LITHUANIA
Lithuania is one of the three Baltic States other than Estonia and Latvia. It is erroneously thought that there is some sort of political unity among the Baltic States.
Lithuania was the last country in Europe to be converted to Christianity and before that the religion of the country was Romuva. In the Romuvan belief the oak tree was considered the symbol of life and strength and life and this belief still persists.
In all its history the country has seen the rule of only one king! In the 15th century the Jews began to settle in the country.
In 1522 Lithuania opened its first publishing house; in 1547 it published its first book and in 1579 established its first university, which is an indicator of the love of learning and reading among the Lithuanian people.
Lithuania was annexed to the USSR during WW2 from 1939-45 and gained independence from soviet supremacy in 1989.
The country has a parliamentary democracy where the President is the head of the state and has a population of about 3, 4000,000.
LOCATION, GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
Lithuania is situated in northern Europe and is the southernmost of the three Baltic States. To its north lies Latvia, to its southeast is Belarus and Poland to the southwest.
The country has many forests, rivers and streams, lakes and gently rolling hills and covers an area of 65,200 sq. km. Its endless stretches of sandy beaches and pine forests attract thousands of vacationers.
The country has a mild climate which ranges between a maritime type climate and a continental one. From April through September, the country enjoys a warm, pleasant weather and that is the best time to plan a vacation there. During the winters, the cold is severe and snowfall is heavy, though there is skiing during that time.
CURRENCY AND ECONOMY
The Lithuanian Litas (Lt) (LTL) is Lithuania’s monetary unit.
The country has a full market economy since 1995. Lithuania is a country with high average income, possessing a well developed modern infrastructure of railways, airports and four-lane highways and its growth in GDP reflects the impressive economic development. The country’s increased outsourcing and tourism sector has given a great boost to its economy.
PEOPLE AND LANGUAGES
About 85% of the population is Lithuanian in origin and the Poles and Russians make up the largest minority community in the country. Before WW2, the Jews were the largest minority group but during the war 165,000 of them were killed. The country has 65% of the population living in urban areas and the people predominantly follow the Roman Catholic Church.
Since 1988 the official language of the country has been Lithuanian, which is closely related to Latvian.
CAPITAL
The city of Vilnius is the capital of the country. Owing to its Baroque Old Town, Vilnius is the most enchanting city of Europe. It is a city of theatres and you can watch different kinds of performances here. Additionally it has several museums which reveal to you the history of the place.
HOW TO REACH THERE
There are three international airports in the country, one at the capital city of Vilnius (VNO) and the other two at Kaunas (KUN) and Palalnga (PLQ). FlyLAL is the national airline of the country.
Taxis and mini-buses operate between the airport and cities to ferry the passengers.
One can travel by water to Lithuania as ferry services run from Lithuania to countries like Denmark, Kaliningrad (Russian Fed), Germany, Poland and Sweden, via its port Klaipeda.
The Lithuanian Railways runs a well-developed railway network and the major rail routes run to Kaliningrad, Lviv (Ukraine), Minsk, Moscow, Riga, St. Petersburg and Warsaw.
Lithuania is connected to all its neighboring states by a good network of roads and with countries like Latvia, Belarus and Kaliningrad it has several crossing points.
HOLIDAYING IN LITHUANIA
Explore the old town of the capital city of Vilnius, which is a World Heritage site and once at the capital, also head to the Gediminas Square, which is dominated by the classical cathedral.
Several Lithuanian towns and cities host the Mardi gras festivities, which are a grand affair, with the procession in the Vilnius Old Town being the most renowned.
Situated on the shore of the picturesque Lake Galve is the ancient capital of Lithuania, Trakai, which has a beautiful castle dating back to the 14th century. Exploring the antique town with its ancient castle can transport you back into a romantic historical time.
There are plenty of sporting activities in the country like hiking in the Curonian National Park, sailing, wind-surfing, paragliding and kiting, all in the village of Nida, which is surrounded by endless stretches of white sand.
In case you have the heart for action of the more extreme kind, then try hot air ballooning or then bungee jumping off the Vilnius T.V tower, which is the tallest bungee jump of its kind in Europe.
For a taste of the tradition of the country, sample local dishes, visit craft fairs, join song and glee parties during the International Folklore Festival held in the Old Town of Vilnius in the month of May.
And if you are planning a visit to the country during the Days of the Capital Festival in September, then you will be spoilt by all the fairs, concerts, carnivals and fireworks.
If you are interested in the sights of the city and sports is not your forte, then at Vilnius, discover its many churches, including the gothic St. Ann’s Church and the St. Peter and St. Paul’s churches.
Kuanas is famous as the country’s ‘city of museums’ and has a unique museum called the Devil’s Museum, which is a tribute to all those who suffered during the Nazi occupation and a museum dedicated to the works of the Lithuanian painter Ciurlionis. In addition to these there are also three theatres and the ruins of an 11th century castle.
At Palanga, visit the Amber Museum-Gallery and Botanical Park.
One quarter of the country is covered by forests and the country has several national parks as well as reserves, which one can explore for their wildlife and natural beauty.
Close to the village of Nida is the Thomas Mann Cultural Center, which is located in the house where the German writer spent two years writing.
Shopping
Gintaras or Amber, which is a fossilized tree sap, is what you would like to bring back from Lithuania. For thousands of years amber has adorned thrones kings and tombs of pharaohs. The most popular souvenirs from Lithuania are bracelets and other jewelry of amber.
Nightlife
Almost all the towns have cinemas and the capital is especially famous for its theatres. At the opera theatre in Vilnius, operas and ballets are staged and at Kaunas you will find a Musical Theatre. In the larger towns, there are numerous discos and nightclubs, which have a variety of shows and you, will be able to find several restaurants in the country which play live music.
You will find it hard to distinguish between cafes and restaurants because they are all attempting to be or even are bars and nightclubs.
Other than that Lithuania is a safe country and the nightlife is peaceful, so you can go out there and have your nightly entertainment without worrying.
HOW TO GET AROUND
Air
The country does not run a lot of domestic flights but there are some that are operated from domestic airports at Palalnga, Kaunas and Siauliai.
Water
From the Klaipeda port to the Curonian spit, there are ferry services that connect the two.
Rail
There are good rail connections from Vilnius to Klaipeda, Kaunas and Siauliai and there are two passenger trains that connect the capital city to the Baltic Coast.
There is a good network of modern-four lane motorways in the country which connect all the major towns and cities.
Good and frequent bus services are run to and from most parts of the country and travel by bus is generally faster than that by train. Additionally you can hire cars as well.
WHERE TO STAY
The capital Vilnius and the city of Kaunas have a good range of Western-style hotel and motels. The other cities and towns too have adequate hotel accommodation, which is comfortable and have reasonably good facilities.
Rooms for hire in private homes as well as houses can be arranged by travel agencies, especially in the resort regions and you can have a homely accommodation for your holiday. In the capital city there are self-catering types of accommodation available too.
At Palanga, on the shore of the Baltic Sea, in the lake district of Taraki and in the larger towns you can find campsites, which are in the most picturesque locations. Alternatively, for a small fee the authorities allow one to pitch tents near the lakes and rivers.
Several youth hostels and budget accommodations, especially at Vilnius are easy to arrange.
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