Sustainable project RBS: Study trip in Kaunas

Before leaving for Kauno Kolegija by bus, our Dutch team was accompanied by Ms Aldous for the first time in Kaunas. She arrived on Friday night.

From left to right: Chymo, Aina, Irma, Ms Aldous and Ivan

On Saturday we had another study trip in the outskirt of Kaunas. In the morning we visited Pažailis monastery (founded in 1662). For privacy reasons we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the monastery and of the sister whom guided us. The monastery is one of the finest architectural masterpieces of baroque architecture in the North-East Europe. The seventeenth century Camaldoli monks built the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Žygimantas Pacas (1621-1684). The design was by Italian architect Giovanni Battista Frediani, the ornate carvings by the masters of Lombardy and the moulding by Florentine painter Michael the Archangel.

Pažailis monastery

Pažaislis’ fame was not only devout Camaldoli or artistic life of the monastery buildings. Every year on 2^nd of July the festival attracts a large crowd of pilgrims distinguished a special grace, gift of the Holy founder. Image of Mary, popularly known as the "Mother of God Camaldoli" picture. As explained by the sister, more than three centuries of the history of the monastery had various events, wars, fires and attacks. Today, at St. Casimir's Congregation for the Sisters, are seeking to revive and extend the tradition of the worship of God, opening the gates to new societal attitudes on cultural life.

chymo in front of the monastery

After our trip in the outskirts of Kaunas, we went to the centre of Kaunas, where Tourism students explained to us the history and significance of the Kaunas castle (built in the mid-14^th century). The castle has a Gothic style and it served as a strategic outpost and guarded nearby cities as well as trade routes.

Kaunas Castle

Later, we walked to the Town Hall of Kaunas which dates from the 16^th century. While we were near the Town Hall and we saw some people running and having paper in their hands. Apparently it’s a competition that locals do by running and collecting information needed to win the challenge.

Town Hall

Buildings around the town hall square

Town Hall Square

One of the most remarkable sites, was the Vytautas the Great Bridge (built in 1930) which crosses the Nemunas River to connect Aleksotas and Old Town in Kaunas. It was called the longest bridge in the world, because of the fact that it takes 13 hours to "cross" the bridge due to different calenders in each countries on both side of the bridge.

Vytautas the Great Bridge

Miri & Carla

During lunch time us Dutch team and the Lithuanian team went to a local traditional restaurant called ‘Berneliu Užeiga’.

Restaurant Berneliu Užeiga

Here we were joined by our teachers and we tried Lithuanian dishes such as pigs ears, a special breadstick with cheese, a soup in a bread shaped container and meat, vegetables and potatoes as main dish.