Baltic countries refers to three countries (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) in Northern Europe on the eastern coast of Baltic sea. These three countries were independent, then occupied by Soviet Union, among the first to break away in 1990s. Today they are members of European Union and NATO. All three countries uses the EURO as their currency. Visitors usually visit all three countries together as it is easy to travel from one Baltic country to another and there are many interesting sites to see along the way. You can choose to either travel from south to north (Lithuania to Estonia) or from north to south (Estonia to Lithuania).
Hill of Crosses near Siauliai is the most unique place in Lithuania. There is no exact historical date when and how the first cross was erected on the legendary and storied mound of Jurgaičiai or Domantai, but the hill was considered sacred since the second part of 19th century. After unsuccessful rebellions against Russian authorities in 1831 and 1863, more and more crosses emerged on the hill. Today, people from around the world still bring crosses to be erected here.
Trakai is a historic city and lake resort, which is located 28km away from Vilnius. Due to its proximity to Vilnius, most people would opt for a day tour or half day tour to Trakai. I joined a half day tour which took me to Trakai’s best attraction, Trakai Castle, Hill of Angels and Uzutrakis Palace.
Vilnius, capital city of Lithuania has one of Europe’s oldest Medieval Old Town. The entire Old Town is a UNESCO Heritage Site. From Kiev to Vilnius, the flight duration is only about one and a half hours. Lithuania is the first Baltic state that I visited out of the three. From here, I travelled north to Latvia and Estonia (the other two Baltic states).
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