First day – We land in the capital Vilnius around 16, the airport is only 5 km from the town and using the bike the distance is only 20 minutes away. The centre is a pedestrian area, therefore accessible to bicycles and equipped with various rest areas where to park them. After being set up in the hotel, we resume our bike and we head towards the Park Europe, just forty minutes away from the city center. The park, once an abandoned forest, was revitalized by the ingenious idea of the young student G. Karosas who wanted to build a suggestive museum of contemporary art in the open air, a perfect fusion between nature and art. We return to the hotel and we offer a dinner based on important dishes of the national culinary tradition such as duck livers, beet carpaccio and fresh and caviar salmon carpaccio.
Second Day – We dedicate ourselves entirely to the center of the city, strolling through the characteristic alleys you arrive at the gate of the Aurora: built between 1503 and 1522, it was one of the nine access points of the fortified city and the only remaining intact until now, the south facing side still looks like a defensive bastion. Next from the Porta dell’Aurora you will meet the Piazza del Municipio, located in the heart of the city, where you can safely park your bike and take an aperitif in one of the many cafes overlooking the square.
After lunch we resume our excursion to the vault of the architectural attractions: the Church of St. Francis and Bernardino, built in the 16th century is the only church conceived with a central nave, side aisles, choir of equal height and presents some splendid examples of Gothic times. In front of it is the Church of S. Anna the most famous building in Lithuania, inspirational museum of painters and local photographers. The Gothic facade, higher than wide, was built using 33 different types of bricks.
We continue our bike tour turning for Maironio gatve before crossing Vilnele on Malunu gatve and entering the independent republic of Uzupis. Uzupis is the neighborhood of artists, vaguely compared to Montmartre in Paris, where we can buy the works that street artists exhibit and, why not, try to draw together them, thanks to the friendliness and predisposition towards visitors. Here are various collective galleries and craft workshops, taking advantage of the large spaces provided by the ruined houses.
Third day – We leave Vilnius at the time of Kaunas, about 1 hour drive, but the fearful of the bicycle will be able to travel the 100 km that separate the two cities in half a day. Before reaching our destination, there is a stop in Trakai, a town immersed in the lake region just 30 minutes from Vilnius. Trakai National Park is an irresistible attraction because, unlike the normal national parks, here it aims to protect the village itself as a cultural heritage. The main attraction is the Castle, entirely built in red bricks, where different medieval events and festivals are organized. Immersed in the lake, the castle was built by the Grand Duke Kestutis for defensive purposes; the legend wants that from that day the ancestors of the Grand Duke defend the fortress but ask in tribute the heads of unwanted guests swallowed by the depths of the lake.
We start, half day we reach Kaunas, which boasts a peaceful and pedestrian historic center of small size but rich in churches, stately houses, a castle and monasteries. However, what arouses greater curiosity is the Devil Museum created in 1966, located on three floors and containing the entire private collection of the painter Zmuidzinavicius. He exhibits depictions of devils of every measure, color, shape and origin but mainly it is folkloric Lithuanian expressions. Besides curious is the custom of asking visitors to donate to the museum any object that refines a devil, thus increasing the collection.
Fourth day – We depart from Kaunas to Palanga, about 2 hours drive but bike lovers will be able to try on a day of travel. The Night in Palanga is recommended in the Hotel Vanagupe, one of the most famous resorts of the Lithuanian Baltic coast that boasts an exceptional spa (well-being center) where you can receive a demonstration of the famous treatments to the amber. Each room used for treatments is designed to have a different style but always aimed at relaxing the customer. The main meeting point of the resort is the pier, a 400-metre walkway that runs along the Baltic, a meeting place to witness breathtaking sunsets.
Fifth day – After breakfast we resume our bike to head to the nearby airport of Riga, where the flight awaits us to return to Italy.
