17 Days of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Belarus

About the destination: One of Europe’s most charming cities, Tallinn is a perfect mixture of medieval and modern, with its narrow cobbled lanes filled with baroque architecture, and its wild nightlife. Estonia's capital city has been dubbed the ‘New Prague’ but this city stands out on its own. The World Heritage-listed Old Town has plenty of distractions for even the most exigent traveler. Best explored on foot, Tallinn’s evocative Old Town is replete with castles, Russian Orthodox churches and Dominican monasteries. These historic gems share the streets with old merchant houses and medieval meeting halls where visitors can witness locals displaying centuries-old artisan traditions of glassblowing, weaving and pottery, and, why not, take a peculiar souvenir back home. At night the Old Town transforms. Inside its ancient walls travelers will be able to party in steamy nightclubs, slinky lounges, expat bars and colourful gay clubs until the early hours of the morning. Outside the medieval quarters, there's lots to see. On the fringes of the old borough a new district is emerging, with gleaming new hotels, offices and plenty of restaurants, cafés, boutiques and nightclubs. Anyone arriving in Tallinn with the idea of an old Soviet Bloc grey city will be as surprised by this new skyline as they will be by the charming old core. Tallinn is proud of its old soul but it is also fashion forward, vibrant, colorful, cultural and wild.

About the destination: "Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia and Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual centre of the country, especially since it is home to the nation's oldest and most renowned university, the University of Tartu. The city also houses the Supreme Court of Estonia and the Ministry of Education and Research. MAIN TOURISTS ATTRACTION • Main building of the University of Tartu. • Old Town. • Town Hall Square. • Soup Neighborhood. Neighborhood where all of the streets are named after soup ingredients. • Former Soviet Airfield. • Ahhaa science center."

About the destination: Riga is the crown jewel of the Baltic States and it’s the region’s cultural, educational, political, financial, commercial and industrial epicenter. Charmingly divided by Daugava River, it presents itself as a city of colours, church spikes and beautiful nights of yellow lights. Even though the city is rapidly overflowing with a collage of glass and steel skyscrapers, it is still defined by its stunning chocolate box old town that Disney executives can only dream of. Art-Nouveau is also a big thing in Riga. The city’s notable art nouveau district was declared World Heritage Site and it is commonly regarded as the finest and best-preserved collection of art nouveau architecture in Europe. Aside from its toy town cuteness, this city is funky and vibrant with a big city soul. The Latvian capital is the perfect fusion of old and new; visitors will find the trendiest club inside a spectacular art-nouveau building. The city has been dubbed “The Second City that Never Sleeps” and rightly so; in Riga one can go out every night of the week until the early hours of the morning and there are even 24h restaurants to satisfy anyone’s appetite at any time. With its timeless elegance and its cosmopolitan ambitions, Riga has been declared European Capital of Culture for 2014. The city is now chic, lively and green, parks cover a fifth of the capital, and has left its grey past behind and has no intention of looking back.

About the destination: This Baltic capital is bizarre, decadent, eccentric and bewitchingly beautiful. Located at the confluence of the Vilnia and Neris rivers, Vilnus preserves its medieval soul. Its astonishing Old Town, one of the largest in Europe, was declared World’s Heritage Site. Church spires dominate the city as there are 65 churches in Vilnus. The sight from the city’s castle is dazzling and is the best place from which to appreciate a magnificent panorama of this green metropolis. Vilnus has big plans for its future and is becoming a cosmopolitan city. Quirky bars are found inside the dark medieval courtyards. Užupis, declared the bohemian sector of the city, is booming with art galleries and workshops. In its main square there is a statue of an angel blowing a trumpet that represents artistic creativity and freedom of expression. On the north bank of the Neris, a new Vilnius is taking shape, a 21st-century skyscraper skyline is being developed to accommodate the emerging business community, a symbol that the city and Lithuania are moving forward and ditching its Soviet past. The Lithuanian capital will seduce visitors with its exciting, spirited and charming personality.

About the destination: "Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the centre of a county in Trakai Municipality of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. It is the capital of Kaunas County, the seat of the Kaunas city municipality and the Kaunas District Municipality. Kaunas is located at the confluence of the two largest Lithuanian rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris, and near the Kaunas Reservoir, the largest body of water entirely in Lithuania. Kaunas has several districts and sites interesting for tourists. The Old Town is the area mostly built between XIV and XVII centuries, resembling buildings in Gothic, Renaissance, and, Baroque architecture. Open spaces, parks, and places of interested are in the compact New Town. A walking tour is the best way to see the Old Town of Kaunas. A lot of guided excursions are available at Kaunas region tourism information office. You can also get a free tour from a local guide. Also, Kaunas boasts around 40 different museums of art, nature, literature, history, science, and sports as well as historical and memorial museums."

Mengenai destinasi: Imej Warsaw sebagai hutan konkrit kelabu, tanah tandus rumah di era Soviet, tidak sepadan dengan realiti 15 tahun terakhir bandaraya ini. Metropolis ini mempunyai lebih banyak untuk ditawarkan, banyak tempat untuk dilawati, adegan budaya yang mengagumkan dan kehidupan malam yang meriah. Warsaw sedang melihat ke depan meninggalkan masa lalu Soviet di masa lalu di mana ia sepatutnya. Pada akhir Perang Dunia II, 85% bandar ini dalam keadaan runtuh dan bandar ini perlu menjalani pembinaan semula besar-besaran. Pembinaan semula yang berjaya mendapat pengiktirafan pada tahun 1980 apabila UNESCO mengisytiharkan Bandar Lama Warsaw sebagai Tapak Warisan Dunia. Terletak di wilayah Mazowieckie, di tengah-timur Poland, bandar ini dibahagikan secara tidak sekata oleh Sungai Vistula. Kebanyakan tarikan pelancong berada di tebing kiri sungai, sementara di tebing kanan kita mempunyai kawasan elegan yang sedang naik daun di Prague. Episentrum Warsaw untuk pelawat adalah Laluan Diraja yang dikenali sebagai Trakt Królewski, yang berjalan dari utara ke selatan dari Bandar Baru dan Lama, lalu kedai-kedai elegan Nowy Swiat, istana yang terselamat dari perang dan taman diraja Lazienki Park, sebelum tiba di Istana Wilanów, di selatan pusat bandar. Bandar ini juga mempunyai banyak ruang hijau dengan taman-taman tepi tasik yang subur di mana bot dayung berlayar semasa hari-hari musim panas yang cerah dan di mana pengunjung dapat menemui banyak kafe al-fresco. Di taman-taman, konsert muzik klasik percuma juga diadakan, dengan penonton yang ramai, adegan yang jauh berbeza dari imej-imej suram Warsaw era komunis. Hari ini bandar ini menawarkan kehidupan malam yang menakjubkan, penduduk muda berpakaian elegan untuk pergi ke bar dan kelab yang keren di bandar ini. Ia pasti merupakan bandar yang bergetar sebaik sahaja matahari terbenam. Walaupun ada orang yang mendakwa bahawa Krakow mempunyai keindahan, Warsaw mempunyai budaya, tenaga dan tindakan.

Mengenai destinasi: Krakow adalah indah, permata di antara bandar-bandar Eropah. Orang telah tinggal dan membina di sini sejak abad ke-9. Kawasan bersejarah Bandar Lama di hati Krakow sebenarnya adalah bandar abad pertengahan yang ditubuhkan pada tahun 1257. Krakow kekal sebagai ibu kota seni bina yang tidak dapat ditandingi di Poland dan rumah kepada salah satu universiti tertua di Eropah. Banyak taman dan Planty, sabuk bandar hijau yang mengelilingi pusat bandar, menjadikan Krakow, sebuah bandar yang indah untuk dikunjungi. Seluruh stare miasto, bandar lama Krakow, adalah indah, setiap jalan berbaloi untuk dijelajahi dengan perlahan. Di tengah-tengahnya adalah Rynek Glowny, salah satu pasar paling indah di Eropah. Kosciol Mariacki di sudut timur lautnya, adalah sebuah katedral yang dihiasi dengan indah, dengan altar yang diukir berusia 500 tahun. Di seberang segi empat itu berdiri menara balai bandar yang kesepian yang terselamat apabila selebihnya bangunan itu diruntuhkan pada tahun 1820. Berada di Sungai Wista, adalah Istana Wawel, potongan terbaik seni bina Renaissance yang masih ada di Poland. Istana itu adalah tempat kerajaan Poland, dan merupakan tarikan utama pelancong bandar. Kawasan itu terdiri daripada istana, sebuah Katedral besar dan taman yang luas. Katedral Diraja mendominasi kompleks Wawel. Ia adalah tempat penobatan dan tempat pengebumian hampir semua raja-raja Poland. Dibina pada awal abad ke-11 dalam gaya Romanesque menara ini menawarkan pemandangan indah Krakow. Keindahan seni bina lamanya, suasana budaya, seni dan sastera yang hebat, daya tarikan kafe, bar dan pub yang banyak, selalu penuh dengan penduduk tempatan dan pelancong, menjadikan bandar ini salah satu destinasi pelancongan terbaik di dunia.