LITHUANIA, THE AMBERLAND

7 days / 6 nights

Vilnius - Kaunas - Klaipeda - Vilnius

Day 1: Arrival in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania and get settled in your hotel.

The afternoon is a time for leisure when we return to Vilnius.

Day 3: Departure to Kaunas, the interim capital of Lithuania between the two World Wars with an en route a stop at Rumsiskes outdoor Ethnographic Museum near by. Covering a total of 176 hectares the Museum offers an understanding of the architecture, traditions, crafts and life style of farmers at the end of the 18^th - 19^th centuries. The museum boasts a collection of old houses, farms, schools, pubs and mills representing the major regions of the country.

An afternoon tour of Kaunas shows off the main architectural and historic sites of the Old Town, Town Hall Square, the Jesuit Church, the Cathedral 14^th century, Vytautas Church, the Perkunas (Thunder) House, courtyard of the Theological Seminary and the ruins of Kaunas Castle. The tour ends with a visit to Ciurlionis Picture Gallery preserving and exhibiting works of the famous Lithuanian artist, Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis, who painted and composed music at the turn of 20^th century.

Day 4: This morning we drive to Klaipeda, Lithuania’s window on the Baltic Sea with an en route visit to the Hill of Crosses near Siauliai, a place to express gratitude to God for divine favors.

An afternoon city tour of Klaipeda focus’ on the Old Town of Klaipeda with its Theatre Square dominated by the statue of a girl “Ann from Tharau”, narrow alleyways with attractive courtyards, art galleries, cafes and small boutiques, blocks of lattice-work buildings, old warehouse reflecting the influence of Germanic architecture of the Hanseatic period.

Day 5: A full day sightseeing on the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World heritage site and National Park located between the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. You can walk on the Hill of Witches in the fishing village of Juodkrante, enjoy an unforgettable view from a majestic 60- meter-high seaside dune and visit Thomas Mann’s summer house in Nida. Your overnight stay is back in Klaipeda.

Day 6: In the morning you drive to Palanga, Lithuania’s most popular seaside resort, just 25 km from Klaipeda. Visit to the Amber Museum, housed in the former mansion of Count Tyszkiewicz which is surrounded by an elegant park created by French arborist Andre. About 4,500 amber pieces are found on display in the 15 rooms of the museum. Visitors are familiarized with the formation, processing, practical application, and structural variations of amber. In the late afternoon we return to Vilnius.

Day 7: After leisurely morning in Vilnius, we arrange your transfer to the airport.