July 26, Friday

10.00 a.m. First meeting

12.00 a.m. Opening reception.Short presentation of the program, making acquaintances, etc.

July 27–28, Saturday–Sunday

The Sea Festival 2013 weekend starts in Klaipeda: a unique cultural and entertaining program. The whole town celebrates that weekend almost non-stop. The festival is famous in Lithuania and abroad and attracts lots of guests.

The course students participate on their own and/or with student mentors. Possibility to practice language buying things. Practicing finding places in the town.

July 29, Monday

15.00–17.00 City tour with a guide in Lithuanian and English.  Simple practicing going around in the town.

July 31, Wednesday

16.00–17.00 Interactive lecture in the UniversityFolkArt Museum.

17.00–20.00 International party. Presentation of participants’ countries and national cuisine. Lithuanian favourite snacks. Lithuanian songs and dances.

August 1, Thursday

Celebration of city anniversary in the OldTown. Handicraft market and a special cultural and entertainment program bringing you back to the Medieval Ages. Participation with the mentors.

August 3, Saturday

10.00 a.m. – 19.00 p.m. Trip to Neringa National Park. The Hill of Witches, full of mythology and fairy tales, is something that you can see only here; visit to the Dead Dunes, the Golden Dune, Thomas Mann`s house, Lighthouse, the Baltic sea and the Curonian lagoon.

August 6, Tuesday

14.00-16.00 Interactive lecture “Lithuania in  Europe and in the world: the past and the present”.

August 9–11, Friday–Sunday

Trip through Lithuania: Kaunas, Vilnius, Kernavė, and Trakai (present and former capitals of Lithuania)

08-09 14.00 p.m. Klaipėda → Kaunas

Kaunas, Lithuanian capital in 1919-1939.

Kaunas. Excursion in the Old Town. Night in a guest house.

08-10 Kaunas → Rumšiškės → Vilnius

Excursion in Rumšiškės Ethnographic museum in the open air.

Rumšiškės → Trakai

Trakai is the old capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (XIV century), a town surrounded by three lakes.

Lunch in Trakai (students pay on their own).

Excursion in Trakai castle, free time.

Trakai → Vilnius

Vilnius, the capital of modern Lithuania (1322-1919 and 1939-)

Free time. Night in a guest house.

08-11 Vilnius → Kernavė → Klaipėda

Excursion in VilniusOldTown (in Lithuanian and English).

Free time in VilniusOldTown.

Vilnius → Kernavė

Kernavė, the first known Lithuanian capital (XIV).

On Kernavė mound we will have a lecture in the open air, “Formation of the LithuanianState”, with an inspiring view of hills as background.

Kernavė → Klaipėda

Snacks and meals during the trip on your own..

Back to Klaipėda on Monday at 20.00

August 14–15, Wednesday–Thursday

Trip to Western Lithuania

Leaving time: 14 Aug, 14 p.m.

Back in Klaipėda:   15 Aug, 19.00 p.m.

During the trip you will get acquainted with the ethnographical region of Žemaitija, its culture and history, the mixture of Christian and pagan religions in the culture and traditions. We will sing Lithuanian songs and will have practical Lithuanian lessons.

Aug 14 Klaipeda  → Plateliai: National nature reservation, Soviet Missile base museum.  Lithuanian party with local folk musicians: songs and dances and national cuisine at a rural tourism farmstead.

Night at a rural tourism farmstead.

Aug 15, non-working day in Lithuania (Žolinė).

Language class in the open air: language teaching games, other related language learning activities.

Villages Plateliai and Beržoras: Folk Art museum, participation on the Žolinė holiday, free time in nature.

Doing of the home tasks assigned during the trip.

August 17–18, Saturday–Sunday

Free time and trip on your own. Students have possibility to visit Palanga (a favorite place of Lithuanians in summer. The AmberMuseum, the Botanical Garden), Kretinga or Šventoji.

August 19, Monday

15.00-20.00 Meeting a Lithuanian family at home. Fulfilment of special language tasks.

August 22, Thursday

15.00–17.00 Watching a Lithuanian film/theatre performance and discussion

August 23, Friday

Closing event. Farewell barbecue in the Botanical Garden of the University. Folk party with dances and songs.