Our first study trip in Lithuania - Kernavè and Trakai

The Kernavė Archaeological Site (Cultural Reserve of Kernavė), about 35 km north-west of Vilnius in eastern Lithuania, represents an exceptional testimony to some 10 millennia of human settlements in this region. Situated in the valley of the River Neris, the site is a complex ensemble of archaeological properties, encompassing the town of Kernavė, forts, some unfortified settlements, burial sites and other archaeological, historical and cultural monuments from the late Palaeolithic Period to the Middle Ages. The site of 194,4 ha has preserved the traces of ancient land-use, as well as remains of five impressive hill forts, part of an exceptionally large defence system. Kernavė was an important feudal town in the Middle Ages. The town was destroyed by the Teutonic Order in the late 14th century, however the site remained in use until modern times. ¹

Besides  , there are more three World Heritages in Lithuania: Vilnius Historic Centre, Curonian Spit *, Kernavė Archaeological Site (Cultural Reserve of Kernavė) and Struve Geodetic Arc *.  You can find more information about Kernavè and other World Heritages on the Unesco website http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/ and on http://www.kernave.org/archeo_en.htm

Ruins of the first church in Lithuania from 14^th Century. Before this time the Lithuanians were pagans.

To know about the history of the Iron Wolf visit http://www.theironwolf.net/Stuff/WhyIronWolf/WhyIronWolf.htm

Lunch time – Typical Lithuanian Food

The group had a enjoyable lunch in a local restaurant nearby the castle in Trakai, our next stop.

Our lunch

Trakai Castle

Founded in 1948, the museum is situated in Trakai Castle, a unique ensemble of fortification architecture. The construction of the Castle was begun in the second half of the 14th century and completed by Grand Duke Vytautas at the beginning of the 15th century. In the 15th century the Castle was the residence of Lithuania’s sovereigns. During the 1654-1667 war with Moscow the Castle was destroyed. The exploration and restoration of the Trakai Castle ensemble have been going on since 1951.²

Useful information for tourists:

Opening hours:

May – September: Monday to Sunday 10–19.

March, April, October: Tuesday to Sunday 10–18.

November – February: Tuesday to Sunday 10–17.

Admission:
Adults – 14 Lt;

Seniors – 8 Lt;

Children and students – 6 Lt.

¹ http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1137

² http://www.muziejai.lt/trakai/traku_muziejus.en.htm

These were two of the many cultural/historical attractions that you can visit in Lithuania. on the next post we are going to talk about our second study trip in the Kaunas city!

Before I forget, on that Friday it was Mr van Leeuwen last day in Kaunas. On Saturday Ms Natalie Aldous joined us for the study trip. She will be also conducting lectures on the coming week.

Greetings from Lithuania,

Carla, Chymo, Dandja, Ivan and Mireille.