Historic Baltic Republics

Arrive in Tallinn, Estonia's enchanting capital city. With just half a million citizens, Tallinn is not a sprawling metropolis. This adds to its charm, as it is easy to explore on foot, with minimal traffic. Famed for its medieval architecture, the Old Town is one of the best preserved Hanseatic town centres in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city also boasts a vibrant cafe, restaurant and nightlife culture. For those arriving on time our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 7pm for the welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Tallinn at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Lennart Meri Tallinn Airport (TLL), which is about 10 minutes' drive. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, perhaps you might choose to explore the old town on foot. The majority of visitors to the Baltic States will be surprised by the quality, variety and value of food and drink on offer. The majority is locally sourced and part of the regions heritage is being able to forage for food and make local brews. Walking through the forests you will see locals passing the time picking mushrooms and gathering berries. There are a lot of traditional restaurants, with influences from Germany and Russia. There's a wide variety on the menu including soups, casseroles, salads, meat and fish dishes. Beer is locally brewed and you can find light and dark beers, filtered or unfiltered all for a reasonable price. You can also find flavoured wines such as raspberry and cherry wine and each country has its own herbal liquor which is a popular after dinner tipple.

Only 57 miles across the water from Helsinki and midway between St Petersburg and Stockholm, Tallinn has come under several different cultural influences since the first stronghold was built in the 10th century. Linguistically and economically, Estonia's closest ties are to Finland, despite the best efforts of other nations. In 1561, as a coveted trading port, it was seized by the Swedes and held for 150 years until the Russians took over and industrialised much of the medieval town. Perched on a hill overlooking the sea, we'll explore the cobbled Old Town on foot this morning. The colourful houses of the crooked streets reflect the German, Scandinavian and Russian periods of Tallinn's history. We'll walk through the quarter where merchants once traded and take in the historical and architectural highlights. The busy town square is a hectic mix of pavement cafes and shops, dominated by the 14th century gothic Town Hall. The pink Parliament buildings and Toompea Castle lie near the imposing deep yellow Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is topped with 11 bells. This afternoon has been left free for you to explore further at your own pace. Estonia is well known for its traditional handicrafts. Keen shoppers might enjoy browsing for knitted mittens and lacy woollen shawls, along with colourful hand embroidered linen products.

Today we drive towards the Gulf of Riga, heading for the largest of the offshore islands, Saaremaa, reached by a short ferry ride from the mainland. The island remained isolated during the years of Soviet domination as it was a strategic military outpost and was perceived to be a possible escape route to the west. It therefore retains its own culture, traditions and simple way of life. En route, we'll break our journey on Muhu Island, where you will have the option to visit Koguva Museum - a fascinating ethnographical open air museum, providing a great insight into the old way of life. Once we arrive on Saaremaa we will stop at the Karja Church, with its rich medieval stone sculptured decoration, as well as the photogenic wooden Angla Windmills. Lastly we view the 4000-year old Kaali Crater - created by a meteorite with an impact comparable to the Hiroshima bomb, incinerating forests around it. Later this afternoon we arrive in Kuressaare and check-in to our hotel. Please note that between mid-September and mid-April, Koguva Museum is not open on Mondays so the optional visit will take place on day four.