If you come to St. Petersburg, Stockholm, or Helsinki, on a cruise ship we invite you to be our guests.
Our tours differ greatly from those offered by cruise companies, both in quality and price. The guided tours provided by Zekher Avoteinu are unique, as they are based on the results of our research and many years of experience of working with Jewish tourists. We tailor the program of your stay to make it as much personalized as possible so that you could remember for years. All city tours arranged by Zekher Avoteinu combine visits to the sights of traditional tourism and to the places of Jewish interest. In addition, we offer a wide range of options to participate in cultural and social events within local Jewish communities.
Our center organizes tours for travelers coming on cruise ships to St. Petersburg, Stockholm, and Helsinki. The programs are tailored to the interests of tourists and include tours of general and Jewish places of interest. Professional guides, speaking various languages and well versed both in the history of art and architecture and Jewish history, will introduce you to the masterpieces of world art preserved in renowned museums and to the history and present day life of the local Jewish communities.
We offer you the following options:
St. Petersburg
Sightseeing tour During this tour you will see the magnificent palaces of the Russian tsars and nobility, romantic bridges and embankments of numerous rivers and canals, the Nevsky Prospect, the Arts Square, the Admiralty, the Field of Mars. In St. Petersburg, Jewish history is interwoven with the general history of the city, so that in all the places that you visit you will learn about their Jewish history. You will also visit the Big Choral Synagogue, the second biggest synagogue in Europe, and the Small Synagogue, both beautiful examples of Mauritanian style and recently renovated.
Hermitage We offer guided tours in the famous museum that once was the winter residence of the Russian Emperors. In the biggest museum of Russia you may admire the works of the old masters and impressionists, see Egyptian mummies and Russian applied art, sculptures carved by the masters of Ancient Greece and Rome, and by August Rodin, pictures by Rembrandt and Rubens, by Pissarro and Van Gogh.
Summer residences of Russian tsars in the outskirts of the city Petersburg is surrounded by the ring of summer residences that belonged to Russian tsars. These are magnificent palaces situated in beautiful parks. Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin) was one of such residences. There, close to the Catherine's Palace, stands a monument Formula of Sorrow, erected on the place where in 1941 Nazis exterminated local Jews. It is the first and the only monument to the victims of Holocaust in our city.
Another former royal residence, Peterhoff (Petrodvoretz), is situated on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. It was founded by Peter the Great and is famous for the numerous fountains in the park surrounding the palace.
Russian Museum This museum houses one of the biggest collections of Russian art, beginning from the icons to the modern works. Among its treasures there are also works by Jewish painters and sculptors Isaac Levitan, Mark Shagal, Leon Bakst, Mark Antokolski that became part of Russian culture without loosing their connection with Jewish traditions.
Saint Peter and Paul Fortress It was the first building erected in Saint Petersburg. Built as a military fortress, it was soon turned into the main political prison of the Russian Empire. Among its prisoners were Prince Alexis, son of Peter the Great, the writers Fedor Dostoevsky and Maxim Gorky, and the elder brother of Lenin, as well as Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liady, the founder of the Chabad Lubavitch.
Jewish cemetery The Jewish cemetery is situated in the outskirts of the city. It is a stone manuscript of the history of the Jewish community in Saint Petersburg. In this cemetery there are tombs of many prominent personalities of the Jewish community of the city.
Jewish life in the city - For those interested in making acquaintance with the revival of the Jewish life in the city we suggest visits to the ORT, which was founded in St. Petersburg in 1880 and now once again returned to the city, to Jewish welfare centers "Hesed Avraam" and "Eva," to the Jewish Arts and Crafts Center, to the Research Center "Petersburg Judaica," to Petersburg Jewish University, schools and day care centers. Those interested in visiting any of these places and/or families should contact us beforehand.
In St. Petersburg you may also watch the famous Russian ballet or listen to classical music in renowned concert halls; and for those interested in the folklore there are performances of leading folk groups.
Stockholm
Sightseeing tour The capital of Sweden is situated on many picturesque islands. It attracts tourists from all over the world. Besides traditional sights such as Gamla stan (Old City) Royal Palace, Vasa Museum (where the frigate of 17th century is preserved), and the Parliament, you will also learn about the history and present day life of a small but active Jewish community in Sweden, see the Jewish Museum, visit the Jewish community center, the Jewish cemetery, and the Holocaust monument.
If the tourists have more time in Stockholm they are invited to visit Paideia, the only European center for Jewish studies.
Helsinki
Sightseeing tour We offer you a walking tour in the old Helsinki so that you could admire its original architecture. You will see the National Museum and the Jewish cemetery. It is possible to arrange a tour to the nearby medieval city of Porvoo. Time permitting, you may enjoy a performance in the renowned Finnish Opera.
Your guide in each city will inform you about the service schedule in the local shul, as well as about local kosher, vegetarian, and fish restaurants. It is also possible to arrange delivery of kosher lunch boxes.
We will gladly accept any modifications you make. Compare our prices to those of your cruise company.
For prices, conditions, and references please apply to zekhera@hotmail.com