Technically speaking, only Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania qualify as genuine Baltic States, however a cruise on the Baltic Sea takes in far more. If you appreciate different cultures and enjoy marvelling at stunning architecture then this is the cruise for you. Cosmopolitan Copenhagen has a real buzz about it in the summer months, with its street cafe lifestyle. Gdansk in Poland has a beautiful old town flanked with Flemish mansions. When you arrive in the cruise port, the huge shipyards are a poignant reminder of shipyard workers who were the core of the Solidarity Movement that change European history. St. Petersburg, is a hugely popular Baltic cruise destination, offering a window into Russia's past. The weaving waterways throughout this magnificent Baltic city make the comparison with Venice understandable. Helsinki became independent from Russia back in 1917, and it has grown in terms of elegant architecture since, yet the Russian influence remains. Cruise passengers arriving in Stockholm are in for a treat, with 60% of the city made up of green open spaces or waterways. Head to the old town for cultural and style. Finally a Baltic cruise wouldn’t be complete without a stop in Tallinn, Estonia's capital and oft dubbed "the new Prague". The contrast of communist Soviet Union unimaginative buildings with the sheer beauty of the old Baltic town (and now a World Heritage site) is astounding.
St Petersburg was once Tsar Peter’s ‘Window to the West’, with its grand baroque and neo-classical buildings, waterways and richness of its arts displayed in the world renowned Hermitage Museum.
Read more