One day someone asked me how I choose the destination of my trips. There is one of the stories. I just saw the photo of one manor somewhere in the book or internet. It was Lentvaris Manor and looked like this: https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lentvario_dvaras#/media/File:Lithuania_Landwar%C3%B3w_Palace.jpg I thought: "it's in Lithuania and I never seen it? I must to go there". It was the decision. After that I just looked on the map what is near by to visit by bike and waited for good day to cycle.
26 July. As usually, I took the bus to start my trip and get out near Vilnius where I started to cycling. I was not very confident about the way I chose to go forward, when it turned in the dark forest and seemed to go nowhere (although in the photo it looks better:) ).
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| The way through dark forest |
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| Crossing railway |
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| Somewhere |
After good "rebus" of not marked roads and paths I finaly reached my first place to stop - Trakų Vokė manor surrounded by nice park around, designed by french landscape designer Édouard André.
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| Trakų Vokė manor. Backside |
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| Trakų Vokė manor. Front side |
Next stop was Lentvaris Manor. The place I wanted to visit the most. It was impressive! Not only the manor, but also others buildings and park (designed by the same french landscape designer as Trakų Vokė manor's park). But it is very sad, that the owners of this manor keep it in so bad shape.
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| Lentvaris manor |
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| Lentvaris manor |
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| Lentvaris manor |
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| In Lentvaris manor park |
With the hope to see these buildings renovated next time when I will be
there, I left Lentvaris to go to Trakai, to visit the castle there which is
probably the best-known castle in Lithuania. But it happened that I didn't went there directly. After another "rebus" of the small ways, I accidentally found a cool trail in the wetland and a shelter to stop for the lunch, because it started to rain slowly. Ah! And do not forget that I eat a lot of blueberries there :)
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Varnikai cognitive walking way
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| Lunch under the roof |
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| Natural grace |
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| The way through the wetland |
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| Wetland |
When I came to Trakai, the weather was not very nice already, so I didn't stop there for long time. Just passed in front of the castle and went forward.
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| Trakai castle |
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| Flowers in Galvė lake |
Despite the rain, I decided to visit one more manor in other side of Galvė lake - Užutrakis manor. Interesting fact, that owners of all three manors I visited that day (Trakų Vokė, Lentvaris and Užutrakis manors) in XIX century was the same - counts Tiškevičiai. They had to be very rich! :)
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| Užutrakis manor |
After little stop, the rain started again, so I decided to rush a bit and take a bus in Vievis to go back home as soon as I can. So, next 20 km was just fast cycling in the rain and I came to bus stop just about 5 min. before the bus. Despite all, I was surprised to enjoy this part of my trip - wet fast cycling :) There is the map of my trip. The distance - 69 km.
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| Grigiškės - Trakų Vokė - Lentvaris - Trakai - Užutrakis - Vievis |
