinating
place to explore with its twisting narrow cobbled streets, hidden courtyards
and lovely old Gothic and Barque buildings. There are dozens of churches – it
is said that you can see a church spire from every street, and the remains of
the old castle stand sentinel over the old town. You can climb Gediminas Hill
for amazing views over the town, stroll through the craft market looking for
unusual souvenirs or try some traditional food at one of the many excellent
restaurants – the cepelinai for example, which is an interesting combination of
potato dough stuffed with cheese or meat and topped with a mouth-watering bacon
and onion sauce in sour cream!
19th June.
Day trip to Trakai (train).
Trakai was the
capital of Lithuania in the fourteenth century and you can still see the
remains of two of the castles built at that time to defend the city from marauding
German knights. The Island Castle is particularly impressive, set in a gorgeous
position in the centre of a lake, linked to the shore by narrow footbridges.
The castle has been beautifully restored and is well worth a visit.
20th
June. Train to Ignalina, then bus to Paluse. Check into the accommodation at
Paluse Park
In this National
Park we have an excellent opportunity to see the rural side of Lithuania and
there are some lovely trails that we can follow through the most scenic areas
of the park. There are 126 lakes here, many of which are dotted with small
islands; surrounding them are miles and miles of thick forest, with pine and
spruce trees that fill with the sound of extensive birdlife. There are also small
traditional
villages within the park boundaries,
22nd
June. Bus to Ignalina, then train to Vilnius then train to Siauliai. Check into
the Hotel Norna.
HILL OF CROSSES
[Lithuania]
A small two-humped
hillock has been covered with thousands and thousands of crosses. These come in
every size, shape and material possible. There are thought to be more than two
hundred thousand in total but no one really knows. Nor do they know how this
place came about, but it has become a symbol of Lithuanian nationalism. Under
Soviet occupation the number of crosses multiplied in a gesture of resistance –
despite the fact that placing a cross here was sufficient crime to be arrested
by the KGB. It was bulldozed at least three times but the crosses kept coming
back. This is an eerie place to explore, with no sound but the faint wind as it
whistles across the flat plains and rattles the crosses on the hill.
23rd June.
Take the express bus to Riga [Latvia]. Check into the Victoria hotel.
Riga has an
extraordinarily rich history dating back to 1201, and as you walk the streets
of this beautiful old city, this history is distinctly palpable. There are
gothic buildings, baroque churches, classical halls, art Nouveau houses and
much much more. The buildings are painted bright colours and are adorned with
gargoyles, sculpted angels and lions and all periods of history are
represented. The narrow winding streets offer a range of restaurants, shops and
small bars and you will be sure to pass street musicians. There are churches,
like the magnificent St Peters where you can take a lift to the top for truly
spectacular views over the roofs of the old city, a fascinating museum all
about Latvia’s recent occupations which is not be to be missed, extensive
parks, jam packed markets and through the centre of it all runs the Daugava
River.
25th
June. Take the train to Sigulda for an overnight stay. Check into the Hotel
Sigulda.
In Sigulda you are
back in the land of fairy tales, with a selection of medieval castles
surrounding the town and many caves with legends to go with them. One of the
most poignant is the tale of the beautiful ‘Turaida Rose’ a young girl whose
legendary beauty led to her downfall, slain at the hand of one of her suitors.
Perhaps the most atmospheric of the castles are the ruins of the ‘Knights
stronghold’ at the edge of the town. This is largely unreconstructed and sports
excellent views across the valley to Turaida castle. Sigulda itself is situated
on the edge of a heavily forested section of the Gauja National Park and there
are lots of lovely walks available.
27th
June. Take the ‘Eurolines’ bus to Tallin. Then catch the local bus to Viitna in
the Lahemaa National Park. Overnight stay at Viitna campsite.
Estonia’s largest national
park, Lahemma takes in a stretch of deeply indented coast with several
peninsulas and bays. There are 480 sq km of forested hinterland including 14
lakes, rivers, waterfalls and several villages, plus 220 sq km of marine area.
The park is an alluring, unspoilt section of rural Estonia with varied coastal
and inland scenery.
28th June. Hitch a lift to Paluse, then onto to Kasmu. Check into a lovely little B&B.
30th June.
Take the bus back to Tallin. Check into Hostel Helke (a very basic and drab
place).
One of the most
striking things about Tallinn is the many brightly coloured buildings. There
are pinks, yellows, blues, red and greens all conspiring to make this city
seems like something straight out the medieval past. Stroll the streets and you
will find yourself continually taking pictures thinking that surely this must
be the most picturesque place in all of Tallinn… until you round that next
corner! Explore both the lower Town and Upper town ‘Toompea’, built on a hill
in the centre of the city, which provides magnificent views over the old city.
Or climb Olav Church tower and marvel at the old city itself, with its
beautifully preserved mass of medieval walls and turrets, churches and narrow
cobbled streets. It is easy to get lost in these streets but what could be more
fun?