LITHUANIA
Exclussive country with glorious as well as painfull history, beautiful landscape and rich heritage.
The official language is Lithuanian, one of two remaining languages in the Baltic branch of the Indo-European languages. It is common to sanscrit and seems to be one of the oldest in the world.
Lithuania was the last country on the European map, that took Christianity. The last lands of Lithuania were turned to the new religion only in 15th century. So old traditions of pagan religion still can be found in fairy tales, songs, folklore, habits, burial mounds. The woods, saint oaks and stones still remain the old times.
At its greatest extent, in the 15th century, it was the largest state in Europe. It was a multi-ethnic and multiconfessional state, with great diversity in languages, religion, and cultural heritage. The consolidation of the Lithuanian lands began in the late 13th century. Unfortunately, from high rise, high fall came at the end of 18th century, when Lithuania gone from the map at all.
The independence was restored in 1918 February 16th , but was lost again after the WWII. Lithuania was forced to become a part of SSSR. The resistance against soviet aggression lasted untill 1953 – almost 10 years, washed by blood of sons and daughters of Lithuania. In 1990 March 11th the independance was restored again. In 2004 Lithuania became the member of European Union and NATO.
In our days the laser industry is one of the high-tech fields in which Lithuania is a firm leader in the world. This industry is mainly focused on the production of equipment and devices for scientific research, and is ahead of other traditional areas of production. It is proud of the quality of the internet and the coverage.
Basketball, swimmers and Dakar Rally riders make the name of Lithuania well known in the world.
01.
AMBER MUSEUM
The exposition tells about the history of amber formation, the distribution of amber in the world, morphology. Examples of fossil saps found in other parts of the world. Stone age amber products, tools, jewelry, amber gravestones from the later period and coins of the Roman Empire, which came to our country in exchange for amber.
02.
KERNAVĖ
Kernave is one of the first cities of Lithuania, and the first capital of Lithuania. There were residences of the sovereigns of Lithuania lands until 1321. Kernave was one of the most important economic, political and defense centers of the emerging Lithuanian state.
Although archaeological data show that there was a settlement in that area as early as the 9th – 7th centuries. before our era, a real medieval city, with a fairly regular system of streets, residential houses, craftsmen’s workshops, the residence of the rulers and a defensive complex of five mounds, was formed on the right bank of the Neris in the 13th-14th centuries. Researches of the city and cemeteries testify that trade flourished in Kernavė at that time, and there was a high level of craftsmanship and warfare.
03.
SODELIŠKĖS
In Sodeliskes you will have the opportunity to visit one of the best vintage tenchnique museums as well as an open air museum – an authentic 19th century homestead with a functioning mill and the smell of fresh homemade bread.
The Museum of Ancient Technology was founded in 2019. It has more than 600 different exhibits. You will see the 20th century. early collections, Soviet vehicles, buses, trucks, tractors, motorcycles, bicycles, children’s toys and equipment. Here you will find steam tractors that have not yet been published: Port Huron 1914 and Case 1916. The exhibits of the largest museum will impress everyone – a Soviet airplane and a helicopter. All exhibits are still open!
An authentic Aukštaitija region homestead with a full ensemble, which includes: a two-sided residential house, laying with horse-drawn rakes, a working forge, an ancient granary with antiques and collections of rakes. A stable with pets, an ancient swing well, a cellar and a bath house, where authentic Birzai beer is brewed with a national heritage certificate.
04.
BIRŽAI CASTLE
Is located on the southern coast of Lake Širvėna, in the northen part of Lithuania. The castle is a bastion-type fortress, the best preserved in northeastern Europe and the only one in Lithuania. Renaissance bastion castle, historical and architectural monument. Was built in 1586 and took very important role in the period of wars with Sweden in 17th century.
05.
CROSS HILL
Jurgaičiai (Domantė) Mound, more often called the Hill of Crosses, is a place of Catholic pilgrimage in Lithuania. There are thousands of crosses on the mound, brought not only from various parts of Lithuania, but also from abroad. It is estimated that there are about 200,000 crosses on the hill. The Hill of Crosses is first mentioned in written sources in the middle of the 19th century (crosses are found since 1850), it is possible that the crosses began to be built after 1831 rebellion against Russian Empire
06.
SIAULIAI
Siauliai is a city in northern Lithuania, the fourth largest city in the country in terms of population. The place name has been mentioned since 1236, when describing the Battle of the Sun (Soule), the land of Šiauliai (terra Saulen) is mentioned. The Battle of the Sun took place between the Samogitians and the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, in which the Livonian Swordsmen had been beated and the conquest of other Baltic lands was stopped. So today Siauliai is still called the “City of the Sun”.
07.
TYTUVĖNAI
Tytuvėnai is an area of the Samogitia region distinguished by nature, architectural and artistic monuments. The area has been known since the 14th century. In 15th century the Tytuvėnai manor and church were built. Neither the first church nor the old manor has survived to these days, but Tytuvėnai is proud of the 17th century built and currently protected by the state the ensemble of the Virgin Mary Church and the Bernardine Monastery, considered one of the most beautiful Baroque monuments in Northeastern Europe.
Tytuvėnai has been famous as a resort town for a long time. It is surrounded by greenery, forests and three lakes – Bridvaisis, Gilius and Epushis.
08.
ARIOGALA/BETYGALA MOUNDS
Ariogala is one of the oldest settlements in Lithuania, known since 1252 or 1253. (the land of Eregalle is mentioned), was ravaged many times by the Crusaders. It is located on the bank of river Dubysa and enriched by the most beautiful valey of river Dubysa.
The Betygala mounds dates back to the period of the 1st millennium to the beginning of the 2nd millennium. It is an archaeological and landscape monument. At the foot of the hill is the spring of the Krivis (an ancient priest) Eye, which commemorates pagan times. On the second mound, also called Alka/Aukos mountain, sacrifices were carried in pagan times. On the mound there used to be Aukaimis castle in the XIII-XIV centuries, mentioned in written sources.
09.
VILNIUS
The history of the city of Vilnius goes back to the 10th millennium BC. m. e. a Paleolithic settlement has been discovered. It is not known exactly when the settlement of Vilnius was established – a legend tells about the founding of the city. The legend says, how the founder of Vilnius, Grand Duke Gediminas, had a dream in which an iron wolf was howling on a high mountain. In the morning, Lizdeika, the duke’s soothsayer, explained that the dream means that a city will rise in this place, and the name of it will spread world wide. Then a mound was filled in at the confluence of the rivers and a castle was built. Vilnius was first mentioned in written sources in 1323 by Duke Gediminas. January 25 in a letter written to German cities, in which he invited Germans and Jews to move to Vilnius.
Vilnius is an exceptional example of a city formed in the Middle Ages, which for several centuries greatly influenced the development of architecture and culture in a large part of Eastern Europe. Due to the cityscape and the preserved large variety of buildings, Vilnius is an exceptional example of a Central European city that has formed organically over five centuries. For these features it is included into UNESCO World Heritage List.
10.
ŽEMAITUKAI STUD FARM
The castle is famous for its gothic architecture and its special location – it stands on an island on Lake Galve, one of the deepest lakes in Lithuania. The view of the historic structure is straight out of a fairy tale. You can reach the castle by crossing the long wooden bridge. The castle was built in the 14th century and served as a residence for the Grand Dukes of Lithuan.
LATVIA
The history of Latvia began around 9000 BC with the end of the last glacial period in northern Europe. Ancient Baltic peoples arrived in the area during the second millennium BC, and four distinct tribal realms in Latvia’s territory were identifiable towards the end of the first millennium AD. Latvia’s principal river Daugava, was at the head of an important trade route from the Baltic region through Russia into southern Europe and the Middle East that was used by the Vikings and later Nordic and German traders.
In the early medieval period, the region’s peoples resisted Christianisation and became subject to attack in the Northern Crusades. Latvia’s capital city Riga, founded in 1201 by Germans at the mouth of the Daugava, became a strategic base in a papally-sanctioned conquest of the area by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword. It was to be the first major city of the southern Baltic and, after 1282, a principal trading centre in the Hanseatic League.
Latvia’s strategic location and prosperous trading city of Riga, its territories were a frequent focal point for conflict and conquest between at least four major powers: the State of the Teutonic Order, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden and the Russian Empire.
Finally, Latvia won sovereign independence in 1920, lost it again in 1940 and restored it in 1991. Since then, under restored independence, Latvia has become a member of the United Nations, entered NATO and joined the European Union, joined the Euro zone.
Latvian name could be heard together with the word “ice hockey”. In 2023 the Latvian national ice hockey team had won bronze medals in the world championship.
Latvia is also well known in the world by the jeans founder Jacob William Davis, whose origins are Latvian, Friedrich Wilhelm Ostwald – the Nobel prize winner, woman basketball player Uljana Semionov, meldonium founder Ivaras Kalvinas, and much, much more…
01.
KOKNESE CASTLE
Koknese Castle is a complex in Koknese, Latvia, dating from the 13th century. The castle was situated on a high bluff overlooking the Daugava river valley. In 1965 a hydroelectric dam was built downriver, creating a reservoir that partially submerged the castle and flooded the surrounding valley.
In the 1st millennium, a Latgali settlement was established on the site of Kuoknese. In the 11th century – 1208 there was a wooden castle. In the 16th century – the second half and the 17th century Koknese castle was an important military fortress. The castle was abandoned after the bombing of the western towers in 1701 – the impressive ruins have remained untouched since then.
02.
CESVAINE CASTLE
Cesvaine Palace is one of the largest and prettiest castle-styled palaces of 19th century Latvia. The Cesvaine hunting castle is a bright sample of eclecticism that combines the elements of Gothic, Romanesque and Art Nouveau styles. Built by a rich Von Wulf family in 1896 it followed the trend to copy German and British palace architecture, especially borrowing on Tudor style.
03.
SIGULDA
Sigulda is often called Latvia’s Switzerland and is one of the most beautiful towns in the country. This perfectly proves that even a very small town can have a very important status in the country, after all, that usually all the beauty of the city lies in nature.
04.
TURAIDA CASTLE
The early Gothic style Turaida Castle was built in 1214 on the site of the destroyed wooden Lyvian castle. Until the end of the 16th century, it housed the residence of the archbishops of Riga who ruled the lands.
In 1776 the fire destroyed the residential houses and craftsman’s buildings that were within the castle walls. Only the residences of the estate manager and some outbuildings remain in the castle. Most of the inhabitants settled near the castle. in 1924 The Council of independent Latvia made a decision to add the ruins of Turaida Castle to the list of state-protected monuments, but only in 1950. the castle began to be restored. Turaida Castle is the most archaeologically studied castle in the Baltic States.
05.
GUTMAN’s CAVE
Gutman’s Cave is the largest cave in the Baltics is shrouded in legends and permeated with ancient energy. The cave was formed from the yellow-brown sandstone rock of the Gauja river bank; its formation is due to a millennium-long interaction between the river and an underground spring.
One legend has it that in ancient times the cave was home to a good man who used the water of the spring to heal people. The cave’s name is derived from the German phrase “gut Mann”, which means “good man”. That is why people believe that the spring has healing properties.
Gutman’s Cave visitors like to hear their voice echoing back to them from the cave walls. For a moment it seems that the walls are quietly responding.
Gutman’s Cave visitors like to hear their voice echoing back to them from the cave walls. For a moment it seems that the walls are quietly responding.
ESTONIA
Estonia was one of the last corners of medieval Europe to be Christianized. In 1193 Pope Celestine III called for a crusade against pagans in Northern Europe. The Northern Crusades from northern Germany established the stronghold of Riga. With the help of the newly converted local tribes of Livs and Letts, the crusaders initiated raids into part of what is present-day Estonia in 1208. Estonian tribes fiercely resisted the attacks from Riga and occasionally themselves sacked territories controlled by the crusaders. In 1217 the German crusading order the Sword Brethren and their recently converted allies won a major battle in which the Estonian commander Lembitu was killed.
Northern Estonia was conquered by Danish crusaders in 1219. Later, in 1227, the Sword Brethren conquered the last indigenous stronghold on the Estonian island of Saaremaa. After the conquest, all the remaining local pagans of Estonia were ostensibly Christianized.
During the Livonian War in 1561, northern Estonia submitted to Swedish control, while southern Estonia briefly came under the control of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 1580s. In 1625, mainland Estonia came entirely under Swedish rule. Estonia was administratively divided between the provinces of Estonia in the north and Livonia in southern Estonia and northern Latvia, a division which persisted until the early 20th century.
Although during the ages neighbouring countries (Livonia,Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden, Russia) were conquering Estonian territory or its parts, on 23 February 1918 Estonia got its independence. Lost it during and after WWII by adding the territory to SSSR and had restored on 20 August 1991. Estonia had joined European Union, NATO and Eurozone.
Estonian is a Finnic language and the official language of Estonia. It is written in the Latin script and is the first language of the majority of the country’s population; it is also an official language of the European Union. Estonian is spoken natively by about 1.1 million people: 922,000 people in Estonia and 160,000 elsewhere. The Estonian language belongs to the Finnic branch of the Uralic language family. Other Finnic languages include Finnish and some minority languages spoken around the Baltic Sea and in northwestern Russia. Alongside Finnish, Hungarian, and Maltese, Estonian is one of the four official languages of the European Union that are not Indo-European languages.
Estonia is the country most densely covered with meteorite craters in the world. The largest of them is the Kaali crater on the island of Saarem, where 4 thousand years ago 2008, the meteorite created a crater 110 m in diameter and 22 m deep. Now the Kalis lake gathers lays in it.
Did you know, that “Skype” was invented in Estonia? Now you do! 🙂
01.
TARTU
An old university town in Estonia, the second largest city in the country, on the river Emajeg, which connects the two largest lakes in Estonia. It is the intellectual and cultural center of the country and houses the oldest university in Estonia. The city is located 180 km southeast of Tallinn. Agricultural machinery, instrument industry, footwear production, food processing are developed. There is a XIII century built on the ruins of the cathedral on Toome hill (Toomemägi). It houses the Baltic Defense College (BALTDEFCOL). The city is one of the stops on the “European Route of Brick Gothic”, and the Estonian National Museum operates.
02.
ALATSKIVI CASTLE
It’s the fairy-tale castle on the eastern border of Estonia. Alatskivi Castle is a neo-Gothic castle dating to the 17th century, earliest mentioned in 1601. Since 1885, the snow-white castle with its turrets has caught the eye in the heart of Alatskivi. Modelled after Balmoral Castle, the main building of the manor was designed by its owner Arved Georg von Nolcken himself. Over the years, the castle has had various functions, but since 2011, the restored castle has been open to all guests in its full glory.
03.
JAGALA WATERFALL
Jägala Falls is a waterfall in northern Estonia on the Jägala River. It is the largest natural waterfall in Estonia, with a width of about 50 meters and a height of about 8 meters. Jägala Falls was formed by eroding away limestone layers in a karst area. The limestone bluff is commonly known as the Baltic Cliff. The river deteriorated the cliff into a U-shape. The erosion made the waterfall retreat up to 17 centimeters per year. The water now flows down 8 meters. The curved ground is 65 meters long and the water flows 12.8 cubic meters per second.
04.
TALLINN
Tallinn received Lübeck city rights in 1248, however, the earliest evidence of human population in the area dates back nearly 5,000 years. The medieval indigenous population of what is now Tallinn and north Estonia was one of the last “pagan” civilisations in Europe to adopt Christianity following the Papal-sanctioned Livonian Crusade in the 13th century. The first recorded claim over the place was laid by Denmark after a successful raid in 1219 led by King Valdemar II, followed by a period of alternating Scandinavian and Teutonic rulers. Due to the strategic location by the sea, its medieval port became a significant trade hub, especially in the 14–16th centuries, when Tallinn grew in importance as the northernmost member city of the Hanseatic League. Tallinn Old Town is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tallinn has the highest number of startup companies per person among all capitals and larger cities in Europe and is the birthplace of many international high-technology companies, including Skype and Wise. The city is home to the headquarters of the European Union’s IT agency, and to the NATO Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. In 2007, Tallinn was listed among the top-10 digital cities in the world, and in 2022, Tallinn was listed among the top-10 “medium-sized European cities of the future”.
05.
KEILA WATERFALL
Keila waterfall is located on Keila River in Harju County, Keila rural municipality, Keila-Joa small town.
A full 6 metres high, and tens of metres wide, Keila waterfall is the third largest waterfall in Estonia; after the Narva and Jägala waterfalls. There is a road from the park along the riverbed, crossing two suspension bridges, to the waterfall.
06.
RUMMU QUARRY
The crystal clear light greenish blue lagoon of Rummu quarry and the adjacent artificial hill are an unbelievably unique combination and an extraordinary destination. The Rummu quarry is a submerged limestone quarry located in Rummu, Vasalemma Parish, Estonia, Europe. Much of the natural area of the quarry is under a lake formed by groundwater, and is situated next to a spoil tip. The quarry is close to two former prisons, the nearest being the former Rummu prison.
07.
SAAREMAA
The largest island in Estonia and the fourth largest island in the Baltic Sea. Saaremaa, which also ruled Hiiumaa in the north, was the richest of the old Estonian lands, and was the shelter for many Estonian pirates, who were sometimes called the Vikings of the East.
08.
ANGLA WINDMILL
The only windmill hill in Saaremaa that has preserved its appearance awaits you in Angla. Four of the five Angla windmills are typical trestle windmills characteristic of the island of Saaremaa. They were built at the beginning of the last century. The Dutch-style windmill was built in 1927. Here, you can get acquainted with historical agricultural machines and during the summer season, with several farm animals and birds.
09.
PANGA CLIFF
Panga cliff is the highest bedrock outcrop in western Estonia and its islands. Siluri bluff is a long escarpment, which starts on the island of Gotland in Sweden, passes through the Baltic Sea, and rises to the surface on the western coast of Saare County. Its maximum height is 21.3 metres and it runs for about 2.5 km. Panga cliff is situated right on the coast, cropping up like a ‘wall’, and its highest point used to be an ancient ritual site where people were sacrificed to the sea.
Visitors of the nature reserve can admire a breath-taking sunset, have a picnic, observe birds, take beautiful nature photos, and have fun on the village swing. There is also a dolomite sundial.
10.
KURESSAARE CASTLE
Kuressaare castle is considered one of the best preserved medieval fortifications in Estonia. The earliest written record mentioning Kuressaare castle is from the 1380s, when the Teutonic Order began its construction for the bishops. The castle is late Gothic style and characterized by a simplicity of form. In the early 17th century the medieval Konventhaus and the surrounding walls became a fortress with rampart fortifications and bastions, which was gradually modernized during the following couple of centuries. Kuressaare fortress lost its importance in the first half of the 19th century. Today the castle houses Saaremaa Museum.
11.
KAALI CRATER
Kaali is a group of nine meteorite craters in the village of Kaali on the Estonian island of Saaremaa.[1] Most recent estimates put its formation shortly after 1530–1450 BC. According to the theory of more recent impact, Estonia at the time of impact was in the Nordic Bronze Age and the site was forested with a small human population. The impact energy of about 80 TJ (20 kilotons of TNT) is comparable with that of the Hiroshima bomb blast. It incinerated forests within a six km radius.
12.
PARNU
Pärnu is the fourth largest city in Estonia. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Riga, which is a part of the Baltic Sea. In the city, the Pärnu River drains into the Gulf of Riga. Pernu is the main resort on the Baltic Sea coast of Estonia, with many hotels and restaurants. The town has a long sandy beach. Since 1996 the city is called the summer capital of Estonia.
