Overview

From domination by Viking long ships fifteen hundred years ago to the bustle of modern Stockholm, few destinations offer the rich collage of culture and history as those that line the Baltic’s waterways. Sail aboard the 110-passenger Clipper Odyssey to nine countries: Scotland, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia, and Russia.




Begin this epic journey in the enchanting city of Edinburgh with Holyrood Palace, St. Giles Cathedral, and the magnificent gardens of Edinburgh Castle. Cross the North Sea to encounter the windswept island of Sylt at the northernmost point of Germany. The following day, transit the impressive 61-milelong Kiel Canal.

Explore serene Bornholm Island, endowed with sugar-white sand beaches, dramatic cliffs, thick forests, and heather-clad hills. Enjoy a full-day tour of Gdansk whose history spans nearly 1,000 years. In Lithuania, drive to the amber center of Palanga, and stroll to the Amber Museum through the Botanical Park with 500 varieties of trees and bushes.

On Gotland Island, visit the splendid city of Visby, a World Heritage Site famous for its intact medieval architecture. A day in Latvia showcases the riches of the 800-year-old Hanseatic river port of Riga. The old town of Tallinn is a visual feast of soaring spires, towers, and turrets, including the magnificent cupola-crowned Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

End with two days in magnificent St. Petersburg including the incomparable Hermitage Museum, Peter and Paul Cathedral with its 18th-century spire dominating the skyline, and the palace and gardens of Peterhof, the grand summer residence built by Peter the Great.

Ron Wixman is a specialist in world cultural geography and is well-versed in both the ancient and modern societies of the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. He recently retired from the University of Oregon where he taught courses on the rise of cultures and civilizations, traditional ways of life, food culture and cuisine, and geopolitics.