Archive - July 2019

KLAIPĖDA

On the way to the south, we made another stop at a city with a distinctly German flavor. Lithuania’s third-largest city, formerly known as Memel, was part of the Prussian Kingdom until the region wrestled to autonomy in 1923. Buildings in the compact, cobblestoned Old Town are...

PALANGA

Palanga is the biggest seaside resort in Lithuania. It is located 29 kilometers north of Klaipėda. The famous ten kilometers long white sandy beach is lined by dunes and pine forests. Originally a fishermen’s village, Palanga was first mentioned in written sources in the 12th century. It...

NUCLEAR BASE

We made overnight deep in the forest at ex-Soviet Nuclear Missile Base in Plokščiai. The former underground missile base hosts the Cold War Museum. There was no guided tour available so we have got a chance to explore the underground and the missile silos labyrinth by ourselves. Ten...

KRYŽIŲ KALNAS

We have arrived at the site in the late afternoon when the sun created a great light and shadows play at The Hill of Crosses. It is a Christian pilgrimage site with a collection of over 100,000 wooden crucifixes and other religious icons erected on a hill outside the city of Šiauliai in...

KAUNAS

We made overnight in lovely Kaunas – the coolest city in Lithuania. It is Lithuania’s second-largest city resting at the confluence of the country’s two largest rivers, Neris and Nemunas. Kaunas medieval old town is smaller but more intact than that of Vilnius as it suffered less of the...

TRAKAI

On the way to Kaunas, we have stopped in the old town of Trakai. It is situated west of Vilnius between the hills, forests, and lakes. The shores of the peninsula on which it is located are washed by the waters of Lakes Galvė, Totoriškių, and Bernardinų (Lukos). This town, famous for its...

VILNIUS

We spent again one day and night in the capital city. According to a legend, Vilnius was established by duke Gediminas in the early 14th century. Vilnius became the capital of what was at the time Europe‘s largest country, stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. The city has had...

AUKŠTAITIJA NP

Our first stop after the long drive from Riga was Lithuania’s first national park – Aukstaitija. It covers an area of 40570 hectares in north-eastern Lithuania. Over 70 percent of its territory is pine stands, including the ancient woods of Azvinciai, Mincia, and Linkmenos...

RIGA

We spent one night and one day in the biggest metropolis in the Baltics. Riga perfectly blends timeless tradition and cutting edge cool. In its 800 years of turbulent history, everyone from German knights to Swedish kings and Soviet commissars have left their footprints, and today...

ĶEMERI NP

The park stands out with its diverse world of wetlands. It is home to moss or raised bogs, fens, and transitional bogs. The Great Ķemeri Bog is one of the main sulfur water producing bogs around Ķemeri.  The bogland soil is poor in nutrients, acid, and in many places sodden. Most trees...