The Baltic Rye & Beer Tour
Bakeries, breweries and much, much more. 

16 September - 28 September 2023
$6,503/person double occupancy
$7,325/person single occupancy  

With rye cultures and baking traditions going back more than 1,000 years, Finnish and Latvian bakers have developed highly sophisticated techniques to produce rye breads of exceptional quality. Indeed, for Finns and Letts alike, rye bread isn't simply a central part of the daily diet, but a divine gift and a primary source of cultural identity and national pride. 

Experience the pleasures of authentic, naturally leavened Baltic ryes at their source. Explore the cities and countryside, visit farms and mills, and learn from the bakers who produce some of the world's finest rye breads. Quaff some of the Baltic region's heartiest beers during tours of local breweries. 

In short, this tour is going to be a fermentation celebration! So sign on and come along: It's all out there, waiting for us.

THE TOUCH POINTS OF OUR JOURNEY

RIGA, LATVIA

Discover the flesh and the spirit of this vibrant city. Wander the cobbled streets of Riga's 18th century Old City and glory in the gems of Art Nouveau architecture in the Jugenstil District. Wonder at the bounty on sale at the Central Market -- one of Europe's largest. Meet with the Latvian Bakers Association. Spend an evening rubbing shoulders with locals at Folkklubs Ala Pagrabs. 

VIDZEME-ZEMGALE, LATVIA

Drive through the autumn landscape of central Latvia. Visit one of Latvia's last working windmills. Walk the streets of Cēsis Old Town. Climb the turrets of 13th century Turaida Castle. Make your own rye loaf and bake it on a bed of maple leaves in Zelma Bakery's wood-fired oven. Marvel at the baroque splendor of Rundāle Palace, "Versailles of the Baltics."

KURZEME, LATVIA

Experience life in rural Latvia. Visit traditional family-run farms and bakeries. Taste some of Latvia's best brews at the Tērvete and Užavas Alus breweries.Learn to make sklandrauši, traditional carrot-potato tarts, at Spēlmaņi Pub. Look out over the Baltic from the bluffs at Jūrkalne. Walk the 13th century streets of Kuldīga and bake your own bread at world-renowned Laci Bakery.

HELSINKI, FINLAND

Built among Baltic bays, inlets and islands, Helsinki is awash in magnificent architecture, intriguing culinary venues and groundbreaking design. Attend a briefing with the Finnish Bakery Federation. Visit the exclusive shops and cafes along the Esplanadi. Enjoy lunch at Kauppatori market hall. Visit some of the Uusima region's finest bakeries. Spend an afternoon with Magnus Selenius, farmer and agronomist whose mission is to collect and cultivate Finland's heirloom ryes. Discover the vitality of the Europe Union's northernmost capital.  

RASEBORG, FINLAND

The culture of the Raseborg region, along Finland's soutwestern coast, continues to exhibit the strong Swedish influence of the Finnish Archipelago's earliest settlers. Climb the ramparts of 13th century Raseborg Castle. Visit Mörby Gård, an organic farm that's been growing rye since the 1300s. Shape loaves of Olle Lindholm's award-winning ring bread (hapanleipää) at Backer's Bageri. Experience the beauty of Finland's lakes and forests at Västerby Nature Preserve. Spend a day sampling the best of the best at the Fiskars Slow Food Festival. 
TRAVEL AND LEARN WITH AMERICA'S RYE AUTHORITY
Stanley Ginsberg is the author of The Rye Baker: Classic Breads from Europe and America. He has appeared at numerous bread baking conferences, has led rye workshops all across America, and is widely recognized as America's rye bread authority. 

Stan's work with rye springs from both his intellectual curiosity and his desire to introduce American bakers and bread lovers to the pleasures of the quirky grain. 

These curated itineraries represent yet another way for Stan to share his passion for rye with the bread baking community at large. 
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