This Jewish heritage tour through Lithuania connects Vilnius and Riga, offering a journey through former shtetls. Over three days, we explored:
Day 1. Vilnius (a walking tour): the Jewish Quarter, two ghettos, the site of the Great Synagogue, the monument dedicated to the Gaon of Vilna, the Choral Synagogue, etc.
Day 2. Vilnius – Paneriai – Trakai – Žiežmariai – Kaunas
- Paneriai (Ponar): the Holocaust Memorial.
- Žiežmariai (Zhezhmer): the beautifully restored wooden synagogue.
- Kaunas: including the Ninth Fort, Slobodka, and Jewish memory sites.
Day 3. Kaunas – Kėdainiai – Rozalimas – Pakruojis – Linkuva – Žeimelis – Riga
- Kėdainiai (Keidan): a well-preserved historical town with deep Jewish heritage. We explored a complex of former synagogues and walked along the Jewish street.
- Pakruojis (Pokroy): a stop at reconstructed Baroque wooden synagogue.
The travelers had a strong interest in Jewish history, so we added extra stops to visit abandoned former synagogues in Rozalimas (Rozaliye) and Linkuva (Linkeve). The last stop in Lithuania was Žeimelis (Zheimel) near the border with Latvia.
Inside the Choral Synagogue in Vilnius 
Heading towards the Old Jewish quarter in Vilnius 
The Jewish museum in Vilnius 
Ponar || Paneriai Holocaust memorial 
Trakai Castle 
Karaim houses in Trakai 
Zhezhmer Jewish cemetery 
Inside the wooden synagogue in Zhezhmer 
Kaunas Synagogue 
Kaunas 
9 Fort in Kaunas 
Keidan 
Former synagogue in Rozalimas || Rozaliye 
Inside Pokroy Synagogue 
Synagogue in Linkuva || Linkeve 
A short stop in Zheimel || Žeimelis
Interested in a Jewish heritage tour between Vilnius or Kaunas and Riga?
Let’s plan this journey together! We will historical Jewish sites, former shtetls, synagogues, cemeteries, and Holocaust memorials along the route. If you’re traveling from Vilnius or Kaunas to Riga, I can help you plan your route.
Litvak Shtetls 