Historic Poland and the Baltic States 14 Days
This 14 day tour of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will be exploring many themes - Jewish culture in Eastern Europe, the role of religion in Europe's most Catholic country, Nazi controlled Europe, the hangover of the USSR, links to Russia, NATO, the European Union, immigration from Poland to the USA and Europe, the Concentration Camp at Auschwitz, Oscar Schindler's factory in UNECSCO Krakow and much, much more.
Slavic culture is widely misunderstood and the history of the area is extremely confusing for the undoctrinated. We'll visit the capital of Poland, Warsaw, that Hitler tried to raze to the ground during WW2 in an attempt to create "Lebensraum" or "Living Space" for Aryan settlers, the UNESCO World Heritage City of Krakow, once with the highest concentration of Jews in Europe, with up to 30% of the city thriving in the Kazimiersk sector of the city.
In the midst of all our visits from the Baltic capital of Amber, Gdansk, to Krakow, Poznan and more, we'll be sampling Polish delights and learning about this rapidly developing country with so much history and culture.
Onwards to Lithuania, a county with a tiny population of just three million, we'll be exploring the two main cities, Kaunas and the capital, Vilnius. Our next step takes us to the regional hub of the three Baltic states, Riga. Known for its excellent universities, fanastic museums and stunning Gothic architecture, this is a beautiful city different in many respects to Poland and Lithuania. Finally, we head to Estonia, the most "free" Baltic country under Stalin and a UNESCO city of beautiful architecture.
Estonia has a massive ex-pat community primarily in the United States, Finland and Sweden. In fact, the language is non Indo-European and it's closest neighbour across the water Finland is the only one with similar roots (some people will also include Hungary in that group). The people of Estonia are well-educated, multi-lingual and very much involved in computer programming, software development and IT. The many links to the United States have seen major educational programs sponsored by immigrants who left Estonia after 1945 and are trying to bring the country up. Tallinn, the capital, is beautiful, charming and walkable. Here our journey ends and we return home culturally richer, educated and informed about a very much underestimated cultural region of Europe.
Itinerary and Specifics
Higlights:
- See Warsaw and understand the dynamics in modern Poland between the EU and its legacy as a former member of the USSR
- Understand the relationship between Poland and th rest of the Baltic countries - the Polish diaspora worldwide has a large role to play
- Sample some of the best food in Eastern Europe
- Understand why the Vikings were trading in amber and where it comes from. Poland's north coast is the historical supplier to the rest of the world.
- Trace your Polish roots - many people in North America and the UK can follow their origins back here.
- Understand the many differences between Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia - cultural, linguistic, political, historical and culinary.
- See some of the world's most beautiful cities - Gdansk, Krakow, Riga, Kaunas, Vilnius and Tallinn.
- Learn the history of this ever changing region and how it related to the Prussians, Hapsburgs, Ottomans and Russians.
- Return home wondering why you left it so long to see the best of Eastern Europe.
- Enjoy the many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in this part of the world. We will be visiting Polish Castles and Palaces.
Included:
- 4 Star Accommodation on a Bed and Breakfast Basis
- Meet and Greet at Airport
- Transfers to and from hotel
- Expert driver/guide
- Comfortable touring vehicle
- Local knowledge, recommendations and help with any bookings you want to make
- Porterage - 1 piece per person in and out of hotels
Not included
- Flights - purchase your own flights in and out of destination
- Gratuities - minimum recommended $20 per person per day
- Lunches and Dinners - we like our guests to be able to choose their own dining options
- Any entrances to museums, attractions and concerts - most of what you're looking for will be free entrance anyway.
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1
Fly into Frederic Chopin International Airport in Warsaw. Meet and Greet, transfer to hotel and check-in. The local guide will conduct a familiarisation walk with you and make some suggestions in terms of dining options.
Day 2
See some of the historical Royal Palaces and go on a three hour walking tour to explore the historic centre of the city. Tonight, go to the top of the famous skycraper that's illuminated for best views of the city. Your guide will bring you somewhere good for traditional polish food - the bread, soups and pirogi are to die for.
Day 3
Leave Warsaw and head for the UNESCO World Heritage city of Krakow. It's a stunningly beautiful place and former capital of Poland, hence the Royal Palace. You'll visit this as well as the Jewish area called Kazimersk, visit Oscar Schindler's Factory Musuem (top class attraction) and learn all about the beacon of industry and cultural melting pot the city was until WW2 and the Nazis came to make it their regional administrative capital. The contemporary art gallery is pretty good next door too. Overnight for two nights in Krakow and explore the city this evening for dinner and drinks.
Day 4
Today we're driving 90 minutes to Auschwitz - any visit to Poland without understanding the horrors of WW2, Nazi and Soviet Occupations is incomplete. The country was divided in two between Germany and Russia and suffered tremendous loss and hardship right up until the fall of the Berlin wall in 1991. Auschwitz takes an in-depth look at the Final Solution and tells many personal stories of those who were imprisoned and sentenced to their deaths for being Jewish, political opponents or "misfits." It is a visit that will make you question many things and give you some appreciation for many of the things we take for granted like democracy, freedom and tolerance. We will have a private guide here and then you'll have free time to explore the many exhibitions housed in the former dormitories. Return to Krakow where you'll have some free time to walk by the Wistula River, try some more delicious pirogi and maybe another musuem or gallery.
Day 5
Today we're leaving the cultural oasis of Krakow for the Wraclow. Another truly beautiful city, we overnight here.
Day 6
It's Poznan and Gdansk today and we'll be spending two nights in this famous coastal city on the Baltic. The home of Amber, historic Cathedrals, stunning Germanic architecture, a trading post and the most beautiful city in Poland many people would say.
Day 7
Today you'll meet the local guide who will do a three hour walking tour (stop for coffee and a break half way through). You'll then have free time to explore the centre and its many attractions. There are some truly great musuems and beautiful old buildings to admire here. Much of the city has survived intact over the centuries.
Day 8
Today we drive to Lithuania with a couple of visits on the way. Kaunas is our destination and it's a beautiful, historic city that was once part of the larger Duchy of Poland and Lithuania. You'll have a local guide show you around this evening. We are here for two nights.
Day 9
Today we're going to spend the whole day in the capital Vilnius. Meet the local guide for a panoramic city tour and walking tour. We'll have the guide for the whole day so we can avail of their knowledge and expertise to recommend the best cafes, restaurants, attractions and more. Return to Kaunas.
Day 10
We are on our way to Latvia today, we'll spend two nights in Riga. We first visited in 2007 and have loved it ever since. The quality of museums and level of culture are mind-boggling high. There's so much to do and see in the Latvian Capital. One of our favourite musuems is the Jewish musuem, it's an incredibly informative attraction. We also liked browsing the food market and clothes market in the hangar of what was once the launch site for zeppelins. It's one of the best markets we ever visited. Today you'll meet the local guide for a walking tour in the old town and have some free time this evening.
Day 11
Today we'll spend some more time exploring the attractions of the city and if the weather is good we'll head to Jurmula on the train. It's a fantastic coastal town with excellent beaches and beautiful buildings. Last night in Riga.
Day 12
Today we drive to Estonia - an incredibly interesting country with a population known for their intelligence and multi-lingualism. Most people here speak Estonian (an incredibly difficult language to learn from scratch), Russian and English.
The country is anti-Russian politically-speaking since achieving independence after the collapse of the USSR. Their have been topplings of famous Stalin and Lennin statues as well as cyber attacks by Russia in retaliation. Understand why when you visit. The country is the home of the founders of Skype and TransferWise and there's a tech revolution been going on here for over 20 years. Most Estonians are incredibly computer literate and many start-ups exist in the country. The linguistic ability as well as IT structure has produced great results for the economy. Meet the local guide and do a walking tour of the incredibly beautiful UNESCO Old Town.
Day 13
Today we've got the opportunity to explore the city and visit the Seaplane museum, Alexander Nevski Cathedral, beautiful parks and Toompea Hill for great views. The seafood is great in the Estonian capital and tonight's the last night of the journey to enjoy it.
Day 14
Today we're sadly finishing up on the journey and its a transfer from the centrally located hotel to Talinn International airport. Salute your driver/guide and safe travels home or enjoy the next leg of your adventures on the next Global Dream Travel trip.
This is as in-depth as you can go in the Baltic Region and we are glad to have been able to provide clarity to you on such a confusing history, exploring identity, past, present and future trends in the area. You'll no longer see Poland or the Baltic States as the poor part of Europe, it is incredibly rich in history and the area is rapidly developing, providing incredibly valuable experiences to visitors of this part of ancient Europe.