Lithuania - Vilnius and Trakai

We like to visit a different Christmas market each year, and to take few days to explore the city and its surroundings. In 2018 we visited Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, and also made a trip to nearby Trakai. Only converting to Christianity in the 14th Century, the historic centre* now seems to be full of churches - Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutherian. Once attacked by Vikings and Christian crusaders, in the Middle Ages Lithuania was one of Europe's largest countries, incorporating parts of Poland, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Trakai Castle# was built on an island in a lake in the 14th Century. The adjacent village is home to the Karaim - Turkic people originally from the Crimea who practise a form of Judaism. We need to go back and explore more of this fascinating country - and we did! See next album. (* = UNESCO World Heritage Site, # = tentative listing)