Day 10: Kaunas to Vilnius

Today is our last day of riding. Our destination is Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

After breakfast we are transferred by minibus to the Lake District past the Lithuanian Electrical Power Plants (and fish farms) located at (wait for it!) Elektrenai; this is where we would have started riding this morning but the itinerary has been modified from the planned 35 kms to 20 kms so we pass Pastrėvys and stop at Semeliškės to unload the bikes. Alius has negotiated this itinerary alteration with us, advising that the traffic into Vilnius could make us late for our walking tour at 5 p.m.; it seems unlikely but we agree anyway. The first section has no verge to ride on and it is predicted to be hot. The temperature is 35.5 deg C. Hottest day in more than 100 years apparently!

The ride is through picturesque countryside up and down hills. It is rural, there are lakes and we have to stop for this sign!


And so we arrive into Trakai, the former capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. We notice there is an Olympic-level rowing course on the lake with people out training.

We load up the bikes, hand back the panniers and then go off to visit the famous 14th century Gothic island castle erected on a small island in Lake Galve. Very touristy. We have a beer (I have the Lithuanian one, supposedly non-alcoholic, made from bread, quite nice - Kibininės gira).

After we have all had a look around, there is a short transfer to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania for more than 600 years. Set on the Vilnia river and with its historic centre awash with beautiful baroque buildings and cobblestoned streets, Vilnius has a wonderful ambience. It has been known as the ‘Jerusalem of Lithuania’ or the ‘Jerusalem of the north’ and was declared the European Capital of Culture in 2009.

At 5 p.m. there is a a guided tour of the Old Town. We start with Cathedral Square at the base of the Gediminas Hill (which takes its name from the founder of the city) which is dominated by Vilnius Cathedral and its 57 metre-tall belfry. We pass by Vilnius University, founded in 1579 and one of the greatest centres of Polish learning (at the time of the Polish-Lithuanian confederacy; Lithuania returned to Polish rule again after WWI 1918 to 1939).

For history buffs, this may be of interest:

http://www.truelithuania.com/history-of-vilnius-634

The Old Town is the largest in Eastern Europe and is praised as the 'New Prague'. It is a very attractive city; one could easily spend a few days here.

We enjoy a drink at one of the squares and then hunt down a place for dinner, finding a very pleasant place up a back street.

It has rained so things have cooled down a bit as we make our way back to the hotel.