While trying to decide where we wanted to go for Christmas we ran across a few intriguing places. After much research and debate we settled on a tour of Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Sweden. Nothing says Christmas like freezing in the Baltics.
We arrived in Riga, Latvia, on Christmas Eve, which seems appropriate since Riga is documented as being the site where they first used a tree in a winter Christmas celebration in 1510.
We spent the next few days exploring the city and enjoying the holiday festivities at the local Christmas Markets.
The Freedom Monument
The Freedom Monument is a memorial honoring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence from the Soviet Union (1918–1920). It is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of Latvia.
Riga Christmas Markets
Nativity of Christ Cathedral
The Swedish Gate The Powder Tower
The Swedish Gate was erected in 1698 as a part of the Riga Wall to provide access to barracks outside the city wall. The Powder Tower was originally constructed in the 13th century as a part of the defensive system of the town and has required many refurbishments, with the latest occurring in the late 19th century.
Riga Castle
Riga is an eclectic mix of architectural styles which matches the long history of the city. The various churches shown above have been constructed and reconstructed many times dating back as far as the 12th century. WWII bombings and decay under Soviet control took their toll on the ancient structures but most have been restored in beautiful detail.
House of the Blackheads
The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornamentation. The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans on June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999.
Bastion Hill Park
Latvian National Opera
We enjoyed the local cuisine, of course, which is a blend of Germanic, Nordic, and Eastern European styles.
Although there are restaurants that cater to any global desire, pictured above is a cute little Mexican cantina that we stumbled upon.
From Riga we took a short 50 minute flight to our next destination of Tallinn, Estonia.
Tallinn, Estonia
In Tallinn we stayed at Hotel CRU, a boutique hotel housed in a 14th century merchant’s house, one of the oldest houses in Tallinn. It is very unique and charming with its' exposed stone walls, many stairs and crooked hallways.
We spent the next few days enjoying the amazing sites of the town.
Once a home to wealthy merchants settling from Germany, Denmark and beyond, Tallinn Old Town today is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike, with restaurants, bars, museums and galleries bringing much life to this historical city center.
The first wall around Tallinn was ordered to be constructed by Margaret Sambiria in 1265 and for that reason, it was known as the Margaret Wall. This wall was less than 16 ft tall and about 4.9 ft thick. Since then it has been enlarged and strengthened, with many of the walls and gates still largely in place today. The walls were enlarged in the 14th century, and citizens of Tallinn were required to turn out for guard duty, which meant they were to wear their armor and demonstrate their readiness to face off invaders.
Fat Margaret
Originally built, from 1511-1530, as a defensive structure, Fat Margaret Cannon Tower was used as a prison between 1830 and 1917.
St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was built in 1900, when Estonia was part of the Czarist Russian empire. The cathedral was originally intended as a symbol of the empire's dominance, both religious and political, over this increasingly unruly Baltic territory.
St. Catherine's Passage
St. Catherine's Passage or Catherine's Alley is the most picturesque of Old Town's lanes. It is home to the St. Catherine's Guild, a collection of craft workshops where artists use traditional methods to create and sell glassware, hats, quilts, ceramics, jewelry, hand-painted silk and other wares. The walls of the alley are lined with 14th and 15th century tombstones taken from Catherine's Dominican Friary when it was restored in the 19th century.
We relived our teen years at the Depeche Mode Bar, where all of the decor is fan memorabilia and the music is on Depeche Mode playlist shuffle all day long.
The Christmas Market was bustling with people enjoying the food, hot drinks, shopping, holiday festivities, rides on the Christmas trolley and real reindeer.
We left Tallinn by ferry, bound for Helsinki, Finland. The temperature which had been fairly mild up to this point was starting to drop, but it was still a beautiful boat ride across the Gulf of Finland.
Helsinki, Finland
We spent the next few days exploring the city and trying to keep warm. The Esplanade Park in the city’s center was brightly lit up and decorated for the Holidays.
Helsinki Cathedral
The House of the Estates
Senate Square, where the New Year’s Eve celebrations have taken place since 1932.
Of course, John was excited to find a fishing tackle store.
We arrived in Helsinki not having a dinner reservation for New Year’s Eve, but thanks to an outstanding effort by the staff at Hotel Fabian, we were able to find a table at El Greco Greek Restaurant. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was charming.
After dinner we headed towards Senate Square. We popped into the Bryggeri Helsinki to keep warm and wait for the New Year’s Fireworks. Bryggeri is Finnish for Brewery, so while we were there we had to sample some of the fine craft ales of Helsinki.
Just before midnight the crowds piled out into the streets surrounding Senate Square to bring in the New Year with live music and fireworks. The fireworks show was amazing with the Helsinki Cathedral providing a dramatic backdrop, almost making you forget just how cold it really was.
We hung on the outskirts of the crowd and quickly dashed back into the Brewery to warm up and wait for the crowds to clear out after the end of the fireworks.
Heading back to our hotel, we talked about the little karaoke bar we had seen the last few nights but had not been open. John decided that if it were open we were going in for one last hurrah of the evening. Well, it was open and we ended up finishing off the night making lots of new friends at the Yokyopeli Karaoke Bar. Everyone was very friendly and wanted to talk and we ended up staying out much, much later than we ever planned.
As we were leaving from the Helsinki airport, to our next destination of Stockholm, Sweden, it began to snow.
Stockholm, Sweden
The name Stockholm originally referred to the Old Town island, Gamla Stan. The name now includes the metro region and several suburban areas as well. The previous capital of Sweden was located in Sigtuna, but many years ago Sigtuna had problems with armed gangs attacking the city and there was a need to find a new location for the capital city of Sweden. According to legend the leaders in Sigtuna then took a log of wood, cut out all the wood inside, filled it with gold, and let it float on the water. The log was floating on the water for several days and eventually landed on an island. This is where they decided to found the new capital of Sweden, naming it Stockholm, which means "log island" in Swedish.
Riksdagshuset, The Parliament House
Stockholm Palace
Stockholm Palace and Stockholm Cathedral
Stockholm Cathedral, founded in the 13th century, is the oldest church in Gamla Stan.
Stortorget Square is the oldest square in Stockholm. Excavations on the square in 1995 and 1997 showed that the medieval square is found only 1 1/2 feet below the present cobblestones. Just above the deepest layer, coins from the reigns of Kings and pieces of ceramics from the 13th century were found together. Three additional layers of cobbles dating from the Middle Ages, and a coal mixed layer just below the lower cobble level have been dated to 1066-1320. Traces of poles indicate simple sheds occupied the area in the late 13th century until destroyed by fire in the early 15th century, while traces of an older building are believed to be from 1024-1291. The current buildings surrounding the square were built in the 17th and 18th centuries, many on Medieval walls and basements.
The Stock Exchange Building and the well in Stortorget Square, built between 1773–1776, houses the Swedish Academy, the Nobel Museum, and the Nobel Library.
We had an absolutely fabulous time exploring parts of the Baltics and Scandinavia. The cooler temperatures, bright decorations and Holiday festivities kept us in the Christmas spirit. There was so much to do and see in each of the cities; great shopping, great food, beautiful architecture and an overall great cultural experience. We both agree that we would love to go back again, but next time maybe in the summer?!
Cheers,
John and CJ
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