A Journey from Minsk to Kaliningrad

Fly to Minsk and transfer to the hotel for 3 nights.

Follow a route from Independence Square to October Square and get your fill of Stalin-era grandiose gems including the Post Office, GUM Department Store and Palace of Culture. Much of Belarus was destroyed in the 2nd World War, and there are still reminders everywhere of this tragic period of history, but the capital, Minsk, has filled the former areas of destruction with well-tended lawns and flower beds. There is a surprising good choice of restaurants and bars at very reasonable prices. (B)

Free day to explore Minsk. (B)

Take the train from Minsk to Vilnius. There are several departures daily and the journey takes around 4½ hours. Arrive in Vilnius and check in to the hotel for 2 nights. (B)

Discover unspoiled winding streets and a church on every corner in the picturesque Baroque Old Town. Take the funicular from the Lower to the Higher Castle for views across the rooftops. To learn more of the country’s recent history, pay a visit to the Museum of Genocide Victims in the former KGB headquarters. (B)

Take a bus from Vilnius to Nida. There are several departures a day and the journey takes around 5 hours. Check in to the hotel for 2 nights. (B)

This ancient fishing town is brimming with quaint, timber houses painted in a variety of bright colours and boasts a lovely, cosmopolitan beach perfect for some relaxing bathing. The quaint fishing village of Nida is an ideal base from which to explore places further afield such as Thomas Mann’s summer house and the eerie ‘Hill of Witches’. (B)

Take a private transfer from Nida to Kaliningrad. Under Soviet rule the former wealthy port of Konigsberg changed dramatically to the present day Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, separated from the motherland by Lithuania and Belarus. Check in to the hotel for 3 nights. (B)

Meander through the delightful tree-lined former German neighbourhoods and discover the remains of the old city gates, in particular the Dohna Tower which contains the Amber Museum. Make time to visit the World Ocean Museum, on a former Soviet research vessel, and the old Foxtrot-class Soviet submarine. (B)

Free day to explore Kaliningrad. (B)

Take a local bus to Klaipeda, Lithuania’s third largest city and the only link between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. (B)

Take a stroll around the charming Old Town with its slightly hodgepodge attempts of reconstruction following World War II, visit one of many interesting museums and galleries including the excellent Martynas Mazvydas Sculpture Park, or stay out late and sample the vibrant nightlife. (B)

Take the local bus to Vilnius, where the best way to immerse yourself in the medieval streets and alleys of Vilnius’ Old Town, is on foot or an escorted cycle tour. (B)

Transfer to airport for flight back to the UK. (B)