“You know more about my family than I do,” said my 70-year old fellow traveller with tears in his eyes as I turned onto the road for his grandparents’ birthplace of Rietavas which was on the way from Klaipėda to Vilnius. I am sure, that day changed his life for ever. And mine, also.
A few Jewish heritage and family traces tours in pictures:
Tour to Pokroy and Ponevezh
A sensitive and very meaningful one day trip visiting Pokroy (Pakruojis) and Ponevezh (Panevėžys) with some stops in Kovne (Kaunas, the Ninth Fort), Keidan (Kėdainiai) and Shadeve (Šeduva, the site of the Lost Shtetl). The 95 yo father of the traveller had a chance to see his hometown via Skype.
Ninth Fort in Kaunas 
Winter Synagogue in Keidan 
Inside the Keidan Winter Synagogue 
Me 🙂 
Ich bin Keidaner! 
Keidan Jewish history exhibition 
In the Old Town of Keidan 
Lost Shtetl: Shadeve Jewish Cemetery 
Lost Shtetl: Museum still under construction (2023) 
Lost Shtetl: Checking how it’s going on (2023) 
Mass murder site in Pokroy 
We found a house of the ancestors in Pokroy! 
Pokroy Synagogue 
Connecting the family via Skype 
At Benyamin Zuskin memorial plaque in Ponevezh.
Tour to Khveidan and Gorzhd
This day trip to Khveidan (Kvėdarna) and Gorzhd (Gargždai) was planned for a few years. Not much left in these shtetls, but we have stood in the placesbwhere the grandparents of the guest used to spend their childhood. We started in Vilnius and ended up in Klaipėda.
Vilna, Zhezhmer, Kovne, Keidan, Pokroy
This was a part of a Baltic Tour organized by a travel agency including a Jewish tour. We spent a day in Vilna (with Ponar) and Troki, and travelled to Riga with a few en-route stops in Zhezhmer, Keidan and Pokroy, and an overnight in Kovne. As the travellers were extremely interested in the Litvak heritage, we made some extra stops in Rozaliye (Rozalimas), Linkeve (Linkuva) and Zheimel (Žeimelis)
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 
Former synagogue in Rozalimas || Rozaliye 
Inside Pokroy Synagogue 
Synagogue in Linkuva || Linkeve 
A short stop in Zheimel || Žeimelis
Tour to Martsinkantsy
This trip in 2023 was really a challenge, as the guests, two cousins, made their third or fourth visit to their parents’ homeland.
We had a perfect tour with a lot information to share to each other, and now I have a new guest from the same family in 2024.
Can’t wait!
Tour to Telz via Kovne and Keidan
A tour to Telz visiting Kovne (Kaunas) and Keidan (Kėdainiai). Telz was famous among religious Jews for its’ yeshivah
Tour to Yanishok and Obolnik
We started in Radvilishok (Radviliškis) and had a transfer to Vilnius visiting Yanishok (Joniškis) and Obolnik (Vabalninkas).
Joniškis White synagogue 
Joniškis Red Synagogue 
In the synagogue in Yanishok 
In the synagogue in Yanishok 
Forshmak in VIRTIENIŲ RESTORANĖLIS in Yanishok (Joniškis) 
We have finally met! Neringa from VIRTIENIŲ RESTORANĖLIS in Yanishok (Joniškis) 
Joniškis Jewish cemetery 
Holocaust memorial near Joniškis 
Two synagogues in Vabalninkas 
Vabalninkas winter synagogue 
Famous Obolnik Jews in Vabalninkas museum
Have you ever thought to visit your family’s home shtetl?
Probably NOW is the TIME
You can integrate your Jewish route into the standart Baltic Countries tour or spend a weekend in Lithuania travelling from anywhere in Europe.
Guiding prices (up to 6 persons, including car and driver) 2024:
Half day (4-5 hrs) from 300 Euros
Whole day (8-10 hrs) from 450 Euros
Half day walking tour on Jewish Vilna from 160 Euros
Emotions
“Ausra in Vilnius is a top star and everybody fades in comparison to her. My last couple were very impressed with her.”
Dora from the travel agency, a Jewish tour in September 2023
Litvak Shtetls 