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Navigation:  Project ERHT / European Route

Baltic Route

The Baltic Route of the European Route of Historic Theatres runs through Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. If setting off from the South of Poland, it is recommended to start in Cieszyn in order to visit the building of the Adam Mickiewicz Theatre, which was erected in the Art Nouveau style to a design by the famous Viennese partnership, Fellner & Helmer, in 1910. Cieszyn is close to Cracow, where one of the most precious monuments of eclectic theatre architecture was built in 1893 – the Juliusz Słowacki Theatre. Not far from Cracow is Lancut and its beautiful castle. The theatre on the 1st floor was created before 1792 at the order of Izabella Lubomirska.

From Lancut, the Baltic Route leads to the capital of Poland, Warsaw, where the Royal Theatre in the Old Orangery in the Royal Lazienki Park and the Arnold Szyfman Polski Theatre are both worth seeing. The impressive Orangery building in Lazienki Park was erected to Domenico Merlini’s design from 1784 to 1788. Tucken away in the east wing, the theatre is decorated with Jan Bogumił Plersch’s paintings depicting 18th century theatre audiences. The elegant, tiny building of the Polski Theatre, designed by Czesław Przybylski, is an example of early modernist Classicism. The Polski Theatre was the first modern theatre erected in Poland in the 20th century. After crossing the Polish border to the north, we arrive at Vilnius, to the Lithuanian Russian Dramatic Theatre, built in 1912. The theatre building remains one of the most significant cultural buildings.

In Riga in the most presentable spots of the city, we will find two historic theatres. In the Latvian National Opera, four thousand grams of gold were used to decorate the auditorium. Whereas Latvian independence was proclaimed in 1918 behind the beautiful façade of the Latvian National Theatre. Before arriving in the capital of Estonia, the Baltic Route travels to the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu. When the ‘Little Building’ opened in 1918, the journal ‘Postimees’ proudly wrote: ‘This beautiful, new building has enriched the country and we hope that its appealing energy will attract noble ideas straight to our homeland.’ And so we arrive in Tallinn, capital of Estonia, to enjoy the Estonian Drama Theatre, erected in 1910 in the Art Nouveau style. It is the oldest preserved theatre building in the country.

 

OTHER HISTORIC THEATRE BUILDINGS IN THE BALTIC COUNTRIES:

 

The Polski Theatre in Poznań (1875)

The Cyprian Kamil Norwid Theatre in Jelenia Góra (1905)

The Polski Theatre in Bielsko-Biała (1890)

The Wilam Horzyca Theatre in Toruń (1904)

The Juliusz Osterwa Theatre in Lublin (1886)

The Liepājas Theatre in Liepāja (1917)

The Estonian National Opera in Tallinn (1913)

The European Route of Historic Theatres

Theatre has been a corner stone of European culture for over 2500 years. The buildings created for this art mirror our history. They can be found everywhere in Europe. Together they form a very special part of our common European heritage.

The “European Route of Historic Theatres” was initiated in 2007. It proved to be an excellent idea for travellers and theatres alike, and the European Commission agreed to support its extension to all of Europe until 2017.

Every six months, a new part of the European Route will open, until the European Route will be complete in 2016. It consists of 12 part routes, each comprising about 10 theatres, so that one can easily travel along any part route in a week (or see two or three theatres during a week-end trip).

The part routes of the European Route of Historic Theatres are:

  • Iberia Route (Spain, Portugal)
  • French Route
  • Channel Route (Great Britain, Netherlands,  Belgium)
  • German Route
  • Nordic Route (Sweden, Norway, Denmark)
  • Baltic Route (Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia)
  • Black Sea Route (Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece)
  • Adriatic Route (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia)
  • Emperor Route (Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary)
  • Alpine Route (Southern Germany, Switzerland, Northern Italy)
  • Italian Route I + II

As of autumn 2013, five part routes are already operating: the Nordic Route, the Channel Route, the German Route, the Emperor Route and the Italian Route I in northern Italy. In the following years, we are planning to open the next routes like this (subject to change):

Opening 2014: Adriatic Route and French Route

Opening 2015: Baltic Route and Iberia Route

Opening 2016: Alpine Route and Black Sea Route

More information: www.europeanroute.info

 

Existing routes of the European Route: