Staying in the three Baltic capitals of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn, as well as graceful Tartu, this tour explores the events of World War Two in the Baltic states. We visit many of the sites associated with the savage assault on these nations’ sovereignty by firstly Soviet then German armies and the brutal occupational regime of both. This includes the dramatic Battle for Vilnius, the remarkable Courland Pocket, and the ferocious battle of the Sinimäed Hills. We visit battle sites, fortifications, cemeteries and memorials in the company of our expert historian as well as excellent museums which enhance this remarkable narrative.

After World War One the Baltic States – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – enjoyed their first period of independence in history. Nevertheless their unenviable position between Germany and the Soviet Union soon led to invasion and occupation by the latter in June 1940. Soviet rule was abruptly and unexpectedly changed when the Germans unleashed Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union in June 1941. Within weeks all three countries were occupied and as part of Reichskommissariat Ostland brutal Nazi repression was introduced including Germanisation and the oppression and murder of the Jewish population, a million of whom lost their lives. The use of Ghettos, mass shootings and workcamps – such as HKP 562 in Vilnius - mirrored the brutality used in other parts of eastern Europe. But those among the population with views or beliefs unacceptable to the Nazis also suffered with around 18,000 murdered in Latvia alone.

In late June 1944 the Soviets launched Operation Bagration in Byelorussia which drove German forces back from the Baltics and shattered their lines. As Soviet forces moved towards the sea at Memel (Klaipėda) in Lithuania German forces to the north were cut off in what came to be called the Courland Pocket (or ‘Bridgehead’). Between October 1944 and May 1945 Soviet forces made six concerted attacks against the pocket which only surrendered on 10th May 1945, 2 days after the official Nazi surrender.

The taking of Vilnius (5th-13th July) by the Soviets led to over 12,000 German losses but is remarkable for the escape of 3,000 troops who had gathered in Vingis Park. In Estonia the natural barrier of Lake Peipus forced any invasion north or south and it was around the Sinimäe region that the fiercest battle took place between 25th July and 12th August 1944. By 19th August most of the Baltics had been liberated from the Nazis with the almost total destruction of Army Group Centre. Germany had started to evacuate its troops and ethnic Germans in a frantic attempt to escape the Soviets. In one of the worst tragedies of the war the ship Wilhelm Gustloff was torpedoed by a Soviet submarine with the loss of over 7,000 lives.

Day 1: Fly London to Vilnius or make your own arrangements to join the tour at the hotel. Check in to Vilnius hotel – 2 nights. (D).

Day 2: This morning we visit the Gediminas Castle Tower for a brief history of the Vilnius region and Lithuania. The view from here is superb and will place the narrative of the Battle for Vilnius into context. We will learn here how this part of the country, including the historic capital of Vilnius, was Polish territory until 1939. A short walk brings us to the Bernardinu Titas bridge in Vilnius old town. Here we learn about Operation Bagration, the Soviet advance into the Baltics, and how they came up against the German garrison in the city commanded by Festungskommandant Rainer Stahel. In the battle the paratroopers who had been holding the airfield (now the international airport) retreated into Vilnius and had to cross the small Vilnius River twice to reach the rest of the garrison. The bridge was the second crossing point. After marvelling at further sites in the historic centre of the city we proceed to the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, situated in the former KGB building. Here we will see the cells used to imprison members of the anti-Soviet resistance after the war. (B, D).

Day 3: We leave Vilnius by coach via the Vingis Park where the garrison massed for the breakout. We continue to Kernavė where a short walk allows us to view the area where the garrison had to re-cross the Neris to make contact with Gruppe Tolsdorff. Driving through stunning countryside we cross the border to Auce in Latvia. After the first isolation of German Army Group North, General Saucken attacked from the southwest in August to try to restore contact in Operation Doppelkopf. The attack ultimately failed in this area. We proceed to our hotel in Riga – 2 nights. (B, L, D).

Day 4: This morning we drive west towards Courland to Tukums. While Saucken’s XXXIX Panzer Corps was battering away at Auce in vain, Generalleutnant Strachwitz led his eponymous Panzer division along the coast to restore contact with Army Group North. At Tukums, he encountered a battalion of JS3 tanks and called in naval gunfire support. A powerful bombardment from Prinz Eugen and Admiral Scheer annihilated the Soviet tank battalion, and at the same time most of the town. We return to Riga and spend the afternoon exploring this fascinating city, visiting the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia and the KGB Building. (B, D).

Day 5: Today we enjoy the relaxing journey to Tartu, Estonia’s second largest city, where we learn more about the events of the war in this region. We check in to our hotel then after lunch enjoy a walk around the town. Collecting our coach again we drive to the Karavere bridge, captured almost unopposed by the Red Army in 1944, rendering the continued defence of Estonia wellnigh impossible. Hotel in Tartu – 1 night. (B, D).

Day 6: We leave Tartu and travel the short distance to lakes Peipus and Pskov which formed such a formidable natural barrier for the Soviets. At Kallaste we stop at the memorial to the failed attempt by the Red Army to cross the lake in the summer of 1944. We then continue along the lake and on to Sinimäe where we stop for lunch. Afterwards we visit the Sinimägede (Blue Hills) Museum where we learn about the ferocious battle of the Sinimäed Hills and their defence in the summer of 1944 by Steiner’s III SS-Panzer Corps. Here we may have the opportunity to speak to Ivika Maidre about her personal experiences growing up in Soviet Estonia. We visit some of the memorials here to the battle and make the brief walk to where Otto Carius (author of Tigers in the Mud) and his Tiger tanks fought. Drive to a hotel in the Narva-Joesuu area – 1 night. (B, L, D).

Day 7: Today we drive a short distance to a remarkable memorial with a T-34 tank on the banks of the river Narva, testament to the failed Soviet attempts to secure a bridgehead across the river in March 1944. At the nearby German cemetery we appreciate the scale of the conflict and the different approaches to war cemeteries between the combat nations. We continue into the city of Narva with its excellent views across the river to the medieval fortress at Ivangorod in Russia. After lunch we visit the castle where we appreciate the historic nature of the site and how it protects the invasion route between Russia and Estonia. We drive to Udria and its memorial to the failed Soviet ‘coastal hop’ in early 1944 before continuing to Tallinn and our hotel for two nights. (B, D).

Day 8: Today we explore the events of the war in the beautiful city of Tallinn, the jewel of the Baltic. We visit the harbour where we learn about the Estonian War of Independence (1918-20), the involvement of the British 5th Light Cruiser Squadron, and the two VCs won in an undeclared war on Bolshevik Russia. We also hear about the rapid German conquest of Estonia in 1941 and the costly Soviet naval evacuation as well as the more successful German naval evacuation of 1944. After lunch we visit the Estonian National Memorial to those Estonians deported by the Soviets. There will then be free time in Tallinn to explore and enjoy this amazing city. (B, D).

Day 9: Fly Tallinn to London or perhaps extend your stay in the region. (B).