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Armed with his 1913 Bradshaw's Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo ventures to the northernmost reaches of Europe. On the first stretch of his journey from the Latvian capital, Riga, to Tampere in Finland, he braves the freezing temperatures of the Baltic Sea and encounters medieval knights.

A hundred years ago, Latvia, Estonia and Finland were part of the Russian Tsar's vast empire but, as Michael discovers, each country had a vibrant identity and culture of its own. Aboard a beautifully restored tram built in 1901, Michael finds that Riga in 1913 was one of the Russian empire's most important cities, where industry was booming. But workers unhappy with their lot were rebelling.

After a picnic of chewy dried fish and beer on board a Soviet-era train, Michael arrives in Estonia where, in the magical setting of a ruined 13th-century cathedral, he hears a choir sing the nation's most important song and learns how, more recently, the Baltic countries demonstrated their desire for independence from the Soviet Union with a Singing Revolution.

In Tallinn, seasoned members of the Tallinn Ice Swimming Club introduce Michael to their sport.