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Optional Post-Tour Extension to Tallinn, Estonia
Spend some time in forward-thinking Estonia, fomenter of the "Singing Revolution" against the Soviet Union, and patron of a bill that guarantees Internet access to all its citizens. Explore its UNESCO-listed medieval Old Town and applaud its 2004 membership in the European Union. Estonia has the fastest-growing economy in Central and Eastern Europe.
Post-Tour Itinerary
Day 1, Tue, May 15: St. Petersburg, drive to Tallinn
Drive to Tallinn with an en route stop for lunch. The drive to Estonia will take the better part of the day, passing dachas, fields and farms.
In November 1988, after a huge folk festival in Tallinn, during which people defied the USSR by singing banned songs, Estonia's Supreme Soviet passed a declaration of sovereignty. In August 1991 Estonia declared full independence from the Soviet Union. The Estonian government continues to strengthen its political and economic ties with Europe and joined the European Union in May of 2004.
Upon arrival, check in to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Radisson Hotel Tallinn or similar (B, L, D)
Day 2, Wed, May 16: Tallinn
This morning explore the outlying districts of Tallinn, including Pirita, where the ruins of St. Brigitta's convent have become a symbol. Founded in 1407, the convent was burned down during the Livonian War 170 years later. Today the western limestone gable and the side walls are all that remain. In 2001 a new convent was built next to the ruins, and the nuns of the St. Brigitta Order have returned after more than 400 years. Also in Pirita are the Song Festival Grounds where the Estonians defied the Soviet Union.
Next, survey Kadriorg Palace and Park. Peter the Great built this summer palace and park in 1718, calling it Ekaterinenthal, after his second wife.
After lunch, explore the city center. Tallinn's Old Town is the best-preserved medieval town center in Eastern Europe, in spite of various invasions of Danes, Swedes, Teutonic Knights, Russians, Nazis and Soviets. Its winding cobbled streets, red roofs and remaining turreted fortress wall are on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Tallinn has been a trading and strategic center for hundreds of years, and today its citizens are some of the most "wired" in the world, with all Estonians guaranteed Internet access.
The pagan people who originally settled this area were not organized into any kind of political unit. By 1219 the Danish nobility had conquered them and built a castle on Toompea Hill. In Upper Town you will see the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a lovely Russian Orthodox church; the Dome Church and the Dominican Monastery.
Walk on Short Leg Street to Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats) in the center of the Lower Town. Visit Northern Europe's only surviving Gothic town hall, built from 1371 to 1404.
Radisson Hotel Tallinn or similar (B, L, D)
Day 3, Thu, May 17: Tallinn
Spend the morning exploring remarkable Rocca-al-Mare, meaning "cliff by the sea." This open-air ethnographic museum recreates rural peasant life from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
Tonight, get together to toast the journey at a farewell dinner with a folklore performance.
Radisson Hotel Tallinn or similar (B, L, D)
Day 4, Fri, May 18: Depart Tallinn
Transfer to the airport for international departures to Frankfurt and back to your home town.
Radisson Hotel Tallinn or similar (B)
Post-Tour Details
| Length of Trip Extension: |
4 Days / 3 Nights |
| Dates: |
May 15-18, 2007 |
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| Land Tour Cost |
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Per person,
double occupancy |
$1,500
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| Single Supplement |
$250 |
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