Lithuania – Aukštojas Hill (294 m) A quiet, friendly pause between long roads
🕒 Summit at 16:00
📍 Coordinates: 54°31′43″N, 25°37′37″E
🗺️ Route: Short walk from Medininkai village to Aukštojas Hill monument
🚗 Transport to region: 269 km total
• 52 km taxi Dzyarzhynskaya Hara → Minsk
• 184 km bus Minsk → Vilnius Airport
• 33 km drive Vilnius Airport → Aukštojas Hill
💤 Accommodation: Apartment in Minsk (night of 29/30 August)
🌤️ Conditions: Mild, sunny, light breeze — peaceful late-summer weather
🚖 From tension to calm
After the intense border ordeal and long day at Dzyarzhynskaya Hara, I returned to Minsk with the same taxi driver who had brought me there earlier. Renting a small apartment in the city felt like luxury, a bed, silence, and time to breathe.
That evening, I walked through Minsk’s clean, wide boulevards, taking photos, grabbing food, and enjoying the stillness of a place that only a day before had felt so intimidating. For the first time in a while, I allowed myself to rest properly.
🚗 North to Lithuania
The next morning, I boarded a bus bound for Vilnius Airport, crossing the border into Lithuania with surprising ease, no long queues, no tension, just calm officers and open skies.
From Vilnius, I rented a small car and began driving east toward Medininkai, a quiet village near the border. Along the way, I picked up two Polish hitchhikers heading in the same direction. They joined me for the short walk to Lithuania’s highest point, a nice reminder of how spontaneous travel connections can turn a simple stop into a shared memory.
🏞️ Gentle hill, gentle moment
We reached the Aukštojas Hill summit at 16:00, under a soft golden sun and a cool afternoon breeze. A wooden viewing platform marked the top, surrounded by open forest and peaceful fields. There was no noise, no rush, just calm conversation and quiet laughter with my unexpected companions.
After a few photos and a brief rest, I drove them back toward Vilnius before returning to prepare for the next leg of the expedition.
📅 Date: 30 August 2025
