Amber Lithuania 

Day 1.  Arrival to Vilnius. Transfer to the hotel.  Welcome dinner at national Lithuanian cuisine restaurant. Free time to explore Vilnius. Spend night in Vilnius  in Hotel 3*.

Vilnius is capital of Lithuania and the largest city in the country. The founder of Vilnius is considered to be the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas who first mentioned name of Vilnius in the written chronicles in his letter to the towns of Western Europe in 1323. Vilnius was centre of the largest country in Europe in 14th - 15th centuries but today it has about 580 thousand inhabitants and one of the largest old towns in Eastern Europe that covers 360 hectares. Green parks and urban heritage are combined into unforgettable mix that so many visitors enjoy. Because of this unique mix of architecture and landscape it was included into UNESCO World Heritage List. One of the largest medieval old towns in Northern Europe, and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vilnius Old Town is full of beautiful buildings, eclectic shops, picturesque churches and elegant palaces.

Day 2.  Transfer to Kaunas (100 km). Lunch. Kaunas sightseeing tour. Spend night in Kaunas  in Hotel 3*.

Kaunas. Kaunas is the second largest city in Lithuania, first mentioned in an old manuscript of 1361. It is situated in the valley of two longest rivers of Lithuania: Nemunas and Neris. The town itself became an example of a confluence of people and cultures, an attractive blend of architecture and nature. The town has seen many ups and downs, but has stayed the source of forces for resistance, the guard of national identity, and has once actually been the temporary capital of Lithuania.

The tour includes: the Old Town of Kaunas with St. George's Church, Kaunas Castle built at the confluence of Nemunas and Neris rivers, the courtyard of the Theological seminary, the Town Hall Square surrounded by former 16th - 18th century merchants’ dwelling houses and baroque churches - the Jesuit Church and the Cathedral, the Church of Vytautas dating back to the 14th century and the Perkunas (Thunder) House (no visits inside); a walk on the central street - Liberty avenue - bustling with street vendors, musicians, full of cafes and souvenir shops; afternoon visits include Ciurlionis Picture Gallery and Devils’ Museum.

M.K. Ciurlionis Picture Gallery preserves and exhibits the works of the famous Lithuanian artist, Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis, who painted and composed music at the turn of 20th century.

Devils’ Museum contains a collection of sculptures and carvings of devils collected by Lithuanian painter Antanas Zmuidzinavicius. His private collection gave start to the museum which now houses several thousand devil figurines both local and from all over the world.

Pazaislis Monastery and Church. Located in splendid isolation among the fields and woodlands of the right bank of Nemunas river is a striking Baroque ensemble in Northern Europe founded in 1662 by the Great Chancellor Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac ordered by the Camaldolese Hermits. The main construction has been built in 1674 when the entire ensemble was finished in 1712. The building and the dome was founded after 1755 by king’s chamberlain Michal Jan Pac.

Day 3. Drive via most picturesque road in Lithuania - Panemune castle road  with few stops along the way. Lunch in Panemune castle. Tasting of Kiduliai region wine. Dinner. Spend night in one of the settlements of Nemunas delta regional park, - Rusnė, Kintai or Mingė in guesthouse/appartment.  (Total 197 km).

Scenic Panemunė road which traces Nemunas river valley at its northern bank is famous for its castles and manors that can be visited en-route. These buildings were used as opulent residences rather than defensive structures but their impressive towers and strong walls may be deceptive.

Panemunė Castle. Today it is the most authentically preserved 17th-18th century residential castle in Lithuania. The castle, adorned with defensive installations and surrounded by what appears at first glance to be a protective series of bodies of water, was nevertheless not intended as a defensive fortress.  It is a typical renaissance feudal castle of the early 17th century, designated not only for representation, but also to protect its inhabitants from the military conflicts that resulted from feuds erupting between noblemen, as well as to commemorate its owner's ambitions and his desire to emphasize his independence.

Raudonė Castle was build in the last quarter of XVI century by forest owner and trader Kirspin Kirschenstein. The castle was renovated many times in XVII-XIX centuries. The present appearance of the castle is from the reconstruction carried out in the mid XIX century. The castle is now turned into a primary school. During the tourist season visitors are allowed to the castle tower, from which extends a beautiful view of the surroundings.

Day 4.  Exploring Nemuno delta regional park. Tour by ship. Lunch. Rusnė. Minija. Kintai. Ventė cape. Nida. Spend night in Nida in guesthouse/appartment.

Nemuno delta regional park, which  is known as Lithuanian bird paradise, where large number of water and marsh birds breed, where you can see and hundreds of thousands of migrating birds stop en route. More than 300 species have been observed here, and nearly 200 species of birds nesting: red-necked grebe, bittern, white-tailed eagle, montage’s harrier, eagle, corncrake. This landscape is created by water - there are many interlaced rivers, lakes - the lagoon of Krokų lanka and many other smaller lakes. There are also old river beds, marshes and fens.

Minija (Minė, Mingė). Minija is also called "Lithuanian Venice" because of its unique landscape. Village was fist mentioned in 16th century and originates for the river name, but earlier it was called only Minė. Germans called the village Minge. River Minija divides the village into 2 parts, but there are now bridges. Every house in Minija is facing the river and people say, that river is the street there. The town was flooded periodically. In 19th century there were 76 houses and more than 400 people lived in Minija. In the beginning of 20th century there were more than 100 houses. But before the Second World War, only 28 habitable homesteads were left. There are 11 nineteenth and twentieth century monumental buildings now. Each house in the village has its own pier for boats. The majority of housings aredouble-ended, sheds with raised roofs are built of red bricks. There are alsowooden buildings - their plans, design, external shape, volume, decor is typical offolk architecture of the Pomeranian region.

 Rusnė - one of the oldest settlements in the Nemunas Delta. This is the only city in Lithuania that is in the island. Rusnė was born in the middle of 12th century, when Teutonic Order gradually began to establish itself on the shores of the Baltic sea and Curonian lagoon region. The year 1366 was very important for Rusnė as the town and island‘s name was mentioned for the first time in the letter telling about Vorusnė village and the branch of Nemunas called Rusnė. Having settled down and accustomed to the rhythm of island life, in 1448 citizens of Rusnė partied in the town’s first tavern and in 1583 their great-grandchildren started attending first school in the island. In 15th century the town gradually grew: new taverns and boutiques opened their doors, book lovers used to search for reading material in library and bookstores, locals worked in the mill and sawmill. During the special occasions citizens of Rusnė refreshed themselves with famous punch made in the island. Already in 16th century Rusnė was famous for its weekend markets, since 1792 they were held officially. In 18-19th centuries people of Rusnė often had to endure wartime difficulties as the Prussian state which Rusnė belonged to was frequently involved in wars. But this only strengthened the community of island.

Ventė cape - this is the place with the lonely lighthouse, built as if on the very edge of the world, and people, in whose eyes only water and sky are reflected, who ring birds so that they can observe their journey through the sky. Ventė cape is one of the best places in Europe to observe migrant birds. For this reason, ornithologists both from Lithuania and abroad meet here every year. You will be able to see the birds and walk around the area and to the Ventė cape lighthouse.

Nida(German: Nidden)  is an upmarket holiday resort town famous for its sea-shore and sand dunes. The town is located on the Curonian Spit between the Curonian Lagoon (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Baltic Sea. Nida is the westernmost point of Lithuania and the Baltic States. First mentioned by Teutonic Order in macher colony documents in 1429 and 1497, the settlement was originally 5 km south of today's position.  Continuously threatened by sand drifts, the village was moved away from the dune to today's position in the 1730s.

Nidden became part of Lithuania together with the northern half of the Curonian Spit in 1919 after World War I and was officially renamed Nida. Nevertheless the village remained a German-majority settlement - the border with East Prussia's half of the Spit lay only a few kilometres to the south. Nobel Prize-winning writer Thomas Mann lived in Nida during the summers of 1930–32. Part of Joseph and His Brothers (Joseph und seine Brüder) was written here. Mann's summer cottage survived and it is presently a culture center dedicated to the writer, with a memorial exhibition.

The Curonian Spit is a 98 km long, thin, curved sand-dunespit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast. Its southern portion lies within Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia and it’s northern within southwestern Lithuania. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by the two countries. Since 2000, the Curonian Spit has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Day 5. Transfer to Vilnius or Kaunas (depends where from is your flight). Spend night in Hotel 3*.

Day 6. Departure.

Vilnius airport

Your hotel in Vilnius or Kaunas

Comfortable clothes and shoes.

TOUR PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• 3 nights at the 3* hotels with breakfast

• 5 breakfasts 

• 3 Lunches

•  2 Dinners

•  1 tour by ship (subject to availability due to weather conditions)

•  Transportation (1^st class)

•  Guide (Multilingual)

•  Entrances

• Voluntary ticket to the national parks
• Other meals not mentioned in the itinerary
• Gratuities
• Departure airport transfer
• Flights