Vilnius, Lithuania

Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, has a charming little old town with Baroque buildings, courtyards, churches and cobbled-stone streets.

My favorite part of the visit was simply wandering down the narrow alleys and exploring the courtyards and churches. Vilnius has a mixture of Gothic, Baroque and Neoclassical churches, with the bulk of them being Catholic and some being Orthodox Christian.

I also climbed up Gedominas Hill, which contains the remains of the Upper Castle and has a superb view of the old town. Furthermore, I enjoyed Vilnius University, with its Baroque courtyards.

Trakai, Lithuania

Another gray day. I decided to spend most of my first day in Lithuania in Trakai, a town renowned for its splendid lakeside setting and island castle.

Trakai is a beautiful little town with multicolored wooden homes. Add several lakes to its surroundings and one has got a heavenly ambience. The highlight of the visit was seeing the Island Castle. Inside, the courtyards surrounded by stone and brick buildings were impressive.