Trakai Island Castle

  • Construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century, and around 1409 major works were completed by 1430
  • Trakai was one of the main centers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the castle held great strategic importance

Kernavė

  • Medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a archeological site
  • Has the oldest known medgrinda, a secret underwater road paved with wood
  • The road was used for defense and dates from the 4–7th centuries
  • The remains of city were covered with an alluvial earth layer, that formed wet peat, which preserved most of the relics intact, and it is a treasure trove for archaeologists, leading some to call Kernavė the “Troy of Lithuania”
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

Kaunas Castle

  • Medieval castle in Kaunas
  • Originally built during the mid-14th century, in the Gothic style
  • At the beginning of the 21st century, about one-third of the castle was still standing

Ninth Fort Memorial

  • Memorial that commemorates the victims of the Ninth Fort, a Nazi execution site for the Jews in the Kovno Ghetto
  • Designed by the Lithuanian sculptor Alfonsas Vincentas Ambraziūnas and unveiled in 1984

Hill of Witches

  • Outdoor sculpture gallery located on a forested sand dune near Curonian Lagoon
  • Begun in 1979, it has been expanded several times, and now contains about 80 wooden sculptures along with a series of trails
  • The artists drew on a long tradition of woodcarving in Samogitia, and on the equally long tradition of Joninės celebrations on the hill
  • The pieces depict characters from Lithuanian folklore and pagan traditions

Costs

Number of Days: 14 days

Best Time To Fly: April-May

Airline tickets: $1,220

Seattle -> Vilnius (round trip) $1,220

Food: $26/day x 14 days = $364

Rental car: $413

$59/day x 7 days = $413

Gas: $45

Entertainment: $16

Lodging: $69/night x 12 nights = $828

TOTAL: $2,886