When and where: Riga/Vilnius, May 2025
0900: We say goodbye to Riga and head on our way to Vilnius, which is a jouney of about 4 hours. But we have some stops planned along the way, so it will take a bit longer.
I booked the transfer from Riga to Vilnius with DayTrip.com (Thank you Travel Architect for introducing DayTrip to me!). It was easy to book it on line. They gave me an instant price for a transfer and we could add stops on the way. Depending on the number of stops and duration on each stop the pice changed.
1000: Our first stop is at Rundale Palace.
Rundāle Palace is one of the two major baroque palaces built for the Dukes of Courland in Latvia (the other being Jelgava Palace).
The palace was built in two periods, from 1736 until 1740 and from 1764 until 1768. It is situated at Pilsrundāle, about an hour from Riga.
The palace fell into ruins in the early 20th century. Extensive renovation work was carried out from 1972 to 2014.
The palace has se eral large and very ornate rooms for entertainment gues – reception hall, grand ball room, dining garrely, games room etc.
The palace is one of the major tourist destinations in Latvia. It reminded me of Chatsworth in the UK.
1130: Visit to Rundale Castle over, we are on our way again
1230: We drive across the border into Lithuania, and soon come to our next stop, the Hill of Crosses.
The history of the Hill of Crosses dates back to late 19th century, as families places crosses of remembrance for those who died in rebellions on the site of a fomer hill fort.
During the Soviet-era, despite the crosses being removed enmasse several times and placing a cross being declared a crime, Lithuanians continued to leave crosses here; and it became a symbolic of resistance against the Soviet occupation.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1990, the practice of Lithuanian cross-crafting became very popular. UNESCO even named Lithuanian cross-crafting in the lists of good safeguarding practices and intangible cultural heritage.
Due to its religious significance, it became a site of catholic pilgrimage. On September 7, 1993, Pope John Paul II visited the Hill of Crosses, declaring it a place for hope, peace, love, and sacrifice.
Today the site is open 24/7 and anyone can plant a cross here, as long as it is under 2 meters in height.
1300: We are on the way again. The route from Riga to Vilnius is very flat, with many fields along the way.
1615: After another couple of hours driving Kaiseki, we arrive at the last stop of the day, Trakai Castle.
The castle is known for its medival gothic architecture and location – it stands on an island on Lake Galve, one of the deepest lakes in Lithuania.
Trakai Castle was first built in the 14th century by Kęstutis, who was the Grand Duke of Lithuania. It was completed by his son and heir Vytautas the Great.
In its heyday, the castle was the centre of the Grand Duchy of lithuanisa and the residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania.
The castle fell in to ruin from the 17th century onwards until its restoration in the 1950s and 60s. It is home to a national museum with many historic artifacts.
1745: Soon we are on the way again. From Trakai castle it is about 30-40 minutes to Vilnius.
We are staying at the Neringa Hotel in Vilnius. It is located between the old and New tarts of Vilnius, close to many shops, restaurants and tourist sites.
As we arrive in the evening, there isn’t a lot of time to look around today, so instead we head out to dinner at the nearby restaurant Bernelių Užeiga, a popular chain of restaurants service traditional Lithuania cuisine
Diary of a Tourist 
Thanks for the shout-out! I’m so glad Daytrip worked for you. Despite at least one cautionary tale about it in my blog comments, we used it once on our recent trip and had a really good experience, too.
The rooms in Rundale Palace are gorgeous. I’m rewatching all the seasons of Downton Abbey right now, and even though the grounds are plain compared to that palace, the rooms are just as sumptuous. It’s total eye candy! Love the hill of crosses.
LikeLiked by 1 person