Cycling The Baltic States

We start the trip in Vilnius, our base for two nights. Vilnius is known for its old town of beautiful Baroque architecture, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. It has a strong historical Jewish influence and Napoleon named it 'the Jerusalem of the North' as he was passing through in 1812. In the year 2009, Vilnius was the European Capital of Culture, together with the Austrian city of Linz. The Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 7.00pm for the welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Vilnius Airport (VNO), which is a 20-30 minute drive from the hotel. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.

This morning we drive 28 kilometres from Vilnius to Trakai Historical National Park. Outside the capital we find a peaceful land of forests, lakes, rivers and farmsteads. Our first stop is to see the impressive setting and fortifications of Trakai island castle. Trakai was an important seat of power in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania during the 14th and 15th centuries, ruling an empire that stretched all the way down to the Black Sea. For those interested there is the option to go inside the castle. After our visit we continue to Senieji Trakai, or Old Trakai, to prepare our bikes for the first ride and check that everybody is happy and comfortable. We cycle back through town and the Trakai peninsula, where there are many cafés and restaurants to choose from for a lunch break. Our ride continues away from Trakai and around the shores of the lake, along a mixture of asphalted back roads with light traffic and dedicated cycle paths to Uzutrakis Manor House. Our total cycling distance today is approximately 13 kilometres.

This morning we see more of Lithuania's countryside with a 4 to 5 hour drive towards the Baltic Sea to Kintai village where we have lunch before getting our bikes ready. After lunch we cycle for about 10 km on the flat and beside the Curonian Lagoon, along a quiet paved road to Vente Cape. Vente Cape is a small peninsula on the eastern side of Curonian Lagoon. More than 50,000 visitors come each year in order to get acquainted with one of the most important spots for bird migration in the region. We make a visit to Ventes Ragas and 19th century lighthouse and the Ornithological Station where the migration patterns of many bird species are tracked and recorded. Huge nets are used to catch the birds they tag. We then cycle back the same 10 km route to Kintai village. From here we join a forest bike track and continue along this bumpy gravel track through the fishing villages of Priekule, Surmai to Dreverna where the group ride finishes and we rejoin our vehicle for the transfer to Klaipeda. Klaipeda is the third biggest city in Lithuania, an important port and Lithuania's chief gateway to the Baltic Sea. It has a long history from a tribal fishing village and later arrival of German Crusaders who seized this land and built their castle here in 1252, later known as Memel. Our total cycling distance today is approximately 39 kilometres.