Lake view

The view from the Uzutrakis manor is magnificent; a large lake and in the background to the left the Trakai Castle, where tomorrow's post will go.

Restoration in progress

That the Uzutrakis Manor House needs a caring hand is obvious, if it's going to rise in its former glory. A big part was already restored but certain areas was still being worked on.

Manor of Uzutrakis

Another Lithuanian manor house that is finding another use; the Manor of Uzutrakis near the old capitol of Trakai. When I visited it thanks to local help, it was in the middle of undergoing serious restoration. It was built in 1896 - 1901 by Polish architect Josef Huss for the Tyszkiewicz family, later annexed by the Soviets and occupied by the German Wehrmacht during WWII. After the war it was used by the KGB as a sanatorium for high ranking officers, later as a rest home and a young pioneer's camp. Until the Lithuanian independence it was finally used by a Soviet tourist enterprise. Now it will rise in its former glory as an art museum, when the restoration is finished.

Conversion of a mansion

The Lithuanian countryside is littered with big, old mansions from before WWII. These mansions were either left to decay or converted into public buildings when the Soviets took over. Now some of the ruined ones are being restored to former glory and used as museums. This one, the Verkiai Palace, was long the residence of the bishops of Vilnius. The first manor here was built in the 13th century by the Grand Duke of Lithuania. After WWII, the remaining palace buildings were used as educational institutions and an art museum. With a nice restaurant and a big park, it's a popular refuge for many citizens from Vilnius.