Itinerary
In alliance with Smithsonian Journeys. This cruise is part of a collection of PONANT voyages that are specially-tailored for English-speaking travellers who want to engage with the world. In addition to the usual elements of the PONANT experience, the listed price for these voyages includes transfers to and from the ship, talks and discussions aboard ship by world class experts, and a shore excursion or activity in each port of call that encourages guests to embrace the sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of the local environment and culture. Join PONANT and Smithsonian Journeys for an extraordinary 10-day voyage through the Baltic Sea featuring specially arranged, exclusive presentations and discussions aboard with former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize-laureate Lech Wa??sa while in Gdansk, Poland, and with former mayor of Copenhagen Bo Asmus Kjeldgaard while in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Baltic Sea has been a thoroughfare of trade since the days of the Vikings. We will visit the great cities that ring its shores and experience a comingling of cosmopolitan life with centuries of rich history. You begin with an overnight and full day in Saint Petersburg-arguably the most magnificent city on the Baltic where virtually the entire city is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Architectural gems abound-churches with elaborate domes, palaces, gardens, and canals. We invite you to visit this impressive city replete with the grandeur of the Tsars and traces of the Russian Enlightenment. Le Champlain sails next to Tallinn, an important hub for the Hanseatic League in the Baltic Sea around the 13th century. Its Old Town is a UNESCO Heritage Site and retains remarkably well-preserved ramparts, public buildings, merchant houses, and warehouses. You call next in Helsinki. Located on a peninsula surrounded by almost 300 islands, the vibrant capital of Finland will charm you with its Art Nouveau architecture. Spend a full day in cosmopolitan Stockholm, whose lively Gamla Stan (old town) located on a compact island beckons you to explore its narrow cobblestone streets lined with 17th- and 18th-century buildings, including the Royal Palace. On Gotland-the largest island in the Baltic Sea-you stop at the beautifully preserved medieval town of Visby, once a stronghold of the Hanseatic League. You sail next to Gdansk, a city with a 1000 year history whose shipyard served as the birthplace of the Solidarity Trade Union in 1980. The wave of dissent arising from the Solidarity movement helped lead to Polish independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. End with an overnight and full day to explore Copenhagen, which offers a chance to relive 800 years of royal history at the stunning Christiansborg Palace, once home to kings and queens and now home to the Danish Parliament. Here you will also have the opportunity to learn about the city' commitment to sustainability and its goal to become the world' first carbon neutral capital city by the year 2025.
