Most of the excursions in Lithuania are devoted to familiarizing tourists with the history of the country and the sights of its largest cities.
According to Top-mba-universities, Vilnius is the capital and largest city of the country. It was founded in 1323 at the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia rivers. The center of the Old Town is the Cathedral Square with the City Hall. The main street of the city, Velikaya, departs from the square; it leads to the chapel of Aushros Vartai, where the famous icon of the Virgin Mary is located. In Vilnius on Castle Hill, the remains of one of the oldest castles in the country – the Gediminas Tower – have been preserved. The first version of the castle was built in the 13th century. Now inside the tower there is an exposition dedicated to the history of the city, and on the roof there is an observation platform, from where a magnificent panorama of the Old Town and the Neris river valley opens.
At the foot of the Castle Hill is Gediminas Square with a statue of the founder of the city – Grand Duke Gediminas. The Cathedral, which was built in the 13th century in the antique style, is very beautiful. Here are the graves of Lithuanian princes and boyars, as well as the remains of the foundation of an ancient church. Nearby is the Church of St. Anne, built in the Gothic style. During its construction, 33 types of bricks were used, so the church is decorated with all sorts of patterns.
It is interesting to look at the University Ensemble, which was founded in 1579, and at the highest tower of the Old Town (68 m) included in this complex – the Church of St. John.
Three crosses rise on the banks of the Vilna River. They were installed in memory of the monks who were martyred in the struggle for the Christian faith, in the struggle against the crusaders.
It should be noted that the number of churches and temples is truly amazing – the Gothic church of Mikaloyanus, the church and monastery of the Bernardines, the church of St. Anna, the church of Mikolo, the church of the Holy Spirit, the church of St. Peter and Paul, Prechistensky Cathedral, Pyatnitskaya Church, Church of St. Jurgis, Church of St. Bartholomew, Ensemble of the Church of St. Ignotas, Church of Sts. Yokub and Philip, Baroque Church of St. Casimir, Church of St. Cross, the only functioning synagogue today and the Karaite chapel of Kenes in the Moorish style.
Be sure to visit the ancient capital of Lithuania – Trakai . This is one of the oldest Lithuanian settlements on a unique glacial landscape, which arose in the first millennium AD. In 1321 Grand Duke Gediminas moved the capital of Lithuania here. Trakai – a city on the water. Here is the only island castle in Central Europe (Trakai Castle). A separate pride of the city is Trakai National Historical and Cultural Park, with a total area of 8,200 hectares. On the territory of the park there are two reserves and ten cultural, landscape and natural monuments, as well as about 50 ancient buildings, many archaeological and architectural monuments. On the local lakes you can ride a boat, fish and swim in the clear water.
Kaunas is the second largest city in Lithuania. This is the cultural center of the country, artists, poets, composers lived and worked here, whose works are now presented in numerous city museums – in the Art Gallery of M. Žilinskas, the Museum of Lithuanian Literature named after Maironis. Also of interest are the Museum of Ceramics, the Museum of Folk Music, the Museum of Medicine and Pharmacy, and the War Museum of Vytautas the Great.
Of the historical monuments in the architecture of Kaunas, Kaunas Castle stands out; the ancient City Hall, which stands in the center of the square, surrounded by houses of the 15th century; Church of the Holy Trinity and the complex of the Masalkis mansion, made in the style of the Northern European Renaissance and a baroque monument – the Pažaislis Monastery. As in all large cities of Lithuania, there are many churches here – the Romanesque Cathedral of Peter and Paul, the Church of Vytautas, the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord, the Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation, the Church of St. Francis and the Jesuit Monastery, the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel, the churches of the Holy Trinity, St. Nicholas (XIV century), the body of the Lord and the Dominican monastery.
In the north of Lithuania is Siauliai , which is also considered one of the cultural centers of the country. There are Šiauliai University, Šiauliai Drama Theatre, several museums, including the Museum of Bicycles, the Museum of Photography, the Museum of Radio and Television. During the Second World War, the city was almost completely destroyed and there are no historical monuments here. But their absence is made up for by numerous museums. 11 km north of Siauliai is the famous Hill of Crosses – a place of pilgrimage for Catholics. The first crosses were erected here in 1863 in memory of the perished rebels against the rule of the Russian Empire, now the number of crosses is already tens of thousands.
In addition to ancient cities, Lithuania has natural attractions.
The Curonian Spit is a sandy peninsula jutting out into the Baltic Sea. This unique natural place has the status of a National Park. You can get here by ferry from Klaipeda. During a trip along the Curonian Spit, you will be able to see the largest sand dunes in Europe, enjoy wonderful natural landscapes, visit the Ethnographic Museum, the Rybak Museum and the Amber Gallery in Nida, wooden sculpture park in Juodkrante. In addition to the Curonian Spit National Park in Lithuania, you can visit the Samogitia National Park and the Aukstatia National Park.
