The roadtrip in Lithuania continues.. and on Day 4, we went all out in visiting popular and interesting sites in the country. We checked out the Christmas market and the medieval castle in Kaunas. Then, we found ourselves in the picturesque Trakai Island Castle situated in Lake Galve. The Vilnius TV Tower graced our visit with amazing aerial views of the city and beyond, followed by a cozy night walk at the Christmas market in Vilnius. Our palates were also satisfied by yummy Lithuanian dishes – tasty chocolate drink, savory soup and empanadas (or kibinai), pastries, hot waffles..

This was our route for the roadtrip last winter, c/o Google Maps:

We had a very good night’s rest at Hotel Kaunas that we gave it a 10 star: ” Spacious room, comfy bed, balcony with view of the street. Staff were pleasant. Free private parking space. Very good breakfast.“ Photos of the accommodation on the previous entry.

Kaunas is the 2nd largest city in the country. It has beautiful architectural designs in its old buildings, making most of the city corners very photogenic. As it was mid December, we got to take a quick peek of its Christmas market. There were glass igloos selling different goods, Christmas ornaments and lights, and a gigantic Christmas tree. There were children playing, but I thought that there would be more people at night than early in the morning. Carl and I enjoyed some thick chocolate drink – it was very good in cold weather!

A few blocks away froom the main square is the Kaunas castle, all covered in snow. The medieval structure is believed to date all the way back to the 14th century. At present, it functions as a museum. However, legends has it that the castle was a prison for some time, and that the lost souls of dead soldiers haunt its walls up to this day. So, would you visit this haunted castle?

We left Kaunas around 11am. We pumped the car with gas, and Carl bought this amazing bread ball. It’s crunchy outside and very soft and warm inside. Would love to have a bite of it again one day 🙂

After an hour on the wintery Lithuanian road, we arrived in Trakai. It’s popular for its island castle, sitting majestically in Lake Galve, one of the deepest lakes in the country. The castle was also from the 14th century, and served as residence to Grand Dukes. Currently, it can be reached through wooden bridges and is welcoming visitors for a fee. The bank of the lake was also lined with colorful houses, souvenir shops and restaurant.

Before I forget, Lithuania’s support for Ukraine was visible all throughout the country, with posters and flags. I can only imagine how Lithuanians feel about independence.

So, let’s go have a look at Trakai Island Castle:

Here are some displays from the castle (not for commercial purposes). If I remember correctly, I had to pay an extra 1.50 euro for taking pictures. But it’s definitely worth it! A license or agreement is needed for professional photography or filming.

The island castle was one of the most photographed destination of our trip. I enjoyed taking pictures, and the place was just beautiful. By the wooden bridge, there was a man luring visitors to a certain retaurant. We were super close to following him, but decided to have lunch near the parking space instead. So, here’s more of Trakai before we headed out and farther on to the country’s capital city: Vilnius.

We reached Vilnius at around 2pm. As we still had much time to spend before checking in, we decided to visit the TV tower first, in hope of catching a glimpse of the city from above. It didn’t disappoint! It’s the tallest building in Lithuania, and one of the tallest TV towers in the world with a height of 326.5 meters. The construction was completed in 1980. The rotating viewing platform gave amazing views on a clear day! There’s also a restaurant on the 19th floor (equivalent to 55th floor on normal apartment buildings) and we enjoyed some hot drinks before going down. The Fight for Freedom Museum is also situated in the place.

How cool are those views? It’s definitely a must in Vilnius.

By 4pm, we were checked in at Ibis Style Vilnius, a modern hotel with apple-green accents. I spent some time writing postcards.

Later in the evening, we took a taxi cab to the Christmas market. We opted to leave the car, so as to avoid traffic, and I guess, it was a great decision. The market was lovely, lots of lights and people, and a layered Christmas tree! We had some Dutch pancakes (it was heaven!), and some hot cinnamon hollow bread.

I love visiting Christmas markets with my husband. It’s just so cozy ❤

Then, we walked on one of the main streets, and checked out the Old Town. Love the ornaments!

We took an uber going back to the hotel – our senses feasted on the sights and tastes from Christmassy Vilnius. Totally a walk to remember. 🙂 This is Day 4 of our winter roatrip in Lithuania last December 2022.

It’s summer now in Norway, so this post is long overdue. Anyway, I love going back to places we’ve been to through blogging. And now that I’m done with master’s and just recovering from my first all-out surgery, I finally have some time to spare for this. Wee 🙂 So, more of Lithuania in the next entry.

#spreadloveandpositivevibes

ALL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON THIS BLOG ENTRY ARE MINE. 🙂 Cheers!