Lithuania

Lithuania is a small country located on the Baltic Sea’s eastern coast.  It shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland and Russia (Kaliningrad) to the south-west and Baltic Sea to the north-west.  The country is good for agriculture and mainly made up of forests, rivers, lakes and hills. The capital and largest city is Vilnius, and other major cities include Klaipeda in the east,, Siauliai in the north-central area, and Kaunas in the south-central area.  The currency is the Litas.  Lithuanian is the official language and Russian and Polish are also spoken.  Lithuania gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.  It became a member of the U.N. in 1991 and in 2004 was admitted as a member of both the EU and NATO. 

For lovers of the outdoors there is plenty to do in Lithuania as almost a quarter of the country is covered in forests and there are many rivers, lakes and parks.  You could try hunting, fishing, cycling, camping, hiking, canoeing, swimming and horseback riding.  If you plan to explore the country, some places to visit include Trakai with its castle which sits the middle of a lake.  If you want to spend some time at the beach head for the town of Palanga where there are lovely beaches, sand dunes and pine forests, as well as thermal and mineral springs.  You could also stroll through the botanical gardens and visit the Amber Museum.

Link:  www.tourism.lt

Vilnius

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, located in the south-east of the country on the rivers Neris and Vilnia.  The Old Town area has winding cobblestone streets and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Since 1991 the city has been slowly re-establishing its identity.  During medieval days the country was quite powerful in Europe and also covered a much larger territory.  It is a city with plenty of culture on offer including ballet, opera, classical concerts and theatre. There are more than twenty art galleries and many interesting museums, including the Jewish Museum and KGB museum, Museum of Genocide Victims, where (if you can stomach it) you can see the place where many of the residents were ‘interrogated’ and tortured. 

Other sights include the Gates of Dawn in the old city, which is the remaining part of the old city wall. There are many interesting old churches and some fine examples of Gothic architecture. The Hill of Three Crosses is the subject of much folklore, but whatever the real story is, you will gain a great view of the city from the hill.  Castle Hill is said to be the site of the most ancient settlement and remnants of some of the 13th century structures remain, including Gediminas Tower which contains a museum.  Well known landmarks include the Cathedral, Bell Tower, and Presidential Palace where Napoleon is said to have stayed.   In the city centre you may be surprised to see a bronze bust of Frank Zappa who became a cult figure in Lithuania because of his anti-establishment beliefs.

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