Tours

Riga and the Baltics

Riga and the Baltics!

This tour will give you a chance to get acquainted with the rich cultural and historical heritage of Riga, Tallin and Vilnius. Within this guided walking tour you will be shown the most prominent historical, cultural and architectural monuments of Baltics. If you like we can change excursions with places.

Take with you:

- camera - there are a lot of attractions in Riga which you will certainly want to memorize;

- comfortable shoes, since the medieval cobble streets have been preserved in Old Riga.

1st day:

Arrival to Riga airport and transfer to hotel. Overnight stay at hotel.

2st day:

After breakfast  Old Town sightening. The medieval Old Town has been listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

What you will see:

You will have an excellent opportunity to see the following places: the Riga Castle, St. Peter's Church, the Dome Cathedarla, St. Jacob's Church, the Gunpowder Tower, the Monument of Freedom, the Swedish Gate, the Blackheads' House, Saeima (parliament) of Latvia, buildings representing Art Nouveau Style and many others. You will not only be able to observe these cultural, historical and architectural monuments, but also enjoy the spirit of the medieval atmosphere which dominates in the narrow streets of Old Riga. The guide will be glad to tell you everything you are interested in about the particular objects and about Riga in general.

The Dome

Construction of the dome Cathedral and the monastery started in 1211 and continued through many centuries. The 90 meter high tower finally found its baroque style in 1766. The Dome is a home of one of the largest organs in the world . It was built in the 80s of the XIX century. F. List wrote music especially for the organ of the Dome Cathedral.

The Dome square acqured its modern looks in 1935. Unvaluable buildings around the Dome were pulled down and gave room for a wide sguare. Fairs, concerts and other events often take place here.

Location: Dome Square, Old Riga

House of Blackheads

The House of Blackheads - the Gothic bulding firs mentioned in 1344 and initially served as the meeting place of the Blackheads' Organization consisting of young single merchants. Moreover, it was used as a concert hall and was visited by the world-known musicians R.Wagner and F.List. Having been one of the most impressive buildings in the city, the house was destroyed during the II World War. Nevertheless, the outstanding House of Blackheads was restored in honour of the 800th anniversary of Riga in the year 2001.

Location: City Council Square (Ratslaukums), Old Riga

"Three Brothers"

Three houses on Maza Pils street (Small Castle street). It is a fine example of the dwelling architecture of middle-age Riga. The oldest of the "brothers" is to the right if you face the houses (you can see it at the picture - to the right) was built at the end of the XV century.

Then having dinner and leisure  in “LIDO”.  LIDO Recreation Centre is one of the most attractive public catering enterprises and favourite place of family recreation in Latvia. Building is one of the largest and the most beautiful log cabins in Europe. LIDO Recreation Centre can host more than 1000 visitors. It is characterized by a Latvian environment, tasty and various dishes, LIDO beer, live music every evening, celebration of national festivities with gorgeous decorations and concerts!

In the evening you can see Riga nightlife. Riga is the city that never sleeps, and this statement is especially true in the summer, when the sun so briefly sets. Riga nightlife starts around 8-9 PM when people begin to gather in restaurants and cocktail bars. Night-clubs open around 10-11 pm. After midnight the real party starts! If you don’t want to go clubbing, just take a walk around Old Riga. On warm nights, the streets are as crowded as during the day and all the outdoor cafes in Dome square are full. We hope you’re lucky enough to find a table!

Bus tour.

What you will see:

During this ture you will be taken to the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia. The museum was founded in 1924 and is one of the oldest in Europe. It is based in the suburbs of Riga in a pine forest on the Banks of the Jugla Lake.

In this museum you will be able to observe from the outside and inside the numerous wooden buildings of the 18th and the 19th centuries, including traditional rural buildings of Latvia: farmsteads, churches, windmills, craftsmen's houses, taverns, etc.

In summer various craft exhibitions are held in the museum and visitors can see craftsmen working: weavers, smiths, wicker-makers, potters and many others.

Here you can buy original and cheap souvenirs made of wood, leather and amber.

Open-air museum is the ideal place for family holydays.

Overnight stay at  hotel.

3th day:

Breakfast. Tour to famous Latvian summer resort Jurmala. City sightening. We can also visit waterpark , wich is located in Jurmala (entrance ticket 20-25Eiro)

Overnight stay at hotel.

4.day

Breakfast. Arrival in Vilnius. Vilnius Old Town - one of the largest and most beautiful in Central and East Europe is included into UNESCO Heritage list. Tour of Vilnius features essential sights of the city:  St. Anne's Church, Pilies street, the Gates of Dawn, University campus, St Peter and Paul’s Church. Tour to Trakai (28 km from Vilnius) - a visit of the 15th century Trakai Insular Castle.

Overnight stay at hotel.

5.day

Breakfast. Tour to Latvian city Jelgava. Ancient palace. Arrival to Lithuanian city Saulai. Very popular place for Catholics –visit to the Hill of Crosses near Siauliai.

Overnight stay at hotel.

6.day

After  breakfast at hotel- departure from Riga to Tallin. Waterfall on the river Keila.

 Walking around the city.  Nature, architecture and centuries-old history of Estonia provide for a pleasant and interesting holiday. You will find a lot of interesting activities and attractions. The city is famous for its Old Town, which was entered into the List of International Heritage of UNESCO in 1997.

You will visit Uptown,Toompea Castle,Long German, 500-year-old chemistry

and many other interesting places.

Uptown

The Uptown occupies a territory of 8 hectares and is walled by thick fortifications. It is situated 45 meters above the sea level and towers over the whole city. The highest tower is called the Long Herman (45.6 meters). The Uptown is a perfect place for strolls. A beautiful and breathtaking view opens from its observation grounds and allows seeing the exciting view of the Old Town and its red-tiled buildings.

Dome Cathedral

In 1219 the Danes have captured Tallinn and founded a wooden cathedral on Toompea. The Dominican monks, who later settled on Toompea, rebuilt it out of stone in 1229-33. Throughout the centuries the cathedral was constantly being reconstructed and gained its final distinguishing look only in the 14th century. The Dome Cathedral is also famous for its organ, which was built in 1913 by a famous German master Wilhelm Zawer. The instrument with its unique romantic sounding remains in working condition, thanks to love and care that surrounded it. Currently the Dome Cathedral is a working Lutheran church with free entrance.

St. Catherine’s Dominican Monastery

The building is situated in Tallinn’s Old Town and relates to the 18th century. It was build for the Dominican order’s monastery, which was functional in the years of 1246-1525. The order specialized in church science and theology and became famous for its scholars. In 1799 monastery’s northern wing became property of the Catholic Church. In 1924 the monastery’s former living quarters, church, garden and dining-room were restored and became open to visitors. In 1968 a city museum’s branch was opened here – Dominican monastery-museum. Currently, the museum exhibits carved stone plates.

Overnight stay at  hotel in Riga.

7.day

Breakfast.

SIGULDA - THE BEST TRADITIONAL TOUR

This tour will take you to the most popular tourist area in Latvia - the town of Sigulda, located 50 km from the capital city Riga. Don't miss this excellent opportunity to visit Sigulda and its surroundings! You will certainly be impressed by the historical, cultural and architectural monuments of this area, as well as by its beautiful nature - forests, mountains and caves.            

What you will see:

The ruins of the Sigulda Castle, built by the Order of the Brethren of the Sword in the 13th century, is one of the important places of attraction you will have a chance to observe. You will also seeThe historical complex of the Sigulda Castle  - the buildings which can be seen nowadays near the castle and were built You will also have a possibility to see two most popular caves in Sigulda. One of them is the Velna (or Devil's) Cave, which is said by the legend to be knocked in the wall by the devil himself. The cave is 9m deep, 7m wide and 4.7m high.

The other cave to see is the Gutmana Cave, which is the largest cave in the Baltic States - 18.8m deep, 12m wide and 10m high. There are many legends about this cave too, but the most famous of them narrates about the Maiden of Turaida - Maija - who was killed there.

The Turaida museum reserve - the only specially protected cultural monument in Latvia -  will also be shown to you within this tour. The territory of the reserve is about 45ha and it comprises such historical and cultural monuments as the Turaida Castle, the Turaida Wooden Church, the grave of the legendary Rose of Turaida, the baronial estate of Turaida in the 18th - 19th centuries. 

You can visit a beautiful restaurant „Pilsmuziza” to have a lunch.

Overnight stay at hotel.

8.day

Transfer to airoport. Depature from Riga.