A historical small-group tour from Vilnius to Trakai, Kaunas & Kernavė. Each served as a capital, however briefly (Trakai is said to have done so for less than a decade), and has a storey to tell—from the ancient hill fort of Kernavė to the interwar capital of Kaunas.
Throughout this journey I will share the broad brush as well as pivotal moments which have shaped the beloved nation of Lithuania I now call home with my wife and son. I will also be playing songs, from Eurovision to chants of the forest by the fire.
With the music and stories of everyday folk, I hope to bring you back in time to the medieval, Soviet and even prehistoric ways of life.
The itinerary will include:
09:50 - 10:30 Drive through the melting pot of Vilnius, first the UNESCO World-Heritage site Old Town and then the towering steel of the Central Business District.
10:30 Short 20-minute coffee stop at Baltic Brew in the heart of the Karoliniškės Soviet blocks.
10:50 - 11:30 Drive to Trakai covering the medieval history of Lithuania, the Grand Duchy, Crusades and a Union with Poland.
Short stop at Hill of Angels
11:30 - 12:30 Explore the Karaim heritage in Trakai, visit the castle island and try a Kibinai!
12:30 - 13:45 Drive to Kaunas, and fast forward to the 20th century as we head to the interwar capital.
13:45 - 15:45 Enjoy 2 hours in Kaunas at your own pace. We will park just outside the castle and you will have the option to meet again for lunch with me after 1 hour or to simply rendezvous back at the vehicle. Recommendations made.
15:45 - 16:45 Short drive and stop at the Monument to Commemorate the Victims of Nazism. Brutalist style and unveiled in 1984.
16:45 - 17:45 Drive to Kernavė and teleport back to the prehistoric times when Lithuania was but dense forests, rivers and swamps.
17:45 - 18:45 Explore the hillforts of Kernavė UNESCO Archaeological site and the open air museum of medieval homesteads.
18:45 - 19:30 Try not to fall asleep on the journey home.
