Baltic Summer Cruise
with David Hurrion
20 June 2010 aboard Balmoral
"St. Petersburg is the jewel in the crown of this cruise, with a visit to the magnificent gardens of Peterhof an essential part of your itinerary. We also get to see two of my favourite cities – mediaeval Tallinn and wonderful Copenhagen, with their contrasting Botanic Gardens which we will be able to enjoy as a group. And with the long days of a Baltic summer, there’ll be plenty of plants and flowers to enjoy." David Hurrion
St. Petersburg wears the scars of its turbulent past everywhere, from the imperious, gold dome of Saint Isaac’s cathedral to the Hermitage, a magnificent sweep of famed art treasures on a staggering scale. Tree lined boulevards line the banks of the steel grey Neva, spanned by numerous ornate bridges
FREE included tour
Peterhof – the town of palaces, fountains and parks and the most brilliant of all the summer residences of the Russian Tsars. It is located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland. Peterhof was conceived by Peter the Great to rival Versailles in splendour. For his own summer palace he chose a site with a good water supply. It stands on a natural terrace overlooking the Baltic. A fabulous marble cascade flows from the palace towards the sea, along the Samson canal. It symbolises Russia's conquest of the Baltic coast in the Great Northern War. The cascade is lined with gilded statues and leads to a basin with a gilded statue of Samson. On the south front of the palace there is a large parterre, allees, grass plots, basins, fountains and statues. This garden, like St Peterburg itself, is an amazing symbol of Peter's desire to make Russia a sophisticated European power. It contains 173 fountains. They line the canal and ornament the woods.
EXCLUSIVE GARDEN CLUB BENEFITS
* Hosted by David Hurrion
* Programme of talks, Gardeners' Question Time, Cocktail Party
* 1 x half-day garden tour
* Free car parking at Dover
* £50 per cabin on board spend
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