Lithuania

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Quick Facts

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Capital

Vilnius

Population

3,592,000

Government

Parliamentary Democracy

Religions

Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox)

Languages

Lithuanian, Russian, Polish

Calling Code

+370

Nationality

Local name

Contributors

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as well as Peter (11%), Hien (7%), dr.pepper (1%), Lavafalls (1%), valerija (1%)

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Introduction

Sunday in small Lithuanian town

© All Rights Reserved zenkelis

Lithuania has an unspectacular landscape, but a vibrant culture more than makes up for this. Of the three Soviet Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, it was the Lithuanians who made the most daring push towards independence. Today, Lithuanians still stand out from their fellow Baltic inhabitants as being somewhat reckless.

Vilnius, the nation's capital, is a classic eastern European historical city: it thrives on a modern, multicultural feel, while at the same time harkening back centuries in the Old Town (the largest in eastern Europe). The seaside resort of Palanga is another of Lithuania's top attractions, boasting excellent prices and a fantastic beach. For a more mystical attraction, Lithuania's Hill of Crosses is just the place: the thousands of crosses which cover the small hill were hacked down several times by the Soviets, only to reappear each time.

Brief History

The ancient history of Lithuania is not much different from other countries in the Baltic region. After the last Ice age settlements of several tribes began to emerge. in the 1230s the Lithuanian lands were united by Mindaugas, who was crowned as King of Lithuania on 6 July 1253. After his assassination in 1263, Lithuania was the target of attacks by the Teutonic Knights and Livonian Order. Despite these invasions, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, could grow to become the biggest country in Europe by the end of the 14th Century.

In 1385, the Grand Duke Jogaila accepted the offer to become king of Poland. He converted Lithuania into Christianity and established a personal union between Poland and Lithuania. After two civil wars Vytautas the Great became the Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1392. Thanks to close cooperation, the armies of Poland and Lithuania achieved a great victory over the Teutonic Knights in 1410 at the Battle of Grunwald, one of the largest battles of medieval Europe. After the deaths of Jogaila and Vytautas, Lithuanian nobility attempted to break the union between Poland and Lithuania. the growing power of the Grand Duchy of Moscow threatened Lithuania's Russian principalities and sparked the Muscovite–Lithuanian Wars and the Livonian War. At the end of the 16th Century the commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania was created.

During the Northern Wars (1655–1661), the Lithuanian territory and economy and was devastated by the Swedish army. Before it could fully recover, Lithuania was again ravaged during the Great Northern War (1700–1721). The war, plague, and famine resulted in loss of approximately 40% of the country's inhabitants. For the powerful Russian Empire, Habsburg Austria and Prussia the Polish-Lituanian Commonwealth was too powerful. In 1772, 1792 and 1795 Russia, Prussia, and Habsburg Austria. Invaded the commonwealth and annexed huge parts of it. The majority of the Lithuanian territory became part of Russia.

Lithuania declared its independence during World War I. This happened on 16 February 1918. This independence was short lived. The fate of Latvia and the other Baltic states was sealed by the German Soviet Nonaggression Pact, signed between Hitler and Stalin. In june 1940 the Soviet Union invaded Lithuania, but during the war, Germany took control over Lithuania. In the last year of the war the Red Army took control of the country again. The Baltic States were included into the Soviet Union. During the war it is estimated that around 780.000 citizens of Lithuania, including 190,000 jews died.

In the late 1980's, when perestroika and glasnost were the key words, nationalists saw their chance to regain independence. Independence was declared on March 11, 1990, becoming the first Soviet republic to do so. The Soviet Union imposed economic blockade attempting to suppress this secession. The Soviet troops attacked the Vilnius TV Tower and killed 13 Lithuanian civilians on the night of 13 January 1991. The final push was given by the coup attempt in Moscow in August 1991. The last Russian troops left on 31 August 1993. In 2004 Lithuania together with nine other countries including the other two Baltic states became part of the European Union. Lithuania also became part of the NATO in that same year.

For a more detailed version of the History of Lithuania, check the article: The History of Lithuania

Geography

Lithuania shares international borders with Russia, Poland, Belarus and Latvia.

Regions/Counties

Lithuania is divided into 10 counties.

• Alytus County
• Kaunas County
• Klaipėda County
• Marijampolė County
• Panevėžys County
• Šiauliai County
• Tauragė County
• Telšiai County
• Utena County
• Vilnius County

Cities

• Vilnius
• Kaunas
• Klaipeda
• Siauliai
• Panevezys

Sights and Activities

Curonian Spit

The Curonian Spit is a small neck of land in the west of the country and divided between Lithuania and Russia.
Human habitation of this sand dune peninsula dates back to prehistoric times and throughout this period it has been threatened by the natural forces of wind and waves. Human efforts have made it possible to survive to the present. Erosion has been prevented by reforestation projects for example. It is on the Unesco World Heritage List.

Historic Vilnius

Vilnius

© All Rights Reserved amheff

Vilinius is one of the hidden gems in this part of Europe and its historical town is on the Unesco World Heritage List.
It is a beautiful capital and has been preserved very well. There is an impressive mix of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and classical buildings. Vilnius had an influence on the cultural and architectural development of much of eastern Europe and walking around the old town is one of the highlights of the country. Highlights include the Gediminas castle, Archcathedral Basilica, Frank Zappa statue, the Lithuanian National Museum and some fine churches.

Hill of Crosses

The Hill of Crosses is one of the biggest attractions in Siauliai which is located in the north of the country. Many people from all over the world, especially christian piligrim travelers, come here. The origin is still unknown, but it is considered that the first crosses were placed on the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort around 1832. Over the centuries, crosses, giant crucifixes, carvings of Lithuanian patriots and statues of the Virgin Mary among others have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims.

Other sights and activities

Trakai

© All Rights Reserved hels1987

• Centre of Europe - located 25 kilometers from Vilnius, in the village of Purnuskes
• Trakai Castle - outside Vilnius

Events and Festivals

Weather

Summers are warm, around 22 degrees during the day on average from June to August, and days above 30 are possible. Winters are cold with snowfall. Average maximum temperatures are around -5 degrees Celsius while nights average around -10 degrees. Occasionally, when the winds blow east from Siberia, temperatures can plummit way below -20 degrees. Precipitation is fairly even throughout the year, but winters tends to be a bit drier. On average, there are between 10 and 15 wet days with around 60 or 70 mm of rain or snow a month.

Getting there

Plane

Vilnius International Airport (VNO) is where most travellers arrive by air in Lithuania. Air Baltic operates a number of flights to European destinations as well and other airlines serving Vilnius are Lufthansa to Frankfurt and LOT to Warsaw.

By Train

Trains connections to and from Vilnius include Kaliningrad, Moscow, Minsk and Warsaw

By Car

Crossings from Poland and Latvia are fast and straightfoward and with the right documentation and insurance you will be on your way within minutes, though some busier crossings from Poland might take half an hour or so.

By Bus

Eurolines has a number of international bus connections to and from Vilnius and a few other cities. Destinations include Riga, Tallinn and Warsaw. Ecolines has quite a few services as well including Kaliningrad, Moscow, Gdansk and Minsk.
Some buses go all the way to Germany (including Berlin) and to London though not on a daily basis.

By Boat

Lithuania has a number of connections by ferry to countries within the region.

Sweden

• Lisco Baltic Service between Karlshamn and Klaipeda.

Germany

• Lisco Baltic Service between Klaipeda and the German cities of Kiel and Sassnitz.

Denmark

• Lisco Baltic Service between Klaipeda and Copenhagen (Frederica).
• Lisco Baltic Service between Klaipeda and Arhus via Abenraa.

Russia

• Lisco Baltic Service between Klaipeda and Baltysk in Kaliningrad.

Getting Around

By Train

Lithuanian Railways has services between Vilnius to Kaunas, Klaipeda and Siauliai. There are up to 15 trains daily between Vilnius and Kaunas and several overnight sleeper services to the Baltic coast. Ignalina (for the lakes and forests in the northeast and Trakai (a popular daytrip from the capital) have frequent departures as well.

By Car

The roads in Lithuania are generally in a good condition and road signs are ok too. Modern motorways connect Vilnius with Klaipeda, Kaunas and Panevezys. Renting a car is good option to visit the more remote national parks and if split between 2 or 3 people, prices are affordable as well. International and local firms have offices downtown or at airports. As a EU citizen you only need a national driver's licence, other need an international permit as well as long as it has photo ID.

By Bus

Kautra is one of the main bus companies but there are lots more. Usually, services are more frequent and faster than trains and they also tend to go to even the smaller villages at least once or twice a day from cities like Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda. Tickets can be purchased online at Autobusubilietai.lt.

By Boat

Lithuania has a beautiful stretch of Baltic coast, and some fantastic rivers and lakes to take leisurely boat rides or organized tours. Still, few noteworthy passenger services exist.

By Bicycle

Lithuania has a wide range of excellent cycling routes. You can download maps and directions from Bicycle.lt.

Red Tape

If you are a European Union (EU) citizen, you may enter without any restriction as per your EU citizenship rights. If you are not an EU citizen, you will need to obtain a Schengen Visa. This visa is valid for any country in the Schengen zone.

Money

See also: Money Matters

The Lithuanian litas (LTL, plural litu) is the currency of Lithuania. It is divided into 100 centu.

Banknotes are in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 litu.
Coins come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 centu, 1, 2, 5 litu

Work

Study

Language

Eat

Sleep

Drink

Health

See also: Travel Health

Safety

See also: Travel Safety

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

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