Classic Car Road Trip

Three Classic Minis on a road trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania

A Mini Authi, a Mini MPI and a Mini SPI – three Classic Minis setting off on a road trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania to attend the International Mini Meeting (IMM) at Zarasai, a town in Lithuania. Our journey took us through Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, visiting several historic landmarks and UNESCO World Heritage Sites along the way. Before reaching Berlin, we stopped in Hildesheim, famous for its cathedral and St. Michael's Church. Our first major stop was Berlin, a vibrant city renowned for its rich history and unique landmarks. Although we had visited Berlin before, exploring the city in a Classic Mini was a completely new experience. We drove to the iconic Brandenburg Gate, visited the imposing Holocaust Memorial, and explored the Museumsinsel, as well as several palaces and parks in Potsdam. 

From Berlin, we continued our road trip towards the Wolfsschanze – the Wolf's Lair –the former bunker complex of Adolf Hitler near the village of Gierłoż in Poland. Driving into Lithuania, our next stop was the Trakai Island Castle, an important national symbol of Lithuania. On the road to Zarasai, we visited the Geographical Centre of Europe, and we also parked our Classic Mini next to one of the station points of the Struve Geodetic Arc, situated at Meškonys. From the IMM campsite at Zarasai, we made a road trip into south-eastern Latvia to visit Daugavpils. From here, we drove along the scenic banks of the River Daugava, also known as the Western Dvina. The Daugava is the largest river in Latvia; it flows into the Baltic Sea at Riga. We also made a trip to the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant near Visaginas, before returning to Zarasai.

After the IMM, we made a long drive from Zarasai in Lithuania to Warsaw in a single day. We stayed near Warsaw for a few days to explore the outstandingly restored historic centre of the Polish capital. The final stop on this classic car road trip was the stunning medieval town of Quedlinburg in Germany, situated just north of the Harz Mountains. From Quedlinburg, we completed the final leg of our journey back to the Netherlands. After two weeks and almost 5,000 km on the road, we completed our road trip and arrived home safely, having successfully completed another epic adventure.

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1. 

   Classic Car Road Trip: A Mini Authi, a Mini MPI and a Mini SPI – three classic Minis belonging to the same family – on trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania. On our way to our first stop in Berlin, we visited the former border crossing Helmstedt-Marienborn, known during the Cold War as Checkpoint Alpha. This was the largest and most important border crossing between former West and East Germany. After the reunification of Germany in 1990, the border crossing became a museum.

2. 

   Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: In our 1974 Mini Authi, we drove past the Brandenburg Gate in  Berlin, Germany. The gate was built in 1788 and is the only surviving city gate in Berlin. During the Second World War, the gate was situated in the Soviet-occupied zone. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the iconic Brandenburg Gate was restored to its former glory and became a symbol of the reunification between East and West Germany.

3. 

   Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: Our three Classic Minis are parked next to a former watchtower of the Berlin Wall. During our journey, we stayed for a few nights at City Camp 2 in Kleinmachnow near Berlin. The tower has been converted into the reception building of the camping area. The campsite is situated in the former death strip between East and West Berlin and near the former Checkpoint Bravo at Dreilinden, one of the largest border crossings on the motorway between the GDR and West Germany.

4. 

   Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: In Berlin, we visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, also known as the Holocaust Monument. After years of political debate, the monument was opened in 2005. It covers an area of 19,000 m² and consists of 2,711 concrete slabs of different heights, which vary from a few centimetres to five metres. There is also an underground information centre. It is situated near the Brandenburg Gate.

5. 

   Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: From Berlin, we travelled about 25 kilometres to Potsdam in our Classic Mini Authi to visit the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Church. The iconic church is situated in the Russian Colony Alexandrowka and was originally built for the Russian inhabitants of this historic settlement. It was established in the 1820s for Russian prisoners of war after the Napoleonic era. The Alexander Nevsky Church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin.

6. 

   Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: From Berlin, we drove our Classic Minis non-stop to Gierłoż, a small Polish village east of Kętrzyn. After a long drive of approximately 700 kilometres, we arrived at the campsite, a location steeped in history, as it is situated on the grounds of the Wolfsschanze (Wolf's Lair), the former headquarters of Adolf Hitler during the Second World War. This huge bunker complex lies hidden in the remote forests of northeastern Poland and is now a museum. 

7. 

   Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: Our three Classic Minis in front of one of the bunkers of the Wolfsschanze (Wolf's Lair) in Poland. This enormous bunker complex was one of the military headquarters of Adolf Hitler during the Second World War. At this location, all the important leaders of the Third Reich had their own bunker. There were also command and communication centres, air raid shelters, and everything needed for a comfortable stay, including a cinema and a tea house. The failed assassination attempt on Hitler also took place on this site on 20 July 1944.

8. 

   Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: Amid the dilapidated bunkers of the Wolf's Lair in Poland lies a memorial stone marking the spot where Claus von Stauffenberg carried out his infamous assassination attempt on 20 July 1944. A high-ranking Wehrmacht officer, von Stauffenberg had smuggled a bomb into the conference barracks. When it exploded, Hitler sustained only minor injuries. That very night, the night of 20–21 July, von Stauffenberg and three other officers involved in the plot were executed in Berlin.

9. 

   A Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Zarasai in Lithuania with three Classic Minis: a Mini Authi, a Mini MPI and a Mini SPI. The lavender-coloured Mini Authi is my pride and by far the oldest of the three. In the sparsely populated area of north-eastern Poland, we drove for hours along narrow country roads, surrounded by vast fields of vibrantly blooming bright yellow rapeseed. Although the Lithuanian border still seemed far away, this was an unforgettable stretch of our road trip. 

10. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: Trakai Castle is beautifully reflected in the still water of the surrounding lake. The castle is situated on an island in Lake Galvė and is an important symbol of Lithuania. This impressive fortification was built in the 14th century and after it was damaged during the Russo-Polish Wars in the 17th century, it fell into disrepair. The restoration did not begin until 1946. Today, the castle is a museum and is reachable by a 300-metre-long wooden bridge.

11. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: Our Classic Mini Authi in front of Trakai Castle. At Marijampolė, we crossed the border into Lithuania and travelled on to Trakai, about 33 kilometres west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Trakai was once the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and its castle was the residence of the dukes of the Grand Duchy. Trakai lost its power when the capital of the Grand Duchy was moved to Vilnius. However, culturally and historically, Trakai provided a wonderful first stop in this beautiful Baltic country.

12. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: The Kenesa of Trakai is the house of prayer of the Karaim. This Karaite community came to Trakai from Crimea in the 14th century at the invitation of Vytautas the Great. This Grand Duke was deeply impressed by their martial skills and appointed them as his personal bodyguards and guardians of strategic bridges and castles. Moreover, they were experienced agriculturalists and artisans. Today, about 190 Karaim still live in Lithuania. They consider Trakai their cultural and historical capital.

13. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: When making a road trip through a country, you naturally want to taste the local cuisine. Kybynlar is a unique restaurant in Trakai serving traditional Karaite dishes. We wanted to order a meat pastry (a kybyn). However, there was one small problem: the waiting staff spoke only Lithuanian. Fortunately, our family and friends had undertaken a basic course in Dutch Sign Language (NGT). This allowed us to make the signs for 'cow', 'chicken', and 'lamb'. It was quite amusing, but they understood us perfectly.

14. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: Two Classic Minis parked in front of one of the wooden houses in Trakai. This small, historic Lithuanian town consists almost entirely of wooden houses. These Classic Minis and their passionate Dutch owners were on their way to the International Mini Meeting (IMM), which was hosted in Zarasai, a town in the far north-east of Lithuania. Every year, an IMM is held somewhere in Europe. If you are heading to this event yourself, you will encounter Minis everywhere.

15. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: From Trakai, our road trip continued to Zarasai. Along the way, in our Classic Mini Authi, we made a small detour to the geographical center of Europe, located near the small village of Purnuškės, around 26 km north of Vilnius. Since 1805, geographers designated several places to be the Geographical Centre of Europe. In 1989, a team of French geographers designated this place near Purnuškės in Lithuania as the official geographical centre. But for scientists, it is still a matter of debate. 

16. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: The geographical centre of Europe is situated near the small village of Purnuškės in Lithuania. To visit this, we had to leave our Classic Mini for a moment, allowing us to stretch our legs after a long drive. At the exact geographical centre of Europe, a granite column topped by a crown of golden stars was erected in 2004. The column indicates the precise coordinates: 54°54'N 25°19'E. About 17 km from this location lies Europos Parkas, an open-air museum dedicated to the Centre of Europe.

17. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: On our way from Purnuškės to Zarasai, we parked our Classic Mini Authi next to one of the station points of the Struve Geodetic Arc in Lithuania. This station point is located near Meškonys, a small village near Vilnius. This arc was established and used by the scientist Friedrich von Struve to determine the exact shape and size of the Earth. As we always aim to visit a few UNESCO World Heritage sites during our road trips, this hidden gem was – for us – a must-see, even though it is situated at a hard-to-find location on a dirt track. However, many people might see it as just a simple marker.

18. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: After a long drive with many wonderful stops along the way, we finally arrived at the IMM in Zarasai. The event took place on Great Island in Lake Zarasas, which was accessible via a causeway. On the IMM campsite, we quickly found a sheltered place to pitch our tents and park our Classic Minis snugly alongside them. It was the first time this event had been held in Lithuania, and it was excellently organised by the MiniPeople Club Lithuania. They had even ensured that authentic Lithuanian dishes were on the menu in one of the festival tents.

19. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: From the IMM campsite, we had breathtaking views over Lake Zarasas and Zarasai. This historic, picturesque town is situated close to the tripoint of Lithuania, Latvia, and Belarus. In 2015, the International Mini Meeting (IMM) was held on Great Island in Lake Zarasas. Despite the enormous distances many owners had to travel in their iconic Classic Mini or a New MINI, approximately 1,500 Mini enthusiasts arrived in Zarasai. The town is nestled among more than three hundred lakes and the rolling hills of the vast Zarasai Lake District.

20. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: The first Mini appeared on the streets in 1959. Its designer was the legendary British-Greek engineer Sir Alec Issigonis. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Mini, several celebrities were asked to design their own Mini. One of the celebrities was the renowned and influential British fashion model Kate Moss. She designed her own Spider Web Classic Mini in 1999, which is shown here at the IMM in Lithuania.

21. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: Our three Classic Minis in front of the Rothko Museum in the Latvian city of Daugavpils. From Zarasai, we decided to cross the border to Latvia to visit this major cultural town. The famous painter Mark Rothko was born here; he is regarded as one of the great painters of the 20th century. This artist is widely known for his enormous colour field paintings. The museum was opened in 2013 and is housed in the former Arsenal building of the imposing Daugavpils Fortress.

22. 

    A Classic Car Road Trip in a 1974 Classic Mini: The next day, we decided to follow the valley of the River Daugava from Daugavpils to Krāslava, a small town close to the Belarusian border. Here, we drove our Mini Authi past the 18th-century Alexander Nevsky Orthodox Church. The River Daugava, also known as the Western Dvina, is famous for its stunning meandering bends; it flows through the vast, breathtaking landscape of lakes and wooded hills within the Daugavas Loki Nature Park in Latvia.

23. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: On our way back from Krāslava, we visited the small village of Slutiški. We drove our Classic Mini Authi along the typical unpaved roads (žvyrkelis), passing wooden cottages dating back to the late 19th century. The cottages often feature facades and doors adorned with woodcarvings. The inhabitants were Orthodox Old Believers who had fled religious reforms in Russia during the 17th century. The village is a protected area; it is situated on the Daugava River within Daugavas Loki National Park.

24. 

    Classic Car Road Trip Lithuania: Our Classic Minis in front of the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant near Visaginas, where we experienced a bizarre adventure. As various travel magazines had mentioned that the plant was open to visitors, our sons went inside to enquire about a tour. Outside, however, we were detained by two heavily armed guards. They instantly confiscated our passports and aggressively gestured that taking photos was strictly forbidden. Luckily, I had already hidden the memory card containing this photo in a presumably safe place in the blink of an eye. Conversation was impossible; the guards spoke only Lithuanian. The next photo shows the aftermath...

25. 

    Classic Car Road Trip: During a tense phone call between the guards and their superior, the word 'Mini' suddenly echoed down the line. They burst into relieved laughter: they had finally realised that we were innocent Mini enthusiasts from the IMM, just 25 km away! They returned our passports and we were free to go. In hindsight, it remains a strange experience, especially since a friend encountered no issues two years later. However, in 2015, nuclear security across the Baltic States was on high alert due to the Crimean conflict. Nevertheless, I did manage to quickly take this photo of our Mini Authi at the entrance to the nuclear power plant.

26. 

    Classic Car Road Trip Lithuania: In a single day, we drove from Zarasai to Warsaw. Daytime headlights are mandatory in Poland. Driving in front in our Mini Authi, I noticed upon crossing the border that our sons had forgotten to turn theirs on. Dutch Sign Language came in handy. With a hand out of the window, making the sign for 'lights on', the headlights of the two Minis behind me instantly flashed on! After hours of driving along secondary roads, we found a spot for our Minis and tents among the motorhomes at a Warsaw campsite.

27. 

    Classic Car Road Trip with three Classic Minis: On our way back to the Netherlands, we visited the Polish capital of Warsaw and its impressive fortifications. The Barbican was built in the mid-16th century as part of the city's defences and was manned by fusiliers at that time. During the Second World War, the brick Barbican – along with most of Warsaw – was deliberately almost completely destroyed by the Nazis. After the war, this historic fortified city was painstakingly restored, preserving many of the original fragments.

28. 

    Classic Car Road Trip with three Classic Minis: The Presidential Palace and the statue of the Polish General Prince Józef Poniatowski in Warsaw. During the Second World War, this palace was one of the few buildings to survive both the Siege of Warsaw in 1939 and the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Following the almost-total destruction of the city, it rose from the ashes after the war. The reconstruction of the city is widely considered a true miracle. Before the war, Warsaw was considered the Paris of the East. As far as we are concerned, it has well and truly reclaimed that title.

29. 

    Classic Car Road Trip from the Netherlands to Lithuania: On our way back home, we spent a few days in Poland and Germany. In Germany, we visited Quedlinburg. This medieval town boasts the highest number of half-timbered houses in the country. The steep, narrow cobbled streets are lined with more than 2,000 of these well-preserved historic houses. Most of these authentic buildings date from the 17th century. The town is dominated by the Romanesque Collegiate Church of St. Servatius and the Castle of Quedlinburg, set on the Schlossberg.

30. 

    Classic Car Road Trip with three Classic Minis: Somewhere in Germany on our way back to the Netherlands. On this road trip, we drove through Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. We visited these countries several times before, but this was the first time in a Classic Mini. After more than two weeks on the road we completed our road trip and arrived home safely. The odometer clocked over 5,000 kilometres.