Textile Traditions of the Baltic States

This morning, join Karin, your Tour Manager and fellow guests for a brief welcome meeting before enjoying your first hand-stitching workshop with Karin in a meeting room at the hotel. Refreshments will be provided.

This afternoon we'll enjoy a guided tour of the city. We'll explore its charms and contrasts as we walk through the historic Old Town, one of the largest in Eastern Europe, seeing Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical landmarks such as the Cathedral, the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Gediminas' Hill, the Churches of St. Anne and Bernardines, the Amber Gallery, Vilnius University, the Presidential Palace, the Jewish Quarter, the Town Hall, St. Casimir's Church, the Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit and the Gates of Dawn and its painting of the Mother of God, which is said to have miracle-working powers.

Join Karin and fellow guests for an included dinner and folklore show at a local restaurant.

Tamošaitis Gallery "Židinys" is a cultural and exhibition space in the heart of Vilnius dedicated to preserving, researching and promoting Lithuania's rich textile and folk-art heritage. Established through the vision and generous donation of renowned Lithuanian textile artists Anastazija and Antanas Tamošaitis, the gallery houses an exceptional collection of 19th- and early 20th-century Lithuanian folk textiles, traditional costumes and woven bands alongside the artists' own works.

The National Museum of Lithuania is home to one of the country's most important collections of historic textiles, offering a comprehensive overview of Lithuania's rich weaving, embroidery and costume traditions. Spanning several centuries, the collection preserves examples of everyday domestic textiles, ceremonial fabrics, regional folk costumes, woven sashes, lace and embroidery. The collection documents the evolution of techniques, materials and decorative traditions across Lithuania's ethnographic regions, illustrating how textiles have served not only practical purposes but also as expressions of identity, status and cultural heritage. Many objects reveal the exceptional skill of local weavers and embroiderers, whose work has been passed down through generations. We'll enjoy a guided tour of the collection.

The Textile Restoration Studio at the museum plays a vital role in preserving the country's textile heritage for future generations. Working behind the scenes, the studio's conservators care for a wide range of fragile textile artefacts from the museum's collection. Combining traditional craftsmanship with modern conservation science, the studio is responsible for examining, stabilising, cleaning and restoring textiles while respecting their historical integrity. Every treatment is carefully planned to preserve the original materials and techniques, ensuring that each object retains its authenticity and can continue to be studied, exhibited and appreciated. We'll enjoy a tour of the studio, learning about the valuable work that takes place here.

The remainder of the day is free for personal sightseeing.

This evening is at leisure.

We leave Vilnius this morning and travel by coach to our final stop in Lithuania, Stultiskiai Windmill. Built in 1880, it is one of Lithuania's best-preserved wooden post mills and today houses the Flax Museum, dedicated to one of the country's most important traditional textile fibres. While the windmill originally served the local farming community by grinding grain, it has been transformed into a museum that tells the story of flax cultivation and linen production in rural Lithuania.

The museum will guide us through every stage of the flax-making process – from removing the seed heads and breaking the stalks to scutching, hackling, spinning, weaving and producing linen cloth. We'll see original tools, spinning wheels, looms and examples of traditional linen textiles showing the skill and labour involved in creating one of Lithuania's most valued materials.

During our visit we'll also learn about sash weaving in this region of Lithuania. Sashes, known as juostos, are among the most distinctive elements of Lithuanian folk textiles. The base of the sash is woven using linen, whilst the raised patterns are created with wool. Characterised by bright colours, the sashes feature repeating geometric motifs including diamonds, crosses, stars, zigzags and stylised plant forms. Many patterns were believed to carry symbolic meaning related to protection, prosperity, harmony or fertility.

Beyond their decorative function, the sashes played an important role in everyday and ceremonial life. They were worn around the waist to secure clothing, presented as gifts during weddings and other celebrations, used in religious processions and exchanged as tokens of respect and friendship. The juosta continues to be worn with traditional costumes during festivals and national celebrations and is widely recognised as a symbol of Lithuanian identity. We'll take part in a workshop to create our own sash and enjoy a tasting of a local speciality: potatoes served with flaxseed cracklings and flaxseed oil.

Our first stop in Latvia is Rundale Palace, a magnificent Baroque and Rococo palace set amid beautiful gardens. Often described as the "Versailles of Latvia", the palace was built in the 18th century as a summer residence for the Dukes of Courland and is renowned for its elegant architecture, lavish interiors and richly decorated rooms. Our guided tour will take us through grand ceremonial rooms as well as the Duke's and Duchess's apartments, giving us an insight into the lives of the palace's former residents. Outside, the palace is surrounded by an extensive French-style formal garden, with symmetrical paths, ornamental planting, fountains, sculptures and carefully maintained flower beds. Lunch is included today.

We then continue to Riga.

This evening is at leisure.

This morning we'll enjoy a guided tour of the city including Senā Klēts, the National Costume Centre. Located in the heart of Riga's Old Town, Senā Klēts is Latvia's leading institution dedicated to the preservation and promotion of traditional Latvian folk costume and textile heritage. At the heart of Senā Klēts is an extensive collection of authentic and carefully recreated folk costumes from Latvia's diverse cultural regions, showcasing the distinctive weaving, embroidery, knitting and decorative techniques that have shaped Latvian dress for centuries.

The walking tour will also take us through Riga's historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The route leads through the Old Town with its narrow streets, medieval churches and lively squares, including the House of the Black Heads, Dome Cathedral, Church of St. Peter, the old Guild Houses, Swedish Gate, the "Three Brothers", the oldest dwellings in the city, St. Jacob's Church, Parliament House and Old Riga Castle.

This afternoon we'll enjoy our second hand-stitching workshop with Karin in the meeting room at our hotel. Refreshments will be provided.

The evening is at leisure.

Band weaving is a beautiful Latvian craft tradition, with the colours and patterns in each band representing a Latvian region. These traditional bands accompany Latvians from early childhood until the end of life. They are used for hanging babies' cradles, present in festivities and on family occasions, worn as part of the national costume and, finally, they serve the task of setting down the coffin. This morning we'll enjoy a band-weaving workshop at a studio in the heart of the city.

The remainder of the day is free for personal sightseeing.

The evening is at leisure.

We leave Riga and Latvia today as we continue our journey to our final Baltic state, Estonia. Our first stop will be the Heimatali Museum in Viljandi, a branch of the Estonian National Museum housed in a carefully preserved stone schoolhouse.

The museum's permanent exhibition explores nearly two centuries of rural education, local history and domestic culture, but its greatest treasure is an outstanding collection of traditional Estonian textiles, with woven fabrics, embroidered garments, knitted gloves, blankets and regional folk costumes highlighting the artistry, symbolism and technical excellence of Estonian textile traditions. We'll enjoy a talk on the textile collection before continuing to Parnu.

Join Karin, your Tour Manager and fellow guests for an included dinner at a local restaurant.

Located just outside Parnu, Tostamaa Handicraft Centre is a vibrant community hub dedicated to preserving, teaching and promoting the traditional crafts of western Estonia. The centre celebrates the region's distinctive textile heritage including roosimine, a distinctive Estonian inlay knitting technique.

We'll enjoy a talk on the traditional crafts and folk costumes of the region before taking part in a wedding tassel or pulmatutt workshop, an ornamental textile decoration once made for bridal celebrations and festive occasions. Under the guidance of skilled craftspeople, we'll learn how colourful yarns are wrapped, braided and knotted to produce these decorative tassels, which were traditionally attached to wedding gifts, horse harnesses and ceremonial poles, or used to adorn the wedding party. During the workshop we'll also learn about the cultural significance of the tassels in Estonian folk tradition, including the symbolism of colour, form and decoration.

We return to Parnu this afternoon for a guided city tour including Maarja-Magdaleena Guild, a community of professional artisans who preserve Estonia's rich craft heritage while embracing contemporary design and artistic innovation. We'll explore the guild's open studios, watching master craftspeople at work in ceramics, jewellery making, textiles, leatherwork, glass art, woodcraft and other traditional disciplines. We'll also visit Vuhti House Gallery, a distinctive gallery of contemporary Estonian crafts displayed in an elegantly restored Functionalist house. The gallery specialises in ceramics, textiles and fine art, with an emphasis on high-quality handcrafted pieces inspired by Estonia's natural landscapes and design traditions, including table linens, rugs, cushions, bedspreads, curtains, ceramics, paintings and decorative objects, many of them created on site or by artists from the surrounding region.

On our city tour we'll see the Town Hall, St. Catherine's Orthodox Church, Villa Ammende art nouveau villa, Red Tower, the city's oldest surviving structure, Independence Square, St. Elizabeth's Church, Tallinn Gate and Parnu Vallikaar Park.

This evening is at leisure.

Muhu Island is one of the larger islands of Estonia, with a permanent population of around 2,000 people. The island is known for its traditional villages along with its traditional crafts including embroidery.

Here, we'll visit the Muhu handicraft society, Oad ja Eed, for an embroidery workshop and enjoy shopping for crafts made by the members of the society. Muhu embroidery has a distinctive style, recognisable by its vivid colours and intricate floral designs. Vibrant pinks, oranges, yellows, greens, blues and reds are stitched on a dark fabric, creating striking contrast. Motifs often include stylised flowers, leaves, berries and vines stitched using padded satin stitch to give a three-dimensional effect.

Muhu embroidery typically decorated women's clothes and accessories, often worn for festivals, weddings, church services and other important community events, as well as household textiles. Many techniques and patterns were passed down within families, making each piece both personal and rooted in local heritage. Lunch is included today.

This evening is at leisure.

We leave Parnu this morning and travel by coach to Tallinn. En route we'll detour to Haapsalu, a charming seaside town on Estonia's western coast known for its peaceful atmosphere, historic wooden houses, coastal setting and long tradition as a spa resort. Haapsalu is also famous for its traditional lace shawls, a craft that has been associated with the town since the 19th century. The exceptionally fine knitted shawls became popular with wealthy visitors to Haapsalu's spa resorts and are traditionally made from very fine wool with intricate lace patterns. The finest examples are so delicate that they can reportedly be pulled through a wedding ring.

We'll visit the Haapsalu Lace Centre Museum, where we'll gain an insight into this remarkable local craft. We'll see examples of the delicate shawls and learn about the knitting traditions and skills that have been passed down through generations.

This afternoon, with our local guide, we'll explore Tallinn, said to be the best-preserved medieval town in Northern Europe with its Gothic spires and winding cobblestone streets. Highlights of the tour will include Toompea Hill for panoramic viewpoints, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Town Hall Square, Kalev Marzipan Museum and hidden courtyards known only to locals. The tour reveals Tallinn's rich history, from medieval prosperity to modern independence, blending legends, architecture and everyday life.

This evening is at leisure.

This morning we'll enjoy our final hand-stitching workshop with Karin. Refreshments will be provided.

The remainder of the day is free for personal sightseeing.

The evening is at leisure.

There's an opportunity for some retail therapy today, our final day in Tallinn.

The Estonian Handicraft House is dedicated to preserving, promoting and celebrating Estonia's rich craft traditions, including textiles, ceramics, woodwork, jewellery, leather goods and traditional clothing. Many of the items on display, all handmade by skilled artisans, are inspired by regional traditions, incorporating distinctive patterns, natural materials and time-honoured methods passed down through generations.

The textile collection of the Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design is one of the museum's most significant holdings, documenting the evolution of Estonian textile art and design from the early 20th century to the present day. The collection includes woven textiles, tapestries, printed fabrics, embroidery, lace, knitted works, rugs, costume textiles and experimental fibre art. We'll enjoy a guided tour of the collection.

The Katariina Guild Studios brings together a community of professional artisans working in open studios, so we will be able to see the creative processes involved in jewellery, ceramics, glass, leatherwork, textiles, fashion and millinery first hand. Here we'll take part in a textile jewellery workshop; the perfect gift for a loved one at home or a memento of your travels.

Join Karin, your Tour Manager and fellow guests for an included dinner this evening.