Baltic Jewish Tour

Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius— that managed to lovingly preserve the timeless elegance of their Old Towns as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

First we will visit Estonia capital – Tallinn, it retains its walled, cobblestoned Old Town, home to cafes and shops, as well as Kiek in de Kök, a 15th-century defensive tower. Continue to the intimate Tallinn Jewish Center for coffee, tea, and cake and learn about Jewish community life in Estonia. Synagogue visit.

Next we will visit Riga, Latvia’s capital – known for its wooden buildings, art nouveau architecture and medieval Old Town. In the museum “Jews in Latvia” you will learn about life of Jews in this part of the world. Pass by the site of Jewish Ghetto and visit the only remaining Synagogue, which today serves as the central meeting place for the Jews of Latvia. Standing since the beginning of the 20th century, the synagogue was most likely spared from burning due to its fortunate location in the Old Town, where fires could be devastating to the surrounding buildings.

At the end of tour we will visit Vilnius – capital of Lithuania ,know by baroque architecture, seen especially in its medieval Old Town. Vilnius used to be a very important Jewish center in Europe. From the 14th century onwards Jews settled in the city, and by the 18th century Vilnius had become the world center of traditional Talmudic learning, eventually becoming known as the Jerusalem of the North.

DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION

Tallinn, Estonia / Vilnius, Lithuania

DURATION

7 days / 6 nights

INCLUDED

Accommodations for 7 nights 3* hotels	Services of English-speaking guide
All land transportation	Entrance tickets

NOT INCLUDED

Airline tickets

Travel insurance

Meals

Guide gratuity

Day 1: Arrival

Arrival in Tallinn airport. Our guide will meet you there. Transfer to hotel. Free time and dinner is at a local restaurant this evening.

Day 2

After breakfast Morning walking tour of Tallinn (2,5h) includes Nevsky Cathedral the most opulent Orthodox Church in Tallinn, and the Gothic Town Hall. Travel to nearby Kadriorg Palace (1,5h) to view the resplendent palace residence built by Russian Tsar Peter the Great for his empress Catherine I, and to walk its lovely, manicured grounds.allinn shines as a little-known Jewish destination whose time has come. With its four-year-old Beit Bella synagogue, containing a sanctuary, mikveh, and restaurant, its active Jewish Community Center and school, and its well-kept Jewish cemeteries and Holocaust memorials, Tallinn is an example of a city coming to terms with its past while advancing confidently towards a tolerant and progressive future. Free evening in Tallinn.

Day 3

After breakfast Transfer to Riga (4h) On our way to Riga, we stop in Parnu (2h)— Estonia’s official ‘summer capital’ and its number one party spot when the weather turns warm. Arrival in Riga. Check in hotel, free time.

Day 4

After breakfast walking excrusion in Riga Old town (2h) –is the historical and geographical centre of Riga on the right bank of the Daugava. Old Riga covers a relatively small inner area of the 13th-18th century fortifications where unique monuments of medieval architecture which, surprisingly, have survived two world wars are concentrate. The tour includes Riga Castle, Dome Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, Swedish Gates, Three Brothers, Large & Small Guild Houses & the Freedom Monument. In the museum “Jews in Latvia” you will learn about life of Jews in this part of the world. Pass by the site of Jewish Ghetto and visit the only remaining Synagogue, which today serves as the central meeting place for the Jews of Latvia. Standing since the beginning of the 20th century, the synagogue was most likely spared from burning due to its fortunate location in the Old Town, where fires could be devastating to the surrounding buildings. Overnight in Riga. Free evening in Riga.

Day 5

After breakfast we have transfer to Vilnius (4hr) with stops in Rundāle palace (2hr) – is set amidst the fertile Zemgale Plains in the south of Latvia. The Rundale Palace ensamble, one of the most outstanding monuments of Baroque and Rococo architecture in Latvia, was built between 1736 and 1740 as a summer residence for Ernst Johann Biron, Duke of Courland and a favourite of the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna. The palace was designed by the Russian court architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli and built under his supervision. After lunch time next stop is Hill of Crosses (0,5h)- is a historical and architectural monument, a unique ensemble of folk art. Its peace, spirituality, authenticity, and sacred nature attracts visitors. The oblong mound, somewhat similar to a saddle, stands on a plain and is surrounded by the valleys of Kulpė stream and its nameless tributary. Check in Hotel in Vilnius. Free evening in Vilnius.

Day 6

After the breakfast we will have morning transfer to Trakai (28 km), former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and one of the most visited places in the region. We will have excursion in The towers of the Trakai Island Castle ( 2hr), casting their reflections on the surface of Lake Galvė, are reminders of the 15th century when the Great Duchy of Lithuania was at the peak of glory and its lands reached as far as the shores of the Black Sea. The Island Castle, built during the 14th–15th centuries, was one of the strongest fortresses and one of the most important places for guests. Messengers and dukes embraced its halls. Present-day kings and presidents have also paid a visit. Free time & lunch in local restourants. After return to Vilnius and Walking tour (3hr) Vilnius used to be a very important Jewish center in Europe. From the 14th century onwards Jews settled in the city, and by the 18th century Vilnius had become the world center of traditional Talmudic learning, eventually becoming known as the Jerusalem of the North. In Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museumyou will learn about Jewish life, art in Lithuania and Shoah, in Vilnius university – about Yiddish institute. Vilnius Choral Synagogue, Cathedral square, Gediminas castle tower, gothic corner awaits for you as well as Medieval Jewish quarter, its lanes and courts, Gaon and Jewish streets, the history of Great Vilna Synagogue, the personality of Gaon of Vilna. Ghettos of Vilna where more than 40.000 Jews were concentrated in 1941- 1943, the building of Judenrath of the Rudininku street.