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| St. Isaac Cathedral |
Located in St. Petersburg , the capital of Russia at that time, St. Isaac’s was the principal Cathedral of Czarist Russia until the revolutionary events of 1917. This is one of the greatest and most unusual architectural landmarks of St. Petersburg. The history of the construction of the Cathedral dates back to 1710 when a small wooden church of St. Isaac of Dalmatia was constructed near the Admiralty. The memorial day of St. Isaac of Dalmatia was the birthday of Peter the Great, so St. Isaac was considered to be the patron saint of Peter the Great.
Later, the church of St. Isaac was constructed of brick at another place, and in 1768-1802, the third St. Isaac’s church was built but never completed. The Cathedral you see now was designed by Auguste Richard de Montferrand and constructed in 1818-1858 and has one of the largest domes in the world (diameter 21.8 meters). In addition to very impressing and engineering architectural solutions, including the construction of the dome and the installation of columns weighing about 100 tons each, the Cathedral is famous for its architectural decorations which reflect the best trends in contemporary art. There are excellent decorative sculptures made with the use of galvanoplastic techniques invented in 1838. To decorate the Cathedral, about 20 types of decorative and semi-precious stones were used, such as porphyry, malachite, lapis-lazuli,
various types of marble. No wonder St. Isaac’s is often called “a museum of decorative stones”.
Outstanding painters and sculptors, such as Karl Bryullov, Fyodor Bruni, Pyotr Basin, Vasily Shebuyev, Ivan Vitali, Nikolai Pimenov and Pyotr Klodt, contributed to the decoration of the Cathedral. The total area of mosaics in the Cathedral is about 600 square meters.
The museum exhibits in the Cathedral show the history of construction and reconstruction of this outstanding architectural landmark, it’s engineering techniques and decorations. From the upper colonnade of the Cathedral at the height of 43 metres, you can see the beautiful panorama of St. Petersburg.
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Fully Escorted Tour
13 days
The Best of Russia & Baltic,
Moscow, Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Riga Vilnius, Warsaw |
| Day 1, Saturday, arrive Moscow |
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| On arrival at Moscow airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Rest of the day is free to rest and relax, or take an optional tour of the Moscow subway. (D) |
| Day 2, Sunday in Moscow |
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| The city of Moscow is the symbolic heart and soul of the country. Your sightseeing tour begins in Red Square, dominated by St. Basil’s Cathedral and the massive red walls of the Kremlin. Inside the Kremlin, a city within a city, admire the medieval towers, cathedrals and palaces. We visit the Armory Museum, the world famous museum-treasury, Moscow University and the popular Arbat shopping district. Drive on wide boulevardes and stroll through GUM, the largest Russian department store. Rest of the day at leisure. (B) |
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| Day 3, Monday, to Novgorod |
| After an early breakfast we depart for Tver, an ancient trading port, nestled against the banks of the River Volga. The city offers fascinating treasures, including Putevoy Dvorets, built for Catherine II, as a resting place on her journey from Moscow to St. Petersburg. Enjoy a short sightseeing tour of this remarkable city. We end the day in Novgorod, founded 1110 years ago near the Lake Snezhskoye. (B,D) |
| Day 4, Tuesday, to St. Petersburg |
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A morning sightseeing tour of Novgorod starts at the Kremlin with a visit to St. Sophia Cathedral in the Citadel. Cross the river via a pedestrian bridge to visit Yaroslav Court. In the afternoon travel north to St. Petersburg, the former capital of Romanov Czars.
Afternoon at leisure or optional tour to see
Petrodvorets, Peter the Great’s summer palace standing on the edge of the Gulf of Finland.) (B,D) |
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| Day 5, Wednesday, in St. Petersburg |
| Not many cities in the world can match the grace of St. Petersburg. When Peter the Great founded the city in 1703, he hired Europe’s best architects, craftsmen and artists to build and decorate it. Spread over 100 islands linked by over 600 bridges it is often referred to as the “Venice of the North”. In the morning visit Peter and Paul Fortress housing the crypt of the Russian emperors. Visit also St. Isaac’s Cathedral followed by free time for lunch on your own. Afternoon sightseeing features the highlight of the tour - the famous Hermitage, which houses many treasures from the era of the Czars located in the Winter Palace. (B,D) |
| Day 6, Thursday, to Tallinn |
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| We depart via Narva, where we stop for lunch, for Tallinn, the capital of the Republic of Estonia, situated on the southern coast of the Finnish bay. This old town has narrow medieval streets, towers, town walls, Gothic churches and trading and residential houses of the 13th to 17th centuries. (B,D) |
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| Day 7, Friday, to Riga |
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| Our sightseeing tour of Tallinn starts with a bus drive to see the park of Kadriorg (founded by Peter the Great in 18th century), the Song Festival grounds where National Song Festivals are held and the ruins of the 15th century St. Brigit’s convent in Pirita. Our walking tour of the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, starts in the Upper Town visiting Toompea Castle, the present seat of the Parliament, and the orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and Dome Church from the 13th century. In the Lower Town see the 14th century gothic Town Hall, Niguliste church and the main shopping streets of Old Town. In the afternoon, depart for Riga, the capital of the Republic of Latvia. (B,D) |
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| Day 8, Saturday, in Riga |
| Riga is another major Baltic port dating back to the age of the Hanseatic League and is situated at the mouth of the Dougava River. The city’s narrow medieval streets display a variety of architectural styles : Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical. During your sightseeing tour, see Riga Castle, the magnificent Dome Cathedral, St. Jacobs Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church and the Parliament building, Liberty Monument, Academy of Art, State Art Gallery and the district of Art Nouveau houses. Afternoon at leisure. (B,D) |
| Day 9, Sunday, to Vilnius |
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| Morning departure for Vilnius, capital of Lithuania. (B,D) |
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| Day 10, Monday , in Vilnius |
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| The city of Vilnius is located on the confluence of the Neris and Velnele Rivers. It has been inhabited since the 9th century. In the Old Vilnius visit Peter and Paul Church and St. Anna’s Churchs, see Vilnius University, dating back to 1570, Gedimeno’s Tower in the Upper Town and Vilnius Castle. Afternoon at leisure or you may take an optional excursion to Trakai.(B,D) |
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| Day 11, Tuesday, to Warsaw |
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| We bid farewell to the former Soviet Union and cross the border to Poland. At day’s end we reach Warsaw. (B,D) |
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| Day 12, Wednesday, in Warsaw |
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| This 700 year old capital of Poland is a symbol of nationhood and the will to survive against great odds. Your sightseeing tour includes a drive along the famous Royal Route from magnificent Castle Square to Lazienki Park with its Palace, summer residence of the last King of Poland. Pass by the Palace of Science and Culture (known as a “wedding cake”), Saxon Gardens, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Monument to the Heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto and the Barbican. Continue with the walking tour of the Old Town, Old Market Square and St. John’s Cathedral. The rest of the day is free for shopping, a stroll through the city or an optional late afternoon Chopin concert. (B) |
| Day 13, Thursday, depart Warsaw |
| After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your homebound flight. (B) |
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| Tour map |
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| Tour includes: |
| PRICES & DEPARTURE DATES |
STARTING DATES: |
TERMIN. DATES: |
10-May |
22-May |
31-May |
12-Jun |
21-Jun |
3-Jul |
12-Jul |
24-Jul |
2-Aug |
14-Aug |
23-Aug |
4-Sep |
13-Sep
CLOSED |
25-Sep
CLOSED |
4-Oct |
16-Oct |
PRICES: |
Per person in twin: $3370 |
Single room supplement:
$ 1169 |
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The Alexander Nevsky cathedral is the main center for Russian Orthodoxy in Estonia. Built in 1900, the design was by the St Petersburg architect Mikhail Preobrzhenski and features the classical onion domes typical of Russian churches. Nevsky was the Russian hero who defeated the vastly superior forces of the Tuetonic nights in the 13th century. According to local legends, the structural damage the cathedral has suffered this century results from it having been built on the grave of the local hero Kalevipoeg.
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