Programme

Day 1: Amsterdam - Vilnius - Žemaitija You will fly with a direct flight from Amsterdam to Vilnius. The flight takes about 2,5 hours. On arrival in Vilnius you will continue your trip right away to the hotel in Žemaitija where you will stay for 5 nights. Since some of you will most probably have left early in the morning, we will have an easy day today. At the end of the day we will organise for you a traditional welcome party.

Day 2: Žemaitija Today you will set on a discovery trip in the region of Žemaitija. You will be visiting the oldest and most wonderful cathedrals, churches and monasteries, and will be enjoying the beautiful, forested landscape of Žemaitija on the way. At night you will have a diner.

Day 3: Žemaitija Today you will spend an important part of your trip in the Žemaitija Nationaal Park where you will get acquainted with the folkarchitecture of the villages and authentic farmsteads. In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to get into action by yourselves. Based on your interests you can choose a workshop to attend. During the workshops, you will focus on local traditions, such as making of sodai, wood crafting, easter egg painting, making butter or other local product or dishes, learning to play a local instrument or to sing folksongs. During the diner you will get acuainted with local music and dance, and different traditional dishes and drinks.

Day 4: Žemaitija Today you can choose from something sporty (bicicling, rowing,  canoeing, horse riding or a boat trip on the river Nemunas or Coronian Lagoon), or to dive into the nature under the guidance of a forest ranger, or simply spend a day by doing nothing and enjoying the nature or a sauna. Next to this, there is a possibility to visit the old palace of Prins Oginski. The famous Lithuanian composer and painter Čiurlionis studied here at the orchestra school. This old palace houses today the Samogitia (Žemaitija) Art Museum. At night you will have a diner.

Day 5: Žemaitija Today you will have the opportunity to further discover the region. You will visit the open air museum of stones in Mosėdis, the sculpture farmstead-museum of Orvydai in Salantai and further on Neringa, the northern part of the Coronian Spit (Kuršių Nerija). The Coronian Spit is not only a land of fishermen, nature and sand dunes, but also a place for rest. The German writer Thomas Mann, who visited Nida in 1929, wrote: "We are very much impressed by the uniqueness of the nature, her beauty, fantastic world, moving dunes". Later he bought a house in Nida where he spent three summers (1930 - 1932). Nida houses nowadays a museum on the life and writings of Thomas Mann. Next to this, you will visit the 'Witches' Hill' and the 'Dead Dunes' (fishermen villages buried under the sand). At night you will enjoy a nice diner in a restaurant overlooking the lagoon.

Day 6: Plateliai - Trakai - Vilnius Today you will travel in the morning to the old capital Trakai, circa 25 km to the West from Vilnius. In the afternoon you will travel back to Vilnius where you will spend the two remaining nights. After the check-in in the hotel, you will make a city tour. For the rest of the day you will have the possibility to look further around in Vilnius.

Day 7: Vilnius Today you will have time to explore Vilnius further on your own. Vilnius has a beatiful old town, several fine museums, numerous impressive chruches and is a paradise for people who love to shop. At night, you will have at one of the most famous restaurants your farewell diner.

Day 8: Vilnius - Amsterdam This morning you will fly with a direct flight back to Amsterdam.