Arrive in Helsinki on suggested flights and make your way to the hotel. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including travel insurance (a condition of travel), a private hotel transfer, accommodation before or after the tour and a room category upgrade.

At 18:00, join your tour leader Claudia Chan Shaw and fellow travellers for a welcome briefing at the hotel followed by dinner.

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After a talk by Claudia, start exploring Helsinki with a walking tour of the Kluuvi and Kruununhaka districts, where the distinct Finnish variant of Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, combines rough-hewn granite, medieval references and motifs drawn from national folklore. Admire Eliel Saarinen’s Central Railway Station, completed in 1914, with its clock tower and pairs of granite ‘Lantern Bearers’ guarding the main entrance. Continue to the Finnish National Theatre, and admire the richly ornamented façade of the Pohjola Insurance building, decorated with gargoyles and sculptures inspired by Finnish mythology.

After lunch, wander Katajanokka’s elegant residential streets and see the childhood home of author and artist Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomin stories.

(BL)

This morning, enjoy a private, guided tour of the National Museum of Finland, scheduled to reopen in spring 2027 following a four-year renovation. Designed by Herman Gesellius, Armas Lindgren and Eliel Saarinen, the building is a defining monument of Finnish National Romanticism – the rugged, folklore-inspired strand of Jugendstil.

Continue to Temppeliaukio Church, carved directly into solid rock and renowned for its remarkable natural acoustics.

After lunch, explore the picturesque residential district of Eira including Huvilakatu, Villa Ensi and Eira Hospital, a richly modelled National Romantic landmark by Lars Sonck. Visit the Hietalahti Market Hall, opened in 1903, whose graceful iron-and-glass structure reflects the same turn-of-the-century aesthetic that shaped Helsinki’s Art Nouveau heritage.

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In the morning, visit the Alvar Aalto House and Studio, located in Munkkiniemi, a residential district along the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland. A private, guided tour will illustrate the history and architecture of Aalto’s unique home.

Return to Helsinki for an afternoon at leisure to explore the city’s vibrant Design District, a walkable neighbourhood spanning 25 streets and home to nearly 200 design shops, galleries and cafes. Highlights include the Marimekko, Iitala and Artek flagship stores, as well as the Architecture & Design Museum.

(BD)

After breakfast, transfer to Helsinki Airport for a flight to Riga in Latvia (flight included in tour price).

The Latvian capital boasts one of the largest concentrations of Art Nouveau architecture in the world, developed during a period of rapid economic and cultural growth at the turn of the 20th century, with many buildings designed by notable architects such as Mikhail Eisenstein, Konstantīns Pēkšēns and Eižens Laube.

This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

(BD)

After a morning talk by Claudia, embark on an Art Nouveau-themed walking tour of Riga’s compact Old Town. Admire the richly decorated façades, expressive reliefs and distinctive turn-of-the-century details of landmark buildings, including the historic Neiburgs Hotel with its rhythmic bay windows, stylised floral ornament and elegant wrought-iron work.

Then, indulge in a variety of Latvian food at the Riga Central Market, housed in five monumental former Zeppelin hangars.

In the afternoon, visit the Fashion Museum, whose collection of clothing, costumes and accessories was assembled by the renowned fashion historian Alexandre Vassiliev.

(BL)

Explore Riga’s Art Nouveau district starting with a private, guided tour of the Riga Art Nouveau Centre, housed in the beautifully restored 1903 apartment of architect Konstantīns Pēkšēns. The building’s entrance hall features a spectacular spiral staircase, regarded as one of the finest of its kind in Europe, leading to the top-floor apartment where celebrated painter Jānis Rozentāls and writer Rūdolfs Blaumanis once lived.

After lunch, visit the Latvian National Museum of Art, the country’s most significant museum, home to a comprehensive collection of Latvian art from the 18th century to the present day.

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Today, travel to the Baltic seaside resort of Jūrmala, once a favourite holiday retreat for high-ranking Communist Party officials, including Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev. Its 33-kilometre stretch of white sand beaches faces the Gulf of Riga, backed by pine forests, while elegant wooden Art Nouveau summer villas line the streets behind the dunes. View the former bath house of Emīlija Rācene in the Majori district and the Dzintari Concert Hall, one of Latvia’s most recognisable cultural landmarks.

Return to Riga in the mid-afternoon. The remainder of the day is at leisure to further explore the Latvian capital at your own pace.

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In the morning, transfer to Riga Airport for a flight to Prague in Czechia (flight included in tour price).

Prague’s architectural character reflects the city’s extraordinary history, from medieval Gothic and Baroque splendour to the exuberant Art Nouveau style that flourished during the final years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

(BD)

Following a talk by Claudia, explore Wenceslas Square and its surroundings, where Prague’s late-19th- and early-20th-century architecture is particularly well represented. At the elegant Lucerna Palace, view David Černý’s provocative installation of The Horse, suspended from the ceiling of its magnificent Art Nouveau arcade. Continue to the former Grand Hotel Evropa, whose ornate façade remains one of the square’s most recognisable examples of Prague Secession style, and stroll to Koruna Palace, distinguished by its sculptural ornament and stained-glass dome.

After lunch, visit the Museum of Decorative Arts, home to a fine collection of ceramics, porcelain, textiles, fashion, toys and jewellery, as well as one of the most extensive glass exhibitions in Europe.

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The morning is dedicated to Prague Castle, an immense complex whose history stretches back to the 9th century. The numerous buildings comprising Prague Castle represent virtually every major architectural style of the last millennium, including the Gothic splendour of St Vitus Cathedral and its stained-glass windows designed by Alphonse Mucha, the Romanesque Basilica of St George and the Renaissance Rosenberg Palace.

After lunch, visit Museum Kampa, a private gallery on the banks of the Vltava River featuring the world’s largest collection of works by one of the founders of abstract painting, František Kupka.

(BL)

Begin the morning with a private, guided tour of the Municipal House, whose impressive façade is adorned with allegorical sculptural scenes and a mosaic titled Homage to Prague above the main entrance. Discover sumptuous interiors designed by leading Czech artists and craftspeople, and appreciate some of the finest Art Nouveau furnishings in Europe.

Continue to the Mucha Foundation Art Museum, dedicated to the life and work of the Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha. The exhibits present a comprehensive overview of his career, with a particular focus on the iconic posters he created for Sarah Bernhardt in the fashionable world of fin-de-siècle Paris.

The afternoon is at leisure to further explore Prague at your own pace.

Tonight, celebrate the conclusion of the tour with a special farewell dinner with Claudia and fellow travellers.

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Tour arrangements conclude after breakfast.

For those returning home today, make your way to Prague Airport for suggested flights to Australia or New Zealand. Renaissance Tours or your travel agent can assist you with your flights and other travel arrangements, including a private airport transfer, additional nights’ accommodation either before or after the tour and travel insurance (a condition of travel).

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