Kernavė is the city from which Lithuania began. Kernavė; it is the ancient capital of the Duchy of Lithuania, located on the banks of the Neris River. The picturesque hills of Kernavė are one of the visiting cards of Lithuanian tourism.
What is so surprising about Kernavė? Kernavė, first mentioned in chronicles in the 13th century, is a unique place, a kind of the cradle of the Lithuanian people. Archaeological research that has been and is still being conducted in Kernavė has proved that people have been settling in this area for ten thousand years before the first written records. The hills of Kernavė and the artifacts found on the territory of the former city have become the main part of the reserve, which the Lithuanian authorities created in order to preserve the unique environment. Today the Kernave reserve covers more than 200 hectares. The uniqueness of the first center of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania has been noted by UNESCO, which included Kernavė in the list of world cultural heritage.
The preserve also includes the territory of Kernavė town itself. Tourists can see the picturesque neo-Gothic Kernavė Church, built in the 30s of the 20th century to commemorate the five hundredth anniversary of the Lithuanian Prince Vitovt. It was reconstructed in place of the former 14th-century church, the remains of which were discovered during excavations and which was named after the great Lithuanian prince.
One of the main exhibits in Kernav is his museum. The museum is located in the building of the former elementary school. It has a rich collection of archaeological, ethnographic and photographic exhibits. They show the historical milestones that took place in the fate of Kernavé. At the moment the museum is closed for restoration. It is planned to reopen in 2009.
For several decades Kernavė has been a traditional venue of various festivals; celebrations devoted to Lithuanian history and Lithuanian rituals. Most of the festivals are held in summer. For example, on July 6, Kernavė becomes the national center of the state holiday of Lithuania; the Coronation Day of the Prince Mindovg. Kernavė hosts one of the largest archaeological festivals in the Baltic States and Eastern Europe – the Days of Living Archaeology – as part of the Coronation Day celebrations.
