TRAKAI AND VILNIUS DISTRICTS MULTICULTURALISM AND PILGRIMAGE THE HILL OF ANGELS GPS: 54°40'37"N 24°55'39"E Address: Angelų kalvos str., Būda village, Trakai eldership, Trakai district municipality ABOUT The Hill of Angels rises up near Būda village, which is surrounded ty, the Baltic road, etc. Your angel is on the Hill too, and you must by the Galvė lakes. It has been decorated with wooden angels, pay him a visit. people's prayers and folk songs. This is a place for fostering The oak angel sculptures were created by Lithuanian and foreign human devotion and spirituality. It is spotted with plenty of finely artists and reflect traditional wood carving. Angels created from crafted wooden angel sculptures, wrought sun-like crosses and other materials appear on the Hill, too. In 2015, the Angel of life trees decorated with traditional national symbols. Orphans, whose head is made of granite, came here. In 2017, the In 2009, Dominyka Dubauskaitė-Semionovė and Lolita Piličiaus- Angel of Librarians, made out of metal, also joined the collection. kaitė-Navickienė decided to honour the celebration of Lithuania’s Sculptures give meaning to the ideas embraced by their donors 1000th anniversary and the 600th anniversary of the Basilica of and reflect the message carried by the angels. It is an ongoing the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Trakai. Plans were project that aims to fulfil the spiritual needs of people. Everyone made to place ten angels on the Hill where each of them would is invited to participate in its development by providing special represent a different century. The kindness and generosity of meaning to his/her thoughts, prayers or important moral values. people interested in the idea surpassed all possible expectations The Hill of Angels is an open space for visitors. It offers a of the initiators. As a result, 18 angel sculptures found a new magnificent view of a landscape. Forests, lakes, the castle, the home on the Hill! church and the Orthodox church are visible in the distance. Today, the area of 4.3 hectares hosts over 40 magnificent What else makes the Hill of Angels so special? If you take a bird’s sky-greeting wooden angels of all sizes, roadsite poles. The angels eye view of the territory, you may see an angel with its wings embody one of the human truths, fundamental human or spread. The Angel’s legs and body are shaped by lakes Galvė, Christian values: Life, Truth, Peace, Empathy, Sacrifice, Love, Totoriškės and Luka (or Bernardinai), the spread wings – by lakes Health, Joy, Gratitude, Hope, Kindness, etc. The angels include Skaistis and Akmena, and the Hill of Angels is the Angel’s head! those that are the patrons of families, science, spiritual tranquilli- 2 THE LEGEND THE VISION When God was creating the region of Trakai, he was assisted by This place brings together and unites local people, families, the Angel of Compassion. When water filled the imprints of God’s professional and other communities. As the number of the angels fingers in the ground, many lakes of different shapes appeared. on the Hill continues to grow, each visitor may undoubtedly find The Angel was mesmerised by the beauty of the crystal-clear his/her spirit at ease here while praying or enjoying time in a waters, the abundance of fish and breathtakingly colourful birds unique place of unity of art and soul. diving in the waves. Thinking that the Angel of Compassion had A sacred music festival ‘Chants Resound on the Hill of Angels’ and lost his head because of these lakes, brothers turned to God. The other community celebrations are organised here each year. Creator calmed them with a wave of his hand and said: in the spot where one is able to see three places where God is worshipped, he will regain his head! With that, the earth started trembling, the NEARBY: heavens started shaking, and a hill appeared. All the surrounding WWW.ANGELUKALVA.LT lakes joined it forming the Angel's body and wide-spread wings. The Angel of Compassion woke up and after having realised that the Hill of Angels was his lost head from God’s prophecy he said: “There will be more and more angels on the hill. They will protect Trakai and all of Lithuania, and Trakai will become a path to spread kindness and love!" 3 TRAKAI CENTRE OF REGIONAL TRADITIONAL CRAFTS GPS: 54°38'56"N 24°55'56"E Address: Karaimų str. 41, Trakai town, Trakai eldership, Trakai district municipality ABOUT The history of Trakai Region is characterised by the diversity of professional craftsmen help participants enhance their skills in a people of various nationalities who have been living peacefully variety of areas. A variety of products can be purchased at the together for many centuries. Since the times of the Grand Duke of souvenir shop. Lithuania Vytautas (14th-15th centuries), people of many national- One of the ways to ensure the continuity of traditional crafts is ities (Karaites, Georgians, Tatars and others) moved to Trakai through educational programmes. These are practical classes and following the Duke’s invitation. As a result, a variety of traditional their length varies between one and a few hours. They give an houses of prayer for every minority appeared there. The town opportunity to learn or excel in a wide range of skills. These blossomed in new cultural traditions, customs and useful crafts include bread or kibinai baking, wool felting, shaping soap, emerging together with the Tatar mosque, the Karaite kenesa, producing straw decorations, creating various sorts of tea or Orthodox churches, Ukrainian Greek Catholic and Catholic weaving bands or carpets. During classes participants can make churches. decorative creations such as ornaments and toys made of straw, In 2015, the Trakai Centre of Regional Traditional Crafts started its angels carved from wood or plant-decorated wooden articles. activity introducing the colourful national cultural heritage and During the Stone Incantation class one can learn more about the providing an excellent opportunity to learn a wide range of crafts. meaning of the signs and colours used by the Balts in ancient Its main objective is to preserve traditions and holiday making times, while the Dream-Reading Doll class participants explore them interesting to both Trakai residents and visitors to the town. the history of puppet making, traditions surrounding Lithuanian It is important to emphasise the cultural heritage of all nations national costumes and the secrets of the dream-reading world. that live in Trakai (Lithuanians, Karaites, Georgians and Tatars). There is a charge for these educational programmes and they are Trakai Centre of Regional Traditional Craft brings together held in the Lithuanian, Russian, Polish and English languages. craftsmen from Trakai District, provides consultancy about their Each participant of the educational programme is provided with a crafts and craftsmanship certification, displays their creations by certificate of a beginner craftsman. organising educational programmes, celebrations and fairs, and 4 COOKING TREASURES EDUCATIONAL TRIPS AND CAMPS The list of traditional crafts of Trakai District would never be A variety of walking, biking and boat trips are organised. During complete without the local cuisine heritage, thus, the centre offers the winter months, the centre invites everyone to take a walk on a variety of culinary lessons. Visitors will be given the opportunity the frozen Lake Galvė and to the legends told about the lake itself to learn the secrets of making the Karaite kibins or chamur dolma, and its islands. Those wishing to learn one of the oldest crafts, a homemade dumpling soup. Also, you will find out more about which is bee keeping, should take the quiet forest path to the famous dishes including Tatar chak-chak, Georgian khachapuri or ethnographic village of Tiltai. The Centre also organises bike trips khinkali. Guests will master cooking traditions of the Dzūkija to visit the manor of the Count Tyszkiewicz family. Passing Region by baking rye bread, the buckwheat cake babka, through the hills, gravel roads and meadows Trakų Vokė, home-made honey cakes or ring-shaped rolls in an ancient oven. Lentvaris and Užutrakis can be reached. In summertime, creative In winter, visitors are invited to learn more about Christmas Eve children’s camp programmes are organised. Small groups dishes, customs and games and bake kūčiukai, traditional provide new opportunities for communication and self-expres- Lithuanian pastries served on Christmas Eve. In preparation for sion. Camp activities encourage children’s creativity and indepen- Easter, you could attend a lesson on the art of Easter egg painting dence, form national self-awareness and strengthen ethno-cul- and learn more about the meaning of colours, symbols and other tural values. The camp children are introduced to traditional aspects of this craft. Before the shortest night of the year, which crafts, their history and the significance of fostering them. occurs on Saint John’s Eve, the Tea Lab educational class will capture your senses with a variety of flavours and exclusive NEARBY: ancient tea-making recipes. WWW.TRAKUKRASTAS.LT 5 ST. JOHN OF NEPOMUK ROADSITE POLE GPS: 54°38'39"N 24°56'08"E Address: The crossing of Vytauto and Karaimų streets, Trakai town, Trakai eldership, Trakai district municipality ABOUT The town of Trakai is surrounded by many lakes, and for centuries surface and stored it safely in the museum storage facility. Four St. John of Nepomuk has been its patron Saint; he is said to clocks were installed on the pillar as replacements for the statue, protect the town from flooding and other water-related but they broke down shortly after: they all showed different time.