The three Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the north east of Europe are members of the European Union. Their dramatic history, as well as their striking differences, are of fascinating interest, independent peoples with their own culture and individuality.

Vilnius is the political, economic and cultural centre of Lithuania. It has long been forgotten that Germany’s Teutonic Knights repeatedly attempted to capture the city and that they almost succeeded. Where today is a splendid city, in bygone times were its first humble dwellings. The Boulevard begins in Cathedral Square where, adjoining the cathedral, is a fine white bell tower. The Cathedral’s interior still radiates a Gothic sense of space. The local people are particularly proud of the cathedral’s copy of The Turin Shroud.

Latvia is a country in the centre of the Baltic States. Amid the fertile Zemgale Plain is the magnificent huge Baroque Jelgava Castle, the largest in Latvia. In 1737 the residence of the then secular ruler of the Duchy Of Kurland was built on the ramparts of an ancient castle of the Livonian Order.

Beneath the southeast corner of the castle is the Crypt Of The Dukes a tomb vault with thirty superbly decorated sarcophagi of tin and wood. At first sight it looks like the French castle of Versailles but it is Rundale Castle. The huge palace garden contains three hundred and twenty eight thousand lime, oak and chestnut trees.

In the south we visit Estonia, the third of the Baltic States. The observation tower on the so-called "Great Egg Mountain" offers a wide view deep into Latvia and Russia. The Sangaste Estate is located in the south, a neo-Gothic brick building modelled on England’s Windsor Castle. From the Domberg, the view of Tallinn is most outstanding, This is the capital of Estland, or Estonia, which is located on the Gulf of Finland opposite Helsinki. Here, the Middle Ages have remained alive and in St.Marien Cathedral various coats of arms and tombs highlight the German-Baltic nobility who once read Mass there.