"26 November until 11 December 2009. From 7 August 2014 the ship started sailing from Tallinn to Helsinki, because MS Silja Europa was chartered to an Australian company due to its high fuel costs. MS Baltic Queen was then replaced with MS Romantika on the Tallinn-Mariehamn-Stockholm line. At the end of 2018 once again it is on the Tallinn–Mariehamn–Stockholm route. MS Baltic Queen MS ""Baltic Queen"" is a cruiseferry owned by the Estonia-based ferry operator Tallink. The ship was built by the STX Europe shipyard in Rauma, Finland. Initially known under the project name ""Cruise 5"", ""Baltic Queen"" was ordered"
"of the Baltic Sea and has many kilometres of coastline, most of its central districts are near the seaside. Helsinki is a very maritime city and is popularly called ""the daughter of the Baltic"". Helsinki's coastal position makes it ideal to experience in the summertime from one of the many sightseeing ferries leaving from the port of Helsinki. Many of Helsinki's main attractions are also related to the sea, including the Suomenlinna naval fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and the Seurasaari Island with its parks and open-air museum. Locals often spend sunny days at the Hietaniemi beach (often simply"
"have often been attributed to the lateness of its growth. Called the ""Daughter of the Baltic"", Helsinki is on the tip of a peninsula and on 315 islands. The inner city is located on a southern peninsula, ""Helsinginniemi"" (”Helsinki’s peninsula”), which is rarely referred to by its actual name, Vironniemi (”Estonia’s peninsula”). Population density in certain parts of Helsinki's inner city area is very high, reaching in the district of Kallio, but as a whole Helsinki's population density of ranks the city as rather sparsely populated in comparison to other European capital cities. Outside of the inner city, much of"
"Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden. Union of the Baltic Cities Union of the Baltic Cities (""UBC"") is a voluntary, proactive network mobilizing the shared potential of over 100 member cities for democratic, economic, social, cultural and environmentally sustainable development of the Baltic Sea region. The Union of the Baltic Cities was founded in Gdańsk, Poland in September 1991, by 32 cities, with the aim of developing cooperation and exchange between its member cities. Inspired in part by the historic example of the Hanseatic League and supported by the European Union's Interreg programs to stimulate regional cooperation within the EU, it"
"the Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, Northern Germany (Hansestadt Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein), Northern Poland (Pomorskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie and Zachodnio-Pomorskie), and Russia's Northwestern region including Kaliningrad. The region shares many historical ties, which often are symbolized by the legacy of the Hanse around the Baltic Sea. Thus, the Baltic Sea has been the facilitator of integrative processes in more than 1000 years with more intensive periods than other. Naturally, the Cold War to a large extent hindered extended cooperation, but when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 new strong ties"
"the Baltic. The Swedish Empire at the time included territory in Northern Germany, all of modern Finland and most of the Baltic states, a dominion held together by the Baltic sea routes. Russian Tsar Peter the Great had established a new capital and naval base in Saint Petersburg in 1703. During the Great Northern War 1700–1721 Sweden lost its Baltic state territories, and experienced destructive Russian raiding in Finland and along the chain of islands and archipelagos that stretched all the way from the Gulf of Finland to the capital of Stockholm. The traumatic experience led to the establishment of"
"Baltic states The Baltic states, also known as the Baltic countries, Baltic republics, Baltic nations or simply the Baltics (, , ), is a geopolitical term used for grouping the three sovereign states in Northern Europe on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The term is not used in the context of cultural areas, national identity, or language. The three countries do not form an official union, but engage in intergovernmental and parliamentary cooperation. All three countries are members of the European Union, NATO and the eurozone. They are classified as high-income economies by the"
"Union of the Baltic Cities Union of the Baltic Cities (""UBC"") is a voluntary, proactive network mobilizing the shared potential of over 100 member cities for democratic, economic, social, cultural and environmentally sustainable development of the Baltic Sea region. The Union of the Baltic Cities was founded in Gdańsk, Poland in September 1991, by 32 cities, with the aim of developing cooperation and exchange between its member cities. Inspired in part by the historic example of the Hanseatic League and supported by the European Union's Interreg programs to stimulate regional cooperation within the EU, it was one of the first"
"Riga Riga (; , ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 641,481 inhabitants (2016), it is also the largest city in the three Baltic states, home to one third of Latvia's population and one tenth of the three Baltic states' combined population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava. Riga's territory covers and lies above sea level, on a flat and sandy plain. Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former Hanseatic League member. Riga's historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture"
"MS Regina Baltica MS ""Regina Baltica is a cruiseferry owned by the Estonian shipping company Tallink. She was built in 1980 as Viking Song by Wärtsilä Perno shipyard, Finland for Rederi Ab Sally, one of the owners of the Viking Line consortium. She has also sailed under the names Braemar (for Fred Olsen Lines) and Anna Karenina"" (for Baltic Shipping Co.). Delivered in August 1980, ""Viking Song"" was the last newbuilding delivered to Rederi Ab Sally for use on Viking Line's routes. She served alongside her sister ""Viking Saga"" on the route connecting Helsinki, Finland to Stockholm. Although she was"
"Lithuania Lithuania (; ), officially the Republic of Lithuania (), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. Since its independence, Lithuania has been referred to as one of the Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, to the east of Sweden and Denmark. It is bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) to the southwest. Lithuania has an estimated population of 2.7 million people , and its capital and largest city is Vilnius. Other major cities are"
"Lithuania Lithuania (; ), officially the Republic of Lithuania (), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. Since its independence, Lithuania has been referred to as one of the Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, to the east of Sweden and Denmark. It is bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Kaliningrad Oblast (a Russian exclave) to the southwest. Lithuania has an estimated population of 2.7 million people , and its capital and largest city is Vilnius. Other major cities are"
"in the Nordic identity group as important or very important for them. 52.2% have the same attitude towards the ""Baltic"" identity group, according to a research study from 2013 Tallinn is the capital and the largest city of Estonia. It lies on the northern coast of Estonia, along the Gulf of Finland. There are 33 cities and several town-parish towns in the country. In total, there are 47 ""linn""a, with ""linn"" in English meaning both ""cities"" and ""towns"". More than 70% of the population lives in towns. The 20 largest cities are listed below: Estonia has a rich and diverse"
"the 2010 Rome Masters and 2014 French Open. All three are Unitary republics, joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, share EET/EEST time zone schedules and euro currency. International peer-reviewed journals, media and book series dedicated to the Baltic region include: Official statistics of the Baltic states: Baltic states The Baltic states, also known as the Baltic countries, Baltic republics, Baltic nations or simply the Baltics (, , ), is a geopolitical term used for grouping the three sovereign states in Northern Europe on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The term is not"
"formal institutions established to bolster the Baltic as a cohesive region within Europe. The city of Kalmar in Sweden took the initiative in founding the organization, but Gdańsk was chosen as the organization's headquarters to emphasize the desire to break down historic barriers between Western and Eastern Europe. Anders Engström, who was in office from 1999 to 2001, was the first President of the UBC. Since 2001 the office has been held by Per Bødker Andersen. The Union states its aims are to: In 2014 the Union comprised over 100 cities from ten countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania,"
"MS Baltic Princess entered the Turku–Åland–Stockholm service and was re-flagged from Estonia to Finland. She was replaced on the Tallinn–Helsinki service by Silja Europa. MS Baltic Princess MS ""Baltic Princess"" is a cruiseliner owned by the Estonia-based ferry operator Tallink and operated under their Silja Line brand. She was built by Aker Finnyards Helsinki New Shipyard in Helsinki, Finland in 2008. The ship began service on the cruise route between Helsinki, Finland to Tallinn, Estonia on 17 August 2008. From 1 February 2013 the ship began service on the Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm route. The ""Baltic Princess"" was ordered as Tallink's fourth new"
"German Emperor to recognize the Baltic provinces as a monarchy and make them a German protectorate. The United Baltic Duchy were nominally recognized as a sovereign state by emperor Wilhelm II only on 22 September 1918, half a year after Soviet Russia had formally relinquished all authority over former Russian Imperial Baltic governorates to Germany in the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. On 5 November 1918, a temporary Regency Council ("") for the new state led by Baron Adolf Pilar von Pilchau was formed on a joint basis from the two local Land Councils. The capital of the new state was to"
"on the day of the 11th anniversary of the sinking of the ""Estonia"". In April 2006 ""Regina Baltica"" made three trips between Tallinn and Helsinki, due to the ice situation being so bad that all of Tallink's normal ships on the route could not traffic. On May of the same year MS ""Romantika"" replaced her on the Tallinn–Mariehamn–Stockholm route, and ""Regina Baltica"" was moved to Stockholm–Riga route, where she replaced ""Fantaasia"". In August of the same year the ""Regina Baltica""s homeport was changed from Tallinn to Riga. The ""Regina Baltica"" was withdrawn from service with Tallink in April 2009, when"
"of the Baltic states and Poland, the Baltic Sea has been almost entirely surrounded by countries of the European Union (EU). The only remaining non-EU shore areas are Russian: the Saint Petersburg area and the exclave of the Kaliningrad Oblast. Winter storms begin arriving in the region during October. These have caused numerous shipwrecks, and contributed to the extreme difficulties of rescuing passengers of the ferry ""M/S Estonia"" en route from Tallinn, Estonia, to Stockholm, Sweden, in September 1994, which claimed the lives of 852 people. Older, wood-based shipwrecks such as the ""Vasa"" tend to remain well-preserved, as the Baltic's"
"and 19th century wooden architecture. Riga was the European Capital of Culture during 2014, along with Umeå in Sweden. Riga hosted the 2006 NATO Summit, the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, the 2006 IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championships and the 2013 World Women's Curling Championship. It is home to the European Union's office of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). In 2016, Riga received over 1.4 million visitors. It is served by Riga International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in the Baltic states. Riga is a member of Eurocities, the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC) and Union of"
"Baltic provinces met in Riga and called on the German Emperor to annex the Baltic lands. Later, instead of outright annexation, a plan for a United Baltic Duchy ruled by Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg was developed. Its regency council met on November 9, 1918 but collapsed together with the German Empire. The Baltic Germans' rule and class privileges came to the end with the demise of the Russian Empire (due to the Bolshevik revolution of October 1917) and the independence of Estonia and Latvia in 1918–1919. Baltic Germans greatly suffered under Bolshevik regimes in Estonia and Latvia. While short-lived,"
"operation in 2024. Riga International Coach Terminal provides domestic and international connections by coach. Riga maintains sister city relationships with the following cities: Riga Riga (; , ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 641,481 inhabitants (2016), it is also the largest city in the three Baltic states, home to one third of Latvia's population and one tenth of the three Baltic states' combined population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava. Riga's territory covers and lies above sea level, on a flat and sandy plain. Riga was founded in"
"Tallinn Tallinn (; ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It is on the northern coast of the country, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland in Harju County. From the 13th century until 1918 (and briefly during the Nazi occupation of Estonia from 1941 to 1944), the city was known as Reval. Tallinn occupies an area of and has a population of 453,673. Tallinn, first mentioned in 1219, received city rights in 1248, but the earliest human settlements date back 5,000 years. The initial claim over the land was laid by the"
"be Riga. It was to be a confederation of seven cantons: ' (Courland), Riga, ' (Latgale), ' (South Livonia), ' (North Livonia), ' (), and ' (Estonia), the four first cantons thus covering the territory corresponding to today's Latvia and the latter three corresponding to today's Estonia. The first head of state of the United Baltic Duchy was to be Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg, not as a sovereign monarch, but as a subordinate to the German , similar to other princes of the German Empire. But Adolf Friedrich never assumed office. The appointed Regency Council consisting of four Baltic"
"cities have been Rokiškis (2015), Liepāja (2016), Palanga (2017) and Jelgava (2018). In 2017 a special ""Balts’ Award"" was established to be awarded to individuals for the promotion of Latvian and Lithuanian languages, literature, and historic research. In 2018 Latvian Lithuanian professor and linguist Laimute Balode became the first recipient of the prize. Baltic Unity Day Baltic Unity day or Balts' Unity Day (, ) is a commemorative day celebrated on September 22 in Lithuania and Latvia, as well as Latvian and Lithuanian communities abroad. It was recognized as such in 2000 by both the Seimas of Lithuania and Saeima"
"Baltic Pride Baltic Pride is an annual LGBT pride parade rotating in turn between the capitals of the Baltic states; Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. It is held in support of raising issues of tolerance and the rights of LGBT community and is supported by ILGA-Europe. Since 2009 the main organisers have been Mozaīka, the National LGBT Rights Organization LGL Lithuanian Gay League, and the Estonian LGBT Association. The first pride event held in Latvia took place in 2005 under the name Riga Pride, as the local equivalent to other pride parades held elsewhere around the world. Political opposition to Pride"
"Klaipėda Klaipėda (, ; German name: ""Memel"", Samogitian name: ""Klaipieda"", Polish name: ""Kłajpeda""), is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County. The city has a complex recorded history, partially due to the combined regional importance of the usually ice-free Port of Klaipėda at the mouth of the Akmena-Danė River. It was controlled by successive German states until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. As a result of the 1923 Klaipėda Revolt it was added to Lithuania and has remained with Lithuania to this day, except"
"Bratislava Castle, and the ruins of Devín Castle. Čachtice Castle was once the home of the world's most prolific female serial killer, the 'Bloody Lady', Elizabeth Báthory. Slovakia's position in Europe and the country's past (part of the multicultural Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg monarchy and Czechoslovakia) made many cities and towns similar to the cities in the Czech Republic (such as Prague), Austria (such as Salzburg) or Hungary (such as Budapest). A historical center with at least one square has been preserved in many towns. Large historical centers can be found in Bratislava, Trenčín, Košice, Banská Štiavnica, Levoča, and"
"declaration said that the question of the Baltics was a ""problem of inalienable human rights"" and accused the European community of ""double standards"" and turning a blind eye to the ""last colonies of Hitler–Stalin era."" On the day of the protest, ""Pravda"" published an editorial titled ""Only the Facts."" It was a collection of quotes from pro-independence activists intended to show the unacceptable anti-Soviet nature of their work. The chain connected the three Baltic capitals – Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn. It ran from Vilnius along the A2 highway through Širvintos and Ukmergė to Panevėžys, then along the Via Baltica through"
"by Latvia, represented by Marie N with the song ""I Wanna"", which scored a total of 176 points, beating the runner-up Malta by a tight margin of 12 points. The United Kingdom and host country Estonia shared 3rd place with 111 points each, while France finished in 5th place with 104 points. Despite being one of the favourites to win the Contest, Denmark finished last with just 7 points and had to sit out of the following year's Contest. Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the"
"organised since 2004 in Tallinn. The city hosted Baltic Pride in 2011, 2014 and 2017. Aside from ILGA-Europe, the event has also received consistent support from other LBGT organisations in neighbouring countries, most notably RFSL from Sweden and Amnesty International. Baltic Pride Baltic Pride is an annual LGBT pride parade rotating in turn between the capitals of the Baltic states; Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. It is held in support of raising issues of tolerance and the rights of LGBT community and is supported by ILGA-Europe. Since 2009 the main organisers have been Mozaīka, the National LGBT Rights Organization LGL Lithuanian"
"in and out of the Baltic Sea according to a schedule. It was not until 2004 that the first high bridge across the Neva, which does not need to be drawn, Big Obukhovsky Bridge, was opened. There are hundreds of smaller bridges in Saint Petersburg spanning across numerous canals and distributaries of the Neva, some of the most important of which are the Moika, Fontanka, Griboyedov Canal, Obvodny Canal, Karpovka and Smolenka. Due to the intricate web of canals, Saint Petersburg is often called ""Venice of the North"". The rivers and canals in the city centre are lined with granite"
"far away as Novgorod, for example — but the scale of international economy in the Baltic area remained insignificant before the growth of the Hanseatic League. German cities achieved domination of trade in the Baltic with striking speed over the next century, and Lübeck became a central node in all the seaborne trade that linked the areas around the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The 15th century saw the climax of Lübeck's hegemony. (Visby, one of the midwives of the Hanseatic league in 1358, declined to become a member. Visby dominated trade in the Baltic before the Hanseatic league,"