Lithuania, September 2005: a scenic route along the Baltic sea coast and Nemunas, with castles

On Monday, September the 5th, we headed back to Vilnius via a scenic route that goes along the Nemunas river. Nemunas is the biggest river in Lithuania, which isn’t saying much, because it’s pretty small by world standards. Still, there are some beautiful places of historical significance along the way. Most notably, there are two castles that used to be outposts of defense against the Teutonic Order in the middle ages.

Our trip took us through a small town called Kintai, where we passed a burning truck. As it turned out, a spark from a tractor flew and landed on the trailer it was towing, which was full of hay. The hay caught fire. The trailer was sitting in the middle of the road and people were trying to put out the fire.

A burning truck in Kintai, September 2005
CIMG0579 Our trip took us through a small town called Kintai, where we passed a burning truck.

Me with E in a sling, in front of a rowan tree enclosed by bird nets at Ventės Ragas. Ventės Ragas is a small cape on the Baltic sea cost that juts out into the Baltic sea. It has an ornithological station that tracks migratory birds. It’s one of the largest places in Europe for the migratory birds to rest on the way to their destination. At the moment we didn’t see any birds, much less ornithologists putting rings on them, but we saw nets that are probably used for catching birds. Some speculation ensued on how they catch the birds. There was a rowan tree growing in one of the net enclosures. At this time of the year it was covered in red berries. S wondered if this tree is used as a lure for birds, enticing them to land and get entangled in the nets. My mom wasn’t sure.

Me in front of a rowan tree wrapped in bird nets at Ventes Ragas, September 2005
CIMG0584 Me with E in a sling in front of a rowan tree wrapped in bird nets at Ventės Ragas

At Ventės Ragas there is also a lighthouse with an observation deck on top, if “deck” could be used to describe a tiny, cramped balcony with a flimsy railing that barely comes up to your hip. I got a bout of acrophobia just by looking at it. Anyway, this is me in front of the lighthouse.

Me in front of a lighthouse at Ventes Ragas, September 2005
CIMG0585 At Ventės Ragas there is also a lighthouse with an observation deck on top, if “deck” could be used to describe a tiny, cramped balcony with a flimsy railing that barely comes up to your hip. I got a bout of acrophobia just by looking at it. Anyway, this is me in front of the lighthouse.

S and I, with E in a sling, at the pier — or quay, or wharf, whatever it’s called — at Ventės Ragas.

S and I at the pier (or quay, or wharf, whatever it is called) at Ventes Ragas, September 2005
CIMG0586 S and I at the pier (or quay, or wharf, whatever it’s called) at Ventės Ragas

S on the spiral staircase inside the lighthouse in Ventės Ragas as seen from below

S on the spiral staircase inside the lighthouse in Ventes Ragas as seen from below, September 2005
CIMG0589 S on the spiral staircase inside the lighthouse in Ventės Ragas as seen from below.

The scenic route along Nemunas river went past two beautiful castles dating from 15th century. They played a role in defending Lithuania from attacks of the Teutonic order. Here I am in front of the castle of Panemunė.

Me in front of the Panemune castle, September 2005
CIMG0597 The scenic route along Nemunas river went past two beautiful castles dating from 15th century. They played a role in defending Lithuania from attacks of the Teutonic order. Here I am in front of the castle of Panemunė.
S and I at the Panemune castle, September 2005
CIMG0599 S and I in front of the castle of Panemunė – one of the castles that played a role in defending Lithuania from attacks of the Teutonic order.

The next castle we visited was the Raudonė castle.

Me in front of the Raudone castle, September 2005
CIMG0600 Me in front of the Raudonė castle

Right next to the castle of Raudon4 there is this monument to the Soviet army troops, in which they are referred to as “the liberators”, as they were officially called at the time of Soviet occupation of Lithuania. It was built in the Soviet times, and the inscription says “fallen Soviet soldiers remembered forever”. My dad suggested I should get a picture of this monument since it must be one of the last few ones left, seeing how the relics of the Soviet era are rapidly disappearing from the face of Lithuania. Mom thought it’s not likely that this monument will be removed because it is a grave of actual Soviet soldiers, and graves are usually left alone, regardless of their connotations. She was probably right, because when I visited this place again in 2019, the monument was still there.

A monument to Soviet troops in Raudone, Lithuania, September 2005
CIMG0601 S and I in front of a monument to the Soviet troops, one of rapidly disappearing relics of the Soviet era. The monument is located right next to the Raudonė castle.

The castle of Raudonė

The castle of Raudone, September 2005
CIMG0602 The castle of Raudonė
Me with S and E by the Nemunas river, September 2005
CIMG0603 Me with S and E, and a Nemunas river vista in the backdrop. This is one of the photogenic places on the scenic route that goes along the Nemunas river.