Things to see and do Pays Baltes

The first floor houses temporary exhibitions and the kitchens. Take the time to visit them, and be impressed by the size of the fireplaces, then climb the grand staircase. The palace tour really begins on the^1st floor.

The antechamber to the Golden Room. This room is not original, except for the parquet floor and doors.

The Golden Room. This is the room that has been best preserved over the centuries. The parquet floor dates back to the 1860s, and the plaster decorations have retained the same gilding as in their original state, albeit supplemented by restorers. Even the ceiling, though repainted in the ^19th century, has suffered little in comparison with the other rooms: the renovation has restored its original hues and texture.

The walls of the Golden Room preserve traces of bygone eras (inscriptions and engravings). Most noteworthy are the signatures of participants in the War of 1812 and the First World War, engraved in the painted marble near the east-side window. They adjoin the entrance to the porcelain cabinet, built as a delicate counterweight to the magnificence and luxury of the Golden Room. The two wall panels were designed as mirrors, artificially enlarging the size of the room.

The grand gallery. The door opposite, in the chambre d'or, leads to the 30 m long grande galerie. Renovation of the ceiling took 14 years. During the restoration, it was discovered that the walls had been covered in 1813 with a layer of grayish-green paint, then in the late ^19th century with a layer of reddish-brown paint to accommodate Count Shuvalov's collection of paintings. These coats of paint have now been partially removed. The grand gallery, a relic of grandiloquent Italian art, is a rarity for Latvia. From here, you reach the White Room. This room is currently being renovated.

The rooms to the east of the gallery had practical functions: they were used for passing dishes during receptions. The most remarkable of these rooms is undoubtedly the blue salon, upholstered in blue silk.

The oval cabinet. In place of the peasants' staircase, J. M. Graaf installed the oval porcelain cabinet, west of the white room. This is the liveliest room in the château. The 45 hand-made consoles, lined up one after the other on the middle panel, intertwine in a sudden play of curves reminiscent of a veritable waterfall, within which the consoles rise like waves while supporting Chinese and Japanese vases. This room underlines the architectural ideas in vogue in ^18th-century Europe. Porcelain cabinets were not confined to porcelain from the Far East, but also created a sense of the exotic that didn't exist in other rooms. They also fit in well with the Baroque and Rococo styles, which were keen to surprise on every occasion.

The small gallery. The room next door is the only room in this wing of the building that hasn't been decorated. Like the petite galerie, which takes visitors back to the 1730s, the wooden staircases give an idea of what the château looked like in its early period. The same ideas and influences were borrowed here as for the main staircases. The floor is of the same construction, made of simple planks of coniferous wood. The ceiling was intended to display tapestries by the Italian painter Bartolomeo Tarsia, but these were transported to Ielgava and brought to St. Petersburg after the Duke's arrest. Opposite the windows, the idea was floated of placing mirror panels, but this project never came to fruition.

The white room. The White Room, whose primary function was to accommodate the dancers, has been called this since the ^18th century. The color white is no accident, but was chosen to create a light, cheerful atmosphere. While the golden room's avalanche of colors and ornaments could make you feel lost, the white room's discreet decorations highlighted the beautiful dresses of the ladies and the luxurious jackets of the gentlemen. The impression of clarity is further enhanced by the presence of five mirrored panels, imitating the thirteen authentic windows. With this room, J. M. Graaf has achieved the most brilliant feat of his career. The painted decorations cover walls and ceilings and at first glance appear to repeat symmetrical motifs; in reality, nothing is repeated, everything is bubbling with imagination, freshness and mastery. Overlooking the doorway are drawings of 22 scenes depicting village life and the trades of the time - hunting, farming, animal husbandry, horticulture, music. The reliefs above the windows symbolize the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Allegorical representations of the four seasons of the year can be seen on the cornices of the longitudinal walls. The stork's nest in the center of the ceiling is also famous: it's made of real branches, lightly covered in plaster. In 1992, a real family of storks, which could be seen through the window in the white room, took up residence on the mantelpiece in the north-western part of the room. This room features the château's only non-original parquet floor. The dancers' footsteps wore it out, and Count Shuvalov was obliged to install a new floor in 1892, which is the one you can walk on today.

Three small cabinets. At the other end of the white room are three small cabinets where one could rest during balls. One of them is adorned with several small rhomboidal mirrors inlaid into the wall decorations, giving the cabinets a play of light effect. The finesse of their decorative details is in keeping with their modest size; they are, along with the duchess's bathroom, the smallest rooms in the château.

The court room. Next to the staircase, to the east, lies the Court Room, part of the château's most recent history. The furniture and paintings here recreate the atmosphere of Zubov's time, when he was forced to renovate the entire castle around 1795. Classical Russian furniture coexists with a portrait of Catherine II, set against the background of the Zubov family tree. The latter was created by the painter Jean-Baptiste Lampi; the members of the Zubov family are represented by golden apples. Most of the porcelain in the room comes from Russia, while the floor is covered with woven carpets.

The former apartments. The duke's former apartments occupy the central part of the château and are linked to several reception rooms. These rooms were not only the duke's living quarters, but also an important part of castle life. The twenty rooms form two parallel enfilades. The south enfilade - on the garden side - begins with the library and ends with the billiard room. In the middle is the Duke's bedroom. On the north side are the living rooms, the two cabinets, the wardrobe and the bathrooms. Great care has been taken to preserve the impression of two parallel lines created by the rooms as a whole. Here, ceiling paintings blend with plaster reliefs and silk wall tapestries with marble decorations. The range of colors used in each room is surprisingly different from the previous one.

The antechamber. The style of the antechamber to the duke's apartments is balanced and classicist, especially on the ceiling. Most of the paintings have religious overtones and are by Italian and Flemish masters of the Baroque period.

First in the enfilade is the castle's former library. The ceiling decoration, which has somehow survived, reveals an inscription: Laborem In Victoria Nemo Sentit(toil is not experienced in victory). The shield is held by the personification of Victory - the symbolism of Peace and Abundance can also be seen in opposition to that of Dispute and Hatred. The painting has not only suffered from the rains, but also from its renovation in the 1880s: the original angel drawings are no longer visible. All that remains of the original furniture is the oak bookcase.

The pink room. Of all these rooms, the Pink Room is one of the most pleasant surprises. Here, more than anywhere else, we find the architectural ideas popular in Berlin and Potsdam, and especially those of Friedrich II. The painted marble and flower designs are adorned with silver, not gold. The ceiling features the goddess of spring, Flora, and her entourage. The same ideas influenced the wall decorations: 21 garlands of flowers in painted plaster of various colors rise above a marble panel. In May 1997, the renovation of the parquet floor, originally laid in 1739 by master carpenter Jean Baptiste Eger under Rastrelli's direction, was completed. The chandelier is the work of Courlande glassmakers and was installed in the second half of the ^18thcentury.

The blue room. The next two rooms, which you must pass through to reach the Duke's bedroom, are particularly noteworthy for their paintings. The first, with its blue tapestry-covered walls, features a succession of paintings by the Dutch school depicting the château's interior at the time. In the ^18th century, the works of Flemish painters were exhibited mainly in Rundale, including a painting by Rembrandt, Simeon and Anna in the Temple, which now hangs in Hamburg's Kunsthalle. The most remarkable paintings in this room are by Megior de Hondekuter, Jean Hakart, Frédéric de Moucheron, Otto Harsen, Fan Skrik and other German painters of the Dutch school.

The portrait room. The next room, upholstered in red silk, features portraits of members of the Biron dynasty, as well as European emperors of the period. These include the Russian Tsarina Anna Ivanovna, Elisabeth Petrovna, Catherine II and Peter III. Leonard Shorere's portrait of Duke Biron is framed by portraits of Russian Tsar Peter the Great and King Friedrich II of Prussia, symbolizing the Curonian Spit's median political position between its two powerful neighbors. Gotlib Snifner's portrait of Polish King Stanislaus Augustus is to be understood as that of the Curonian Spit's last feudal overlord, although the duchy's independence from Poland was more or less a reality by the ^18th century. The portraits of the Duke's widow, Benigna Gottlieb, Duke Peteris and his wife Anne-Dorothée, and their two eldest daughters, Wilhelmine and Pauline, were painted by the French-born court painter Friedrich Barisien.

The bedroom. At the center of this enfilade is the room that attracts the most attention: the Duke's bedroom. The wall and ceiling decorations were created during the castle's second construction period, although some earlier elements have been preserved: the parquet floor and the blue porcelain fireplace, made by the potter Gottfried Kater in Danzig in 1740. This fireplace is the only one in the castle not to have been reworked afterwards; the other four fireplaces in the other rooms were reassembled after being completely renovated in Rīga in 1935. The ceiling features figures from ancient mythology. Alongside them are the usual Baroque themes. The alcove was renovated in 1990 using old photographs; the gilded wooden decorations had been destroyed in 1919. The parquet flooring was laid in 1739 by master craftsman Jean Baptiste Eger: not only is it the most technically accomplished in Rundale Castle, it is also the most representative of the Baroque style in the whole of Latvia. The bedroom features few paintings, but their choice is symbolic. The duke's bedroom has two small doors to the right and left of the recess dedicated to the duke's bed. On the right, the door leads to the bathroom, on the left to a wardrobe. The wardrobe, where the duke dressed and undressed, is the most sumptuous room in the castle. On the ceiling, the silvery face of the sun shines amid a crown of colorful flowers, vines and birds. Hand-crafted silver ornamentation extends to the ends of the ceiling. Recently restored, it shines as brightly as on its first day.

The audience room. The room following the bedroom is the Duke's audience room. The festive atmosphere here comes from the dark red color used for the silk tapestries on the walls. The ceiling depicts the myth of Venus and her lover Adonis, son of the ruler of Cyprus: the goddess tries to prevent Adonis from going on a fateful hunting trip, where he will be devoured by a wild boar sent by the jealous god Mars. The courtroom furniture is in the Louis XVI style, much appreciated by Duke Peteris. Among them is the most precious piece of furniture in the château's collection: a black lacquered commode by French carpenter Jean-Henri Riesener. The small clock on the commode also comes from France, as does a second commode by Parisian carpenter Etienne Avril.

There is a large portrait of Duke Peteris, whose eventful history deserves to be told. The portrait was given to the Duke in 1781 by the painter Friedrich Hartmann Barisien, then bequeathed to the Mitau academy, the Academia Petrina, founded in 1775 by the Duke himself. In 1792, influenced by the ideas of the French Revolution, a student at the academy stabbed the portrait to death; this student was none other than Ulrich von Schlippenbach, a future writer. Offended, the Duke removed the portrait and, in 1795, leaving the Curonian Spit, gave it to his personal physician, Professor Grochke.

The Italian salon. The Italian salon bears witness to Duke Peteris's love of Italy, which he visited in 1785, founding the prize of the Bologna Academy of Arts.

The marble hall. In 1994, restoration work was completed on the Duke's dining room, also known as the "marble room" because of its wall textures: marble in the sober colors of gray and blue. This room is characterized by the rich, colorful design of the ceilings; once again, among several garlands of flowers, you'll find Ernst Johan's monogram. Here you can see some examples of the Curonian dinner services commissioned by Duke Peteris from the royal porcelain factories in Berlin around 1787, and still produced today. The marble hall became a gymnasium during the Soviet era.

The billiard room. The ceiling features a painting depicting the Greek myth of the apple of discord. The billiard room is also linked to the legend of the Black Lady, who appears from time to time, only to vanish down the west wing staircase after crossing the dining room.

Shuvalon's room.

The Duke's study. This room was opened in 2006. The most striking features are the silver wall decorations. It was used by Shuvalon in the ^19th century. It was completely destroyed in the wars of 1812 and 1914-1918. Until 1978, it housed a school classroom. Next door, you pass through the duke's bathroom.

The duchess's apartments. The duchess's antechamber, boudoir, bedroom and bathroom have been renovated; the other rooms house various exhibitions.

From Sigulda, you can see the high red brick tower of the Livonian castle of Turaida, which dates from 1215 and from which there is a superb view. A museum in the 15th century attic explains the history of the Livonian state from the 14th to the 16th century. In the summer, festivals of folk songs are held here. In the park surrounding the fortress you can get acquainted with local traditions: pirts (sauna), blacksmith's workshop, very interesting fish cellars (the refrigerator of the medieval period), a house of barons and servants.

Art Nouveau is an artistic movement born in France at the end of the 19th century. It is based on the aesthetics of curved lines and was born in reaction to the excessive industrialization of the century. If you are interested in Art Nouveau, this museum is worth a visit. It occupies the former apartment of Latvian architect Konstantīns Pēkšēns (1859-1928), who was responsible for over 250 buildings in the city. The museum recreates a middle-class apartment from the 1920s. On its website, suggestions for itineraries on this theme to discover the city.

The magnificent Livonian castle of Jaunpils is worth a visit. The only perfectly preserved castle of the Livonian Order in Latvia, it was built in 1301. It currently houses a museum on the history of the region. Every second weekend in August, the medieval festival takes place here, where you can step back in time and take part in activities common in those days, such as crossbow shooting. Taste medieval dishes with your hands (no fork!) and participate in duels with sword and shield for the more daring..

A must-see in Riga! It's housed in three former zeppelin hangars built before the First World War. Inside the sheds or outside on the stalls, you'll find traditional products sold by farmers: cheeses, vegetables, meat, cold meats, flowers, honey, fresh and smoked fish... It's a great way to familiarize yourself with Latvian local produce. The central market remains a popular place for locals, thanks to the quality of the goods on offer. Part of it has even been transformed into a food court.

If you don't know anything about Latvian art, you'll come away much better informed, as this museum offers a retrospective of all the country's artistic movements, from their origins to the present day. In the basement, through large windows, you can observe the museum's hidden collections. It's quite original and not to be missed. Finally, on the first floor, don't forget to take a look at the works of Latvian contemporary artists and the temporary exhibitions.

To the east of the centre, located in a small forest, this cemetery has a memorial honouring Napoleon's soldiers who died of starvation or wounds in Vilnius during the Russian retreat. The remains of 2,000 of them were discovered in 2002. There are also graves of Polish soldiers, and those of the victims of the Soviet special forces killed on 13 January 1991. Moving! If you walk through the park, you will find beautiful views of Vilnius.

Several wooden houses dating from the 19th century have been beautifully restored, at the corner of Kalnciema and Melnsila streets. There are now various shops and restaurants and above all, a very typical and warm market every Saturday. A lot of fruits, vegetables, drinks and various foods are sold by small producers. Most of them are organic and come from the surrounding farms. There are also stands of local artisans and designers. A band plays on site, which makes the atmosphere even more pleasant.

It was here, at the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia rivers, that the formation of the city of Vilnius began. It was also a place for lovers' meetings, a market place and a fairground in the 19th century, and became the centre of popular gatherings at the time of independence. At the foot of the belfry is the "Stebuklas", which means "miracle". In 1989, the Baltic Way, a human chain of almost 600 km from Vilnius to Riga and Tallinn, began on this slab and rekindled the struggle for independence from the USSR. You can stand on the slab, make a wish and turn around three times to make it come true. At the end of the square, an equestrian statue of Grand Duke Gediminas, the founder of Vilnius, was unveiled in September 1996 on an ancient pagan site.

Built of wood in the 13th century,on an ancient pagan site honoring Perkūnas (the god of Thunder), the cathedral (Arkikatedra Bazilika) found its present form at the time of Grand Duke Vytautas in the 15th century. It was originally built in Gothic style and has been restored many times. The statues on the north side are of saints and apostles. The south wing houses the Chapel of St. Casimir (protector of the country), under which lie the remains of Lithuanian royalty and nobility. During the Soviet period, the cathedral became a painting gallery. Since independence, the large white building in the centre of the city has resumed its daily religious services. About 100 meters from the cathedral, in the long building of the former arsenal, is the National Museum. A little further on, in Arsenalo 3a, you can visit the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts (Taikomosios dailės ir dizaino muziejus) - open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm, Sundays until 4pm (tapestries, jewellery and ceramics).

Separated from the cathedral, the bell tower recalls the line of the moat that surrounded the square until the 19th century and the destruction of the low castle by the Russians. It is 57 m high. In the 17th century, a clock was installed there (open from May to September from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm, from October to April until 6 pm). Today, behind the cathedral, the remains of the castle and the excavations can be visited.

Behind the Cathedral Square (after the statue of Gediminas), a paved path climbs up the park to Mount Gediminas(kalnas).

A centre of the old town, place of appointment, concerts and manigestations in summer, the city hall square has existed since the th century, where the city's first markets were held. On «Extensively dishes», apart from the city hall, the «Raeapteek», a pharmacy dating back to 1422 (its current façade was redone in the th century), and at 4-6 the former prison of the city transformed into art gallery.

Considered the metropolis of Art Nouveau, Rīga proudly displays a third of the buildings from this architectural and artistic movement. But the richness of this heritage is mainly due to the eclecticism of the facades. In addition to conventional Art Nouveau, there are also beautiful examples of the so-called "national romanticism" and Nordic Art Nouveau. We can start with the buildings on Elizabetes Street, at the corner of the Esplanade Park, which are known for their Art Nouveau facades, designed by Eisenstein, the father of the film director. Number 10b, built in 1903, is full of figures related to symbolism and remains the major monument of this movement in Latvia. Number 33, on the opposite side of the street, is also a victim of the "fear of emptiness" that characterizes typical Art Nouveau facades, and is displayed in all its splendor. Alberta iela Street (from no. 2 to no. 12-9, the apartment of the painter Jānis Rozentāls) represents one of the most beautiful and rare concentrations of Art Nouveau facades in the world. It should be noted that this street, has not yet benefited from the renovations that have been taking the city by storm in recent years. On Strēlnieku Street, No. 4 also offers an abundance of sculptural and ornamental motifs. In the old town, No. 8 on Smilšu Street also looks good. Through the glass door of the building, the visitor is given the opportunity to see the Art Nouveau paintings and sculptures that also decorate the entrance.

This jewel rests peacefully on its small island in the heart of Lac Galvé. A footbridge provides access from the shore. Built of red brick, the castle was erected in various phases from the late ^14th century onwards, but the most important expansion took place under Grand Duke Vytautas, who made it his residence (and died here). It was partly destroyed in the ^17th century during the invasion of Tsarist Russia, and was not renovated until the ^20th century. The complex comprises the Grand Duke's Palace, surrounded by a defensive wall, and a fore-castle, separated from the palace by a deep moat. Some of the castle's rooms house the Trakai Historical Museum (Trakų istorijos muzeijus). The fore-castle is dedicated to exhibitions of handicrafts (glasswork, ivory, pearls, etc.), important objects such as seals and hunting trophies, temporary exhibitions, and also houses monetary treasures found in the region. The castle itself presents its history, that of Grand Duke Vytautas, life in Trakai and that of its inhabitants, including the Tatar and Karaites minorities (you can learn more about their origins and see their traditional costumes). You can admire medieval weapons and armor, furniture... and the "throne room" where Vytautas received his guests. Every year, the castle grounds host a medieval festival in July, and a festival of ancient crafts in mid-August.

At the end of the Cathedral, at the end of the park, you can take the rue Pilies (Pilies gatvė). The old town with its narrow streets and internal courtyards dating back to the th century is going back to the shopping and pedestrian streets.

The city is proud of its churches; there were more than two hundred years ago, and now only are still there. On the Vokiečių Boulevard with wide perspectives, the evangelical Lutheran church is completely invisible from the street. Further afield, in the far west of the old town, the baroque churches of the Holy Spirit (Aušros Vartų 10) and Sainte-Catherine (Vilnius gatvė) are set up. Outside the old town, on Antakalnio at No. 1 (take the bus), the church Saints-Pierre-et-Paul, built in the th on the ancient pagan site of the goddess of Love, dominates the horizon. In Baroque style, with its countless sculptures, it deserves a visit. Other Places of Worship: in Basanavičiaus, the church of the Romanov built in 1913, Russian Orthodox Sanctuary; and, on Liubarto (north bank, near Vingis Park), the Kenessa, church of the Karaites people of Lithuania.

Lennusadam (Seaplane Harbour) is part of the large complex of the Estonian Maritime Museum. Located by the sea in the new district of Tallinn Kalamaja, this former seaplane hangar now houses many objects and replicas of boats that bear witness to the country's maritime history, including the famous Lembit submarine. Built in 1936, the Lembit is now the oldest active submarine in the world despite more than 75 years of service! The visit of the ship allows to discover the daily life of these main users, but also the know-how of engineers in shipbuilding in the 1930s. Another replica that deserves to be seen is the Short Type 184 seaplane. As no seaplane has reached us, this life-size work remains a unique piece in the world that reveals part of the military history of the interwar period. The visit of the museum will continue at the port where you can discover the ships now belonging to the Estonian fleet, including the famous icebreaker Suur Tõll, the largest in Europe. Maritime history enthusiasts will not be disappointed because the ship has kept the authenticity of its period decor and the integrity of its construction. Finally, Lennusadam will impress adults as well as the youngest thanks to its original digital design of its exhibition. There are several attractions including flight simulators, remote-controlled boats, photos in military clothing, game workshops, etc. A must during a stay in Tallinn.

Rīga's visit logically begins with the historical heart of the th century, that is, the old town (Vecrīga), with its maze of cobbled streets and full of life, its restored monuments, churches and old buildings to the Germanic influence inherited from the time of the Hanse. Of these 590 buildings, 79 are classified as historic monuments!