Late winter in Lithuania ends loudly. On Užgavėnės, masked goats, bears and jokers chase the cold away, everyone eats pancakes, and the straw Morė meets her end. A few weeks later the Old Town fills for the Kaziukas Fair, and kids carry home gingerbread and a woven verba palm. Here's what we checked, from the carnival procession to the White Bridge to the old farmsteads at Rumšiškės.
Užgavėnės is Lithuania's Shrovetide carnival, the day the city chases winter out. The Vilnius Ethnic Culture Centre leads a masked procession through the center with a loud klezmer band, traditional characters and jokers poking fun at the news, ending at a stage by the White Bridge.
Kids who like dressing up, noise and pancakes get the most out of it. Kids who dislike loud music may find it a lot.
Kaziukas Fair is Vilnius's big spring fair, held on the streets of the Old Town. Stalls fill with handcrafted goods, local treats and farmers' produce.
It's an easy come-and-go outing: wander, snack, browse and head home when the kids have had enough. It suits families who enjoy markets more than kids who need a set activity to follow.
The Old Town's main square opens in front of the neo-classical cathedral, with a 57-meter bell tower standing apart from it and the Gediminas monument nearby.
Kids can hunt for the stebuklas (miracle) stone: local legend says step on it, turn around three times, and a wish comes true. Red granite in the paving traces the old Lower Castle fortifications. Winter brings the city's tallest Christmas tree.
At 195 hectares, this is Europe's largest open-air ethnographic museum: farmsteads and a small town gathered from every region of Lithuania, dating from the 18th to the early 20th century. Kids can step inside furnished homes, the church and the inn, and watch craftspeople weaving, making pottery and carving wood. A manor house stands at the northern end, and the museum hosts folk music and cultural events.
Late winter in Lithuania ends loudly. On Užgavėnės, masked goats, bears and jokers chase the cold away, everyone eats pancakes, and the straw Morė meets her end. A few weeks later the Old Town fills for the Kaziukas Fair, and kids carry home gingerbread and a woven verba palm. Here's what we checked, from the carnival procession to the White Bridge to the old farmsteads at Rumšiškės.
Užgavėnės is Lithuania's Shrovetide carnival, the day the city chases winter out. The Vilnius Ethnic Culture Centre leads a masked procession through the center with a loud klezmer band, traditional characters and jokers poking fun at the news, ending at a stage by the White Bridge.
Kids who like dressing up, noise and pancakes get the most out of it. Kids who dislike loud music may find it a lot.
Kaziukas Fair is Vilnius's big spring fair, held on the streets of the Old Town. Stalls fill with handcrafted goods, local treats and farmers' produce.
It's an easy come-and-go outing: wander, snack, browse and head home when the kids have had enough. It suits families who enjoy markets more than kids who need a set activity to follow.
The Old Town's main square opens in front of the neo-classical cathedral, with a 57-meter bell tower standing apart from it and the Gediminas monument nearby.
Kids can hunt for the stebuklas (miracle) stone: local legend says step on it, turn around three times, and a wish comes true. Red granite in the paving traces the old Lower Castle fortifications. Winter brings the city's tallest Christmas tree.
At 195 hectares, this is Europe's largest open-air ethnographic museum: farmsteads and a small town gathered from every region of Lithuania, dating from the 18th to the early 20th century. Kids can step inside furnished homes, the church and the inn, and watch craftspeople weaving, making pottery and carving wood. A manor house stands at the northern end, and the museum hosts folk music and cultural events.
