Wonders of the Baltics

On arrival at Vilnius Airport a shuttle bus will take you directly to your hotel in the centre of Vilnius. Check-in and free evening.

Vilnius is the largest Baroque city in Northern Europe. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Start your discovery with the viewpoint from the Three Crosses Hill, offering a beautiful panorama of the valley of the two rivers Neris and Vilnia.

Continue with visits to the Jardin des Bernardins, the ramparts, the Orthodox Church of Saint Esprit, the Jewish district, the University, the Presidential Palace and finally the Cathedral Square. By electric bus you can reach the baroque church of St Peter and St Paul. Pass through the Halles food market before having a drink in one of the many bars in the station area. History buffs can visit the KGB museum, the national museum or the Palace of the Grand Dukes.

Your rental car will be delivered to the hotel. You will leave for Trakai, a small town surrounded by lakes with a beautiful red brick island castle. A walk along the lake will lead you to small colourful wooden houses inhabited by the Karaite ethnic minority. You will continue on to Užutrakis Manor House, an elegant villa of Count Tyszkiewicz, and then on to Pažaislis to discover a monastic complex in the most impressive Baroque style.

In the late afternoon you will arrive in Kaunas. You can stay at the hotel located in the city centre. Take a stroll to explore the city’s many sights.

Leaving Kaunas, go to the Aleksotas hill to enjoy the breathtaking view of the city. You will cross the Neman by cable ferry and then follow the river along which there are many mansions and castles.

Then you will explore Memelland and the Neman delta, stopping in Klaipeda for a nice walk in the old town. You will cross the Curonian Spit by ferry. This sandy strip that separates the lagoon from the Baltic Sea is classified by Unesco. You will make a stop in the village of Juodkrantė before continuing to Nida where your guest house is located.

This morning you will climb the Dune of Parnidis to admire the panorama of the Baltic Sea, the Curonian Lagoon and Russia. You will return to the mainland by ferry and continue to Palanga, the locals’ favourite seaside resort. The Botanical Park and the majestic Tyszkiewicz Palace, now the National Amber Museum, are a must see.

You leave the coast by a country road in the direction of the Zemaitija National Park. This place used to hide a secret military site of the USSR, nowadays the Cold War Museum. You reach the ethnographic village of Beržoras, where you stay in a small country cottage by the lake.

This morning you continue to Varniai, a picturesque town and the centre of the Samogitie diocese: visit the wooden churches of St. Peter and St. Paul and St. Alexander, as well as the amber-coloured lake.

Then you will discover the famous Hill of Crosses (Kryžiu Kalnas), 2 twin hills planted with thousands of crosses that attract pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. In the late afternoon, continue to Rundale, known for its extravagant castle in the middle of bucolic nature. After visiting the castle and its park, you head for Riga.

The capital of Latvia offers its visitors a medieval old town, a picturesque canal and an Art Nouveau district. A visit to the interior of the Cathedral of the Duomo with its huge central nave, one of the largest organs in the world and its historic cloister is highly recommended. Then discover Riga off the beaten track, starting with Centraltirgus, Europe’s largest food market before taking the local tram to explore the areas outside the city centre, before strolling through the Art Nouveau district.

This morning, you leave the city to join the Gauja National Park, nicknamed “Latvian Switzerland”. Start with a visit to Sigulda, a small wellness town at the gates of the park. Here you will discover the ruins of the castle of the Knights of the Ice Gate, Kropotkin Castle and the Lutheran Church.

Continue to Turaida, where you will spend a few hours in its open-air museum. Then descend into the Gauja valley to the Gutman cave. You then continue on to the village of Ligatne, the former stationery centre of the merchant Mentzendorff who supplied the Russian emperors with top quality paper. You will also have the opportunity to take a walk in the Nature Park. Here you can meet bears, lynx and elk!

Then take the road to Āraiši to visit its fortress. Once you arrive at Cēsis, you have time for a walk in the old town. The last stage of the day takes you to Ungurmuiža. You will spend the night in the beautiful 18th century baroque wooden manor house surrounded by a beautiful park of hundred-year-old oaks, it is a place that is absolutely magical!

Today you are going to discover the third Baltic country: Estonia! You will drive through the Central Lands (Vidzeme) and pass through the town of Limbaži, before arriving at the coastal road: the “Via Baltica”.

Just before the border, make a stop at Randu Plavas. There you can take a small natural path to the beach and climb up to the viewpoint to enjoy the view. Continue to Pärnu, a seaside town on the Baltic Sea. Discover its historic district with the Tallinn Gate, the Red Tower, the Orthodox Church of St. Catherine, the Church of Elizabeth and the Ammende Villa building. At the end of the afternoon you will be on your way back to Tallinn. Arrival in the early evening, return of the car and first meeting with the World Heritage city!

Full day to discover Tallinn in your own way, taking your time. Walking tour through the Old Town to discover the Town Hall Square, St. Catherine’s no-through road, Viru Gate, the city walls and the Church of St. Spirit.

Climb up to the Toompea Fortress, visit the Alexander Nevsk Orthodox Cathedral and the Duomo Church. It’s time to take a break, enjoy a gourmet coffee at the oldest café in town! Then visit the Maritime Museum in the old seaplane port, the unusual Kalamaja district with its wooden houses, cafes, restaurants and shops with Estonian design. If you still have time, visit the KUMU, Nigulist and Occupation museums. The evening offers many cultural and gastronomic experiences!

Free morning to discover more about the city of Tallinn. Then private transfer to the airport for your return flight to Montreal.