Wednesday & Thursday, July 4 & 5, 2012

Depart on your independent overnight flight to Edinburgh. Transfer to our hotel and gather the evening of the 5th for a welcome dinner and briefing.

Friday, July 6

After breakfast a city tour highlights sights along Edinburgh’s most famous avenue, the Royal Mile, including Holyrood Palace, stunning St. Giles Cathedral, and Edinburgh Castle. After lunch we transfer to the port of Leith to embark the Clipper Odyssey.

Saturday, July 7

As we transit the North Sea our team of lecturers prepares us for the exciting cultural and historical encounters ahead.

Sunday, July 8

The beautiful, windswept island of Sylt is the northernmost point of Germany. The inviting sandy beaches are known for their “wandering dunes,” and the vast tidal flats that are feeding and resting grounds for migratory birds. After lunch on shore go for an optional bicycle tour from the village of Kampen, or enjoy free time to explore Westerland, the charming capital of Sylt.

Monday, July 9

Early this morning we begin our transit of the historic 61-mile-long Kiel Canal and sail from the North Sea into the Baltic. Kaiser Wilhelm I set the first foundation stone in place on June 3, 1887, in Brunsbuttel and the final stone was laid by Kaiser Wilhelm II on June 21, 1895, in Holtenau. Today the Kiel Canal is one of the busiest man-made waterways in the world.

Tuesday, July 10

After breakfast we step ashore on serene Bornholm Island, endowed with sugar-white sand beaches, dramatic cliffs, thick forests, and heather-clad hills. Visit the ruins of Hammershus Castle, Scandinavia’s largest medieval fortress; the unique, round 12th-century churches, Osterlars and Nylars; and the charming half-timbered fishing hamlet of Gudhjem. We also visit art studios renowned for their glass blowing and pottery.

Wednesday, July 11

Today we enjoy a full-day tour of this city whose history spans nearly 1,000 years. We stop at the Solidarity Monument, in front of the Gdansk shipyard, then view the exhibition, Roads to Freedom, a fascinating audio-visual portrayal of those important, world-changing events. We enjoy a walking tour through lively Old Town with its magnificent collection of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque buildings and monuments. We pass through the Golden Gate and walk down Long Street to the 15th-century Palace of Artus, where Neptune’s Fountain commemorates Gdansk’s Hanseatic past. We also visit medieval St. Mary’s Church, the world’s largest brick church. After lunch there is time at leisure for further exploration.

Thursday, July 12

Our day begins with a drive to the amber center of Palanga. A stroll through the Botanical Park with its 500 varieties of trees and bushes, takes us to the Amber Museum, housed in a 19th-century neo-Renaissance-style mansion. Afterward we drive to the Old Town for a walking tour. From beautiful Theatre Square we explore the narrow streets that meander between the charming half-timbered houses and shops.

Friday, July 13

This morning we arrive at Gotland Island, the largest island in the Baltic. Its splendid city of Visby, a World Heritage Site, is famous for its intact medieval architecture, especially the 44 guard towers built as part of the city walls in the 11th and 12th centuries. We drive to Almedalen, a green oasis in the city center, then walk past lovely medieval granaries and the city’s oldest building, the Powder Tower. We visit the Botanical Garden, known for its exotic plant collection and take a ride up to a splendid panoramic viewpoint of the city and its spires. We continue our tour on foot along charming cobblestone streets, to visit the impressive St. Mary’s Cathedral and the Gotland Museum with its excellent medieval collections.

Saturday, July 14

Our day in Latvia showcases the riches of this 800-year-old Hanseatic river port. Our walking tour takes us to multiple landmarks, including the Blackheads House, one of the oldest buildings in Riga; St. Peter’s Church, a superb Gothic masterpiece; the 15th-century Three Brothers merchant houses; and St. Jacob and St. John churches. We also visit the 13th-century Dome Cathedral, whose organ concerts are legendary. We continue our exploration by motorcoach, driving past lovely parks along the City Canal lined with the stunning Art Nouveau architecture built in 1899 during the Jugendstil movement. There is free time this afternoon to explore Riga on your own.

Sunday, July 15

Today we set out for old town Tallinn, a visual feast of soaring spires, towers, and turrets. After a renaissance in restoration and reconstruction; Tallinn proudly proclaims itself the finest preserved city in the Baltic. In the upper Old Town we visit Palace Square and the magnificent cupola-crowned Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. In the lower Old Town we visit the Town Hall Square, once a medieval marketplace; one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe, founded in 1422; and stroll along St. Catherine’s Passage in the Latin Quarter. We also visit Kadriorg Palace and Park, built by Peter the Great as a summer residence.

Monday & Tuesday, July 16 & 17

We arrive in splendid St. Petersburg in the early afternoon and enjoy two days of exploration. Highlights of our visit include St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the Winter Palace which houses Catherine the Great’s incomparable Hermitage Museum. Enjoy an advanced entry and special guided tour which includes the Gold Room—a dazzling display of jewelry, as well as the famous Scythian and Greek gold. Drive across the Neva River to the burial place of the tsars, Peter and Paul Cathedral, its 18th-century spire dominates the skyline. We visit the spectacular Church of Resurrection, and drive along Russia’s most famous street, the Nevsky Prospect, lined with magnificent palaces, churches, and theaters. A scenic drive takes us to the magnificent palace and gardens of Peterhof, a grand summertime residence built by Peter the Great.

Wednesday, July 18

After breakfast disembark and transfer to the airport for your independent flight homeward.

Package price is per person, based on double occupancy. Single supplement applies. International airfare is additional. Other restrictions may apply. Contact us for complete journey details.

Category 1

185 sq. ft. ocean-view cabin with sitting area, private bathroom, and two portholes.

Category 2

175 sq. ft. ocean-view cabin with sitting area, private bathroom, and a window.

Category 3

175 sq. ft. ocean-view cabin with sitting area, private bathroom, and a window.

Category 4

175 sq. ft. ocean-view cabin with sitting area, private bathroom, and a window.

Category 5

230 sq. ft. ocean-view cabin with sitting area, private bathroom, and a window.

Category 6

230 sq. ft. ocean-view cabin with sitting area, private bathroom, and private balcony.

Suite

310 sq. ft. ocean-view suite with one bedroom, living room, private bathroom, and private balcony.

Nadia Eckhardt

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Nadia now calls Seattle her home. She has traveled extensively throughout the world and is well-versed with many adventure destinations. She spent much of her youth exploring southern Africa and the islands of the Indian Ocean. Nadia has been working with Zegrahm since 1989 and is an experienced expedition leader and cruise director.

Colleen Batey

Dr. Colleen Batey’s childhood passion for archaeology led her to Durham University where she received her doctorate. Her research interests focus on the settlement and burial of Scandinavian settlers and she has excavated extensively on Viking and Late Norse sites in Northern Scotland, Orkney, and Shetland Islands, and more recently in Iceland. Since 2002 Colleen has been a lecturer in archaeology at the University of Glasgow and until 2008 was the finds research manager for the Archaeological Institute of Iceland in Reykjavík. Colleen worked as British coordinator with the Smithsonian Institute of Washington to prepare the Vikings: North Atlantic Saga exhibition which toured the US in 2002 – 2003.

Jim Delgado

As historian, curator, archaeologist, researcher, deep-sea diver, television host, museum director, lecturer, and author, Jim has built an incredible foundation of knowledge and experience. Best known publicly as host and archaeologist for the international TV documentary series, The Sea Hunters, he has led or participated in shipwreck expeditions around the world. President of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, Jim is the author or editor of nearly 30 books and numerous articles. He is also a Fellow of The Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society.

Ralph Eshelman

Dr. Ralph Eshelman was director of the Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons, Maryland, from 1974 to 1990 and is a specialist in maritime history, polar exploration, vertebrate paleontology, and cultural resource management. He received his Ph.D. in 1974 from the University of Michigan with a major in geology and vertebrate paleontology and a minor in ecology. Ralph is a research associate in the Department of Paleobiology at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

Ron Wixman

Professor Ron Wixman, a specialist in world cultural geography, is well-versed in both the ancient and modern societies of the Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Ron is conversant in several languages, including Croatian and Bulgarian. Ron recently retired from the University of Oregon where he taught courses on the rise of cultures and civilization, traditional ways of life, food culture and cuisine, and geopolitics in the Middle East, in the Geography Department. He is also a specialist on general issues of religion, culture, and ethnicity around the world.

Peter Zika

Peter is a field biologist from Seattle, involved in investigating and describing new species of plants from western North America. His interests in ecology have led him across the tropics and into polar regions for the last 20 years. In addition to teaching wetland plant identification, he serves as a ship’s naturalist on all oceans and continents. Peter has published more than 90 scientific notes, articles, and books, as well as occasional photographs, cards, and reviews in the popular press.

Clipper Odyssey

The Clipper Odyssey is a 110-passenger luxury expedition vessel, ideally suited for expedition cruising. All cabins have an ocean view, safe, minibar, individually controlled heat/air conditioner, in-room music system, and sitting area with sofa. Passengers can track the progress of their voyage on the Global Positioning System broadcast in each cabin. Beds can be configured for twin or queen-size sleeping arrangements. All cabins have an en suite bathroom with shower. The Clipper Odyssey maintains a gourmet kitchen, providing American and international specialties. Facilities on board the Clipper Odyssey include a dining room, lounge, small library and gym, outdoor pool, massage room, and gift shop. An elevator services all passenger cabin decks. The Clipper Odyssey has an infirmary staffed by a registered physician, a fleet of Zodiacs, and a sophisticated telecommunications system permitting Internet access and telephone and fax communication with any location around the world. Ship registry: Bahamas.