„Quo vadis LT“ is official tour operator in Lithuania that specializes in cultural and pilgrimage tours in Lithuania and all over the world.

Small groups with professional guides and spiritual leaders will make your tour rich in discovering different cultures, religions, so that your hobby of traveling will become the way to return to God, to your brothers and to yourselves. We invite you to experience blessing of God: „Leave your country, your people and your father‘s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you...“ (Gen.12,1)

„Quo vadis LT“ pilgrimage tours are in Lithuania and in other countries as a Biblical tours, Jesus and Apostles footsteps to follow we go to Holy Land, Turkey, Egypt... We continue to walk old pilgrim roads to Santiago de Compostella and the Apparition places of the Virgin Mary to Lourdes, Medjugorje, Fatima, Guadeloupe…

„Quo vadis LT“ cultural tours are meant to discover other world civilizations and religions, going to exotic countries as Peru, Bolivia, Indochina, Morocco, Africa and India... and all European countries

Pograme of the tour "Lithuania. Culture, traditions and faith. Pilgrim Route of John Paul II. Vilnius – city of Divine Mercy."

Area: 65,300 km2.
Location: Lithuania is a state on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.
Neighbouring states: Latvia, Belarus, Poland, and Russia.

Climate: between maritime and continental. Average temperature in July is +25°C, and average temperature in January is - 10°C.

Landscape: Lithuania is a flat country, lowland plains make up 75% of its territory.

Language: the official language of the Republic of Lithuania is the Lithuanian language.

Population: 3,394,000.

Capital: Vilnius.

Form of government: parliamentary democracy. Head of state: President, the executive branch: Government (appointed by the President), the legislative branch: Seimas (unicameral parliament, direct election).

Administrative division: the territory of Lithuania is divided into 10 counties. Counties are subdivided into 60 municipalities. Municipalities consist of 546 elderships.

Largest cities according to the population: Vilnius (553,200), Kaunas (373,700), Klaipėda (191,600), Šiauliai (132,700), Panevėžys (118,800).

Ethnic composition: Lithuanians: 83.5%, Poles: 6.7%, Russians: 6.3%, Belorussians: 1.2%, other: 2.3%. There are 115 ethnicities in total in Lithuania.

Religion: Roman Catholic Church. There are also communities of Eastern Orthodox Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Evangelical Reformation Church, Old Believers, Judaism, Islam, and others.

Life expectancy: average life expectancy for Lithuanians: 71 years; men: 66, women: 77.

National currency: litas (Lt). 3.4528 Lt = 1 euro.

Independence:

declared: 16 February 1918

restored: 11 March 1990

Lithuania joined NATO 29 March 2004, and on 1 May 2004 it became a member state of the EU.

Public Holidays:

January 1: New Year’s Day

February 16: Day of Reestablishment of the State of Lithuania (1918)

March 11: Day of Restitution of Independence of Lithuania (from the Soviet Union, 1990)

Easter (First Sunday and Monday of spring with full moon)

May 1: International Labour Day

June 24: St John‘s Feast (Midsummer)

July 6: Statehood Day (Coronation of Mindaugas)

August 15: Assumption Day (Žolinė)

November 1: All Saints’ Day

December 25 and 26: Christmas

Lithuania – small, exceptional country near the Baltic sea.
Culture, traditions and faith.  Pilgrim Route of John Paul II .
Vilnius – city of Divine Mercy.

Program duration: 8 days/7 nights  

1st DAY Arrival in  Lithuania Meeting at the airport. Transfer to the hotel in  Vilnius. Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania and the biggest city which distinguishes for its abundance of baroque style churches. Evening  we can start city tour of Vilnius Old Town, a UNESCO Heritage site in Pilies street with endless church domes, steeples and gloriously restored buildings.  You can visit numerous souvenir shops for Baltic amber, linen and locally made handicrafts. Enjoy your free time and have dinner in the hotel.  Overnight at the hotel in Vilnius.

2nd DAY After the breakfast you have an excursion in Vilnius. The pearl of baroque - St. Peter and St. Pauls` church in Vilnius is agreed to be the top of their mastership in plastic art. Nowadays still more than 2000 stucco statues made by Italian masters in the 17th century beautify an interior of the church. When Mykolas Pacas died, he was buried in the basement of the same church.  Further we continue our excursion on foot  of “Old Vilnius”: The tour begins at Cathedral Square dominated by the Cathedral itself. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus and St. Vladislaus is the main symbol and spiritual center of the Lithuanian capital as well as a monument to the Baptism of Lithuania. The basilica, built in the very heart of the city at the base of the castle hill, has witnessed many important historical events. Here Lithuanian rulers were crowned, here nobles and bishops were buried. Even today, Holy Mass celebrated in Vilnius Cathedral marks the high point of many national and religious feasts and commemorations. The sanctuary’s rich spiritual and cultural treasures are a magnet for all visitors to the city, but it is especially cherished by Catholics as the place where the relics of St Casimir, Lithuania’s patron saint, are venerated. Gediminas Castle besides Cathedral, then via the President’s Palace we can go to Vilnius University. On the way is Lithuanian gothic masterpiece of XVI c. - churches ensemble of St. Ann and St. Bernardine, Amber gallery,  Jewish block, Town hall square, St. Theresa church with the famous Gates of Dawn with its miraculous icon of The Virgin Mary. The Gate of Dawn chapel, with its venerable painting of Mary the Mother of Mercy, is one of Lithuania’s most important religious, historical and cultural sites. This is the foremost Marian shrine in the Vilnius archdiocese and a destination for pilgrims from many countries, not only Catholic but also Orthodox. The Gate of Dawn is surrounded by the Church of St Teresa, the Eastern-rite Catholic Monastery of the Holy Trinity and the Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Spirit. This evening you may also wish to visit a concert, opera or ballet performance. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Vilnius.

3rd DAY After the breakfast  we go to Trakai. The Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, standing atop the highlands of the Trakai peninsula.  Here is the oldest image of the Mother of God in Lithuania. Its title as Protectress of Lithuania is evidence not only of the importance of this painting, but also of the deep tradition of considering Lithuania to be a land of Mary, a realm safeguarded by the intercession of the Mother of God. We visit the only water Castle in Eastern Europe. Trakai is the ancient capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, now famous for its 15th century island castle housing an exhibition on prehistoric artifacts and 17th-18th century applied arts, reflecting the way of life of the Lithuanian Grand Dukes, and the Karaites, a Judaic sect brought by Grand Duke Vytautas from the Crimea. We have lunch at restaurant of the Karaite dishes and free time. Afternoon we go back to Vilnius and  visit KGB museum,  where in Soviet times used to be prison of Committee for State Security. Evening  we go for prayers to the Chapel of Divine Mercy. This cozy gothic church on a narrow side street in the heart of the Vilnius Old Town dates back to the 15th century and certainly has a long story. But today its pristine white interior draws pilgrims’ gaze to a single focal point – the image of the Merciful Jesus. Through the humble nun St Faustina and in the midst of the 20th century, the Lord sent the world, beset as it was by tremendous wars and hatred for faith, a message of salvation: “Trust in me, for I am a merciful Lord. Trust in my mercy.” Here the Mother of Mercy has long been venerated at the Gate of Dawn. And it is from this city that the message of Divine Mercy began to spread with the new significance given to it by St Faustina, and by Pope John Paul II, who declared her a saint. Pilgrims who are drawn to Vilnius by the message of Divine Mercy and the Merciful Jesus image are also generally eager to see other places connected with St Faustina’s life and visions. Dinners and  overnight at the hotel in Vilnius

4th DAY Breakfast. A full day tour to Kaunas, Lithuania’s second largest town and the capital of pre-war Lithuania. Touring Kaunas shows off the main architectural and historic sites of the Old Town, Town Hall Square, the Jesuit Church, the 14th century Cathedral, Vytautas Church, Perkunas (Thunder) House, courtyard of the Theological Seminary and the ruins of Kaunas Castle. Kaunas Cathedral Basilica is one of Lithuania’s oldest and largest sanctuaries, and the country’s only gothic church of basilica form. Buried in the crypt, the side chapel and the churchyard of the Cathedral are numerous eminent clergymen. Later in the afternoon a visit to Ciurlionis Picture Gallery conserving and exhibiting works of the famous Lithuanian artist, Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis, who painted and composed music at the turn of 20th century. Afternoon we go on the outskirts of Kaunas, on a hill in Pažaislis by the shore of the Kaunas Reservoir, stands the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary with its monastery. The ensemble is one of the finest late baroque masterpieces in all of Northeast Europe. Today the monastery is cared for by the Lithuanian Congregation of the Sisters of St Casimir, who seek to revive and continue traditions of divine worship while also opening the doors to new expressions of social life and culture. In the evening we can visit Christ’s Resurrection Church in Kaunas is a symbol of the Lithuanian nation’s spiritual revival and regained independence.  The Church is one of the most expressive modernist-style churches in Lithuania, characterized by generalized bulk composition, sharp rhythmic verticals and a distinctive staircase silhouette, in the center of which a 70-meter-high tower rises up toward the heavens. A chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Šiluva graces the roof terrace, which also offers the city’s residents and guests a breathtaking panorama of Kaunas. Dinner and  overnight in the hotel in Kaunas.

5th DAY After the breakfast we go to pilgrimage site of Šiluva . The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in Šiluva in 1608. Children from a nearby village who were keeping sheep in the land of the old church saw, on top of a large rock, a young woman holding a baby in her arms and weeping bitterly. One of the little shepherds ran to fetch Šiluva’s Calvinist catechism teacher. He, together with a teacher named Saliamonas, came to the place of the rock and also saw the young woman crying, just as the shepherds had. Gathering his courage, the catechist asked her: “Young woman, why are you weeping?” She answered, “I’m weeping because my Son used to be worshipped in this place, but now people only plough and sow.” Having said this, she disappeared. News about Mary’s apparition spread rapidly. It is reported that an old blind man, groping around, located the place where the chest with the old church’s deed and other valuables was buried. On finding it, he suddenly regained his sight. From the oldest of times to the present, a steady stream of pilgrims has been flowing to Šiluva. The feast of the Nativity (or “Birth”) of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been celebrated here for nearly 500 years, each time drawing many thousands of pilgrims from all of Lithuania and beyond.  Further  we follow the pilgrim‘s way to  Tytuvėnai - a small town on the scenic plateaus of eastern Samogitia that is famous for the monuments to baroque culture it contains. Tytuvėnai’s Church of Our Lady of the Angels and Bernardine monastery complex are among Lithuania’s largest and most significant specimens of 17th and 18th century sacred architecture, reflecting as they do a multi-layered harmony of the gothic, mannerist and baroque styles. The ensemble consists of a church, a courtyard with the Holy Steps Chapel, and the stone wall of a two-story monastery. The main altar of the church features a painting of the Mother of God and Child which is famed for special. Later in the afternoon we reach The Hill of Crosses - unique and inimitable pilgrimage site, both for its size and for its history. At present, some 200,000 crosses of various sizes adorn the hill. In erecting crosses here by the thousands, people manifest their devotion to Christ, pray for his help and consolation, and mark Lithuania as a Christian land. The Hill of Crosses gained immense significance in the lives of Lithuanian believers during the Soviet era as a place of anonymous yet remarkably persevering resistance to the totalitarian regime. Here in 1993  Pope John Paul II visited and celebrated Holy Mass for a gathering of 100,000 people. We arrive in Šiauliai, where is the Cathedral of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul. The church is Lithuania’s most prominent example of renaissance-mannerist architecture. The image of a well-fortified building was achieved by combining local architectural traditions with examples from Western Europe countries. Dinner and  overnight in the hotel in Siauliai.

6th DAY Breakfast. Today our pilgrimage goes to Samogitian Calvary (or “Žemaičių Kalvarija”). The town’s fame began to spread after a Way of the Cross with 20 stations was created here in 1639. Pilgrims also come for a painting of Mary and the Child Jesus, brought from Rome in the first half of the 17th century and known for special graces, which now hangs at the church’s main altar. Every year more than 70,000 people take part in the Great Indulgenced Feast of Samogitian Calvary. Walking along the Way of the Cross and singing 400-year-old hymns specific to this shrine, they meditate on the meaning and significance of Christ’s passion and death on the Cross. Evening we arrive in Klaipėda. It is the third largest city in the country and the only harbor of Lithuania. Klaipėda was established on an empty shore by the Teutonic Kinghts in 1250s. Invited by the duke of Masovia to convert or destroy the pagan Baltic tribes the Order chose this place as a castle. They called it Memelburg. Memel is the German name for Nemunas river and the early settlers mistakenly believed that the straits connecting the Curonian lagoon to the Baltic Sea are in fact the mouths of that mighty river. We have a short excursion in Old Town and free time. Dinner and  overnight in the hotel in Klaipeda.

7th DAY  Breakfast. We take a ferry to the Curonian Spit. It is a unique nature peninsula indrawn into the UNESCO world heritage, with it‘s sand dunes, pines forest, untouched nature. Neringa (population 4500) is on the narrow peninsula called the Curonian Spit, only some 2 km wide and 98 km long, that was for centuries an area of travelling dunes, the “Lithuanian Sahara”. Few fishing villages that existed there were at a constant threat of being buried by sands. This used to happen regularly and over 10 villages are known to have been consumed by the dunes. Breathtaking dunes such as the Parnidis dune in Nida still exist, but since the 19th century the landscape is dominated by pine forests, a titanic successful attempt by the local people to tame the nature. The former fishing villages of Neringa are now resorts. These are the most authentic seaside villages of Lithuania. Their lagoon coasts are lined by numerous wooden ethnic style fishermen homes, some still adorned by grass roofs. In late 19th century these were joined by elaborate villas as Curonian Spit became a popular summer retreat. Famous artists such as the German writer Thomas Mann spent their holidays in these buildings (his villa in Nida is now a museum). Small neo-gothic Lutheran churches of Nida (1888) and Juodkrantė (1885) are where the elite of those days prayed. In Juodkrantė the German mass is still held in Sundays. Among the few recent additions is the wooden Nida Roman Catholic church of 2003, a great example of how it is possible for a building to conform with the scenery that surrounds it. Despite all the changes in the past century fishing is still important (albeit for tourist industry rather than subsistence) and there is a great number of stores and restaurants offering freshly caught fish. On the way back  in Juodkrante we visit the Witch Hill, where wooden sculptures familiarize us to the characters of Lithuanian fairy tales.  Dinner and overnight in a hotel in Vilnius.

7th DAY Breakfast. Departure to the airport.  

Package price:
  8 -10 persons –  990 Eur pp
  12-15 persons -  890 Eur pp
 16-20 persons – 790 Eur pp

Rates are in EURO, Non Commissionable & Nett per Person to Operate the Tour on DBL / TWIN Sharing Basis Valid From 01st October 2012 to 31st May 2013

Extras:

1 day tour to Riga (Latvia) + accommodation + meals ~ 250 Eur pp

1 day tour to Aglona (Latvia's pilgrimage site) + accommodation + meals ~200 Eur pp

1 day tour to Tallinn (Estonia) + accommodation + meals ~ 250 Eur pp

Package includes :

• Meeting and assistance by our representative – guide in all the tour.
• Holy Mass bookings for the pilgrims groups with the priest.
• Special meetings with local Christian communities or clergy if demanded.
• Accommodation in Hotels centrally located, superior class in DBL / Twin Room.
• Daily breakfast and dinner at hotel and lunches in local restaurants.
• Local English speaking guide during sight seeing.
• Entrance fees to the monuments.
• All Transport service according the itinerary by an air-conditioned coach or minibus (according the group size).

Exclusions:

• 200 Eur / SGL room supplement
• Tips, gratuities, Portage, laundry, telephone calls, table drinks, camera/ video camera charges, or any other expenses of a personal nature.
• Airfares, Visa fees, personal insurance or airport taxes
• Any item not specified under cost includes.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• If the visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
• In case of issuing  International air tickets, we are not responsible for any  refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.
• Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.

You may choose your tour date according  Christian, traditional or cultural events in Lithuania:

January: New Year,  Three kings celebrations, Orthodox  Christmas.
February: Independence day, Beginning of Lent season – Carnavals.
March: St Casimir celebration and the spring market in Vilnius
April: Easter markets, special programes of classical music.
May: Annual International Folk Festival “Skamba Skamba Kankliai”
June: Midsummer  - St John Night celebration in every corner of Lithuania
July: Crowning of King Mindaugas – State Day, Pilgrimage to Samogitian Calvary.
August: St.Christofer music festival and Herbal day, Pilgrimage to Pazaislis.
September: Pilgrimage to Siluva – Holy Mary’s place. Capital days with Vilnius, fair in old town,
October: Pilgrimage to Divine Mercy Chapel and St. Faustina Kovalska places in Vilnius. Autumn markets. Opera, theatre festivals.
November: Pilgrimage to the Gates of Dawn  in Vilnius – Mother of Mercy  celebration.
December: Real snowy Christmas celebrations.

Pilgrimage - cultural tours can be done according to your requests, different places, duration, service. Do not hesitate to contact us and to say your demands.