From prow to prowl
Anna Maria Espsäter explores Russia and Scandinavia’s grandest cities on a ‘cruise and walk’ tour of the Baltic…
There is something undeniably grand about arriving in town aboard a large, gleaming cruise liner. You feel like the king of the castle as you glide into the dock in a stately manner. After almost two days at sea, I and 25 other ramblers were getting ready for our first walk along the streets of Copenhagen. Ahead of us lay some 10 days of crisscrossing the Baltic from city to city, walking in Stockholm, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Gdańsk and on Rügen island in Eastern Germany – as well as this first stop in Denmark.
Danish mermaids
Copenhagen treated us to blazing sunshine as we first set foot on Danish soil. The largest city in Scandinavia, with an easy-going atmosphere, Copenhagen is less stern and severe than some of its neighbouring capitals and is very stroller-friendly. Our guide, Anna, was in her element as we headed towards our first stop on our grand city walking tour: a harbour statue of the Little Mermaid of Hans Christian Andersen fame. To my surprise, I found that she has a much larger, more voluptuous and very impressive sister, outside a nearby restaurant! The tour turned into a 13km/8-mile hike exploring the different parts of the city, from the Royal Palace (Amalienborg) and the curvaceous Marble Church, to the bustling area of Nyhavn and Tivoli Gardens.
Stockholm wasn’t showing its prettiest side when we arrived at our next destination – sheets of rain blighted the view on the morning we docked. But it’s not like ramblers to be deterred by bad weather, so we set off to experience the Swedish capital. Built on 14 main islands, with hundreds more dotting the archipelago, Stockholm is magical in any weather. Our walk from the dock in Södermalm, the southern part of town, took us to Slussen (The Sluice) and into Gamla Stan (The Old City). Dating back to the 13th century, the latter is the jewel in Stockholm’s crown: a mediaeval town of tiny, crooked alleyways, leaning buildings in rust and ochre, stately churches and cobblestone streets. There’s an abundance of souvenir shops as well, but they fail to diminish the city’s charm. There are cosy eateries, cafés and bars and a lively bustle about the main streets. But turn a different corner and you find yourself amidst tranquil solitude in some hidden-away courtyard, inviting quiet contemplation. After exploring Gamla Stan and catching the changing of the guards at the Royal Palace, the sun finally came out for our ‘sail away deck party’ as we cruised through the spectacular scenery of the archipelago on our way to Finland.
Palaces and paella
Helsinki has a more quiet, understated charm than its Nordic neighbours, and we saw the first signs of being closer to Russia – a country that ruled Finland for over a century until 1917. We walked around Helsinki’s main sights: from the stark Lutheran Cathedral to the harbour market selling gorgeous crafts and, bizarrely, reindeer paella. Then it was time to sail on towards Russia and our three-day stop in St Petersburg. Not only did we find the city packed with gorgeous 18th- and 19th-century buildings – many in the intricate Russian baroque style – but it was also St Petersburg’s birthday weekend with celebrations all around. Three days are nowhere near enough to see the splendours of the former Tsarist capital, but we had a few wonderful days scratching the surface of its many treasures. Peterhof, with the Summer Palace and its lavish gardens right on the Finnish Gulf, was perfect for a seaside picnic. The former prison of Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral was imposing and impressive, with a ‘gate of death’ that led to the city’s public beach. The Winter Palace and Hermitage Museum were both amazing, and the Nevsky Prospekt offered elite shopping for the prosperous. Then finally I had a day in Pushkin at the spectacular blue-and-gold Catherine Palace. With so much glorious grandeur on display, it’s no wonder the proletariat started that revolution…
A more modern revolutionary past greeted us in Gdańsk as we stood in front of the monument to Lech Walesa’s Solidarity Trade Union. We head to the heart of the old town, beautifully restored after the ravages of the Second World War. It’s the last of our city stops and we’re itching for a good country walk. So thankfully, on the island of Rügen we were let loose in Jasmund National Park: a beautiful forested area, where after a good solid hike we were served excellent hot chocolate in the park café. Sipping it in the sun, I briefly felt like nobility again – and there was still the voyage home to come.
The 13-day Baltic Discovery Cruise and Walk with Ramblers Worldwide Holidays (✆ 01707 331133, www.ramblersholidays.co.uk) starts from £1,375 per person, including Fred.Olsen cruise, all meals, all shore walking excursions and the services of a tour leader. Walk the world and help the work of the Ramblers too – Ramblers Worldwide Holidays’ charitable trust is a major contributor to the Ramblers.
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