Lithuania - country in Eastern Europe

Lithuania (dead link: January 2023) (Lithuanian: Lietuva) is a Baltic country in northeastern Europe. Like the other Baltic countries, it has its own character - what makes Lithuania different is being mainly Catholic and having the history of being part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, once one of the great powers of Northern Europe.

Regions

Regional differences of Lithuanian culture reflect the complicated historical development of the country. Since the 13th century five ethnographic areas, or regions, have historically formed in the current territory of Lithuania:

Aukštaitija

Northeastern and eastern region; the name means Highlands

Samogitia

Žemaitija (meaning Lowlands), north-western region

Dzūkija (Dainava)

Southeastern region

Sūduva (Suvalkija)

Southern and south-western region

Lithuania Minor

Coastal region

These ethnographic regions even today differ by dialects, ways of life and behaviour styles, while until the turn of the last century there were pronounced differences in dress and homestead styles as well as village planning.

Lithuania is justly proud of its unfailing treasures of folklore: colourful clothing, meandering songs, an abundance of tales and stories, sonorous dialects and voluble language. This ethnographic heritage is nourished by ethnographic and folklore companies and barn theatres. Ethnographic crafts and culinary traditions are being revived. Folk craft fairs and live craft days are organized during many events and festivals.

Cities

• Vilnius — capital of the country with many medieval churches

• Jonava

• Kaunas — second biggest city and temporary capital between the two world wars

• Klaipėda — third biggest city, famous for its summer festivals

• Panevėžys

• Šiauliai — fourth biggest city, with a sun theme and specialist museums

• Trakai — on the shores of several lakes

• Visaginas — Lithuania's newest town, built by the Soviets in 1975 to house the workers of the now-decommissioned Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, and the only town in Lithuania with an ethnic Russian majority

Other destinations

• Aukštaitija National Park — a land of lakes, hills and forests, popular for water tourism and rural tourism in the summer
• Curonian Spit — unique sand dunes with rare flora, seaboard forest, white sanded beaches and old ethnographic villages
• Dzūkija National Park — the biggest forest (Dainavos) and swamp (Čepkelių) in the country, and some old unique villages in the middle of the forests
• Hill of Crosses — site of religious significance, north of Šiauliai
• Kernavė — former Lithuanian capital at the bank of the river Neris and now a well-preserved archaeological site
• Purnuskes — according to some measures the center of Europe
• Žemaičių Kalvarija — famous pilgrimage site, most visitors come in the beginning of July to visit the large church festival

Understand

Some visitors tend to see the Baltic states as being similar countries with regional differences. They share a common recent history: the three countries declared independence in 1918 at the collapse of the Russian Empire, were occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, conquered by Nazi Germany in 1941, and incorporated into the Soviet Union from 1944 until independence was restored in 1991. However, there are differences between the countries' languages (Estonians speak a Finnic language unlike Latvia or Lithuania) and religion (Lithuanians are Catholics, Latvians are mostly Lutherans and Estonians are irreligious). Also, Lithuania is more oriented towards Central Europe, while Estonia is oriented towards Northern Europe).

Since 2004, Lithuania has been a member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Lithuania is the only Baltic country with more than 800 years of statehood tradition, while its name was first mentioned one thousand years ago, in 1009. For a period in the 15th century, Lithuania was one of the largest states in all Europe, where crafts and overseas trade prospered.

In 1579, Vilnius University, an important scientific and educational centre on the European scale, was opened. In the 16th century, Lithuania adopted its First, Second and Third Statutes. They were the backbone of the legislative system of the country, and had a major impact on the legislation of other European states of the time. Despite merging with Poland and losing its independence, Lithuania managed to keep its Third Statute in effect for as many as 250 years, which was instrumental in preservation of national and civic self-awareness of the public. The Constitution of Lithuania-Poland together with the French Constitution, both adopted in 1791, were the first written constitutions in Europe. Lithuania was part of the Russian Empire in the nineteenth century, became independent after World War I, and was annexed to the Soviet Union in 1940, before again gaining its independence in 1991.

Climate

Transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters (average of -5 °C) and summers (average of +16 °C). Climate is maritime near the seaside with wet, mild summers and winters. Climate in South-Eastern Lithuania is influenced by the continental weather masses with dry, warmer summers and harsher winters.

Summer months receive the most precipitation (up to 50% of the annual precipitation), autumn and winter are drier with spring being the driest season. Snow occurs every year, it can snow from October to April. In some years sleet can fall in September or May.

Terrain

Lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil. The fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits.

The highest point, Aukstojas Hill, is just 294.84 m (967.322 ft), about 24 km southeast of Vilnius, just off the main highway to Minsk and within sight of the Belarus border. 30% of Lithuania is forest covered.

History

See also: Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

Lithuania was formed in the middle of the 13th century. It became a huge feudal country stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea in the Middle Ages, and in 1569 entered a union with Poland to form a commonwealth. Lithuania was part of the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth until the Polish Partitions in the 18th century when it became part of the Russian Empire.

Modern Lithuania gained its independence from Russia in 1918 following World War I and the dissolution of the Czarist monarchy. However, in 1940 Lithuania was forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union, and shortly thereafter occupied by the Nazis, who murdered almost its entire hitherto very prominent Jewish population and many local Poles, with help from local collaborators. Later in World War II, the Soviet Union recaptured Lithuania and also brutally persecuted and killed many Lithuanians, particularly during Stalin's reign of terror. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but this proclamation was not generally recognized until September 1991, following an abortive coup in Moscow. The Soviet Union recognized Lithuania's independence on 6 September 1991. A constitution was adopted on 25 October 1992. The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into Western European institutions and became a stable democracy and a member of the European Union and NATO.

Lithuania received comparatively fewer Russian immigrants than the other two Baltic states during the Soviet era, and the town of Visaginas is the only one with an ethnic Russian majority. However, significant ethnic Russian minorities exist in Lithuania's major cities. Lithuania was the only one of the three Baltic states to grant citizenship to its ethnic Russian minority following its independence from the Soviet Union.

National holidays

• Independence Day – 16 February : Independence from Russian Empire in 1918 following World War I.
• Restitution of Independence – 11 March : Restoration of independence from the Soviet Union.
• St. John's Day – 24 June: Despite its Christian name, celebrated mostly according to pagan traditions (Midsummer's Day).
• Statehood Day – 6 July : Commemorates the coronation in 1253 of Mindaugas as the first and only King of Lithuania. Later rulers of Lithuania were called Grand Dukes.
• Christmas – 25 December

Talk

See also: Lithuanian phrasebook

The official language of Lithuania is Lithuanian, making up one of two languages (along with Latvian) of the Baltic branch of the Indo-European family. Despite the kinship of Lithuanian to many other European languages, the archaic nature of its grammar makes it a notoriously difficult language to master. It takes an almost a year of study to become proficient in the language. This said, any attempts to speak the language, or learn a few phrases will be warmly welcomed by the locals. Lithuanians are well aware of the fact that their language is difficult for foreigners and they don't expect you to be fluent in it.

Russian is widely spoken as a second language, but its use is gradually declining as most younger Lithuanians prefer to study English. That said, Lithuania is home to a significant ethnic Russian minority whose native language is Russian. According to EU statistics, 40% of Lithuanians know Russian. Generally speaking, the older generation is more proficient in Russian than their juniors, while the younger generation educated after independence is more likely to speak English than Russian. Lithuanians are often eager to practice their English with visitors. Younger ethnic Russians who were educated after independence typically speak Lithuanian as a second language, but older ethnic Russians who were educated during the Soviet era typically do not speak any Lithuanian.

Given the tense and complex relationship between Lithuania and Russia, some ethnic Lithuanians may find it offensive to be addressed in Russian.

Other spoken languages include Polish and German, but their use is limited to a few pockets in the country.

In Samogitia (Western Lithuania), most people also speak Samogitian, which is somewhat different from Standard Lithuanian.

Get in

Lithuania is a member of the Schengen Agreement.

• There are normally no border controls between countries that have signed and implemented the treaty. This includes most of the European Union and a few other countries.
• There are usually identity checks before boarding international flights or boats. Sometimes there are temporary border controls at land borders.
• A visa granted for any Schengen member is valid in all other countries that have signed and implemented the treaty.
• Please see Travelling around the Schengen Area for more information on how the scheme works, which countries are members and what the requirements are for your nationality.

By plane

Most airlines arrive at Vilnius International Airport (dead link: January 2023), the main airport, and smaller seaside Palanga airport, while Ryanair lands in Kaunas International Airport (dead link: December 2020).

Riga airport in Latvia is an attractive alternative for destinations in northern Lithuania.

By train

From Poland: a daily train runs from Krakow at 04:00 via Warsaw Centralna at 07:30 to reach the border towards 15:00. Here you change onto the Lithuanian train for Kaunas at 16:30 and Vilnius at 17:30. (If you flew into Warsaw, you could take any train to Białystok then join the cross-border train at a more congenial 10:30 next morning.) The westbound train sets off from Vilnius at noon.

Another train lumbers on Saturday and Sunday between Białystok and Kaunas on the old route via Mariampole, which pre-dates the Rail Baltica line. So it's overtaken by the Krakow-Vilnius train and you'd only use it to reach one of the villages along the old route.

From Belarus: the trains from Minsk are suspended in 2022.

From Russia: the trains from the exclave of Kaliningrad are suspended in 2022, as are the services via Minsk from Moscow and other Russian cities.

From Latvia: trains have been suspended for years pending completion of the Rail Baltica project. It's no longer possible to work-around using local trains via Daugavpils.

By car

Major "Via Baltica" road links Kaunas to Warsaw in the south and Riga and Tallinn in the north. The Baltic road, which links Vilnius to Tallinn, was just reconstructed. It is a very easy and pleasant route.

Overall, the major roads between the cities are of decent quality. Be extremely cautious when getting off the main roads in rural areas, as some of them may contain pot holes and general blemishes which could damage a regular car if you go too fast. While driving between cities there are usually cafes and gas stations with bathrooms and snacks.

By bus

• Eurolines
• Ecolines
• Busturas
• FlixBus

By boat

There are passenger/car ferries to Klaipeda from Sweden, Germany, Denmark operated by Lisco and Scandlines. However they do not run every day and are relatively slow.

Get around

By train

State-owned Litrail has services to major cities in Lithuania. Most of the trains also stop at smaller stations along the way. Part of those smaller stations is inaccessible by any other mean of public transportation. Fares are low compared to Western Europe: Vilnius-Kaunas around €5 – 104 km, Vilnius - Klaipėda around €15 – 376 km (as of Feb 2016). In major railway stations tickets are bought at the ticket office inside the station building until around 5 minutes before the departure. A ticket is valid only on the exact train for which it was sold. However it is possible to buy tickets in advance. When buying tickets for round trip 15% discount is applied for return ticket. Many smaller stops have no ticket offices and tickets are bought from the conductor on board the train. In case you board the train in a station with a working ticket office and want to buy a ticket from the conductor you should pay a small extra fee. However this might be the only option if one arrives too late to the station but manages to catch the train. Only cash is accepted on board the train, however most if not all ticket offices accept cash as well as payment cards. The same rules for discounts apply as for other public transport in addition to occasional promotional discounts. In particular, there is a 50% discount for students with a Lithuanian Student ID or ISIC. Tickets are validated by train conductors and must be kept until the end of journey due to sporadic checks by conductors-inspectors.

Depending on the route trains may be faster or slower option than buses or minibuses. Examples of intercity routes where it is faster to go by train is Vilnius-Klaipėda and Vilnius-Kaunas. There are no high-speed railway lines in Lithuania. Where routes overlap trains usually run less frequently than road transport. However train sometimes is the only option to reach remote destinations far from major roads and towns (especially on routes Vilnius-Marcinkonys and Vilnius-Turmantas). This make trains popular among wilderness visitors and citizens looking for wild berries or mushrooms.

In general trains are more spacious than buses making them suitable for those with large bags or oversized items (such as skis, bikes). It is possible to transport bicycles on board of all the trains however special bike-ticket is needed (fee depends on the distance). Most trains have special racks for bicycles located in the first or last car. However these can accommodate only 2-3 bikes and it is not uncommon to simply line the bicycles along the aisle. Such practice is acceptable provided that the bicycles do not restrict movement of people. Most regional trains have a configuration of 3-3 chairs next to 2-2 chairs across the isle. This means that up to 10 people can see each other simultaneously and makes trains popular among larger companies. In some trains 3 chairs form one comfortable bench which is long and wide enough to be used as a bed - provided there is enough place for other passengers. Many of the long-distance trains have compartments which can accommodate six seated passengers or four sleeping passengers. The headrest can be lifted up to form a very comfortable bunk bed, which can be used while people are seated below. The seats themselves form the other pair of beds. As some journeys are quite long (4½-5 hours in the case of Vilnius-Klaipeda), it is common to see people sleeping on the upper bunks during daytime journeys as well.

Historical Aukštaitija Narrow Gauge Railway in Anykščiai offers short trips to a nearby lake. In summer it runs on regular schedule, rest of the time tours must be booked in advance.

By bus

In Lithuania it is easy to move by bus and practically all the bigger and most smaller places can be reached by bus. There are two types of intercity buses: express and regional. Express buses stop only at major towns and usually are much faster than regional. Express buses also tend to be much newer and comfortable. Sometimes (but not always) those buses are explicitly labeled as Ekspresas ("express"). It is the best option for longer distance travels between cities. In contrast, regional buses stop at every stop along the way. Thus they usually are slow, for example a 40 km trip can last an hour. Regional buses mainly are old cars that have been imported from the Nordic countries. Service quality in those buses might be lower compared to Western standards. Regional buses are best if you need to reach stations circumvented by express buses. However it is not uncommon for express and regional buses to service the same route thus it is better to ask in advance. Some buses are indirect, i.e. they go via towns out of the direct way between two cities. These are usually labeled as "CityA - CityB per CityC" (per meaning "via").

Buses operate regularly between the main centres and the regional centres. There is usually a bus company in every town. Some of the biggest and best are TOKS (from Vilnius), Kautra (from Kaunas), Klaipėdos autobusų parkas (from Klaipėda), Busturas from Šiauliai and mini bus company, Transrevis. For students with Lithuanian Student ID, bus companies grant 50% discount around the year. By law for students with ISIC (International Student Identity Card) issued in European Union countries, bus companies should also grant 50% discount. Remember to keep your ticket till the end of journey in case inspectors decide to check the bus in one of the stations.

The bulk of Lithuania's bus routes and turns has been listed in an address autobusubilietai.lt from which you also can reserve the tickets for certain routes. However, pay attention to the fact that the payment system supports only some of the Lithuanian banks, and your credit card at may not work. Another on-line bus ticket service is iticket.lt which has more payment options.

For buses and trolley-buses on routes within towns and cities it is recommended to buy the ticket in advance from a kiosk, board the vehicle using the middle door and stamp the ticket using one of the ticket punches. These used to be near the middle door, but with the introduction of electronic ticketing, there is often a single ticket punch behind the driver's seat. Tickets bought from the driver, rather than kiosks, are more expensive and may also generate an off-handed response if the bus is late or crowded and you don't provide the exact change. Students with Lithuanian Student ID or ISIC (International Student Identity Card) issued in European Union countries are eligible to 50% discount for single tickets and 80% discount for monthly tickets. Inspectors periodically check tickets and will issue a fine if you cannot produce a validated ticket or document proving eligibility to discount. The bus is exited by the middle door and it is important to head for the door before the bus has stopped - it can be impossible to leave once people have started boarding.

In addition to common buses, there are minibuses which usually operate express routes.

There exists a national public transport route planner visiMarsrutai.

By car

As with the rest of mainland Europe, Lithuanian traffic travels on the right, and all distances are posted in kilometres.

The road network in Lithuania is fairly good, especially the motorways. The quality of road surface on minor roads can vary. Many are unpaved and quite shaky. The improvement work hampers traffic in many places. The Via Baltica road goes through Lithuania from Estonia to Poland. Another important road is the A1 from Vilnius to Klaipeda.

Rules

Speed limits for M1 category vehicles:

• 50 km/h inside cities
• 90 km/h on rural roads
• 130 km/h on highways (during summer months)
• 110 km/h on highways (during winter months)
• 120 km/h on highways
• 70 km/h during hard weather conditions
• headlights should be ON at any time of the day

Turning right at a red traffic light is allowed where indicated by a green arrow (square white sign next to the red light, containing a green arrow indicating the permitted direction), provided that it does not endanger other traffic. The absence of such a sign means that turning right on red is not allowed, and the police will stop any driver seen breaking this rule. Note that these signs have begun being phased out in 2020, however they can still be found.

Many bigger junctions have a separate green light for traffic turning left, but only one red/yellow light. The green light for the other directions shows arrows going straight and to the right, but these are easily overlooked. Thanks to the white reflective frame around most of these traffic lights, they are most easily identified by their outline.

On two- or three- lane roads, it is polite to move out of the right-hand lane (if safe to do so) when you intend to travel straight ahead; this keeps the right-hand lane clear for right-turning traffic. When moving back to the right hand lane watch out for fast-moving vehicles approaching from behind.

If the right-hand lane is marked with 'A' it is a dedicated bus lane. A lane marked 'A / TAKSI' can also be used by taxis. Electric vehicles may also use this lane if this is indicated. Other road users may only enter the lane in order to turn right into a side road.

The older motorways still have some places in which U-turns are allowed to reach an exit on the opposite carriageway. Usually there is a lower speed limit around these places; the A2 (Vilnius–Panevėžys) has variable speed limit signs which activate when a vehicle is in the U-turn section.

Motorists do not necessarily observe traffic regulations, so especially the pedestrians should exert the same caution as elsewhere in former Soviet countries. Moving domestic animals and roe animals may cause dangerous situations on the roads and motorways.

Roundabouts are a feature of the Lithuanian road network, particularly in the cities. Visitors from countries where this type of junction is uncommon or not used at all, may find the Wikipedia article on roundabouts useful.

The blood alcohol limit is 0.4‰ in Lithuania for drivers of private passenger cars; lower limits apply for other vehicle categories, commercial transport or novice drivers (who have held a drivers license for less than two years).

Fixed speed cameras are frequent along country roads and motorways, usually near crossroads or pedestrian crossings, and in cities. These are usually announced by a sign. Many of them appear to be designed to be turned around from time to time, watching the opposite direction.

Fuel

Petrol and diesel fuel is available at all filling stations. LPG is available at most larger stations. EV is more seldom. Petrol nozzles are green, while diesel nozzles are black.

While there are EU fuel markings at filling stations, there is also the local system. Petrol is labelled with a number, which is usually used on the price sign and is displayed on the pump in larger digits. This number is the RON (Research Octane Number) of the fuel. "95" means 95 RON petrol fuel. It is available at all stations. Some stations may also have "98". The price of 98 RON petrol is not usually displayed on the sign; you need to look for the price at the pump.

LPG is labelled as LPG or SND. Stations that provide LPG will also have cabinets with 50-l gas cylinders. These cabinets are usually labelled as DUJŲ BALIONAI ("gas canisters"). A canister costs about €20. These canisters are used mainly for cooking in areas with no natural gas supply, as a cheaper alternative to electric stoves. Note that these canisters are too large to fit into caravans.

Diesel fuel is usually labelled as "D", but it may also be labelled as "DK". Some filling stations (especially rural) may also have diesel nozzles labelled as "DK". These dispense diesel are meant for agricultural purposes, such as powering tractors and other farm equipment. This fuel is sold in bulk to farmers, which store and dispense it at their farm. It is sold at a discount to farmers, but there are 3 catches:

1. There is a quota on how much can be purchased,
2. you cannot use it in your car, and
3. you need to provide a permit to buy this fuel.

EV chargers can be found at some large filling stations and private establishments.

Usually, you pay for fuel at the store, which will have a sign that reads PARDUOTUVĖ. Some stations may also have a self-service machine near the door to the store. You do not usually pay at the pump, except for unattended stations. At most stations, between 22:00 and 06:00, you need to pay before filling up.

Car rental

Some rental companies (especially in the Western EU) may not allow their vehicles to be driven into Lithuania, be sure to check before booking a car. If other modes of transportation do not work for you, you may need to change cars at the border.

Many of the international car rental companies also operate in Lithuania, but the density of rental stations is not as dense as e.g. in the Western EU. If you are near one of the international airports (Vilnius, Kaunas or Palanga, near Klaipėda), check the web site of that airport for any rental car companies which have a presence there.

Apart from that, there are many smaller car rental companies. Many of them will deliver the car to a previously agreed address (usually only within Lithuania) at a prearranged time. Car return works in the same manner; thus even one-way rental is possible. Surcharges might apply, however, for pick-up and return by rendez-vous. Such rental companies can be found through the two major automobile ad portals:

• https://autoplius.lt, Skelbimai > Daugiau > Transporto nuoma > Lengvųjų automobilių nuoma (Classified ads > More > Vehicle rental > Car rental)
• https://autogidas.lt, Nuoma > Automobilių nuoma (Rent > Car rent)

By taxi

Taxis are run on a meter and can be booked by the phone numbers shown on the door of the taxi. Taxis are relatively cheap compared to western Europe. Some companies may not be as safe as others, common sense will keep you safe in this regard. "Taking the long way round" used to be common but had nearly been eradicated. However, there still were some reports of foreigners paying more than expected. Keep in mind that it is up to the operator to set embarkation and travel fees. Some taxis waiting at the strategic places (for example airports, bus stations) exploit this by setting fees several times higher than market average. In general it is cheaper to order a taxi by phone instead of taking one in the street. You can also ask to quote the price in advance while ordering taxi by phone or before embarking the car. Some visitors leave small tips for the driver however this is entirely optional.

If you do not need a fancy ride, taxi can be as cheap as €0.37/km. Taxi prices in regional cities tend to be considerable lower than in major cities making them more suitable for out of town trips.

Ride-hailing is available in Lithuania and the following are the most anticipated providers:

• Bolt. Includes many cities. 2020-07-09
• Uber. Works in Vilnius. 2020-07-09
• Yandex.Taxi. A Russian company which offers cheap fares. Services available in Vilnius and Kaunas. 2020-07-09
• Opti Taxi. A Lithuanian Taxi company offering cheap rides. Services available in many cities. (updated Jun 2022)
• Forus Taxi (smartphone app)

By bicycle

Cycling in Lithuania is quite popular, however it depends on the exact location as in major cities pavements usually will have a bicycle pathways with numerous signs, although getting around by bicycle in rural areas might become a bit of a challenge. Two international EuroVelo cycle routes across the country, EuroVelo No. 10 and EuroVelo No. 11 equipped with quality signs, bike paths are of excellent quality.

It might be dangerous to leave your bicycle outside alone for more than a few hours without locking it. The international bicycle project BaltiCCycle (dead link: December 2020) may provide you with an information and help.

By thumb

Hitchhiking in Lithuania is generally good, however there been some incidents a few years ago. Use common sense. Get to the outskirts of the city, but before cars speed up to the highway speeds.

See

The most southern of the Baltic countries, Lithuania's historic heritage sets it quite apart from the other two. Visiting this small but colourful country today, few travelers might guess that this was once the largest nation in Europe. A few monuments are reminders of those golden ages, when the Grand Duchy of Lithuania stretched out far into modern day Russia, Poland and Moldova, but even fewer are still inside the Lithuanian borders. The archaeological site of Kernavė, then a medieval capital, is now a World Heritage Site and has historic hillfort mounds as well as a museum. The Trakai Island Castle in Trakai is sometimes called "Little Mariënburg". It's located on an island and was one of the main strongholds in the prime days of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Although it was severely damaged in 17th century wars with Muscovy, the castle was beautifully restored in the 19th century and is now a popular tourist sight. Kaunas Castle in Kaunas is even older, but only a third of the original building remains.

The country's lovely capital, Vilnius, is a small, pleasant place with a UNESCO listed historic centre. It's the perfect place to admire a range of architectural styles, as it boasts a mixture of gothic, renaissance, baroque and neoclassical buildings. Stroll through the narrow streets and cosy courtyards and kick back for a coffee in one of the many cafés on Pilies Street. Then, walk down Gediminas Avenue, the town's main street lined with governmental buildings and theatres, towards the old neighbourhood of Žvėrynas. With some 65 churches, the famous Gediminas Tower, the Cathedral Square, the Royal Palace, the Presidential Palace and many other monuments and museums, you won't run out of things to see in Vilnius any time soon.

For a day at the sea, the popular seaside resort of Palanga is the place to be. Although it gets crowded in summer, it has some great beaches and beautiful sand dunes. Sand dunes is also what you'll find at the almost 100 km long Curonian Split, which separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast. It's a World Heritage Site shared between Lithuania and Russia and is best explored from the large port city Klaipėda, which is also a good hub for other seaside resorts on the Baltic coast. Not far from Klaipeda is the village of Juodkrante, which is famous for its Hill of Witches, decorated with sculptures from the country's legends and tales. The fishermen's town of Nida is praised for its shores and ancient ethnographic cemetery.

A few kilometres from the northern city Šiauliai you'll find the remarkable Hill of Crosses, an extraordinary and popular pilgrimage site. Over 100,000 crosses – small, huge, simple and exuberant – have been placed here by faithful from far and wide. On the other side of the country, in the very south, you'll find the popular and classy spa resort town of Druskininkai, surrounded by lakes and rivers.

Like its Baltic neighbours, Lithuania has a lot to offer for nature lovers. Dense forests, hills, beautiful blue lakes and rivers are the main base. The forested Aukštaitija National Park is perhaps the most popular of the country's national parks, and is home to elk, deer and wild boar. Some of the pines you'll see here are up to 200 years old and the park is a safe haven for many plants and birds that are endangered in the rest of the country. The 126 lakes and countless streams in between them make the park a great place for water sports activities and the villages in the park have some interesting wooden churches. Another favourite is the Nemunas Delta. The vast wetlands around the place where Neman River reaches the Baltic Sea are a popular eco-tourism destination and an important bird habitat.

Lithuania has many religious sites, especially of the Catholic faith. All of them are open for people of any religion and background. The most popular pilgrimage sites to visit are:

• Žemaičių Kalvarija in Samogitia (most pilgrims come in July)
• Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai
• Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, Vilnius
• Šiluva, Samogitia.

Do

If you are searching for some health treatment or recreation the best resorts for that are Druskininkai and Palanga. Neringa is a great option for a nice, calm holiday for becoming one with yourself.

Basketball is the national sport, and the nation is basketball mad, (comparable to the British with Soccer and New Zealand with rugby). Lithuania is one of the most successful teams in international competition, winning medals in three out of four Olympic tournaments, (bronze), and finishing fourth in 2008. All this from just five Olympic appearances. Major domestic clubs are BC Žalgiris from Kaunas and BC Rytas from Vilnius. For this reason in almost every park and playground you will find a basketball court.

Be careful if some people challenge you to a basketball game. Common Lithuanians are very good in basketball, and you might just embarrass yourself.

Buy

Money

Lithuania adopted the euro as its currency on 31 December 2015, replacing the litas (plural litai or litų). The old currency was converted to euros at a fixed exchange rate of 1:3.45280 Lt. You can exchange the old currency at the central bank indefinitely.

Tipping

5% is the standard tipping amount, but in some cases the 5% tip is already included in service charge.

Shopping

Lithuania has a lot of shopping malls for such a small population. There is no big difference between shopping malls here and in western Europe. Especially, Lithuania has become a shopping tourism destination for citizens of Belarus and Russia where some items are not available or cost considerably more.

Vilnius has become a shopper's paradise when plenty of massive shopping centres were opened all over the city. Akropolis (a chain of shopping malls in Lithuania) is one of them and definitely worth visiting if you are a shopping malls maniac, as it houses an ice skating rink, bowling lanes and a cinema. The largest shopping centers are Akropolis and Panorama.

Gariunai is the Baltic's largest open air market, located on the western edge of Vilnius. Thousands of merchants can be found there on a good weekend, from not only Lithuania, but also from as far away as Ukraine. Clothes, shoes, music and software can be bought there. Counterfeit goods are ubiquitous. A low price is guaranteed, quality is not.

Kaunas is also a city of shopping centers, and Laisvės avenue in the center of the city is a pedestrian thoroughfare. The main shopping centers in Kaunas are: Akropolis, Mega, Molas, Savas, HyperMaxima, and Urmas shopping area. There is even that symbol of "mall culture", which is new to Lithuania, Akropolis.

Klaipeda is a major shopping center for people from Latvia and Kaliningrad. The main shopping centers are: Akropolis, Arena, Studlendas and BIG. Many people coming to the city on cruise ships shop in Klaipeda, due to the good value and price combination.

Eat

Lithuanian dinners usually include meat, potato, vegetables and sometimes a curd sauce of some sort. Case in point: the cepelinai, or zeppelins, which are meat filled potato-starch based zeppelin-shaped masses traditionally slathered in a sauce of sour cream, butter, and pork cracklings. Pork is traditionally eaten, beef much less so. Vegans will have a hard time eating out, although some large restaurant chains will have vegetarian dishes on the menu.

Some fast food in Lithuania, such as Kibinai (from the Karaim people) small turnovers usually filled with spiced lamb, and Cheburekai (a Crimean Tatar snack), large folds of dough with a scant filling of meat, cheese, or even apples, can be found around the city.

Many restaurants have menus in English (usually in the Lithuanian menu) and to a lesser extent, Russian. Though use caution as sometimes menus in other languages may have inflated prices, although this is a rarity, and won't be found in Vilnius, or the better known chains such as Cili Pizza.

While in Lithuania, one should try these national dishes: appetizers - Piršteliai prie alaus - thin, rolled-up puff pastries served with beer; main courses: Cepelinai (or didžkukuliai) su spirgučiais - potato balls with meat (about €3.20); Vėdarai - a sausage, made of a potato stuffed intestine of a pig (about €3); Skilandis - pig stomach stuffed with meat, garlic and cold-smoked; Plokštainis - meal of potatoes (€2.30–4); Bulviniai blynai (grated potato pancakes) with different sauces; Virtinukai - curd patties; Kastinys - soft sour cream butter; Šaltnosiukai - dumplings filled with lingonberries; Fish - pike or perch, is often baked whole or stuffed, or made into gefilte fish (various prices); Silkė - marinated, baked, fried or served in aspic herring; soups - Šaltibarščiai (a summer soup based on beets and soured milk), Juka (blood soup) or Cabbage soup flavored with carrots, ham, onions. Ruginė duona (dark rye bread) is very advisable to try with soups. Lithuanian cuisine is also famous for wide use of wild berries, mushrooms, and cheese. Honey and poppy seeds are commonly used as filling in pastries. For desserts, try Žagarėliai - twisted, thin deep-fried pastries dusted with powdered sugar or Spurgos - a Lithuanian variant of doughnuts, often filled with preserves.

Drink

Lithuania is a beer-drinking country, with the most famous brands being Svyturys, Kalnapilis, Utenos, Volfas Engelman and Gubernija. A visit to a kiosk will show that there may be more than 50 different brands of beer in this small country. Alcohol percentages are displayed on the label, and usually range from 4–9.5%. Compared to other European countries, beer is usually affordable, in shops €0.50–1 per half litre, in bars €0.75–2 per half litre. The beer tastes excellent, putting global brands to shame and it can be said that Lithuanian lager is of at least equal quality to Czech, Slovak, German and Polish lager. A request for a Lithuanian beer always generates goodwill, even in a Chinese or other foreign-themed restaurant.

When you visit a bar or restaurant without intending to eat, try one of the bar snacks, which are very popular among Lithuanians. The most popular of these snacks consists of a bowl of pieces of garlic bread covered in cheese.

In addition to beer, rather cheap but high quality vodka (or "degtinė" in Lithuanian) is consumed, but not to the extent usually associated with this part of the world. Also, every region has its own home-made speciality of which "Samane" is most famous or notorious and is best avoided. The larger supermarkets have an incredible variety of vodka from all the main vodka-producing countries.

Lithuanian mead, or "midus" is a beverage produced exclusively under government control. It is commonly made from various types of Lithuanian flora, from leaves and berries to some tree bark. Alcohol content range from 10–75% (considered medicinal).

For tourists, quality sparkling wines, such as Alita or Mindaugas, and local liqueurs are popular choices to bring back home.

Alcohol cannot be sold in shops 20:00–10:00, but can be purchased in bars, cafes and restaurants.

In shops and cafés different tea and coffee qualities are widely available. The selection in coffee ranges from northern European brands to French ones. In coffee houses, you should expect to pay up to €1.50 for your coffee. Some cafés offer also a variety of special coffees with more or less special prices. Many cafes (kavinės) still make "lazy" coffee, which is simply coffee grounds and boiling water, unfiltered, with grounds at the bottom of the cup, often surprising the drinker - ask before you buy. Tea is usually sold at 50% of the price of coffee. Some of the wonderful drinks such as the Marganito are great for fun filled party drinks and rated one of the top kinds of wine in the country, perfect for weddings.

Unlike restaurants, or pubs aimed at tourists, bars (Baras) may be frequented by heavy drinkers and can therefore be somewhat rowdy. Nevertheless, a visit may still be very rewarding, especially if you accept an invitation to participate in karaoke.

Smoking is banned in cafés, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, discothèques and other public establishments. However, many nightclubs have internal smoking rooms, which have a degree of ventilation.

Sleep

The price of accommodation depends very much on the place. For instance, in Joniškis (Northern Lithuania), you can get a good hotel room for €25 whereas an equivalent room might be as much as €100 in Vilnius. Some hotels do not have home pages. Nevertheless, the Internet helps considerably in planning.

Throughout the country, homestays, sleeping "with the grandmother", are typical. On main street of a town there are many elderly townsfolk offering spare beds in their extra rooms. These experiences are worth seeking out.

If you want to rent the apartment, the prices will be usually from €200 a month. In the biggest towns there are companies which rent apartments "to the long-time tourist or working here". In these you complete on good conditions the apartment furnished and cleaned by the cleaner. From €300.

If you are looking for an apartment for a shorter period (from a few days onwards), do a Web search for "trumpalaikė butų nuoma". This will give you some portals or sites of companies, though not all of them are available in English – some are, however, available in other languages such as German, Polish or Russian.

You will find the hotels of every town on their own interleaves. However, remember that this is the service maintained by the volunteers and you should not wait for current prices let alone that there would be all the possibilities listed.

An interesting accommodation alternative is a countryside accommodation or an own cottage. Countryside.lt offers the shining catalog for accommodation alternatives and you find nearly all the countryside targets and a reservation system from there.

Most large cities such as Vilnius or Kaunas have an abundance of hotel options. When traveling to a popular vacation spot in the summer (like Palanga or Druskininkai) make sure to book a room in advance because demand may outnumber supply. Additionally, some of the cafes on the main highways between cities also have rooms to rent.

Learn

Lithuania has one of the best educational systems in the world. Many universities participate in student exchange programs. Most popular international university in Lithuania is LCC International University in Klaipeda. The best universities of Lithuania are Vilnius University (Vilniaus Universitetas), Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Vilniaus Gedimino Technikos Universitetas) and Kaunas University of Technology (Kauno Technologijos Universitetas).

In Kaunas there is the biggest technical university, KTU, in the country and a medical university LSMU (Lithuanian University of Health Sciences), sports academy LKKA, music and theatre academy LMTA, agriculture university ASU and multidisciplinary University of Vytautas Magnus, VDU.

Klaipeda and Siauliai also has its own universities. In the country several lower educational institutions which go with the name kolegija (eng. college) also are found.

The course supply hangs very much from the university and there also are somewhere programmes for English. However, pay attention to the fact that Lithuania's official language is Lithuanian and in the law it has been prescribed that the Lithuanian student has a right to study in Lithuanian in Lithuania. Especially all the courses of the candidate level will be thus in Lithuanian and in the Master of Arts programmes in English the bulk of the courses is in English. Depending on the rules of the university the courses must have a certain number of foreign students attending before the lectures need to be in English (this concerns courses announced to be held in English) and if this limit is not exceeded, the lecturer may lecture, if desired, in Lithuanian.

The grading system in Lithuania is generally 1–10 in which 5-10 correspond to the accepted performances. The local students usually have to keep their average very high and still a higher one in order to get the scholarship in order to guarantee free studies. There is no financial aid for studies.

Work

There are now many work options in Lithuania. One seldom manages working life without control of the language, therefore basic working knowledge of Lithuanian is highly recommended. You may get by with Russian or, to an increasing extent, English, although your mileage may vary.

Any EU national can work and live freely in Lithuania. However, EU nationals spending more than 90 days over an 180-day period in Lithuania need to obtain a residence title (teisės Lietuvos Respublikoje gyventi pažymėjimas or just TLRGP). This document is issued to any EU national who can provide proof of a valid health insurance (in the form of a European Health Insurance card) and a source of sufficient income (the amount is determined based upon individual circumstances). It can be applied for at Migracijos departamentas (Department of Migration). Upon obtaining the residence title, registering your residence with the municipality of residence is mandatory within a month. This requires proof, such as a rental contract, the landlord's signature on the declaration form or an extract from the land register proving your ownership. Not all immigration officials are familiar with the procedures for EU nationals (which are much less stringent than those for non-EU nationals), therefore ask if you have doubts.

Non-EU nationals need a residence permit and a registered address for working.

The Migration Department provides its services in Lithuanian, English and Russian. Visits require registration through the web site, which is also where you can indicate what language you would like to communicate in.

As of 2021, workers in Lithuania pay 20% income tax (up to €400/month are exempt from taxes for workers earning less than approx. €2700/month) and 19.5% for health and unemployment insurance. Web sites such as Atlyginimo skaičiuoklė provide an exact breakdown.

Workers are required by law to undergo periodic health inspections if they are under 18, work shifts or during night hours, or if their workplace exposes them to certain risk factors. The latter is the case even for office jobs (risks being eye strain and carpal tunnel syndrome).

Stay safe

In general, Lithuania is a safe country. But you should take basic safety measures:

• Take care when visiting potentially dangerous neighbourhoods at night. After dark it is safer to walk along main roads, than to take a short cut through a park or apartment complex, as these areas often have very poor lighting. Take a taxi if you are afraid of possible encounters. A thing to watch out for is bicycle theft, and it is advisable not to leave valuable things in your car.
• As in other Eastern European countries, public displays of affection between same-gender partners such as holding hands or kissing may result in a confrontation from an onlooker. Suspicion of homosexuality may also cause problems.
• Members of ethnic minorities, (particularly those of African descent), may experience some form of racism. This is not tolerated by the authorities and racist attacks are rare. However non-whites might be stared at by locals, especially in rural areas. More often than not this can be out of pure curiosity rather than malice. The issue of race relations, the history of slavery and civil rights are relatively unknown. That said, the presence of several Afro-American basketball players in the Lithuanian league does help and means that racism is perhaps not as big a problem as other eastern European countries.
• Driving in Lithuania is considered dangerous according to European standards. Lithuania's rapidly expanding economy has led to an increase in traffic density, thus accident rates are high. As a pedestrian, take great care when crossing the roads, as pedestrian crossings are widely ignored. When driving be careful of aggressive, quickly going and irresponsible drivers. It's better to pass them even if they are flouting rules. Keep in mind that traffic police could be corrupt. Mind the forest roads, collisions with wildlife animals can easily occur.

Stay healthy

If bitten by a dog, wild animal or a snake, seek medical attention immediately. Snakes are not venomous in Lithuania, except for the European Viper (angis) whose bite only rarely is lethal though quite painful. A dog (šuo) or cat (katė) bite can carry the risk of rabies. Mosquitoes (uodai) carry no disease and are only an annoyance in the summer months. A forest tick (erkė) bite carries the risk of Lyme disease or encephalitis.

Tap water is suitable for drinking in many parts of Lithuania. In other areas, local people prefer to purchase bottled water or to run tap water through water filters. If you need to buy bottled water, a 5-litre bottle is not much more expensive than a one-litre bottle. Where in doubt about the tap water, seek local advice.

Mineral water is also offered in restaurants, cafés and shops, although it's a bit more expensive than tap water. Some popular brands are Birutė and Vytautas. But be warned - those are carbonated, and foreigners describe "Vytautas" as "sea water" due to its salty taste.

Respect

Lithuanians are a Baltic nation; however, it's common for tourists to mistakenly think that they are in any way connected with the Russians.

Lithuanians form their own distinct Baltic ethnic group and speak their own language (Lithuanian), which is one of the oldest Indo-European languages, belonging to the Baltic (not the Slavic) branch of Indo-European languages. Although the Baltic and Slavic groups are thought to have a small degree of deep linguistic semblance, this would at most make the Lithuanian language as similar to Russian as Italian is to English. For this reason, any attempt to relate to the Lithuanian language from the Slavic languages will obviously not be successful, and any attempt to continually do it may become both annoying for the Lithuanians, and embarrassing for you.

It is a notoriously difficult language to master, but learning how to greet locals in their own language can go a long way. They will appreciate your efforts in Lithuanian.

Lithuania was part of the Soviet Union from the end of World War II until 1990. Because of wartime occupations by Tsarist Russia in the 19th century, the Soviet Union in the 20th century and the territorial disputes with Poland in the early 20th century, conversations revolving around disputes with neighboring countries are not a good idea for those not from the region. Be careful when mentioning Lithuania in the context of the former USSR. Any praising of Soviet practices is very unlikely to be understood or appreciated by the Lithuanians. World War II and the Holocaust are also very touchy subjects to many Lithuanians.

Lithuanians may appear at times nationalist. Ethnic identities and local traditions might be taken very seriously. The history of the country is rife with invasions and confrontations. It is best to avoid superficial comments on sensitive topics such as World War II, Nazi occupation, Soviet rule.

Lithuanians may appear sad, depressive (suicide rates in Lithuania are among the highest in the world), a little bit rude and suspicious. Smile at a Lithuanian in the street and most likely they will not respond in kindness. Smiling in Lithuania is traditionally reserved for friends; smile at a stranger and they will either think you're making fun of them and there's something wrong with their clothes or hairdo. Furthermore, an automatic Western smile is often regarded as insincere.

Women in the entire former USSR area are traditionally treated with respect. Female travellers should not act indignant when local male friends pay their bills at restaurants, open every door in front of them, offer their hand to help them climb down that little step or help them carry anything heavier than a handbag - this is not sexual harassment or being condescending.

Be a decent person and do not show any Russian army/government symbols (such as "Z"). It's not a smart move. It will get you very angry looks, harsh and angry words and legal trouble. As of September 2022, the number of Ukrainian flags flown from buildings, banners hanging from the skyscrapers in the Vilnius business center stating the court in Hague is waiting for president Putin, the LED screens on public buses showing support for Ukraine and discussions with average Lithuanians should really give a hint that pro-Russian views will be met with hostility.

Connect

Land line phones

There is a monopoly operator for land line phones: TEO (it now belongs to "TeliaSonera AB"), a subsidiary of Sweden (Telia) and Finland (Sonera). Land line phones are easy to find throughout the country. Phones are used with cards, which you can find in kiosks, "TEO" or newspaper stands.

Mobile phones

There are three major mobile phone operators in Lithuania: Telia, BITE and TELE 2. About 97% of the country's surface is covered by the standard European GSM 900/1800 MHz network, the remaining 3% are non-walkable forests.

The pre-paid SIM cards you can buy in any kiosk and they are: Pildyk (Tele2), Labas (Bite) and Ežys (Telia). Pildyk has the cheapest internet, but the smallest coverage area (which should suffice unless you want to use internet in deep forests).

Mobile internet for travellers

Lithuania is the first country to introduce 'EU Internet' solution which offers cheap mobile internet for visitors. When visiting Lithuania you can enjoy fast local 3G mobile internet without changing your SIM card. All you have to do is follow these simple steps to unlock mobile internet and stay connected:

1. manually set mobile network to 'BITE'
2. set your APN to 'euinternet'
3. turn mobile data and data roaming on
4. open http://go.cheapdata.com (dead link: December 2020) & select preferred connection period

Detailed setup instructions can be found at cheapdata.com (dead link: August 2018)

Eith 'EU Internet' on you can access Google Maps free of data roaming fees. While using Cheap Data services, no data roaming fees will apply. Keep in mind that Cheap Data solution works with EU SIM cards.

International calls

To call abroad from Lithuania:

• From a land line phone: 00 Your Country Code The Number Abroad
• From a mobile phone: + Your Country Code The Number Abroad

To call to Lithuania from abroad, dial the Lithuania country code, 370, then the number, as if calling from a domestic mobile phone.

International and roaming calls are expensive. To reduce your bill you can:

• Buy "phone cards" for international calls
• Talk over the Internet

Internet

If you're bringing a laptop, Wireless LAN Hot-Spots are available in distinct places (mostly "Zebra" from - TEO), sometimes free, otherwise not very cheap. Best chances of finding one are at airports, railway stations, in cafés, shopping malls, universities, various places. You can ask in your hotel, but be prepared to pay. For those who need to connect at an Internet cafes, major cities do have internet cafes. You can get free wireless Internet in Kaunas main pedestrian street, Laisvės Alėja. Download speed reaches 26.2 Mbit/s, while upload speed is 16.8 Mbit/s. The internet service that provide such speeds are not free.

With your mobile phone you can use: CSD, HSCSD, GPRS or EDGE, but the cost may be unattractive. There's 4G coverage almost everywhere in the country, except for a few spots in the countryside. If your phone is not SIM-locked, you may consider purchasing a pre-paid SIM card designed for data access.

If you want to communicate with your friends or locals using internet, you'll need Facebook Messenger. Whatsapp is not very popular here. Older generation people usually have Viber too. The most popular social websites are Facebook and Instagram. Though Facebook is being used by older people, while younger people choose Instagram.

Post office

If you see the sign "Lietuvos paštas" on a storefront, this doesn't mean it is a pasta shop! It is actually the post office where you can mail letters and packages.