Bags? Check √ Cold protection? Check √ Students? Check √ Great mood? Check √!
On the 1st of February international students and some of the mentors went to the most popular day trip destination in Lithuania: the beautiful town of Trakai and our capital Vilnius! Even though the weather was not at our convenience, at the end of the day everyone came back to Kaunas smiling.
It was an early Saturday morning and at the time we reached our first stop, the view of grand Trakai castle instantly wiped the sleep from students´ eyes. Proudly standing in the middle of the frozen lake it begged to be Instagrammed. Inside the castle a guided tour was awaiting all of us. Protected from the howling wind outside students walked through chambers of our great dukes and learned a solid part of Lithuanian history. After the tour ended some of the students did not want to leave the brick walls of the castle and decided to have a snowball fight in the inner yard. Seems like it was inspired by all the knight stories the guide told. When no one could feel their fingers, a plate of warming meal sounded like a great idea. Trakai is famous for its special dish called “Kibinai” (karaite pasty) so it would have been a shame not to try it. Everyone enjoyed stuffing their stomachs with this dish and even compared to some of their own national food. For some, this was not the first time in Trakai. Our friend from France, Maxime said “After already seeing Trakai last summer, I was happy to visit my favorite place in Lithuania during winter time.” The capital was waiting for us but there was no need to rush since we had enough time till the bus. So instead of facing the soul-sucking wind we stayed in the pasty place and enjoyed the company of new friends.
As we were approaching Vilnius, sudden rays of sun promised a nice afternoon in the big city. Our Erasmus student Nina from Czech Republic proves the fact. “I was really glad to see your capital city, it amazed me a lot. I would like to visit it again in the future. The trip was well prepared by students of ESN“, she said afterwards. In Vilnius, starting from the Cathedral Square all together we’ve explored the Old Town and some hidden gems of the city. Guided by cheerful local guides who kept our spirits high throughout the journey, we’ve spent an hour and a half walking around. During the free time until the ride back home, students filled local cafes and restaurants to warm up. However, an appetite for wonder cannot be satisfied there. That is why some of the students, led by ESNers went on exploring more points of interest. Standing on the top of the hill by the Gediminas’ Tower and overlooking the capital students declared it was a great day. Eunyi from South Korea puts it simple and clear “It was really nice trip! I want to visit there again!“ We know her wish will come true, don’t we?
Check out our weekend moments in the gallery below!
Think different, think ESN VMU!
Karolis Kriuka
