4 BALTIC CAPITALS + 1

TOURS OF THE BALTIC STATES, HELSINKI TOURS

THE OLD TOWN IN VILNIUS

The Old Town in Vilnius is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List

VILNIUS CATHEDRAL

Vilnius cathedral is a place where king of Poland Alexander Jagiellon, the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas and Queens Barbara Radziwill and Elizabeth of Austria are buried. The heart of King of Poland Wladyslaw IV Wasa was placed in the tombs too. During Soviet rule the cathedral was converted into a warehouse. Many epitaphs in Polish were removed and the statues of saints were taken down from the roof. Later the cathedral was a concert hall and an art gallery. Officially the religious function of the church was restored in 1989.

VILNIUS UNIVERSITY

Vilnius University – third oldest university in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and one of the oldest in this part of Europe. It was created by King Stefan Batory in 1579. After the partitions of Poland-Lithuania the university was a refuge for Polish language and patriotism. The most famous alumni were Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Slowacki, Czesław Miłosz. Many notable Poles and Lithuaninans were professors of the university – Piotr Skarga, Jakub Wujek, Franciszek Bohomolec, Adam Naruszewicz, Joachim Lelewel.

Dinner – Lithuanian cuisine

RASOS CEMETERY

Burial place for many notable Poles, Lithuanians and Belarusians – poets, scientists, patriots. The cemetery is considered being one of most beautiful and significant in this part of Europe with importance similar to Warsaw’s Powazki, Krakow’s Skalka or Lychakiv in Lviv. One of the most important places for Poles in the Rasos Cemetery is ‘The Mother and Son’s Heart’ mausoleum devoted to Polish national hero Jozef Pilsudski. There are the grave of Maria Pilsudska and the buried heart of Jozef Pilsudski.

ST. ANNE’S CHURCH

Pearl of the brick-built late Gothic architecture. The founder of the church was Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland – Alexander Jagiellon. It is said that Napoleon liked the church so much that he wanted to move it to Paris.

GEDIMINAS’ TOWER

Gediminas’ Tower is a symbol of the city and an important landmark in its skyline with a spectacular view that may be admired from the top of the tower. The first wooden fortifications on the top of the Castle Hill were built in 11th century.

OLD TOWN

Old Town in Riga is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

MUSEUM OF THE OCCUPATION OF LATVIA

In The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia Latvians confront the times of Soviet occupation after 1940. People who may have remembered those times did not realize how much hated was the occupant and how much perfidious and mendacious was the policy of the Communist Big Brother towards the Baltic States. The exhibition is shattering and dramatic. It is a must see!

KAMPPI CHAPEL

Kamppi Chapel is also known the chapel of silence as it was designed as a place for contemplation for everybody regardless the religion or the philosophy of life. It is a place to calm down in one of the busiest districts of Helsinki. In 2012 Helsinki was declared the World Capital of Design. Due to this programme the chapel was built. Project’s designers – Kimmo Lintula, Niko Sirola and Mikko Summanen – won the International Architecture Awards in 2010. 

THE SUOMENLINNA FORTRESS

The Suomenlinna fortress is situated on six islands and was built in order to defend Helsinki from possible attacks from the sea. It is now inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

TARTU UNIVERSITY

The largest and highest ranked university in Estonia. It was founded in 1632 by King of Sweden Gustavus Adolfus on a basis of Jesuit grammar school established by King of Poland Stefan Batory. After close-down the Vilnius University and the Warsaw University by the tsarist authorities of Russia in 1831, the Tartu University become the main academy for Poles from the territories occupied by Russia.

TARTU

The second largest city in Estonia, its intellectual and cultural capital.

The above offer is intended as information and does not constitute a commercial offer within the meaning of article 66 § 1 of the Polish Civil Code and other relevant legal provisions.