Tasting in Kedainiai: Radvilas cities and a feast worthy of dukes
We will start the trip from Kėdainiai. It is one of the oldest cities in Lithuania, located on the picturesque According to legends, the name Kėdainiai is derived from the name of the rich merchant Keidangen, who came from Curonia and founded a small fishing village.
Kėdainiai flourished during the reign of the Radvilas and sometimes the city is still called the city of Radvilas. In the time of the Radvils, Kėdainiai was famous as a center of crafts and trade and a city of many nations, various denominations and cultures. There were 6 national and 6 denominational communities here. The city was home to one of the largest Scottish communities in the Baltic and Scandinavian region, the Germans had their own self-government, and a large Jewish community was central throughout Samogitia. The world-famous Vilnius Gaon, Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, later studied at the rabbinical school that operated here.
Kėdainiai is one of the few Lithuanian cities with a unique old town. Here is preserved a historical network of streets, four shopping squares, a number of valuable buildings with Renaissance, Baroque and Classicist features 17th – 19th century.
One such building is Kėdainiai Light Gymnasium (Gimnasium Illustre). It was still in the 17th century founded by Kristupas Radvila. The gymnasium was taught by the most famous teachers of the time, and the curricula were prepared according to the latest trends of the time. The owners of the town sought to establish a Protestant high school here, so the decoration of the gymnasium is the inner courtyard under a glass dome, surrounded by arches, often reminiscent of Vilnius University.
In the streets of the impressive old town, let’s go towards the Renaissance-style Evangelical Reformed Church, which has been standing here since the 17th century. It has preserved Renaissance oak pulpit, richly ornamented with intricate carvings, oak panels in the side niches and an impressive chandelier. One of the Radvils was brought here as a spoil of war from Smolensk. After descending to the basement of the church, we will enter the mausoleum of the Radvila family of dukes. This is the only grave of the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of the century in Lithuania!
Kėdainiai was Jonušas Radvila’s favorite city, which he made a kind of Reformed center. Therefore, we will taste dishes that are made according to the best recipes of Radvila chefs. From the main dishes you can choose stewed pike with vegetables and “fasting” cracklings or beef “zrazas” with parsnips. For dessert, we will taste a somewhat unusual dessert for our time, but with a taste that is not inferior to them – sauerkraut cake with cranberry sauce. We will taste cherry sugar and drink homemade bread kvass.
We continue our tour in the so-called city of dukes Radvilas – Biržai. This is the northernmost territory of Lithuania, located near Latvia. Biržai people sometimes joke that they visit Riga more often than Vilnius, because they are closer to it. The city has the oldest pond in Lithuania, which has long been called a real lake – Širvėna, where dukes grew water-nut agar (lot.Trapa natans), which has already disappeared in Lithuania.
We will visit the only Italian type bastion fortress 16th century in Lithuania – Biržai Castle. The fortress and the city formed a single defensive complex that saw many battles. Two witty maids of dukes lead us to the palace of Biržai Castle, from whose tongues the most secret stories spread through the vaults of the palace halls, and their curiosity will allow us to even open the door to the duchess’s boudoir.
Let’s travel towards Lake Širvėna, where we will cross the longest pedestrian bridge in Lithuania, the length of which is even 525 m! Lake Širvėna is the oldest artificial water body formed in Lithuania in the 16th century. after damming two rivers flowing through Biržai and guarding the fortress and the city accesses.
