Tasting tour: Customs and dishes of Klaipeda region
2-day trips to the Lithuanian seaside. During this trip we will visit Klaipeda – the ice-free Lithuanian port. We will take a walk through the streets of this city’s old town, which will impress you with its own and coziness. Each of them is unique, adorned with the architecture of the port city, among which you can even see the façade buildings typical of German cities. The streets of the Old Town are also decorated with extraordinary sculptures: a “Magic Mouse” fulfilling desires, a “Cat in the Face of a Gentleman” with extraordinary powers, a chimney sweep and the saga of his success, a pot of money promising wealth. We will see the symbol of this city – the sailing ship “Meridian”.
At the Klaipėda castle site we will be greeted by one of the most impressive sculptures in the world – “Ghost”. we will see the only engineering heritage of more than a hundred years on the Baltic coast – a swivel bridge and find out how many times a day it is swiveled so far. In the museums located in the basement of the castle, we will learn the history of the castle that stood here and the town located next to it.
In the blacksmith’s museum we will get acquainted with the art of blacksmithing typical of this region and see what works are born in the hands of blacksmiths. In the museum we will also see the tools and dumples used by blacksmiths, we will learn about their work and we will be able to be blacksmiths ourselves and make Curonian jewelry for ourselves.
The Museum of the History of Lithuania Minor, which is located in one of the oldest houses in the Old Town, was built in the 18th century. pab. Here you will be able to get acquainted with the pagan and Christian culture of the country, wander the maps of old cartograms, understand how East Prussia and Klaipeda region formed. You will see old Klaipeda in postcards and photographs. Paintings by artists are exhibited here. And those interested in the crafts of this region will see not only what the people of this region adorned, but also what hives were tied to bees from straw.
The next day we will go on the shore of the Curonian Lagoon and travel to Dreverna, where we will visit Jonas Gižas ethnographic homestead – the only shipyard’s remaining homestead in Lithuania. In the museum’s exposition “After opening the ship’s chest …” we will introduce the subtleties of the ship’s craft, opening the chest of the master’s tools and visiting the stylized workshops. Boats and fishing are an integral part of Jonas Gižas’ daily life, therefore the museum presents the history and traditions of the Pomeranian region, characterizes the types of ships, the peculiarities of their construction, fishing traditions and the catch of fishermen. From the Dreverna observation tower we will look at the distance of the Curonian Lagoon and see the silhouette of the Curonian Spit on the horizon.
We will go to Ventė Cape, where Ventė Cape Ornithological Station is established. A bird migration route takes place through this promontory. Here we will see the traps that catch the birds, they are ringed and released again. Experienced ornithologists will tell you why birds need to be ringed and who needs this information. Well, of course, I will tell you about the birds themselves. Or maybe even you can ring them yourself.
In the authentic Šilutė Hugo Šojus manor-museum we will learn about the dishes of Lithuanians or so-called ššioniškiai. During the session, unique fragments of everyday life and life of Klaipėda region will be presented, the main attention will be paid to the culinary heritage of Lithuania Minor. The period from the 17th century is reviewed until the beginning of the 20th century The life of the residents of Klaipėda region, which determined the eating habits of the residents and formed a culinary heritage, is briefly presented. We will introduce cooking tools in more detail. During the session we will enjoy the culinary heritage of the Lithuanian region. We will taste palatagė’s feast, we will have Ššioniškės coffee (coffee), tija (tea) and cake or pucelli (donuts). Or, during the session, we will be introduced to unique fragments of the East Prussian manor, focusing on the culinary heritage of Lithuania Minor. The life of the manor is different, it is mysterious… The lady will tell intriguing stories and teach the secrets of the manor etiquette. Of course, you will be invited to the dining room, where you will be offered to serve the side dishes prepared by the maid – aunt’s cake and coffee.
