The Amber Train 2012

Day 1: Eastward bound across the Oder River
Following initial hellos in the early afternoon in Berlin, voyagers will board a bus at Berlin's Ostbahnhof train station. On the way to Rzepin, where passengers will board the Amber train, the bus stops briefly in Lagow, a picturesque town sitting between two lakes. A welcoming cocktail and a dinner or regional specialties awaits you at the ancient Joannic Lagow Castle. (Dinner included)

Day 2: Gdansk - Malbork - Frombork
Pulling into Gdansk in the morning, passengers will breakfast and then tour the ancient Hanseatic port city. Highlights include the Long Market, the fountain of Neptune, the Gothic town hall, the Frauengasse ("Long Street"), and a medieval port crane. The climb up the steps of the tower of St. Mary's church is rewarded by a spectacular view of the city.
At noon it's off to Malbork, where you can visit Europe's oldest and largest crusaders' fortress. This former residence of the Master of the Teutonic Order is one of the most stunning of all secular medieval buildings still standing, and has its own collection of amber relics. In the early evening your trip will take you to the Vistula Lagoon. Here you will visit the Cathedral of Frombork, once home to the astronomer Copernicus. The cathedral sits majestically atop a hill and offers a spectacular view of the Vistula Lagoon. A small, exclusive organ concert will be given for our group. "Danziger Goldwasser", an herbal liqueur that contains actual gold flakes, will be served with dinner - not for the faint of heart! At night your train will head on to the east. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 3 - Masuria: Lake and Forest Country
You will arrive at the Great Lakes of Masuria in the morning. Enjoy the lakeside forest views during a two-hour boat excursion. Lunch is a selection of Polish delicacies at a beautifully located restaurant by the shore. The bus will then take you through grand tree-lined boulevards back to Mikolajki, where you will spend the night in a grand hotel. After settling in, take an idyllic gondola trip on Lake Krutinna, the most beautiful in Masuria. The day's final highlight is a big-scale lakeside barbeque, including local bison vodka. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 4 - Masuria and Eastern Poland
After a hearty breakfast the next stop is an excursion to the Wolf's Lair, a bunker that once served as Adolf Hitler's headquarters, in stunning contrast to the natural beauty of the environment. A guided tour will also visit a memorial to the July 20th Group, a group of military officers led by Claus von Stauffenberg, who attempted to assassinate Hitler here in 1944.
At noon the train takes off along one of Europe's most beautiful railway routes, crossing idyllic fields, forests and pastures. Enjoy lunch and dinner in our onboard restaurant. By night the train crosses the border to Belarus at Brest, switching to Russian broad-gage track. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 5 - Vilnius: Europe's Jerusalem
Vilnius is a gorgeous city which restored Old Town has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A tour of this once-vibrant Jewish city includes the Gediminas Castle, the Gates of Dawn, and Cathedral Square. An afternoon bus excursion will take you to Trakai, a medieval castle complete with moat that lies 30 km from Vilnius. This fortress from the 14th century is situated on a picturesque peninsula (optional). Afterwards your train will head on west to Klaipeda, where you will arrive late at night and be whisked to your centrally located standard-category hotel. (Breakfast and dinner included)

Day 6 - Klaipeda, Palanga and the Curonian Spit
The day begins with a short guided tour of Klaipeda, featuring the symbolic figure of the city once known as Memel, or the Ännchen von Tharau. Afterwards an optional excursion will take you to Palanga, a bath resort town nearby. Here travellers can visit the famous Amber Museum, located in a Renaissance castle. The exhibition boasts a total of approximately 25.000 objects, making it the biggest in the Baltic region.
The afternoon is reserved for a visit to the Curonian Spit, a 98-km long peninsula only 400m wide at certain points. This nature preserve includes the picturesque village of Nida, largely composed of ancient fishermen's huts. From here you can wander over immense sand dunes that offer a magnificent panoramic view of sand, sea, sky and forest.
A visit to the home of Thomas Mann is next, accompanied by an exclusive concert. Dinner will be ceppelinai, a special Lithuanian delicacy. At night the Amber train pushes on towards Riga. (Breakfast and dinner included)

Day 7 - Arrival in Riga, Latvia's capital
A guided walking tour of highlights of the old city centre, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site: magnificently restored gilded houses from the Hanseatic era, the Swedish Gate, the Powder Tower, and St. Peter's Church, the city's landmark. The Riga Cathedral is the largest church in the Baltic region and boasts one of the biggest organs of the world, with 6700 pipes.
Travellers can enjoy an exclusive organ concert, an unforgettable experience, as well as a famous local specialty, Riga Black Balsam, a Latvian liquor.
The rest of the afternoon is free. Wander through the bustling centre of Riga: the musty old Soviet days are dead and gone. The Latvian capital also boasts one of the best kept art nouveau quarters of Europe, putting the city up there with Vienna and Paris as a must-see for fans of the period. At night a Latvian special dinner will be served. (Breakfast and dinner included)

Day 8 - From Riga to Sigulda
After a hearty breakfast at your hotel you can take part in an excursion to Jurmala, the "Latvian Riviera" (optional). This coastal resort with its fine white sand and seemingly endless pine forests has been a popular summertime destination since the 19th century.
In the afternoon, head on to Sigulda, home of the reconstructed Turaida castle. This fortress was built in the 13th century by the Bishop of Riga and sits high over the steep canyon of the Gauja River. During the night, the train crosses the border into Estonia. (Breakfast and dinner included)

Day 9 - The university towns of Tartu and Tallinn
In the morning you will arrive in Tartu, which was once the Hanseatic city of Dorpat. The old city centre was destroyed in a fire in the 17th century and has been rebuilt in a uniform classical style. A guided tour will take you to the town hall, the "crooked house", the Lutheran St. John's Church, the Cathedral ruins and the university that put the town on the map. From there it's on to Tallinn. The medieval centre of the city once known as Reval is considered to have the best-preserved buildings in the entire Baltic region. Explore the city's narrow alleyways and walk along the nearly intact old city wall. A guided tour will take you to the Cathedral Hill with its magnificent view of the Lower Town, the Nevsky Cathedral, the town hall square and many scrupulously restored Hanseatic-era buildings.
Estonia is famed for its folk music tradition as well as the Tallinn Festival, so we have added a small exclusive choral concert to the programme. At night you will dine in the historical House of Blackheads, where a feast of local delicacies are served in a medieval ambience accompanied by Estonian folk dances. You will spend the night in your centrally located hotel. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 10 - Tallinn
The first half of the day is yours to explore - the many small shops of the old city centre offer distinctive souvenirs. In the afternoon you will get the chance to visit the Rocca al Mare open-air museum, which is located in a beautiful forest area near the coast (optional). At night, the train will continue on its route to St. Petersburg. As before, border controls are taken care of in your compartment. (Breakfast and dinner included)

Day 11 - Tsarist opulence in St. Petersburg
Arrival in St. Petersburg. A half-day guided bus tour will take you through the "Venice of the North", giving you a chance to see its numerous palaces, churches and squares in all their restored splendour. You will also visit the Peter and Paul Fortress containing the Tsar's tombs. After lunch, you can move into your rooms in your centrally located hotel. The afternoon is free. Experience an unforgettable cultural night out by going to the ballet or a concert - your tour guides will gladly help you obtain tickets. (Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 12 - St. Petersburg
After breakfast you can admire some of the over three million works of art of the famous Hermitage collection in the opulent halls of the former Winter Palace. The afternoon is yours to do as you like. An optional excursion is offered to the former Tsar's residence, the Peterhof, located 30 km away at the Baltic coast. Peterhof is famed for its magnificent park, and also sports the world's largest fountain. (Note: this excursion does not include a palace tour.) After dinner a boat ride on the many canals will offer a unique and completely different view of the city. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 13 - Catherine's Palace in Tsarskoye Selo
Catherine's Palace from 1752 in Tsarskoye Selo (the "Tsar's village") is a step back in time. The main attraction of the Palace is the world-famous Amber room, which was a gift to Peter I from Prussian King Wilhelm I. After years of meticulous restoration, the room once again shines in all its beauty, and is open to the public. Enjoy a Tsar's feast for lunch, complete with caviar, vodka, and stirring Russian folklore, at a local restaurant. Those not flying back from St. Petersburg at night will continue onboard the special Train towards Belarus. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 14 - Minsk
You'll arrive in Minsk in the morning. A guided bus tour will introduce you to the rich and eventful history of the Belarus capital, visiting the Jewish quarter, the Baroque St. Peter and Paul's Church, The St. Simeon and Elena church as well as the city's main boulevard, the Francyska-Skarny-Prospekt. At noon your train ride will continue on towards Brest. Unwind on your private train and enjoy the moody landscape with its marshes and dark forests passing by your window. (Breakfast, lunch and dinner included)

Day 15 - Poznan
In the morning, your Charter train will arrive in Poznan. A guided tour of the city will show you all the most important sights of this ancient trade capital of western Poland, such as the Renaissance town all in the old city centre as well as the Raczinsky library, the University and the Peninsula with its Gothic cathedral. Afterwards, you will continue onboard your special train to the German-polish border and will then bid farewell to the friendly staff of your special train. In Rzepin, you will get on the EuroCity train to Berlin, where you will arrive in the late afternoon. Your Lernidee tour guides will say good-bye here - the momentous journey has come to an end. (Breakfast & Lunch included)