BALTIC STATES.

Community Highlights Europe BALTIC STATES.

This blog is about part of a holiday taken in 2005. The whole trip was 17 nights, this is about 8 days in the Baltic States. First overnight stop was Warsaw Poland for 2 nights. Then 2 nights in Vilnius Lithuania. Next stay was Riga Latvia for 2 nights, finally 1 night in Tallinn Estonia.
Travel was by train and bus. Train from Warsaw was via Sestoka on the Polish /Lithuanian border. Changed train here, because the train gauge was different. I believe today there is a modern route. The currency then and now in Poland is the Polish Zloty.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are now the Euro, then each had it own currency. -----------Warsaw is the capital of Poland and is on the Vistula river.
Warsaw was largely destroyed in 1943, in World War 2. It has been beautifully restored to the original plans.
A skyscaper called the Palace of Culture and Science dominates the city and was given to Warsaw by the U.S.S.R.it is 778ft {237m} high, tallest building in Poland. I went to the top by lift for the great view.-------------------Vilnius is capital of Lithuania.
In July 1944 Lithuania was captured from Nazi occupation by the Soviet Union. Lithuania became Independent in 1991.
The river is the Neris. I stayed at Hotel Panorama in the old town, near to the main sites.The Russian Church was built in 1567.Brightly coloured, the Altar is vivid green. -----------------------Riga is the capital of Latvia, and was founded in 1201. A feature of the city is the House of Blackheads from the 14th century , this as been restored after the war. ---------------------Tallinn is capital of Estonia,is on the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea.
I continued this trip by ferry to Helsinki Finland. about 50 miles. [80km ] ---I think there is a daily train to Moscow from Tallinn. 17 DAY HOLIDAY. First overnight stay in Warsaw,then Vilnius, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki, Stockholm,Oslo, and Stavanger.