Medieval design with fresh brickwork

Driving the snaking and picturesque route along the Lithuanian border with Belarus stands the fantastically grand Medinikai castle, towering in the highlands on the “roof” of Lithuania. The castle is owned by the Trakai History Museum, but Medininkai is practically unkown – as opposed to Trakai which features on practically every postcard in Lithuania. The castle’s watchtower was rebuilt in 2012 (the CE mark on the bricks give away the fact that this was no centuries-old craftsmanship) and now houses a five-storey museum on the castle’s history, and from the top you can see across to Belarus just a stones’ throw to the East, and the gently rolling hills of wheat and flax. For a more authentic knights-and-armour medieval experience, Medininkai is definitely preferable to Trakai. Also the complete absence of souvenirs, tat, and castle-related commerce around the site is refreshing. It may be worth checking the castle’s website to see if there’s a battle re-enactment scheduled, since that would certainly make for an unforgettable visit. While you’re there, it’s worth popping by Aukštojas hill – Lithuania’s highest alp at 294 metres, marked by a stone and a viewing tower at the edge of a forest a few minutes south of Medininkai. And it’s all just a little over half an hours’ drive from Vilnius.