Top Reasons to Travel to the Baltic

For centuries, various groups sought dominance over the lucrative trade route in the Baltic region. Between the 12th and 17th centuries, the German-based Hanseatic League established and maintained a trade monopoly in the Baltic and throughout northern Europe, ensuring the safe passage of goods for every member country. On our upcoming Best of the Baltic expedition, you’ll visit stunning destinations that have evolved into magnificent architectural and cultural centers, thanks to this historic relationship. Here, just a few more reasons why traveling to the Baltic with Zegrahm is the ideal choice:

1. Visit an amazing 7 countries in a little over two weeks: Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, and Finland.

2. Travel aboard the 95-guest Serenissima, the perfect vessel to visit these intriguing ports of call. Her small size allows for an intimate experience, and this all-inclusive itinerary offers complimentary tour options to suit every taste.

3. Discover the fanciful Art Nouveau architecture of cosmopolitan Riga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As the largest metropolis in the Baltics, Latvia’s capital city offers an intriguing blend of old-world charm with a host of modern amenities.

4. Enjoy guided tours of St. Petersburg’s top sites, including St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the Hermitage Museum, Peterhof (the Summer Palace), Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Cathedral at Peter and Paul Fortress, and a cruise along the River Neva.

5. See the world’s largest brick cathedral in Poland’s Gdansk. Inside you’ll find a magnificent triptych by Hans Memling and the world’s biggest medieval astronomical clock.

6. Step ashore on Denmark’s Bornholm Island, known as the Pearl of the Baltic for its natural beauty and Mediterranean-like light that has inspired artists for centuries. In addition to bucolic countryside and a dramatic coastline, you’ll also find round 12th-century churches, quaint fishing villages, and the ruins of a magnificent medieval fortress.

7. A former Viking site, Visby was the main center of the Hanseatic League from the 12th – 14th centuries. This UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts an impressive city ring wall, warehouses, and merchants’ dwellings dating from the 13th-century, making Visby one of the best-preserved fortified commercial cities in northern Europe.

8. Tallinn, with its thoroughly modern outlook, is also one of the best-preserved medieval cities in the world, with a spiky skyline, orange-topped castle towers, and pastel-colored houses. The wooded upper town has an uplifting, airy feel, with dreamy sea views and seagulls wheeling over the ramparts.

9. Get a double dose of Finish culture as you tour both Helsinki, the current capital, and Turku, the historic capital.