THE BALTIC SEA'S KING'S HIGHWAY By Bob Wilbanks
The NATIONAL SKI CLUB NEWSLETTER July-August 2002

The King's Road began in the 14th century as a mail coach route between the cities of Oslo and Stockholm, Sweden; Turku & Helsinki, Finland and St. Petersburg, Russia . Today, the King's Road is a tourist route and usually incorporates a trip to Moscow. The route can involve air, train, and cruise ship transportation in this beautiful island-dotted coastal area surrounding the Baltic Sea.

Summer here marks the season of the midnight sun and, depending upon when you are there, the sun may rise as early as 2:30 am and will often still be bright at midnight, so "nightlife" is often enjoyed outdoors in parks, outdoor cafes and hiking trails as well as nightclubs and restaurants.

Stockholm, Sweden celebrates its 750th anniversary this year and the city features palaces, museums, and other constant reminders of its Viking heritage throughout its 14 islands which are connected by 57 bridges. Take a bus and a boat tour of the city for an overview and don't forget to visit the City Hall building where the Nobel Prizes are awarded each year. The city also contains over 70 museums for both adults and children. Tour the ancient city section of Gamla Stan and then take a 25 minute guided tour of the Vasa Museum - a 'must-see' when in Stockholm. The Vasa is a 48 gun Swedish warship built from 1626 to 1628 but which sank on its maiden voyage in Stockholm's harbor. It was re-discovered in 1956, salvaged intact in 1961 under the eyes of world-wide television audiences and then floated to the museum's current location in 1989. Restoration is still on-going and over 10 million people have visited the Vasa Museum since it opened.

Stockholm is surrounded by an archipelago of 24,000 islands with castles, charming little villages and even a Viking town - so plan to spend several days here if you want to get a real feel for the city -- and for Sweden.

Check out their website at www.stockholmtown.com to plan your itinerary for the trip and to purchase a Stockholm card - a single ticket access to 70 museums, sightseeing boats and their public transportation system.

From Stockholm, we took an overnight cruise ship to Helsinki, Finland aboard the m/s Silva Serenade complete with an opulent smorgasbord dinner and breakfast, a casino, cocktail lounge entertainment, piano bars, circus aerial acts, discos and a midnight show for those who could last 'till then.

Helsinki Finland: Finland was originally part of Sweden from 1155 to 1809 and it then became an autonomous region of Russia for over 100 years, attaining independence in 1917. It is now part of the European Union. Helsinki, the capital and birthplace of the sauna, was founded in 1550.

When visiting the city, consider purchasing a Helsinki card which entitles the holder to entry into almost 50 museums, as well as the Korkeasaari Zoo, the 250 year-old Suomenlinna Sea Fortress and provides access to all Helsinki area public transportation - plus you receive discounts on numerous local attractions and events.

While here, spend a day visiting the old Medieval section of Tallinn - the capital of Eastonia - just 80 km from Helsinki by ferry or cruise ship. Here, the 14th and 15th centuries seem to still be alive amid the medieval walls, turrets, spires & cobbled streets. And, don't pass up the baroque Kadriorg Palace built for Peter the Great from 1718 - 1936 in Tallinn.

From Helsinki, it's about a 6 hour train ride to St. Petersburg, stopping a couple of times in small towns and to allow Russian customs agents to board and check your papers. Seating was six to a compartment but there is also a dining car which serves food and drink.

St. Petersburg, Russia was planned and founded by Peter The Great in 1703 to be the capital of Russia. Architects were brought in from Italy, craftsmen came from all over Europe and they created a beautiful city. St. Petersburg is filled with sculpture of all kinds - some from the original design of the city and some in the more heroic style of the Communist era. The architecture is mostly low profile buildings, as are many cities in northern Europe, and the city is built on several islands. It was heavily bombarded in the siege during World War II and since rebuilding - but it is still in need of a great deal of restoration due to general neglect during the Communist era. But St. Petersburg is still a wonderful experience!

Start your stay with a city tour and then cruise down the Neva River passing by The Hermitage Museum, The Russian Admiralty and the famous Summer Gardens. Plan to spend at least one day at the Hermitage: it's a series of palaces now the second largest art museum in the world. Art connoisseurs will want to spend their entire vacation here. Use the services of a guide at the Hermitage as it is enormous and a professional guide will aid in seeing the most important parts of the many collections. In many gift shops both in St. Petersburg and Moscow, the merchandise is marked in both Russian Rubles and 'international economic units' (IEU) - which is code for US Dollars. Often products are marked only in IEUs. You know the cold war is over when they begin using our currency!

Moscow: We departed St. Petersburg on the midnight train to Moscow in sleeper compartments, two to a room. Basically, think of this as a small hotel room on wheels that allows you to wake up in Moscow at 8:00 am and check into your hotel; in our case, The Ukrania Hotel, located directly across the river from The White House - the Russian Parliament building. The main attractions here are Red Square, The Kremlin, ornate Russian Orthodox Churches and, perhaps most of all, the Russian people's lifestyle.

Red Square is a big open plaza where the army was practicing for a big parade the following day. It's lined with several churches, a large department store and the wall of the Kremlin. The Kremlin was originally a large fort overlooking the Moscow River built to repel ancient invaders and, while most Americans think of it as the former 'seat of evil' during the communist era - in fact, it was the seat of the government in those days. Today, the Kremlin still houses government offices but it seems to now be primarily a place for lovers to stroll and be together and where the outdoor-loving Russians congregate during the long daylight periods that extend until almost midnight. You will see lovers making out, young people playing guitars, people of all ages just walking through the surrounding well-kept grounds and children playing around the sculptures in the many fountains - all at 10 pm. While there is a profusion of nightclubs in Moscow, the word, 'nightlife' takes on a whole new meaning in this city.

Just a couple of blocks from the Kremlin, we selected one of several sidewalk cafes at random for dinner and both the food and the service were excellent. Despite the negative travel press of the communist days, it is now OK to drink in Moscow - although we drank bottled water just in case.

For more information about a ski club trip to The Kings Road cities and Moscow in the spring, summer or fall, contact Colorado International Tours at 800-487-1136.

2121 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80907