In October we decided to visit two of the Baltic states. Our first stop was Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania.
We arrived late in the evening, so the only thing we could do was to check in, unload our suitcase and go for dinner. The following day we made a discovery tour of the town. Our private guide took us on a walk and our first destination was Cathedral Square. This is a central point in Vilnius. Worth seeing are the cathedral, of course, and also the tower which is one of those to guard the city.
Then we went to see the university, one of the eldest buildings here. Normally you can't visit the university (unless you are a student enrolled there), but our guide used to work there and she had permission to show us the most important places there, like this wonderful reading hall:
After this visit (and a coffee) we walked to the Jewish quarter. This part of town suffered a lot through the wars, but it is still worth seeing, especially for the wall paintings.
From Vilnius it is not far to Trakai, where the summer residence of the rulers of Lithuania is situated. The castle on the water is build with wood and stone, and is quite old.
I must say we rather liked Vilnius. Despite the autumn weather (sometimes sun, sometimes rain and even a heavy storm which uprooted trees and such) we could make nice walks and enjoy the town. It gives you an open view, with wide boulevards and lots of squares. The food is hearty and nice and for those who love beer, there are plenty of pubs around.
From Vilnius we traveled to Riga. We took private transport which is quite affordable. We use Daytrip for transfers between cities. You get a private car with driver, and they can be trusted to be on time. During the drive we passed alongside the Hill of Crosses, a memorial to the people of Lithuania.
The next part of the trip you'll find in another blog.
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