From Vilnius: Day tour to Rumsiskes, Kaunas and Panemune castles

The Open-Air Museum of Lithuania is one of the largest ethnographic open-air museums in Europe that stretches across the area of 195 ha. The museum was established on the picturesque shores of Kaunas Lagoon in Rumšiškės in 1966. The exhibitions at the museum are intended to introduce the ethnographic regions of Lithuania, i.e. Dzūkija (Dainava), Aukštaitija (Highlands), Suvalkija (Sudovia), Žemaitija (Samogitia) and Lithuania Minor, as they looked at the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 20th century.

The houses representing each of the regions stand in their natural environment and have the interior and exterior of the respective period. Exhibitions of household appliances, crafting, trading, agricultural machinery and ethnobotany are presented inside the buildings.

The castle at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers was built in the 14th century to defend against the onslaught of crusaders. This is not only one of the first stone castles in Lithuania, but also the only one that has two rows of defensive walls. A settlement that grew into the current city was created around the Gothic defences. Kaunas castle first mentioned in written sources in 1361.

Raudondvaris manor is the monument of the beginning of the 17th century of Renaissance architecture in Lithuania. Manor overlooks on the right bank of the upper terrace of the river Nevėžis near the confluence of the Nemunas and Nevėžis. The estate, together with 3.8 hectares of park and two Oficina buildings, an orangery, stables and an ice-house, consists a single ensemble.

The magnificent hill fort standing on the bank of the Nemunas, is also called Mount Palemonas. According to legend, the legendary Roman duke, Palemonas, was buried here. At the top of the tall and steep mound in the 13th-14th centuries there was a fortress, and now there is a fantastic sightseeing platform offering wonderful views of the Nemunas Valley and the confluence of the Nemunas and Dubysa.

It is one of the oldest Catholic temples in Samogitia. It was burned down during the Samogitian uprising yet rebuilt by Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas. In the 17th century the church was reconstructed by Albertas Stanislovas Radvila who, like his family, worshipped the shapes of Renaissance architecture. Today the tall square-shaped tower of the church overlooks the panorama of the River Nemunas and the town of Veliuona, which is worth the painter’s brush. The tower stores a unique collection of the canonicals and church books.

It is one of the most authentic Lithuanian castles. Passing time has little changed its architecture, and the project of the then famous architect Peter Nonhart is considered to be perfect. Reserved and at the same time majestic shapes witness the ambitions and majesty of the noble Eperjesz family from Hungary, which shrank with years. The castle was reconstructed by its new owner Antanas Gelgaudas, the standard-bearer of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Today the castle organises art exhibitions and theatricalised performances.