Great trip to England. Great trip to Great Britain. Here it is, the capital

One of the most exciting and interesting countries in the Middle East. It is a safe country for travelers, the people of the country are very friendly and the sun is always shining here.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a predominantly desert country, however, it is home to the warm Red Sea and the healing Dead Sea. This is a country with thousands of years of history, on whose territory there are countless cultural and natural attractions. A unique monument of history and culture is the main “Pearl” of Jordan - Petra. This is an impregnable fortress city, located in a mountainous area and connected to the outside world only by a narrow kilometer-long gorge, over which rocks hang. Numerous temples and tombs, water canals and reservoirs, baths, religious buildings, trading shops, public buildings and paved streets, an amphitheater - all this is carved into the rocks of an unusual pink color.

Nature reserves of Jordan

There are several interesting nature reserves in Jordan that we visit as part of the program. One of them is the Wadi Rum nature reserve. This is a desert, an example of a classic sandy desert landscape with its multi-colored sandstone hills and rocks rising above an almost perfectly smooth red-pink surface. The Dana Nature Preserve is a system of valleys and mountains that descends from the Valley of the Canyons down into the Arabia Valley Desert, from an altitude of 1600 m above sea level. There are trekking routes of any complexity here. Known for its spectacular scenery, Mujib Nature Reserve is located below all nature reserves in the world.

On our trip we will learn a lot of new and interesting things for ourselves, starting from the history of the Kingdom of Jordan and ending with simply interesting facts. Do you know that:

• The reigning His Majesty King Abdullah II is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad in the 43rd generation.
• The personal security of the dynasty of kings of Jordan is carried out by the Circassians.
• it is home to Jordan's largest new flag, mounted on a 132.5 meter high flagpole in Amman, and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest in the world.
• Children after divorce remain with their father.

Abdullah II is a king, he studied at Oxford and Georgetown, leads a secular lifestyle; in his free time from ruling the kingdom, he is also a diver, parachutist, pilot, racer and husband of Queen Rania with a top-model appearance. Queen Rania of Jordan is considered one of the most beautiful women on the planet. The king clearly follows the old tradition - like his great-grandfather, grandfather and father, the current ruler of Jordan trusts his personal security only to the Circassians. Once they swore allegiance to the king and, since then, they have not broken their oath.

In general, you can learn a lot of interesting things from our short but compact program. You can “lie down” on the Dead Sea, reading a book, swim in mineral springs, you can climb the 986 steps and see the upper monastery in Petra, you can ride a camel in Petra, or take a breeze through the desert in a jeep. Our tour perfectly combines an active program (trekking) and relaxation at the sea and hot springs. We invite you to travel around Jordan in spring and autumn 2018.

Lyubov Prekina about her adventures in Jordan

Our 8-day trip to Jordan took place over the May holidays. The air temperature these days was approximately 30 degrees, in Petra and Aqaba it was possible to reach 38-40. It was problematic to find out more precisely, because... Jordanians seem to take a more relaxed approach to the issue of heat compared to Muscovites. There were 8 tourists in the group, three of them were children from 5 to 14 years old.

If I can express my impression of the trip in a few words, I can tell everyone - go, you won’t regret it! You can, of course, clarify that the adventure tour to Jordan has its own specifics - this is not a relaxed beach holiday on the European Riviera. It was quite a dynamic and educational trip. The program, scheduled by day, was quite interesting for different ages and accessible to the physical condition of its participants (with a few exceptions for children). If only there was a desire to explore a foreign country in a short period of a week!

While moving around Jordan from north to south, we saw this country in all its diversity. And we can say that every day there was something in front of us: unique, famous, original, world famous, amazing, inimitable... And our journey began, of course, from Amman, spread out on many rocky hills, the streets of which are leisurely, but the life of the capital city is intense, and the preserved flavor of the East and new modern architecture made of glass, concrete and steel are combined. In Amman and its surroundings we visited famous historical sites from the times of the Greco-Roman empires - the Citadel, Jerash, Ajloun. These ancient ruins are quite well known in the world, and almost all travel agencies include them in their excursions.

Main Hot Springs

But the next day we had a visit to the Main springs. Interesting and very pleasant: it’s like an open-air spa - hot hydromassage, mountain sauna and 2-stage bath with warm running mineralized water. The fact is that in this gorge there are natural outlets of hot water from the bowels of the earth. And along one side of the valley there is a thermal and health complex, where Jordanians come with families (there are fewer visitors on weekdays than on weekends). A hot waterfall falls in a powerful stream from a cliff several meters high, under which it is very cool to stand as long as you have the patience, exposing your back for a massage. But if you go beyond this canopy of water, you will find a small cave in the rock with very hot air. And the water flows forward in a small cascade of stepped shallow pools (you can sit on their sides, or sit down and lie down like in a bath). Further, the mountain water flows through a system of hidden diversion channels into the large stream of the gorge.

Ancient city of Petra

The widespread stereotype about ancient Petra is a passage (sic) along a stone winding corridor about a kilometer long, along rock walls several tens of meters high, and the facade of El Kazna carved into the rock. But it turns out that there is a small modern town of Petra, which we arrived in the evening and spent the night in one of its many hotels (of different star ratings). On the remote outskirts of this Petra there is a mountain range and the entrance to that same red stone city - the capital of the Nabatean tribe. If you wish, you can hire a riding horse or donkey accompanied by a driver, or a harnessed carriage. But it is very interesting to walk along the siq. Along its length, the gorge narrows and widens many times. The sandstone from which the vertically steep walls are built has a very beautiful complex color. In some places along the walls you can see preserved gutters of watercourses, and in some places you can see pavement slabs from Roman times; sometimes you can see half-erased bas-reliefs. And now, almost suddenly, a view of the well-known façade with columns, decorated with beautiful stone carvings, opens up. There are a lot of people crowding around - tourists taking photographs, Jordanians trying to make money by trading and driving, with a choice of camels, horses, and donkeys. But this is just a small part of ancient Petra. In general, the city is quite large and branched, it has more than one street and square. We go further, turn the corner and soon emerge (I would say) into the main shopping area. Here you can choose from a variety of different goods for purchases and gifts, relax and have a snack under a canopy in a cafe, and again solve the issue of transport. An interesting point: all these services are provided to tourists by the descendants of the Nabatean tribe. And most of them look quite specific: long black curls under a bandana and eyes heavily lined with kohl (remember what Jack Sparrow looked like from “Pirates of the Caribbean”?).

Go ahead; underfoot there is red sand, stone, tufts of stunted grass. In the distance, in several places, areas with canopies are visible where archaeological work is being carried out. All around there are rocks made of beautiful sandstone in pink-red-burgundy shades with multi-colored striped layers, and the facades of large buildings carved into them - temples, palaces and many niches of different sizes at different levels - tombs or housing. One such large niche in the lower tier is now regularly used by some quick-witted Jordanian to park his Nissan (can be seen from the well-worn track). We reach the ruins of Roman buildings on the edge of a wide valley. Many here end their review of Petra.

Noon. Hot. The sky is clear. But still, we decide to go further into the mountains to the so-called monastery. The potential of your strengths must be adequately assessed before you climb to the top. Children with a guide on donkeys will return back. We had to climb to the top of the mountain by about 1000 carved stone steps. The climb was not too tiring, but it was a little hot. :-). But everything that was seen around was amazing and reminiscent of the colors of Roerich’s paintings. I wanted to photograph every new ledge, turn and changing view from above of the area. We went out to the upper square to the monastery, and it turned out that its facade is very reminiscent of the front view of El Kazna, only it looks more modest. It is also entirely carved into pink rock, has columns and porticoes, but there are fewer carved decorations. Then we make the last push upward - and here it is, the predominant peak in this area.

The wind blows the national flag of Jordan, and a magnificent view of the surrounding mountain range with peaks, ridges and gorges opens up in all directions. This is a must see! There was also a traditional Bedouin tent, in the shade of which we happily settled down to rest on pillows laid out on the floor covered with worn carpets. And the owner, about 45 years old, with the appearance of Jack Sparrow, treated us to hot sweet tea with herbs from a special silver thermos teapot. It would seem terrible to drink hot tea in the heat, and sweet tea at that (but I wanted to drink clean cold water). But, oddly enough, it went very well! another cup, and another... We exchanged a few phrases in English with the owner. And then he picked up a musical instrument with several strings and sang to us two drawn-out lyrical songs. The performance was expressive and quite enjoyable. Having thanked the friendly Bedouin and said goodbye to him, we went back, again photographing the red-stone delights of Petra in all directions.

Dana National Forest

And now a few words about the trip to the Dana National Forest. We arrived at a small dilapidated village located on the edge of the reserve. Apparently, it once flourished, there were many houses and residents who were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding. But even now there are several hotels (guest houses) here to receive tourists, where they will not only provide you with a room with a canopy over the bed or a tent-tent, but also delicious food and treat you to national tea on the terrace. The reserve office is also located not far from the village. An amazing picture opens up when, leaving the edge of the village, we saw the receding perspective of this green corner of Jordan. It seemed to me that Dana, with its outlines, vaguely resembles the famous Grand Canyon in America, familiar from television programs (well, maybe I’m wrong in this comparison). Plateaus, rocks, cliffs, gorges - their alternation runs along the main valley on the left and right sides, and somewhere in the distance this whole system is lost in the haze. And all around you is beauty, silence, chirping birds and a special, interesting set of vegetation types from grass to trees.

Wadi Rum Desert

It’s not easy to talk briefly about the Wadi Rum desert. It is not at all similar to the generally familiar flat, boring desert with endless dunes of sand stretching beyond the horizon. Of course, there is plenty of sand here too! (by the way, a very beautiful bright elegant red-red color). And there is practically no natural vegetation there, except for the occasional dry twigs of stunted saxaul. But still it is a stone desert. We arrived at the checkpoint late in the evening. From our comfortable bus we transferred to open jeeps and drove with the breeze along the rolled dirt road, and somewhere right along the sand, deep into the desert. Ridges of bare dark rocks with sheer walls tens of meters high stretched along our path. Our drivers slowed down near one rock. It turned out that on her wall there were scratched primitive drawings - men, animals, writing. Whose?.. After driving a little more, we found ourselves in a Bedouin camp: a large canvas canopy-tent, fixed at the foot of a high mountain, as if stuck to it with its back, hiding from the possible wind. Treat yourself to traditional Bedouin sweet tea with herbs. Of course, you could immediately make purchases of some specific Jordanian goods. Then we get back into the jeeps and drive on. Having arrived at a relatively free space, we suddenly see the setting sun directly ahead - a pale, almost white, but very bright disk, which quite quickly set behind a distant mountain range. And dusk began to deepen over us. We arrived at the campsite for the night in complete darkness. We were accommodated in adobe houses for 2 persons, with beds, a fan and a bathroom with a shower! There was another option for spending the night there - in a tent, but this was without a shower. But it turned out that there was a swimming pool on the campsite. And when I got up early in the morning to see the sunrise, I was convinced that the desert sun was really white.

Port city of Aqaba

After breakfast we took our bus to Aqaba. A port city on the Red Sea, a free economic zone, that is, a working business center. And at the same time, it is a resort city. It would seem that these are mutually exclusive directions, especially since both lead to the same water, more precisely to the waters of the Gulf of Aqaba. But going out to the beach of one 5* hotel, we saw the clearest water in which both multilingual tourists and Jordanians with young children were swimming. Beautiful, comfortable 5-star hotels are located in a continuous chain along the coast, dividing the beach into pieces among themselves. A public beach is located on the outskirts of the city. The water in the bay seemed quite cool to me, although the heat that day was not a joke (later in the evening at about 20 o’clock on the street of Aqaba we came across an electronic board that showed 36-37 degrees). The swimming area is limited by booms for safety reasons. Pleasure boats floated behind their line, jet skis and pleasure boats rushed by at high speed. Even further away one could see serious ships. And in the haze the opposite foreign shore could be discerned.

For dinner we went to a small restaurant on one of the side streets. It was recommended to us by our fish guide. And for good reason! Oh, what a fish it was... and there was a whole bowl of salad - the portions were huge, could easily be divided between two. Locally produced beer, for those interested, tastes very good. Then we walked around the city, there is a lot of greenery, flowers, and fountains. We looked into several retail shops: food, clothing, souvenirs, various jewelry, as well as cosmetics made from natural products of the Dead Sea.

Dead Sea

Early in the morning we left Aqaba in the opposite direction. Passing the customs post (control of exports from the free economic zone), our Vahid only slowed down and exchanged greetings with the customs officers. Why stop us? “Russian tourist, face of morality.”

Well, everyone seems to know everything about the Dead Sea. It's difficult to add anything here. The water is warm, and not only salty, it is also oily, which seemed to me not very pleasant to the touch, although you quickly stop paying attention to it. You can lie on the water and read the newspaper. But sometimes it can be difficult to concentrate and find balance on your back. At such moments, some kind of physical force turns you over like a float onto your stomach, forcing you to flounder funny. But it’s funny to just look at it from the outside, but at this time you yourself need to be on guard so that the splashes don’t get into your eyes and don’t drink too much.

You can smear yourself with black mud as much as you want; special containers with it are freely available on the beach. There are also several shower sections installed here to rinse off the salt water after bathing, as... The sun quickly dries the skin and it begins to tingle from the salt. The opposite mountainous Israeli coast is visible vaguely, as if in a haze. The Jordanian coast is actively being built up with comfortable hotels.

Mujib National Reserve

But our most unforgettable impressions were from our trip to the Mujib Nature Reserve. There we did “rafting on foot” through a mountain gorge where a mountain stream with warm water flows. Sorry for this name, but I can’t define otherwise that passage first up and then down the water on foot through the rapids. And to complete this route requires some physical strength. Therefore, children were not taken here. When we arrived at a certain place, we saw cars parked ahead of us, further away - small office buildings and lifeguard stations, changing cabins. We were warned in advance that there would be a lot of water, or rather a lot, possibly over our heads and in the conditions of rocks. This meant that you needed to have your hands free, and not take any unnecessary items with you (glasses, cameras, etc.). There is only one option for small items - a waterproof box or a hard shoulder case. Having put on life jackets, we go forward to a very high mountain range with vertical walls. Here we see the mouth of a river flowing a little further into the Dead Sea. We go up first along the dry sides, then the river fills the entire width of the mountain corridor, shallowly, ankle-deep. But, as you know, further - more, gradually the water becomes knee-deep. We are not alone in the gorge. A full international crowd gathered here, wanting to experience the thrill. The walls along the entire length of the gorge are vertical and very high (100 m?), in appearance similar to that beautiful pink-burgundy sandstone with stripes of other shades and colors, like in the Petra mountains. High above your head you can see a compressed strip of blue sky. And underfoot, among the current, there are more and more huge stones that create obstacles on the way. My shorts have already become wet. Overcoming the force of oncoming water, we climb through one threshold, then another. And then everything turned out to be completely serious... I don’t want to describe our further adventure in more detail. We must leave you something uncertain for a future trip, for the sake of which you will decide to go and personally see, go through and experience everything for yourself. To say later: “I know this. I was there".

P.S. Briefly about miscellaneous things

• Jordanians are not fussy in their outward appearances and value respectful treatment.
• In Jordan, they like to install antennas on the roofs of houses in the shape of the Eiffel Tower.
• Despite the fact that Jordan is an Islamic country, they are not only patient with other faiths, but Jordanians also celebrate Easter with us according to the Orthodox calendar, and Christmas with Catholics.
• Jordanians love big cars (well, just like most of us in Moscow).
• The roads in Jordan are very good, especially the main highways, but some sections of them are tolled (although in small old towns it happens that the quality is far from good).
• There are no traffic jams on the highways, but in Amman during rush hours in the mornings and evenings the situation can be very dense.
• In stores you can sometimes find salespeople who understand or even speak Russian.
• Jordan has its own guest workers from Egypt, Iraq, Yemen and other Arab countries.
• Jordanian women bathe fully clothed (in tracksuits with long shirts).
• On weekends, Amman residents like to go out of town with their families for a picnic or visit.
• There are quite a lot of our compatriots in Jordan, especially Ukrainians and Russians who got married here.
• Our flight was made on an A-320 aircraft operated by Royal Jordanian together with airline S7 from Domodedovo airport: smooth check-in, departure on time, food and drinks without complaints, individual multi-systems in the seats *music-games-movies* with issued headphones, soft landing, which is what I wish for you.

Departing from St. Petersburg

Departing from Moscow

You can ask questions about the tour via WHATSAPP +7911-737-04-80

Departure dates: 08/05/2020

The most grandiose cathedrals in the country are Canterbury and Lincoln, Chester and York; great cities - London and Edinburgh, Liverpool and Glasgow; delightful Scottish Highland; the mysterious Loch Ness and the mysterious Stonehenge; Lake District National Park and Wales Castles!

Attention! To travel on this tour you must have: a multiple-entry Schengen visa type C; UK visas.

Day 1. St. Petersburg - Helsinki - Turku
Bus departure from ST. PETERSBURG. Passing the border. Departure to HELSINKI. Sightseeing tour of the city: Olympic Quarter, monument to J. Sibelius, Railway Station, Athenaeum, National Theatre, Senate Square, Trade Square, Parliament, Esplanades, National Museum.
Departure to TURKU. A brief tour of the city. Check-in and boarding the Tallink Silja ferry. Accommodation in cabins with shower and air conditioning. Departure to Stockholm. Entertainment and show programs on board, discos, spa. Night on the ferry.

Day 2. Stockholm - Roskilde
Arrival at STOCKHOLM- “handsome man on the water.” Moving around Sweden. Ferry crossing to Denmark. Stop in the city ROSKILLE. Inspection of the Cathedral - the main temple of Denmark, the tomb of the Danish kings, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List and the “Viking village”, which is located on the shore of the fjord. Moving around Denmark. Ferry crossing to Germany. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 3. Ghent
Breakfast. Moving through Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium. Arrival at GHENT. Free time in the city or (for an additional fee of 15 eur) walking tour: St. Bavo Cathedral, Belfort Watch Tower, Town Hall, St. Nicholas Church, picturesque embankments. It is possible to taste the famous Belgian beer, numbering thousands of varieties. Moving to France. Overnight at a hotel on the English Channel.

Day 4. Canterbury - London
Breakfast. Ferry crossing to the UK. Stop at CANTERBURY, a walk around the city and a tour of the grandiose Canterbury Cathedral - the spiritual center of the Anglican Church throughout the world, the scale and impressiveness of which reflects this role.
Moving to LONDON. Sightseeing tour: Tower Bridge, City, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster, Victoria Embankment, London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, White Hall, Trafalgar Square, National Gallery, Hyde Park, Piccadilly Circus, Oxford straight. Free time. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 5. London
Breakfast. Free time in London (independent check-out from the hotel) or walking tour (additional fee 25 eur + public transport ticket) "LONDON - CITY OF CONTRASTS": Green Park, Buckingham Palace, St. James's Park, Pall Mall, Admiralty Arch, Royal Horse Guards Barracks, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Soho, Chinatown, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Charing Cross Station. Free time in the city. Possible visit NATIONAL GALLERY- the largest collection of world painting, legendary BRITISH MUSEUM, contemporary art galleries TATE MODERN or a ride on Europe's largest Ferris wheel LONDON EYE(additional fee). Overnight at the hotel.

Day 6. London - Windsor - Cambridge
Breakfast. Free time in London (independent check-out from the hotel). It is possible to visit shops on OXFORD STREET- the longest shopping street in Europe. Here you will find department stores BHS and Marks & Spencer and John Lewis, music stores Virgin Megastore and HMV, the popular Top Shop - one of the most popular clothing stores and Primark - where you can find all the trends of the season. The highlight of the street is the Edwardian building of the Selfridges & Co department store.
Or a sightseeing trip to WINDSOR(additional fee with entrance ticket - 55 eur). Windsor is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world, the main private summer residence of the Queen of Great Britain. You can see the official apartments, where world masterpieces of fine art, ancient armor, valuable furniture are collected, as well as St. George's Chapel - the burial place of many English monarchs. In the middle of the day, the group meets with the bus in the city center. Moving to CAMBRIDGE- “a city in the University.” Evening walking tour: Round Church, Trinity College, King's College Chapel, Market Square. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 7. Lincoln - York Glasgow
Breakfast. Moving to LINCOLN. Walk around the city. Inspection of Lincoln Cathedral, which John Ruskin considered worth two other cathedrals in the country. This is one of the first Gothic buildings in England, striking in its size and elegance at the same time. Moving to YORK- a city of Romans, Vikings, Saxons and York Minster - one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in the world. It is possible to taste a traditional British dish - fish and chips in one of the restaurants. Moving to Scotland. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 8. York Glasgow - Edinburgh - Stirling
Breakfast. A quick tour of GLASGOW. Free time in Glasgow or trip EDINBURGH - STERLING(additional fee 25 eur). Visit to the castle STERLING(entrance ticket 20 eur), on the site of which, according to one of the legends, Camelot was located - the castle of King Arthur and with which the lion's share of all historical dramas of Scotland, the names of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, are associated. Walking tour of EDINBURGH, about which Queen Victoria said: “It is beautiful, absolutely unlike anything I have already seen.” Walking tour of the city: Parliament, Royal Palace, Holy Rood Palace and Abbey, The Royal Mile, St. Giles' Cathedral, John Knox's House, Greyfriars Church, National Library of Scotland, Mercat Cross, Whiskey Museum. It is possible to visit Edinburgh Castle (entrance ticket - 22 eur). Return to Glasgow. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 9. Inverness - Lake District National Park - Urquhart Castle
Breakfast. Free time in Glasgow or a trip to the north of Scotland, to the famous Scottish Highlands (additional fee 45 eur). Visiting a national park LOCH LOMOND and the opportunity to enjoy the views of the country's largest lake. Stop in the city INVERNESS- in the “capital of the Scottish Mountains”. Driving along the shore of a narrow and very deep (more than 220 m) lake LOCH NESS. It stretches for almost 40 km and contains more water than all the lakes in Wales and England, and according to one version it even connects to the ocean. It was this that gave rise to rumors about the Loch Ness monster.
Visit to the picturesque castle URQUHART(additional fee 12/10 eur), which is located on the very shore of Loch Ness and is the third most popular castle in Scotland.
Driving along the river valley GLENCOE. These are the most postcard-like, most breathtaking views of the Scottish mountains, which have been used for scenery more than once. This is where the Harry Potter films were filmed. It is here that waterfalls and streams roar, clear lakes sparkle below, and peaks covered with emerald green loom above you. Return to Glasgow. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 10. Gretna Green - Lake District National Park - Liverpool
Breakfast. Moving to the border of Scotland and England, to a charming village of lovers - GRETNA GREEN, where today about 30 thousand marriages take place. Shopping opportunities - Scotland is famous for its woollens and legendary whiskey.
Directions by National Park "LAKE COUNTRY", where alpine landscapes, deep-water lakes, idyllic valleys and farms lost in the fields are concentrated. It is here that the highest mountain in England is located - Scafell Peak, and the largest lake - Windermere. It is possible to take a boat trip around the lake (additional fee).
Moving to LIVERPOOL- a major Atlantic port in England, the birthplace of the magnificent four Beatles. In the evening, if desired, visit the Cavern nightclub, where the group played at the beginning of its fame. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 11. Chester - Conwy - Carnathon
Breakfast. Free time in Liverpool or (for an additional fee of 35 eur) a trip to the principality WALES- a unique country that is part of Great Britain, but has retained its language, its culture and its customs.
Moving to CONVI- one of the few medieval cities in Great Britain where the fortress wall surrounding the old city and the castle, built in the 13th century, have been completely preserved. External inspection of the castle, walk along the embankment of Conwy Bay.
Stop in a village Llanwirepullguingillgogerihuirndrobulllantisiliogogogoh, which is famous for the longest name in the world! Moving to CARNATHON. Visit to Carnafon Castle (additional fee 11 eur) - an outstanding example of military architecture of Western Europe of the 13th-14th centuries, where the investiture ceremony of the heir to the British throne takes place. It is possible to taste Welsh mussels and local ales in one of the taverns.
Return to England. Stop in the city CHESTER. Walk around the city, visiting Chester Cathedral, ancient Roman walls and the famous “Chester Rows”. Moving to Central England. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 12. Stratford upon Avon - Stonehenge
Breakfast. STRADFORD ON AVON- a cute old English town, famous throughout the world for its great native - W. Shakespeare. A walk through places associated with the great playwright. It is possible to visit the Church of the Holy Trinity, where his grave is located (additional fee).
Transfer to Salisbury Plateau and visit STONEHANGE(18 eur - ticket + audio guide) - the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe, which still keeps a hundred secrets and mysteries.
Moving to the south of Great Britain. Passing the border. Crossing the English Channel. Arrival in France. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 13. Antwerp
Breakfast. Moving to ANTWERP. A walking tour of the historical center will allow us to go to the banks of the Scheldt, see the Steen Castle and the Butchers' House, go out to the Grote Markt and admire the guild buildings, the Town Hall and the Brabo Fountain. We will see the famous Notre Dame de Antwerp - the city's cathedral with the tallest tower in Flanders - 123 m, for which Rubens wrote, we will go out to Green Square. In Antwerp, you should try the local hot waffles and Belgian fries. Transit through the Netherlands and Germany. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 14. Copenhagen
Breakfast. Transit through Germany. Ferry crossing to Denmark. Free time in COPENHAGEN or (for an additional fee of 15 eur) sightseeing tour of the city: Town Hall Square, monument to H.H. Andersen, Tivoli Park, Christiansborg, Exchange, New Harbor, residence of the Queen of Denmark - Amalienborg, monument to the Little Mermaid, Gefion Fountain. Moving to Malmo along the famous ERESSUN BRIDGE- one of the longest in the world. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 15. Stockholm
Breakfast. Departure to STOCKHOLM. Sightseeing tour: Royal Theatre, Royal Palace, Town Hall, Gamla Stan, Parliament, Royal Opera House, Cathedral. Check-in and boarding the Tallink Silja ferry. Accommodation in cabins with shower, toilet and air conditioning. Departure to Turku. Entertainment and show programs on board, discos, spa. Night on the ferry.

Day 16. Turku - St. Petersburg
Arrival in Turku. The bus departs to St. Petersburg, along the way there is a possible stop at a fish smokehouse - tasting and purchasing fish delicacies and caviar. Passing the border. Arrival in St. Petersburg late in the evening.

Cost table

Additional Information

• You can receive information on departure on the website a few days before departure.
• Nonresident tourists are advised to arrive in St. Petersburg the day before departure.
• The tour operator informs you that the TT Line ferry with seats may be replaced by a TT Line ferry with no seats. In this case, additional payment for accommodation in cabins is required.
• The travel agency reserves the right to make changes to the procedure for conducting excursions.
• Walking programs involve the use of public transport. The cost of travel on the metro and bus is not included in the price of the tour.
• The travel agency reserves the right to replace the guide if circumstances arise that prevent the author of the program from traveling with the group.
• The tour operator informs you about the possible replacement of a night on the Stena Line/TT-Line ferry with transit travel through Denmark and a night in a hotel.

Departure from St. Petersburg to Minsk/Brest by train from Vitebsky station.

Arrival in Minsk/Brest. Boarding the bus. Passing the border. Transit through the territory of Poland with everyday stops along the way (~680 km). Late arrival at the transit hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure to HANOVER - the capital of Lower Saxony. Transit through Poland and Germany (~355 km). Upon arrival, walk around the city: half-timbered houses, Market Square, Town Hall, Leibniz's house, etc. Transit by
territories of Germany and Belgium (~450 km). Arrival at the transit hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Transfer to KALE. Transit through Belgium and France (~200 km). Ferry crossing (via Eurotunnel) from the port of CALE to the port of DOVER. Transfer to LONDON (~90 km). On the way, stop in CANTERBURY with a tour of the Early Gothic Cathedral (ticket from £13). Arrival in LONDON. Sightseeing bus tour of the city: Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey (ticket from £22), Parliament, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Tower, etc. Free time. Hotel accommodation. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Free time in London. At the request of tourists (for an additional fee of 65 € - transfer + travel information) acquaintance with the cities of Western England: STRATFORD-UPON-AVON - the birthplace of WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. A walk around the city with a visit to the house (ticket from £18) where he was born and the church where he is buried; visit to Warwick Castle (ticket from £28) - one of the most ancient castles in England with an exhibition of wax figures; OXFORD is the university capital of the world. Walk around the city. Return to London. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Free time in the city. Optional visit to the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Gallery, St. Paul's Cathedral, British Museum, Tower (ticket from £28), a unique attraction - the London Eye Ferris Wheel (ticket from £15), boat cruise on the Thames (ticket £15). In the evening, at the request of tourists (for an additional fee of 35 €) excursion "NIGHT LONDON": Big Ben, Tower, the most extravagant building in London "Loids", built inside out, Ferris Wheel, Tower Bridge, new and old City, Royal Palace of Justice, Buckingham Palace, Wellington Arch, etc. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure for WINDSOR. Inspection of the main country residence of the royal house. You will see Windsor Castle (ticket from £21.5), towers, fortress walls, state reception halls, a doll's house, St. George's Chapel - the tomb of the English kings, Prince Albert's Chapel, etc. Moving to Scotland. Transit through England (~370 km). On the way, a stop in the city of YORK - the ancient capital of England. Walk around the city: Fortress walls (XIV century), Cathedral, York Castle, streets of the old town, etc. Arrival at the transit hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Moving to EDINBURGH - the capital of Scotland. Transit through England, Scotland (~150 km). Upon arrival, acquaintance with the city: Edinburgh Castle, Royal Palace of Holy Rood (ticket from £14), Royal Mile Street (Royal Mile), etc. Free time. Optional visit to Edinburgh Castle (ticket from £17), National Art Gallery, etc. For those who wish (for an additional fee of 20 €) a trip to one of the most famous churches in Scotland - the ROSSLIN Chapel (XV century), associated with the secrets of the Templar Order. Visit to the church (from £3). Hotel accommodation (Edinburgh or suburbs). Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. A trip to one of the most famous castles in Scotland - STERLING Castle (ticket from £15). Moving from Scotland to Wales (~550 km). The journey passes through the Lake District National Park, which contains 16 large lakes and the highest mountains in England. On the way, with the consent of the group (for an additional fee of 20 €), a stop in CHESTER - one of the most charming cities in England: city walls, Roman amphitheater, cathedral, shopping arcades, etc. Arrival at the transit hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure for CARDIFF - the capital of WALES. Getting to know the city: Cardiff Castle (ticket from £14), Llandaff Cathedral, Church of St. John the Baptist, National Museum of Wales, etc. Moving to STONEHENGE. Photo stop (depending on the traffic situation) at STONEHENGE - a religious structure built from stone slabs in the 3rd-1st millennium BC. (ticket from £17). Ferry crossing to the port of CALE. Arrival at the transit hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure for BRUGES - the capital of Flanders, one of the most picturesque cities in Europe (~100 km). Upon arrival, independent acquaintance with the city: Covered Market, Watchtower, Government Building, Town Hall, Palace of Justice, etc. Optional boat cruise along the city's canals (ticket from 12 €). Transit through Belgium and Germany (~650 km). Arrival at the transit hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast. Departure for Brest. Transit through Germany and Poland (~900 km). Late arrival in Brest. Rest at the hotel.

Boarding train No. 52 and departure to St. Petersburg at 14.10.

Good afternoon, I would like to leave one review for 2 tourists after a trip to the “Great Tour of Great Britain” tour. To be objective, I will list the pros and cons of the trip in a row, and at the end I will draw a small conclusion. Pros: 1) Extensive tour program. 2) A competent guide. 3) An excellent bus was offered. 4) Good work by the managers on this tour. 5) Not late arrivals to the hotel. Excl. The last 2 nights, we always had time to rest. 6) Not bad extras. guides in England, Poland, Bruges. Cons: 1) The most important thing is the complete failure of preparing the trip to Stonehenge. This is a clear miscalculation of the responsible people. I suppose, the managers of the travel agency. (If they are the ones planning the tour, then let them admit the mistake and correct themselves, without shifting the blame to their subordinates). Over the course of a year, changes could and should have been tracked, this is undeniable. This fact was very helpful; the tour was chosen largely due to the presence of one of the main symbols of England - Stonehenge. 2) Drivers. Here, too, I am forced to dwell in more detail. Firstly, in any place, in any town (even the smallest) we drove around the city for 20-30 minutes just like that before disembarking. I can’t believe that there wasn’t an earlier opportunity to disembark passengers, because we simply ended up wasting a lot of time on their endless circles, detours and maneuvers in each town (if you want to know where exactly, I’m ready to answer). Secondly, we definitely got lost on the way to Wales, got lost for about 2 hours at night, and because of them we arrived at the hotel at 2 am very tired. I was driving using the GPS satellite system, and I can confirm and prove all their maneuvers during wanderings. There was a highway nearby, which you had to immediately get out and drive along. Yes, the highway is a bit of a detour, but in the end, having decided to take a shortcut, we simply got lost! Thirdly, they didn’t clean the bus at all, from the first day. Fourthly, we lost our document for the bus at the Poland/Belarus border, after which everyone suffered until the end of the tour. The only plus they have is the fact that they help with loading suitcases onto the bus at the hotels. 3) Very small amount of time offered for extra. fee cities - Bath, Chester, York. This is a very ugly and simple way for the tour organizers to make money. The aftertaste is unpleasant; of these cities, only York is worth attention. We had 50 minutes of free time there. The aftertaste from this “approach to business” is unpleasant and makes you “think.” 4) Also one of the biggest questions specifically for the organizers of the tour, the people who thought it over - the hotel in Belarus. I won’t give any characterization to this Druzhba hotel, I’ll just say – it’s a shame. Add a couple of thousand rubles to the base price of the tour for a normal hotel in Belarus, and don’t embarrass yourself next time. 5) I’ll point out a couple of shortcomings of working guides. Lyudmila – great year. But there are 2 wishes: A) In case of failures, wanderings, delays - openly and immediately inform tourists about the discrepancies, so that people are all aware of what is happening. (not always reported only to a separate group of people close to the guide) B) A knowledgeable, competent, responsive guide, but the information is often presented abruptly, with individual facts from different areas, which is why not as much is stored in the head as one would like would. Guide in England: a competent woman, but she talks a lot and gives a lot of unnecessary information. It's interesting to listen to, but afterwards my head is a complete mess. Conclusion: It is difficult to unequivocally evaluate the tour due to the situation with Stonehenge, the hotel in Belarus and the illiteracy of the drivers because of which there were troubles. It is thanks to these disadvantages that my companion and I rated the tour “satisfactory”

Dear tourists! Please answer the question: were there any difficulties or obstacles in obtaining an English visa? I really want to go on a tour of England, but everyone is scared that I won’t be able to get a visa. Is it true?

Thank you very much for the interesting Vacation tour in London, which took place from 01/01/13. to 01/12/13. Lyudmila Belonogina is a wonderful guide and responsive person! And the drivers Stanislav and Mirek are professionals in their field and you can feel at ease with them on any road! Thank you Balt Tour!

Day 1. Tel Aviv, Edinburgh
Meeting the group at Ben Gurion Airport and flying to Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Accommodation at a hotel in the area where the tour continues.

Day 2. South Scotland, Walter Scott's estate, Gretna Green
We are heading today to Southern Scotland towards the English border. On the way we will see one of the most interesting residences in Britain - the estate of Walter Scott. In the village of Gretna Green, bordering England, a unique surprise ceremony awaits you. Our day will end in the Lake District, the charm of which was sung by the greatest poets of England.

Day 3. England. Lake District, Liverpool, Chester
We will start our day with an introduction to the picturesque Lake District. Those who wish (for an additional fee) will be able to take an amazing cruise on Lake Windermere and admire the beautiful scenery. Then we will continue our journey towards Liverpool, where the Beatles began their ascent to the musical Olympus. Let's take a short bus tour around the city and head to typically English Chester, which has preserved the special style of wooden half-timbered architecture of the 15th and 16th centuries.

Day 4. (Wales)
We will devote this day (for an additional fee) to getting to know northern Wales, which has retained its bright Celtic flavor. Admiring the steep cliffs, mountain lakes and green valleys, we will drive through the Snowdonia National Park, cross the Lanberis mountain pass, visit the heart of the three valleys of Betwys-y-Coed, the castle of the Welsh princes in the city of Carnarvon, and see the castle of Edward the First in Conwy. At the end of the day we will return to the hotel.

Day 5. England. York, Yorkminster Cathedral, Jetborough
Today you will have an unforgettable meeting with one of the oldest cities in England - York, where you will walk along the oldest Butchers Street in Europe, and Yorkminster Cathedral, stunning with its size, stained glass windows and stone carvings. After exploring the majestic ruins of Jetborough Monastery, we will return to Scotland.

Day 6. Scotland. Edinburgh
In the morning we will head to the capital of Scotland - mystical Edinburgh. We will see Princes Street, the majestic St. Giles Church, walk along the Royal Mile and visit the ancient Edinburgh Castle, where the Stone of Fate and Scottish royal regalia are kept. We will also taste the famous Scotch whiskey – the liquid heart of Scotland.

Day 7. (Highlands, Loch Lomond, Valley of Tears, Fort William)
Today (for an additional fee) we travel through the Scottish Highlands - the home of the brave Highlanders. Our first stop is Loch Lomond, the most beautiful and romantic of Scottish lakes. Next on our way is the Valley of Tears Glenku, which preserves the memory of the most notorious murder in the history of Scotland. Then we will visit the mountain capital of Scotland Fort William, standing at the foot of the highest mountain in Scotland, Ben Nevis.

Day 8. Scotland. Glasgow, Edinburgh
Let's start the day with an acquaintance with Glasgow - the youngest city in Scotland. Let's get acquainted with the amazing history of the city with its magnificent St. Munch Cathedral. Then we have another meeting with Edinburgh. Those wishing to visit the favorite palace of Elizabeth II - Holyrood, which is her official residence in Scotland, where the most romantic years of Mary Stuart's life passed (for an additional fee). You can also (for an additional fee) visit the legendary Roslyn Chapel, where the final scenes of the novel “The Da Vinci Code” took place (time permitting). This is where our amazing journey through Britain ends. From Edinburgh airport we fly to Tel Aviv.

The order of visits is subject to change.

Before the trip.

Imagine the surprise of my surroundings when I 58 I decided to shake off the old days and take a walking route with my backpack, no, not along the mountains and passes, but through some European capitals, and for the first time and on a budget. “If you go to the Scandinavian countries, it would be better in the winter, anyway, you won’t be able to swim there in the summer, but in the summer you can go south,” this is what I thought when choosing a destination for a trip in February. Plane tickets to Stockholm for 6 days had already been purchased when I decided that two days would be enough to explore the Swedish capital in February. To create a mosaic of impressions, I also wanted to see Helsinki and Tallinn and use different ferries to cross the Baltic Sea.

In Moscow, on Shabolovka, I paid the consular fee for a visa, the Swedish service fee - 3940 rubles, at Alfastrakhovanie, located on the floor below, I paid 532 rubles. for insurance of 35,000 euros.

That's it, I'm ready to conquer Europe!

Road to Stockholm.

We got to Sheremetyevo by Aeroexpress for 420 rubles. (this is in the case of electronic payment, and at the cash desk - 500 rubles). Departure by Aeroflot plane at 11.25, arriving in Stockholm at Arlanda airport at 11.40. We flew to the West, the time difference was 2 hours, we gave ourselves these 2 hours, as if there was no flight. The return flight was from Stockholm on February 22 at 12.40, arrival in Moscow at 16.45. The round trip flight cost 12,031 rubles.

Knowing in advance all the budget options for traveling from the airport to the center of Stockholm, we, being in euphoria, chose the most expensive way - by Arlanda Express train, succumbing to the weekend discount (2 for 350sek/3 for 450sek/4 for 559sek Thursday-Sunday) .

Looking ahead, I will say that on the way back we compensated for this by getting to the airport, like the locals, only using the same card that we used to travel in the metro. To do this, we first took the train and then took the bus to the airport. All this is fast, comfortable and on account of the already paid card.

At the airport, the 7-elevan store helped us out with food, where we bought: cappuccino from 25 to 35 CZK, all fruits (apples, bananas) 6 CZK each, muffins for 25 CZK, a sandwich with cheese, sausage 30 CZK, 2 bottles of water 2 pcs. . for 15 CZK.

1 0

Here it is, the capital!

We arrived from the airport to the T-Centralen metro station. The metro here is designated by the letter “T” (Tunnelbana), although first we mechanically look for the letter “M” by analogy with Moscow. And another important thing: do not confuse the metro and commuter trains, they have the same entrances. Single metro ticket up to 75 min. costs 44sek; on the traveler's card 24 hours - 125 sek, 72 hours - 250.7 days - 325. 30 days - 860. Surprisingly, the metro has benefits for pensioners, even with my Russian pension card!

When exiting the T-Centralen metro station, you can see the dome of the Clara kirka church; we entered it on the way, and later at 18:00. listened to a free organ concert, where works by Bach, S. Franck, F. Mendelssohn were played.

1 0

Divine sounds in a divine temple! Latecomers were not allowed into the concert so as not to disturb the harmony. On the way out after the concert, the caretaker modestly offered to drop off donations.

When crossing the street, we press the traffic light button, we don’t wait, as is mostly the case in Russia.

To navigate Stockholm, we used a guide from Lonely planet and maps, which are freely available in different places.

From Clara kirka we go left under the viaduct, the dome of the Town Hall is visible on the right, it is 1.2 km from Gamla Stan (Old Town). Visiting hours to the Town Hall are 9.30-16.00. only with a guided tour and only in the summer. The observation deck is closed in winter.

1 0

1 0

The embankment offers a beautiful view of the island of Riddarholmen.

From the Town Hall we returned to the viaduct and went to Gamla Stan along Riddarhusgrand, although the entrance to the Old Town is more spectacular from Drottninggattan Street, which is what we did on our second visit.

Gamla Stan, where we immediately rushed, and the island of Djurgården were quite suitable for inspection on the day of arrival and the next day before sailing in the afternoon to Helsinki, of course, without visiting the museums, which were left until next time.

The first day. Mini-program for Gamla Stan.

What we planned to see at Gamla Stan:

Royal Palace. Free excursions 45 min. at 14.00 and 15.00, changing of the guard at 12.15 (Wednesday, Saturday), 13.15 (Sunday)

1 0

Olle (Ulle) - a boy looking at the Moon;

1 0

How to find it: from the Royal Palace in Gamla Stan you need to go onto Finska Kyrkogränd street, go around the Finnish Clara kyrka church and turn right onto Trädgårdsgatan street. The sculpture is located in the courtyard of Bollhustäppan, there are two passages leading into it from this street. They performed the ritual: they stroked the boy’s head, made a wish and placed a coin next to him. Such sweetness made my soul even brighter;

Nobel Museum;

1 0

The Schantz (left) and Seyfritz (right) houses, which are the hallmark of the city;

1 0

Church of St. Nicholas (opening hours 9-16.00);

Stockholm Cathedral.

I inadvertently observed the work of the guides in Gamla Stan: the boring expression on the face and the monotonous story of the Russian guide with Russian tourists and the expression on the face of “their” guide in the garb of a Catholic medieval monk, trumpeting in different voices throughout the entire square: “The whole world is a theater and this is my stage” . We met with him several times and all the time he was inspired, he was in his role. I think there are such people among us too.

About the Södermalm area and the hotel.

After Gamla Stan, on the way to the hotel, we go to the observation deck near the Slussen metro station, the views are wonderful, but photography is hampered by construction work on the reconstruction of the metro.

1 0

1 0

Entrance to the observation deck is through the cafe.

For fast food lovers, there is a McDonald's, where tea is 14 sek (x7.2 = 101 rubles), a hamburger is 20 sek (144 rubles)

From Slussen we go to the hotel. The Stockholm Classic Budget Hotell is waiting for us on Lundagatan 31 in the Södermalm area. This area is the third in the list of the most prestigious urban areas in the world according to Vogue magazine, but in terms of accessibility to the main attractions, I liked the Vasastan area more, although not the heart of the city of Norrmalm, but close to it.

Check-in was at 14:00, check-out was until 11:30. Economy class room without windows on the 1st floor with shower and toilet in the room, safe, hairdryer, refrigerator, fan, TV, kettle, bunk bed for 495 sek (3534 rub.)/for two. Free bed linen, no parking. Friendly male staff offered free coffee at the reception. It was possible to take breakfast for 74 SEK/per person, but I didn’t want to. The room is clean, recently renovated, the plumbing is shiny, everything is decent.

This area is famous for its nightlife and we were planning to visit Himlen - a panoramic bar on the 26th floor, but replaced it with the Museum of Photography, which is also open late.

The first day was encouraging: I had strength, even though I had been on my feet all day, and I had more than enough desire to feel the atmosphere of the city.

Second day. Djurgården.

The next day, with backpacks on our backs, we went to the island of Djurgården from the Kungstradgarden metro station along Jakobsgatan, Stromgatan, and fed the swans and ducks.

1 0

At the Drama Theater we took the famous tram number 7, which connects Normalmstrong and Djurgården.

The island of Djurgården is a pleasant place to walk through the park and there are several interesting museums:

Ethnographic open-air museum Skansen (where there are many buildings brought from all over Scandinavia and medieval workshops recreated, there is a zoo. From there there is a magnificent view of Stockholm);

1 0

ABBA Museum;

1 0

Museum of the ship "Vasa";

1 0

1 0

The Junibacken Museum is a museum of characters from Astrid Lindgren's books and a children's cultural center.

Museums are closed on Mondays.

From the island of Djurgården, from the stop near the church, we went to the Karlaplan metro station and went to McDonald's.

Of course, I wanted to be economical and eat guaranteed calories in an understandable product. And we were happy to greet the familiar appearance of McDonald's. In Russia I often bypass it, but now I appreciate Russian Mak for its neatness and well-groomed appearance, clean open toilets. There we ended up in some run-down, shabby establishments. My colleagues from car dealer centers also noticed abroad the low level of requirements for meeting brand standards in their country and in our country. In Russia, for some reason, these standards must be met almost perfectly so that the company does not have sanctions from the representative office.

By the way, in Sweden you can drink tap water. It's clean and filtered, so the savings on water bottles are obvious. And you have to save. Prices in COOP stores: yogurt 200g 10 CZK, eggs per pack 4 pcs. 12 CZK, cold cuts 120g 15 CZK at a discount, bread 15 CZK at a discount.

We finally reached the terminal for the Silja Symphony ferry from Silja to head to Helsinki and then Tallinn.

Second coming to Stockholm. Ferry.

From Tallinn to Stockholm we returned by cruise on the Baltic Queen ferry on the route “Tallinn-Stockholm-Tallinn” on February 20 at 18.00 from terminal D (Lootsi 13), arriving in Stockholm on Wednesday February 21 at 10.15. in Vartahamn.

1 0

Why cruise? This is the most budget option. Class A cabin on the 8th floor for 2 people for 65 euros, buffet breakfast in the Grande Buffet for 10.5 euros in case of early booking of breakfast, otherwise -11.5 euros. Total for two 86 euros, a nice bonus - 2 coupons for a 50% discount in bars for beer/cider. Registration of passengers for the ferry ends 30 minutes before. before departure, so the recommended time of arrival at the port is 1 hour before departure. The ticket was registered at a self-service kiosk (self check-in). The boarding pass also serves as the key to the cabin. It was nice to warm up in the sauna and swim in the pool, which cost 7 euros or 67 sek/person.

Second coming to Stockholm. Vazastan district. Hotel.

On February 21, we headed from the port to Hotel Micro Tegnerlunden. I liked the Vazastan area, quiet and cozy. At first we did not believe that such a respectable hotel was ours, only the economy class rooms were located on the ground floor.

For a small double room with a 2-bunk bed and a shared bathroom and toilet, without breakfast, we paid 446 sek (3184 rubles). We arrived at the hotel early, the room was not ready, but they allowed us to leave our backpack and provided us with maps.

It should be said that in my understanding “shared bath and toilet” seemed like unpresentable places like hotels from Soviet times. Fortunately, I was deceived. Apparently, the standard of living of the Swedes does not allow them to fall below their habits: nowhere is there a hint of shabbyness, neglect, or dirt. The shared bathroom has many spacious isolated showers with solid partitions, sparkling clean fixtures and tiles, and washbasins with huge mirrors. Also, everything is “excellent” with a common toilet consisting of numerous, modernly equipped cabins. All this looked much better than these rooms on the floor above in the main hotel, located on the floors of the old house.

0 0

Second coming to Stockholm. How little time!

The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. Of course, the time allotted for Stockholm was catastrophically insufficient. After all, I just wanted to wander the streets and enjoy the atmosphere of the capital and the friendly attitude of the townspeople with their sincere desire to help and openness. That's how this soldier is.

1 0

On the way to another interesting attraction, the Stockholm Public Library, the path passed through the park past the Observatory, from where a beautiful view of the city opens from the hill.

1 0

The library surprised me; I had never seen anything like it.

1 0

Then we returned to Gamla Stan, entering it correctly, from the beautiful pedestrian street Drottninggattan along the Riksbronn bridge, and then under the monumental arches of Parliament.

1 0

1 0

We found Morten Trotzig Lane, the narrowest street in Stockholm.

1 0

The lane got its name in honor of the German merchant Morten Trotzig. This alley is actually a narrow staircase of 36 steps connecting the beautiful promenade street Vasterlangatan and Prastgatan. Two people can hardly pass each other on it, its width is only 90 cm, but this is what makes it stand out from the rest.

Once again we examined the Royal Palace and the surrounding area.

1 0

1 0

When hunger reminded us, we remembered the recommendations from the Internet and went to Khotorget Square.

There is an interesting building of the Concert Hall,

I was always amazed how they managed to be invisible, to go unnoticed by the service staff. And those who were noticed were pleased and made proud that they were the ones serving you. How much dignity. At the entrance to the ferry, passengers were greeted by a chef; at breakfast, the chefs sedately demonstrated the art of layout in the hall. At an ordinary city market, young people with the appearance of a screen star helped with the selection of products as if they were giving an interview on a diplomatic line. Yes, they simply respect themselves, and from this comes respect for us.

And one more thing surprised me. I live in a private house and in winter on a sunny day I gladly open the curtains on the windows so that the sun warms up the house. But later I close them, it seems more comfortable and safer to me. In Stockholm, I was struck by the almost complete absence of anything on the windows in the apartments to protect from prying eyes.

What is snow to us, what is heat to us, what is torrential rain to us.

In case of cold and rainy weather, backup options and methods of transportation were provided:

1. sightseeing tour on a Hop on Hop off bus (tourist bus moving along a specific route).

1 0

Riddarsholms-kyrkan - here we saw a bus stop HOP ON – HOP OFF, which departs every 30-60 minutes: ticket for 24 hours. – 300 sek, 72-350, 24 hours + ABBA Museum -450, children’s 50%. You can buy your ticket on the bus or on the website stromma.se. Service in 11 languages, incl. Russian At each stop you can enter and exit an unlimited number of times, but during the validity period of the ticket - 72, 48 and 24 hours.

The people on the trip gave the impression of being seasoned. The frosts are not severe, but the damp Baltic air is chilling. On the streets, people are mostly wearing sneakers, boots, without hats or hoods, wide open. I’m wearing high winter boots and wrapped from head to toe in wool.

2. Brunkebergstunneln is a 231-meter pedestrian tunnel between Norrmalm and Östermalm, which is a wide bright yellow pipe. Exit at Sveavagen, turn towards Hotorget and in 5 minutes you are at Sergels torg - the main square of the city.

3.excursions along the metro.

We didn't need it. The weather spoiled us. It was sunny, sometimes there were clouds, the day was warm from -3°С to +1°С. Helsinki and Tallinn were colder, ranging from -8°C to -6°C. But they returned to Moscow at -28°C. Feel the difference, it’s called, like you’ve been to the south.

Stockholm metro.

Metro in Stockholm in their style. Not that without pomp and frills, there is no question of that. And they even seem to boast of simplicity and naturalness. This might not be surprising, everyone is free to make their own choice, but for tourists on the Internet, all the recommendations are full of calls to specifically take a ride along the Stockholm metro as a special attraction. Now I would also support this recommendation, if only so that the artistic merit of our Moscow and St. Petersburg metro can be assessed. The red-green and blue lines are not just the color of the line on the metro map, they are actually colored that way.

Many things surprised me on the Stockholm metro. For example, I didn’t see a single muzzled dog on the subway, and few had leashes. At first we took them for strays, sitting down to warm up in the subway. No, at a stop, on the command of a person standing next to them, they jumped onto the platform and moved in the flow of people. What is this? Has the atmosphere of general prosperity also affected dogs? If I had been on the subway with my super-duper German girlfriend, I would have freaked out myself, no matter what happened. It’s worth traveling, observing, you begin to comprehend life differently, there are so many colors of life, besides white and black.

So, the journey is over.

A rich, dynamic, budget trip. I would fly from the pleasure of what I saw.

1 0

If there is an opportunity, I will visit Stockholm again, but in the golden autumn. And in the spring I’m planning Denmark, Copenhagen, and there it’s also a stone’s throw to Sweden. Auntie got the taste, Europe - hold on! I’ve already been to China, Beijing and Shanghai, but for some reason I don’t feel drawn to it, but Europe has pulled me in. What are my years, wish me good luck and may the patron saint of travelers be with us all!