Baltics’ stalwart beauty

THE turrets, the ancient city gates and the cobblestoned streets -- these are the fairy tale images of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, known collectively as the Baltic States.

Since gaining independence in 1991, these northeastern European neighbors, occupied by the Germans during World War II and later forcibly annexed to the Soviet Union, have been bidding to become big-time visitor destinations.

The capitals -- Tallinn (Estonia), Riga (Latvia) and Vilnius (Lithuania) -- have well-preserved old towns. Charming boutique hotels have opened; so have good restaurants that shy away from such regional specialties as jellied pork, blood sausage and groats with fried fatty meat and cater increasingly to international tastes.

But like most fairy tales, this one has a dark side. Those picture-postcard images of the Baltics sometimes are crowded out of my memory by reminders of decades of oppression: a dank torture cell in the Museum of Genocide Victims in a former KGB prison in Vilnius. The Museum of Occupations in Tallinn. And the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia in a windowless black slash of a building adjacent to Riga’s Town Hall Square.

As they move forward, the Baltics don’t want the suffering and losses of the dark days to be forgotten. My visit in late September tells me they shouldn’t -- and they won’t.

I arrived in Tallinn after an overnight train journey from Moscow, where I had disembarked from a Russian river cruise, and checked into the nearby Merchant’s House Hotel, steps from Old Town Square, the heart of the old city.

I bought a ticket for Tallinn City Tour’s hop-on, hop-off sightseeing excursion on a red double-decker bus. It has English audio and during the nearly two-hour ride, proved a good way to see the green suburbs and the forgettable modern city.

We drove to Kadriorg, a tony residential suburb where we glimpsed the Baroque summer palace of Peter the Great (now an art museum). And we passed the Song Festival Grounds, where every five years the Songfest -- a national obsession since 1869 -- attracts up to 35,000 singers in folk costume and 250,000 spectators. (The next one will be in 2009.)

Soon we came upon Lasnamae, a hideous mini-city of ‘70s- and ‘80s-era apartments, built to house workers from the Soviet Union who were encouraged to immigrate and Russian-ize Estonia. They’re now privately owned condos and home to almost a third of Tallinn’s 400,000 residents.

Having seen as much of modern Tallinn as I needed to, I went to the tourism office and rented a self-guided audio walking tour of the old city, the focal point of which is the 600-year-old Town Hall and its green dragonhead gargoyle drainpipes.

A small museum inside offers a glimpse into life in Tallinn. In the Middle Ages it was called Reval and was a major port of call on the Hanseatic trade route.

In one corner of the square is the 15th century raeapteek, or apothecary, where the infirm once bought such “cures” as black cat urine and fish eye powder. There’s a little apothecary museum and, next door, an antiques shop where I bought a couple of Soviet-era replica posters but passed on a framed color portrait of the ill-fated Czar Nicholas II and family and a pocket watch with Adolf Hitler on its face.

For serious shopping, countless jewelry stores on Viru and surrounding streets sell amber in numerous shades and shapes. Linens, marzipan and Russian dolls are ubiquitous. Along Muurivahe Street, street vendors sell knitwear and juniper wood kitchen utensils.

By sheer luck, I stumbled on little Katariina Kaik, a narrow lane between Vene and Muurivahe streets, where Katariina Gild artisans make and sell textiles, leather goods, jewelry, glass and ceramics.

Old Tallinn, which has more than 80% (about 1.1 miles) of its old city wall intact -- including 20 towers with pointed red roofs -- is a delight to explore on foot. Redevelopment was halted during Soviet times, which spared some buildings. The upper level of the old town, Toompea, is where the movers and shakers once lived; the lower town was home to merchants.

Two paths -- the very steep short leg and the long leg -- connect the two. Toompea castle, now home to the Parliament, flies the tricolor flag of Estonia.

In 1894, the Russians, to the displeasure of Estonians, chose a site opposite for the Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (finished in 1900). Its five onion domes punctuate old town’s skyline.

Through decades of occupation by foreign powers, hope has lived in the Baltics. In 1989, Balts linked hands in a human chain stretching 375 miles from Tallinn south to Vilnius to protest Soviet rule, a watershed moment.

In a contemporary concrete and glass building in Tallinn is the new Museum of Occupations, where videos and artifacts chronicle the horrors in Estonia under the Nazis and Soviets. Exhibits include a surveillance device obtained from the departing Russian army in exchange for vodka, a ragged prison uniform and paper on which dissidents typed anti-Soviet literature.

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Riga

IN Tallinn, I boarded a nice bus for the 2 1/2 -hour trip to Riga, where I checked into the lovely little boutique hotel Ainavas in the old town.

With a population of 800,000, Riga is the largest of the Baltic capitals. In many ways, it is also the prettiest. A river -- the Daugava -- runs through it, and it is rich in parks, which are bisected by a canal (once a defensive moat) crossed by 16 bridges. Aside from the pedestrian-friendly old city, with its intriguing narrow lanes and medieval squares, you’ll see fabulous Art Nouveau facades, many of them along Alberta, Vilandes, Strelnieku, Antonjias and Elizabetes streets in the new city.

Art Nouveau, or Jugendstil, arrived in Riga at the turn of the 20th century and today the facades of many of the buildings, with their human figures, masks, animals and garlands of fruit and flowers, have been nicely cleaned up. There’s another cache of Art Nouveau in the old town, notably along Kaleju, Kalku and Smilsu streets. (The tourism office has a free guide.)

At Riga’s Central Market, hundreds of merchants hawk their wares inside five huge former German zeppelin hangars. The market’s not all about food, pig snouts aside. You can also pick up a CD or a pair of sunglasses.

Riga’s Old Town Square is marred by modern buildings. The square’s architectural treasure -- a 20th century re-creation of a 14th century building -- is the House of Blackheads. The original was home to the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a fraternity of bachelor merchants. (The odd name derives from their patron saint, Mauritius, whose symbol was the head of a dark-skinned Moor.) The house is a Gothic gem, its fanciful red facade adorned with an astronomical clock.

Today, the hub of local life in the old town is Dome Square, dominated by the Dome Cathedral, which has lovely stained glass windows and a 6,768-pipe organ. Outdoor cafes ring the square.

The day I went to the tourist office on Old Town Square to join a walking tour, I was the only tour-taker, so I had guide Alexander Ivanovsky, a history student at Latvia University, to myself. He pointed out quirky sights such as the 1909 Cats’ House at 10 Meistara, atop which sit two sculptures of black cats with tails raised. Of the several legends about this house, I like the one that says that the builder, denied membership in the great guild across the street, retaliated by having the cats placed with their backsides to the guild hall. Litigation ensued, the felines were repositioned, and he joined the guild.

In the central city, we stopped near Freedom Monument, on the site once occupied by an equestrian statue of Peter the Great. The 138-foot-high landmark, topped by lady liberty, was erected in 1935 during a brief period of Latvian independence between wars. .

Today Latvia again basks in its independence.

I asked what democracy meant to Ivanovsky and he said, “It is to go in the library and take out the book you want.”

On my last evening in Riga, I went to a free concert at St. Peter’s Church, presented by a women’s a cappella choir from a local music college. Women took turns conducting, to enthusiastic applause. When one had taken her bow, a young man bolted up from the audience and kissed her. More applause.

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Vilnius

TOO soon, I was on the road again, traveling by bus south to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania (population 600,000). It was my least favorite of the three capitals; Tallinn’s old town seemed more initimate, Riga more cosmopolitan -- and it has that great Art Deco architecture.

George W. Bush, the first U.S. president to visit Lithuania, came here before me -- in 2002. (A bronze plaque at the old Town Hall, where he spoke, commemorates his visit.)

The Town Hall of Vilnius, an 18th century classic building with six Doric columns, is now where public celebrations are held. It sits at the southern end of pedestrian-friendly Pilies Street, the busiest Old Town artery, with its souvenir shops and restaurants.

Look up when walking north on Pilies and you see an octagonal red tower, most of what remains of the city’s 15th century castle. Walk slowly and you’ll discover hidden courtyards.

Napoleon slept in Vilnius, in what is now the presidential palace, during his army’s ill-fated march on Moscow in 1812, and stabled his horses in the Gothic 16th century St. Anne’s Church that, it’s said, he wished he could transplant to Paris.

The church was only steps from my Old Town hotel, the Shakespeare, a small place so nice that it alone would tempt me to return to Vilnius.

Once, there were 105 synagogues in Vilnius; today there is only one, the city’s Jewish ghettos having been destroyed during Nazi occupation, when thousands of Jews were sent to death camps. Vilnius is a predominantly Catholic city and one of its treasures is the black Madonna, a silver-overlaid painting of the Virgin Mary -- without the infant Jesus. The Virgin, thought to have healing powers, is in a Baroque chapel atop the ancient Gates of Dawn, at the southern end of Ausros Vartu Street. Pope John Paul II was among pilgrims who have prayed here.

As I climbed the 39 worn stone steps to the chapel, I thought of the devout who do so on their knees.

My most riveting memory of Vilnius is of the Museum of Genocide Victims, housed in the former prison of the old KGB building at 2a Auku St. Here, dissidents and human rights fighters were jailed and interrogated before being sent to gulag prisons and labor camps in the Soviet Union. The prison looks much as it did in 1987, when the last political prisoners were released; KGB officers’ uniforms still hang in a guardroom. Each dark, cramped cell once held as many as 20 prisoners, who subsisted on a daily diet of bread, watery cabbage and fish head soup, gruel and salted fish. Under the glass floor of the former execution cell are shoes, glasses and other personal artifacts of those who died.

The main street of modern Vilnius, a bustling commercial boulevard lined with shops, restaurants and casinos, is Gedimino Prospect, named for Gediminas, a grand duke who founded Vilnius in the 14th century. Under the Soviets, it was renamed, once for Lenin, once for Stalin. In 1989, the grand duke got his avenue back.

Vilnius, which together with its Baltic sister capitals is now a member of the European Union, is rewriting its modern history.

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Keeping up with the neighbors

GETTING THERE:

From LAX, the least expensive of the three capitals to fly into is Tallinn, Estonia. Connecting service is available on Lufthansa, American and Virgin Atlantic. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $1,361 until May 25, increasing to $1,651 until June 25 and dropping to $1,561 until Sept. 5.

TELEPHONES:

To call the numbers below from the U.S., dial 011 (the international dialing code) and the number.

TALLINN, ESTONIA

Where to stay: Merchant’s House Hotel, 4/6 Dunkri; 372-697-7500, www.merchantshousehotel.com. Medieval and modern meet beautifully in new boutique hotel in a pair of centuries-old houses in the heart of old town. Doubles, $192-$360 (seasonal), including full breakfast in atmospheric KN cellar restaurant. Also: Barons Hotel, 7 Suur-Karja; 372-699-9700, www.baronshotel.ee. Appealing 1930s ambience in former old town bank. Vintage cage elevator takes guests to rooms. Doubles $168-$230 (seasonal), including full breakfast in view dining room. Also: Hotel Schlossle, 13/15 Puhavaimu; 372-699-7700, www.schlossle-hotels.com. Luxury boutique hotel in beautifully renovated 15th century building. Elegant Stenhus restaurant is a top Tallinn choice. Doubles $450-$520, including full breakfast.

Where to eat: Maikrahv, 8 Raekoja plats; 372-631-4227, www.maikrahv.ee. Candlelight, vaulted ceiling and heraldic fabrics spell atmosphere at this cellar restaurant in 15th century building on Old Town Square. Big, eclectic menu. Main courses $7-$18. Also: Meister Michel, 22 Rataskaevu; 372-641-3414, www.meistermichel.ee. Named for Estonia’s most noted artist, Michel Sittow. This stylish new cellar restaurant is all about apples. I had wild mushroom-apple soup and pike perch in cider sauce, both delicious. Main courses $10-$20. Also: Gloria Wine Cellar, 2 Muurivahe; 372-644-8846. Not to be confused with adjacent (and pricey) Gloria restaurant. Great ambience, OK food in bottle-lined cellar rooms dotted with antiques. I dined in front of a Baroque fireplace. Main courses $8.50-$10.

RIGA, LATVIA

Where to stay: Ainavas, 23 Peldu; 371-781-4316, www.ainavas.lv. Charming new boutique hotel in the old city. Inviting lobby with fireplace and deep leather armchairs. Lovely nature-themed rooms, great staff. Doubles $145-$210 (seasonal), including full breakfast. Also: Gutenbergs, 1 Dome Square; 371-781-4090, www.gutenbergs.lv. Traditional hotel in former publishing house is lovely, but staff needs attitude adjustment. Pretty rooftop terrace. Nice touch: Room keys are little brass Bibles. Doubles, $138, including full breakfast. Also: Grand Palace, 12 Pils; 371-704-4000, www.schlossle-hotels.com. Grand, from the hunt-themed Pils bar to the beautifully appointed pastel guest rooms. And the old town location is excellent. Doubles $290-$320.

Where to eat: Lido, 6 Tirgonu in old town; 371-722-2431, www.lido.lv. This chain of upscale cafeterias serves up local food and color with a bit of kitsch (waitresses in folk costume). Two bars. The food is cheap, the wood tables bare, the scene busy. Also: Melnie Muki (Black Monks), 1 Jana; 371-721-5006. Warm, inviting former cloister in old city; dizzyingly huge menu as diverse as Wiener schnitzel to fajitas. As I walked in, musicians were playing “Mack the Knife.” Main courses $10-$24. Vincents, 19 Elizabetes; 371-733-2830, www.vincents.lv. George Bush ate here, and so did I. Expensive and worth it (but be sure to book in the nonsmoking section). Minimalist decor, great presentation, imaginative menu. Main courses $20-$40.

VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

Where to stay: Shakespeare Hotel, 8 Bernardinu; 370-5-266-5885, www.shakespeare.lt. This old town boutique hotel’s delightful rooms are named for writers (mine was Shakespeare.) Clubby bar serving light fare. Doubles $210-$265, including breakfast served in Sonnets restaurant. Also: Grotthuss Hotel, 7 Ligonines; 370-5-266-0322, www.grotthusshotel.com. A charmer named for the owner’s ancestor, a noted chemist. Waiting for my room, I had tea in a lovely garden with a 16th century wall. La Pergola restaurant on site. Doubles $155-$215, with breakfast. Also: Stikliai, Hotel, 7 Gaono in a great old town location; 370-5-264-9595, www.stikliaihotel.lt. Relais & Chateau property named for the medieval stikliai (glassblowers) who had shops in the area. Lovely glass-roofed courtyard restaurant and lively tavern. Doubles $265-$300.

Where to eat: Ida Basar, 3 Subaciaus; 370-5-262-8484. In a 16th century courtyard near town hall. Big, varied menu, pretty napery, fresh flowers, nice service, all at moderate prices. Main courses $8-$23. Also: Alude, in the Stikliai Hotel; 370-5-262-4501. Wild boar, meat dumplings and the like served in cozy tavern with paned windows and tankards on display. There’s a beer hall below. Main courses $7-$28.

TO LEARN MORE:

Tallinn Tourist Information Center, 2 Niguliste 2/4 Kullassepe; 372-645-7777, www.tourism.tallinn.ee. Also look at www.visitestonia.com.

Riga Tourist Information Center, 6 Ratslaukums; 371-703-7900, www.rigatourism.com. Also: Latvian embassy, (202) 328-2840, www.latviatourism.lv.

Vilnius Tourist Information Center, 31 Didzioji; 370-5- 262-6470, www.vilnius.lt. Also: Consulate General of Lithuania, (805) 496-5324, www.ltembassyus.org.

-- Beverly Beyette