Vilnius to Riga via the Hill of Crosses, Rundale Palace & Bauska Castle

Travel from Vilnius to Riga with ease and explore the world famous attractions under your own steam. This Baltic road trip will take you to the small, grey Jurgaiciai (Domantai) hillock, located in the North of Lithuania, which houses the thousands of crosses of every shape and size and has became the symbol of hope and persistence. The Rundale Palace, built in the eighteenth century as a summer residence of the Duke of Courland, will be another break of the Vilnius – Riga bus trip. This bright Baroque style building, surrounded by the extensive and splendid garden, is often referred to as the Versailles of Latvia and is a well worth visiting. Before reaching your destination you’ll make a stopover at the Bauska Castle complex, consisting of the ruins of an earlier castle and a newer palace.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Kryziu Kalnas, Jurgaiciai 81439 Lithuania

The Hill of Crosses, located sixteen kilometers from Siauliai city, is an authentic monument of history and religious folk art. This small hill with a collection of over 200 000 crosses is the best repository of Lithuanian cross making art and the representation of unshakable faith and a symbol of resistance against occupation.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Rundale Palace Museum (Rundales Pils), Rundale Palace, Pilsrundale 3921 Latvia

The Rundale Palace, located just 15 kilometres from Lithuania – Latvia border, was built in the 18th century by Ernst Johann von Biron, as the summer residence of the Duke of Courland. The palace was designed by Italian architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, an author of the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg.
In the course of time and political rush the Palace has changed many owners and purposes – it was used as a hospital, elementary school or even a grain storage facility. Nowadays, after extensive and successful renovation process, The Rundale Palace Museum and Garden attracts masses of tourists and is deservingly called a „Versailles of Latvia“.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Bauska Castle, Pilskalns, Bauska 3901 Latvia

The Bauska Castle sits on a scenery land between two rivers Musa and Memele in the territory of Bauska town. The Bauska Castle complex consits of two parts: the older, the Livonian Order Castle, build in the middle of the 15th century, and a newer, a residence for the Duke of Courland, constructed at the end of the 16th century. During the Great Northern War the Bauska Castle ensemble was blew up by the Russian military. Nowadays the residence of the Duke of Courland is fully restored and is home the Castle Museum, while only ruins remain from the seat of the Livonian Order.

Duration: 1 hour