Our first stop in Lithuania was the Hill of Crosses, not far from the Latvian border near the town of Siauliai. This small hill covered in crosses in the middle of farmland has been a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of years. The crosses placed here must number in the hundreds of thousands and are of all types, from elaborately carved crucifixes draped in rosary beads, to two rough-sawn pieces of wood nailed together. Paths wind up and down the hill through the multiple layers of crosses and as you walk through looking at them all, many with inscriptions, some over three metres tall, it is impossible not to be affected by the spirituality of this sacred place. The crosses became a symbol of resistance during the Soviet Era, twice they were bulldozed but people continued to place them on the hill in defiance, creeping past soldiers and barbed wire at night to do so. When Lithuania gained independence in 1991 the hill came to represent freedom of religion and the reinstatement of Lithuanian identity. While we were there a thunderstorm was brewing above, making for a dramatic backdrop.
We were lucky, after spending nearly an hour at the Hill of Crosses we walked back to the van just as the skies opened. The most tremendous thunder storm ensued, the first of many over the next few days. We waited it out before driving on to Klaipeda.
The drive to Klaipeda was mostly through farmland with very small herds of cows, which we saw being hand-milked in the fields.
Klaipeda is a port city on the Baltic Sea. It’s the third largest city in Lithuania with around 160,000 people living there. We were there to see the Curonian Spit, a 98km long sand dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea, with half being Lithuanian territory and the other half Russian. It’s a National Park and we had read great reviews so had added it to our Lithuanian itinerary.
We arrived late at our campground and settled in just as the rain started. Heavy rain fell through the night and all through the next day accompanied by continuous thunder. We had never heard so much thunder in our lives and in such a short period. We had been told that “Lithuania” comes from the word “Lietus” meaning rain, and we now know why. The weather put paid to our plans to explore the Curonian Spit, and as our campground was 9km from the city we didn’t have a lot of options, so we spent the day holed up in the van – me reading, and Mr Love surfing the internet, rearranging the boot, and braving the rain to find bread for lunch. It was nice to stop and do nothing for a day. Finally, around 5pm the weather cleared and we went for a walk on the beach. It was all set up for the summer season with a lifeguard tower, flags, and some pop-up cafes. The sand was thick and white and the water surprisingly warm.
The following day was overcast, and although rain was forecast for the afternoon we decided we would take a chance and head to the Curonian Spit. The bike from the campground to town was on a dedicated bike path through the forest, a 9km warm up for our longer bike on the spit. Biking out of the trees, our first view of Klaipeda was of large clusters of 1960’s type blocks of flats, as we rode into the central city there was a bit more character, a few historic buildings and some newer ones, but in general the city is one of the less attractive we’ve visited. It was bombed heavily in WWII, so a lot of the city was built post-war in the Soviet Era.
We joined the crowds and caught the ferry from the Old Ferry Terminal to Smiltyne on the Curonian Spit. At $3 NZD return for both of us and the bikes it was the cheapest ferry trip we’d taken, and possibly the shortest at only 10-minutes. Originally, we had planned on catching a bus from Smiltyne at one end of the spit to the village of Nida, half way along and on the border with Russia, and then bike back to the ferry. This 50km bike had been well promoted on tourist websites and blogs as a great ride and a must-do in Lithuania. With the rain not promising to stay away, and us not wanting to spend the day soaked, especially given we had the long bike back to camp at the end of the day, we changed our plans and decided to bike up the spit and turn back when we were ready. We were glad of our decision as although the ride was pretty and the bike paths were great, it soon became very repetitive – sand dunes on one side and forest on the other. It reminded us of Matakana Island in Tauranga Harbour, but without the amazing surf. The beaches are beautiful, long and white with huge dunes, and it was definitely worth experiencing. However, after cycling about 12km up the spit we’d seen enough and we turned and headed back to the ferry.
The next morning, we left Klaipeda and headed to Kanaus, the second largest city in the country. The highways in Lithuania are wide and smooth, a welcome change from neighbouring Latvia. Our campsite in Kanaus was one of the best so far – brand new with concrete parking pads, excellent facilities, and only a 4km bike into town. We spent the afternoon in the cute compact historic centre of Kanaus, strolling along the cobbled pedestrian streets, noting the absence of tourists. Largely untouched during and after the war there were lots of historical buildings to admire. The gothic Kaunas Cathedral dedicated to Saint Peter and Saint Paul was a beautiful surprise, not looking like much from the red brick exterior the basilica was stunning, with pastel pinks and mauves and ornate columns capped in gold. The St George Church and Bernardine Monastery has had a tougher time and is much shabbier condition, but its former glory shows through, resiliently resisting decay. It wouldn’t be a true Baltic city without a medieval castle in the centre, and Kanaus Castle claims the title of second biggest in Lithuania. It was well worth a visit. After Kaunas, we were off to Vilnius.
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania and the second largest of the Baltic capitals, Riga being the most populated and Tallinn the least. Nestled between tree covered hills Vilnius is elegant and serene and less touristy than Riga and Tallinn.
The campsite I’d found online was 7km from the city so I spent the journey to Vilnius busily looking for alternatives that were closer. I found a central city hostel that had room for a few campervans so we thought we’d try our luck there. We drove up a narrow street to a huge old square building surrounded by trees. Andrew was sceptical, it looked very alternative he said. I ran in to investigate and was welcomed in to the most charming bohemian establishment. It proved to be the perfect place to stay, a short walk to the Old Town and with a lovely relaxed atmosphere, excellent facilities and a very cool forest bar out the back that locals frequented.
Downtown Forest Hostel & Camping is next to the Uzupis district, a creative area popular with artists that was declared a republic in 1997. It has its own constitution made up of 41 Rights such as; “everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation”, “everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their birthday”, and “everyone has the right to appreciate their unimportance”. This tongue-in-cheek constitution is boldly displayed on shiny stainless-steel plaques with versions in almost all of the world’s languages.
We loved the Old Town of Vilnius. It’s not as quaint as Tallinn and is more majestic than Riga’s Old Town, with grand architecture, like the white Neoclassical Vilnius Cathedral sitting proudly in the expansive Cathedral Square, and wide sweeping streets.
Lithuania is a country of faith, religion is an important part of their identity, and the large number of churches in Vilnius shows this. We went into many, each were different, and unlike other places we’d visited, nearly all had people praying. We walked into one on Friday afternoon and a service of some sort taking place, it may have been a second marriage as there were an older couple at the front kneeling behind the priest, and a photographer was there. The priest was singing the service in a rich and resonant tone and the congregation were answering, also in song. It was beautiful. We sat quietly listening for a while. The next day we saw at least ten weddings taking place around the city, and they all looked so young.
The Gates of Dawn is one of the most important religious monuments in Lithuania. Pilgrims travel here to visit the tiny Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn chapel and pray to the gilded icon of the Virgin Mary that is believed to have miraculous powers. It was quite something to be there surrounded by people on their knees, heads turned to Mary, eyes closed and counting their rosary beads.
Gediminas Tower is the imposing long-standing symbol of Vilnius and one of the city’s more prominent landmarks, with the Lithuanian flag flying from the top. It’s an easy but steep climb to the base of the tower, and then for $3 NZD each we climbed to the top of the tower. The view was worth it. We always try and find a tower or hill to climb in each place we visit to get a view from above, it helps with perspective.
Inside the tower was a photographic exhibition of the Baltic Way, the peaceful political demonstration that occurred in August 1989 and started at Gediminas Tower. The Baltic Way, also known as the Chain of Freedom, was a human chain of over 2 million people standing hand in hand across the Baltic countries from Gediminas Tower through Latvia to Riga and up to Tallinn in Estonia. People of all ages, children, the elderly, mothers with babies, all standing together to show the desire for independence and the solidarity between the three nations. It was hard not to be moved to tears looking at these photos and watching the news clips from the time, what an incredible moment in history for these countries and for the people who took part.
The dark side of recent Lithuanian history is told in the Museum of Genocide Victims, housed in the old KGB headquarters. The museum exhibits tell the story of Lithuania’s 50-year occupation by the Soviet Union, the brutal cost of the fight for freedom for the resistance, the arrests, the deportations and the executions that took place in this period. Access to the former prison cells underneath the building is a chilling walk into the past, they are exactly as they were left when the KGB exited Lithuania in 1991. While we were there we overheard a tour guide passionately talk of his grandfather being held in these exact cells – it may be history, but must seem like yesterday to many Lithuanians.
We continued our education on Lithuania’s journey to independence and cycled down to the Parliament. Lithuania was the first of the Baltic countries to declare independence in 1990, but it didn’t come easily. In January 1991 after Lithuania refused to restore the constitution of the USSR soviet forces stormed Vilnius and seized pivotal buildings. 14 civilians defending the TV Tower were killed and over 700 injured. These events are now referred to as the January Events and outside Parliament the former barricades that were set up to protect the Parliament during that time now serve as a memorial to the people who died defending their freedom.
On our back from Parliament we biked through the lush Vingis Park and couldn’t believe how deserted it was, only the occasional person cycling, pushing a pram or walking a dog. It felt like we were in the wilderness, not a capital city.
Vilnius grabbed my heart. It is a lovely, dignified city, quiet and peaceful. When we were walking through the streets of the Old Town Andrew said he felt like we should be whispering, such is the feeling. The evening before we left I went walking to see the sun set over the city. I’m not a brave person and I have a wild imagination, but even as darkness set in I felt relaxed and safe. When I got back we posed the question to each other, which of the three Baltic capitals did we like the best? Andrew thought Tallinn, I think Vilnius – Vilnius wins.
After leaving Vilnius we had one last stop in Lithuania before heading to Poland, Trakai Castle. This 14th century fairy-tale castle covers an island in picturesque Lake Galve. Being as beautiful as it is, it is understandably a popular tourist destination and was one of the more touristy places we’d been to, with loads of stalls selling souvenirs and hawkers vying for customers to take boat tours of the lake. The castle is also used as a venue for outdoor concerts and plays over summer, and when we were there the stage was set for the production of Ana Karenina.
The night before we visited Trakai Castle, Andrew read that the World Junior Rowing Champs were being held on Lake Galve. We didn’t think much more of it, apart from saying how great it would be if it was close by the castle and we could see some of the NZ team competing. We arrived to find the rowing action happening right there with the castle as the backdrop to the finish line. Andrew, having a history with rowing, was in his element and we were lucky enough to see a few of the A-Finals and two of the NZ crews competing. The NZ Men’s four came a close second in their final with us cheering “Go Kiwi” from the lakeside.
Our three weeks in the Baltic countries have been truly memorable and we are completely taken by these three remarkable countries. Their culture is rich and varied, and the natural environment surprisingly untouched. The people have been welcoming and friendly, more than willing to share their country with us. What will stay with us for a long time is the pride and resolve of these nations, rising above their tumultuous past and determinedly building a positive future.
Great commentary!! Thanks for sharing. Stay well.