Visit Lithuania in one week

Start your visit with the Cathedral Square, which you will recognize by its imposing French classical style. Go up through the park to the Gediminas tower overlooking the square. At the top of the tower is a belvedere that offers a beautiful view of the city. Then take Gedimino prospektas, Lithuania's "Champs-Elysées". In this street is the Museum of the Victims of Genocide, more commonly known as the "KGB Museum"; moving, it evokes the hell of political prisoners under Soviet occupation. After having walked through Gedimino, leave the Cathedral Square and go up Pilies Street, which is full of restaurants and cafés; take the opportunity to take a break at one of its terraces. Continue your ascent along Didzioji Street, which will take you to the Town Hall Square. From the square, you will see the church of Saint-Casimir, recognizable by its crown-shaped bell tower and its pink colour. Walk past the Astorija Hotel and go up to the porte de l'Aurore.

Start the day by visiting Sainte-Anne's church with its red brick facade. Behind it is the set of churches of Les Bernardins. Cross the river and then venture into the "Republic of Uzupis", a bohemian artists' district nicknamed the "Little Montmartre". Climb to Basteja, and let yourself be seduced by the view. To the north of the city, don't miss the church of Saints Peter and Paul. Its interior offers one of the best examples of Lithuanian Baroque. In the late afternoon, you can go to the television tower. From there, you can admire Vilnius and its surroundings, and have dinner or a drink in the restaurant.

Trakai is a small town 28 km from Vilnius, famous for its lake and castle, which was once the capital of the Duchy of Lithuania. On the program, visit the castle and the Karaite Ethnographic Museum to discover this Lithuanian minority. If the weather is nice and hot, you can swim in the lake or rent a boat for a walk along the water. After lunch, take the road to Riga (3 hours) and, a few kilometres after the border, at Bauska, follow the signs for Rundale Castle. Located 80 km from Riga, this palace was built in 1740, at the request of the Duke of Birzov, by Franscesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, the architect who designed the St Petersburg Winter Palace. It is undoubtedly the most beautiful palace in the Baltic countries.

40 km from Vilnius, the site of this small village is sublime with the Neris valley and its many hills. After a walk through the village and the old kolkhoz, you have to take the paths for a short walk or even a picnic in an exceptional natural site, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The country's second largest city, and the former capital between the wars, is worth a visit. Its old town, its castle and its pedestrian street are very pleasant. The museums must be visited, especially the one of the Pharmacy, but especially the Devil's Museum, very picturesque.

Before visiting Rumsiskes, a visit to the Baroque monastery of Pasaislis is a must. From there, by boat, on the other side of the artificial lake, is the Ethnographic Museum, in the open air, of Rumsiskes. It is a good way to discover the traditional architecture of the country's four major regions.

If cities are not your hobby, another itinerary can be considered: the discovery of the Neringa peninsula, via Klaipeda, instead of a stay in Kaunas. Or, closer by, if you don't have enough time, Aukstaitija Park with its many lakes is a good idea. If relaxation is on the agenda, it is in Druskininkai that you should go for a spa treatment, even for a few days.