# Lithuania: Vilnius, Klaipéda, Kaunas



## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

In the summer of 2009 we travelled from Helsinki to Riga via Tallin. We didn't have the time to visit the other Baltic country, Lithuania.
So we returned in 2010 to the regio and made a roundtrip through that country. We start at Vilnius International Airport.










Welcome to Vilnius!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Beautiful, very nice photos from Lithuania, Benonie


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## Kampflamm (Dec 28, 2003)

Fantastic pics as always. Vilnius seems to need little additional restoration work.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

What are those sailor-boys doing so deep inland, are they lost? Fantastic photos.


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## kingsway (Dec 15, 2009)

nice, I like this city - interesting and not crowded.
I noticed the bikers are not wearing helmits - not required to wear one?


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## Ni3lS (Jun 29, 2007)

Cool pics Benonie.


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## whatever... (Feb 23, 2006)

Kampflamm said:


> Fantastic pics as always. Vilnius seems to need little additional restoration work.


Old Town of Vilnius is Big (3.59 km^2; city of London - 2.9 km^2) and the damage here was far more extensive than in Riga, Tallinn or majority of cities on Eastern theater. It will take another decade if not more and millions of € to restore it, more or less.


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## Dompcz (May 14, 2005)

Great photos Benonie, thanks for posting them here. 

This one is interesting, I even have some doubts, is this really from Vilnius?:


Benonie said:


>


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## daneo (Jun 16, 2008)

Interesting pics Benonie!
i wanted to go this summer to Ukraine but ive noticed that its pretty hard to get cheap flights to Lviv, the city i want to go to. 
With Wizzair and Ryanair it shouldnt be a big problem to fly to Lithuania.
how are the prices ( food, clubs etc) compared to Poland ?


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

The best way to get to Lviv is to catch a train from Krakow.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

^^ Thanks for all the friendly comments so far! 



daneo said:


> i wanted to go this summer to Ukraine but ive noticed that its pretty hard to get cheap flights to Lviv, the city i want to go to. With Wizzair and Ryanair it shouldnt be a big problem to fly to Lithuania.
> how are the prices ( food, clubs etc) compared to Poland ?


We took a Brussels Airlines flight which was 300 euro for 2 adults and 1 child, which was quite cheap in full summer.
I found the Baltics cheap to European standard. Is suppose you can compare it with Poland, same prices more or less, allthough it's 4 years since we've travelled through Poland and costs can change pretty fast.



Dompcz said:


> This one is interesting, I even have some doubts, is this really from Vilnius?:


It sure is. It's even in the city center, about 500 meter(or more?) south west from the central square.

@ El Greco: I don't know why the sailor-boys are marching there, but it was sunday morning and they just came back from church. Maybe some Lithuanian inhabitant can tell us more?


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## whatever... (Feb 23, 2006)

Dompcz said:


> Great photos Benonie, thanks for posting them here.
> 
> This one is interesting, I even have some doubts, is this really from Vilnius?:


That's Vilnius allright. Right behind the tree you can catch a glimpse of a shadow of church of St. Ignatius (baroque), which coincidentally belongs to the military.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

^^ Indeed! That was the church they were leaving. Thanks!



kingsway said:


> I noticed the bikers are not wearing helmits - not required to wear one?


No, I don't think it's required in any European country.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2011)

Thanks for the tour mate, I especially love this pic:


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## Belgrader (Feb 1, 2010)

Vilnius is so nice. It looks very relaxed.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

^^ Indeed. It is relaxed. 

Presidential Palace.



















University of Vilnius.










The only remaining synagoge in the former "Jerusalem of the north".




























Time for a drink! :cheers:










Former KGB-headquarter and jail...





































Test ride of new trolley bus.










An older sister.



















Plan for a underground railway train in Vilnius.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)




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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

^^ Very good, very nice updates


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## Jennifat (Aug 7, 2005)

Great photos from Lithuania, Benonie! The cities and towns there look very charming and pleasant. Summers in the Baltics must be absolutely wonderful.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Thanks. Summer in the Baltics is beautiful and relaxed!
























































We jump on the train to the famous little city of Trakai.

Vilnius Gelezinkelio Stotis, the trainstation of Vilnius:





































Older but quite comfortabel and spacious trains.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

> Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of area and, according to 2007 estimates, is inhabited by 5,357 people. A notable feature of Trakai is that the town was built and preserved by people of different nationalities. Historically, communities of Karaims, Tatars, Lithuanians, Russians, Jews and Poles lived here.





















Trakai lake.




























Trakų Salos Pilis.














































Trakai village.














































Trakai has got an etnic minority of Crimean Karaiten, original from Turkey. This is their temple of Kenesa:




























The ruins of another castle, the Trakų Pusiasalio Pilis or Peninsula Castle.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Back to the city, where we find the artistic-anarchistic 'independent' Republiek Užupis.
Reminds me a bit of freestate Christiania in Copenhagen.














































The constitution:


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

A regional nature park at the borders of the River Neris, east of Vilinius.














































Belmontas watermills.




























Train to Minsk crossing the park.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

In Vilnius we take the Intercity-train to Klaipéda, on the western shore of Lithuania.

Vilnius Gelezinkelio Stotis/trainstation:





































A comfortable new train!..










But the locomotive fell out at Kaišiadorys...










The locomotive of a passing cargo-train 'saved' us! 



















After 7 hours we finally reach Klaipéda.



















Klaipéda Stotis/trainstation:


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

And so we arrived at Klaipéda:



> Klaipėda is situated at the mouth of the Curonian Lagoon where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County.
> The city has a complex recorded history, partially due to the strategic regional importance of the Port of Klaipėda, a usually ice-free port on the Baltic Sea.
> The population shrank from 207,100 in 1992 to 187,442 in 2005.


_(Wikipedia)_

On the highest floor of this old bank office we hire a very nice and spacious flat at a very low price.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Very nice. Any photos of that flat you stayed in? I always wondered what the interiors are like in those buildings.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Indeed those updates are also very nice kay:


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

^^ Thanks again Christos! 


El_Greco said:


> Any photos of that flat you stayed in?


No, I'm sorry. But it was a nice and renovated apartment with antique furniture. It belonged to a former, rich and symphatic Lithuanian sportsman.

More Klaipéda:


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Wonderful photos! How long did it all this take? How long were you there?


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

aljuarez said:


> Wonderful photos! How long did it all this take? How long were you there?


Thanks! We've stayed in Lithuania for 2 weeks.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

My pleasure!

We continue with Klaipéda from the Sovjet era.
































































The new Klaipéda:


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Benonie said:


>


Theres a fantastic Chinese restaurant in this building!


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

^^ Are you sure?
It doesn't look like there's a Chinese restaurant in that building, but maybe there are just signs at the ground floor.


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## Spookvlieger (Jul 10, 2009)

:applause:

Superb pics Benonie!


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Thank you Joshsam!





































Let's go to the harbour, the ferry and the important shipyard.:


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

There's the ferry to the Curonian Spit!























































 Kuršių Nerija or _'Curonian_ _Spit'_. We cycle this UNESCO-heritage from Smiltyné in the north, to Nida on the Kaliningrad border.












> The Curonian Spit is a 98 km long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast. Its southern portion lies within Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia and its northern within southwestern Lithuania


_(info &maps: Wikipedia)_


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## Jesús E. Salgado (Aug 20, 2008)

Nice


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## aster4000 (Jan 28, 2010)

great shots of a beautiful city and the other parts as well.


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Thanks guys!


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## Guest (Apr 14, 2011)

You have done a remarkable job of capturing the spirit of the area - well done mate :colgate:


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