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Travel Guide to Lithuania

Last updated: August 2020

A land rich in folklore, fascinating architecture and wild nature, Lithuania is a fantastic destination for the adventure seeker and the history fanatic. It is the most southern of the Baltic states and visitors will find many interesting places to visit in Lithuania from the lively Baroque capital at Vilnius to the beautiful resort town of Druskininkai.

Top 5 Places to Visit

Vilnius

The capital of Lithuania is an intriguing city to visit with its Old Town a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site stuffed full of fabulous architecture from the early medieval to high Baroque. It has some fantastic museums, a lively craft beer scene and even contains an independent republic, Užupis a country within a city.

Kaunas

The country’s second city is built around its fort and pretty Old Town. It was founded at the meeting point of the Nemunas and Neris rivers and over the centuries has remained an important strategic city. It is quite a small city but has a brilliant nightlife and some of the best art galleries in the country.

Druskininkai

A popular spa town with elegant 19^th century villas and imposing Soviet era architecture, the healing springs of Druskininkai have been attracting tourists since the early 1800s. It is a wonderful place to relax with nature all around and the Dzūkija National Park just a short drive away. It is a popular spot to escape the city for Lithuanians and tourists from neighbouring countries.

Nemunas Delta Regional Park

This park is where the country’s largest river, the Nemunas, joins the Curonian Lagoon and then splits into four distributaries. These fresh waters have transformed the landscape into a delta full of wildflowers, birds and a host of other species and is a magical space to explore. If you are a bird watcher, this is the place to be with almost 300 different species spotted here.

Hill of Crosses

This infamous pilgrimage site contains over 100,000 crosses on a low hill that since the 1831 rebellion has been a place of defiance and memorial. Now it still retains an important function as a place to remember the dead and you can also place a cross of your own. It is worth a visit just to see the spectacular site framed in the window of the modern chapel at the site.

Best Time to Visit Lithuania

We could say that vacations in Lithuania are for those who are not big fans of hot climates.  Even during summer, temperatures don’t exceed 25°C (71°F). Winters are harsh, with freezing temperatures below zero and up to 5°C (41°F), which last from mid-November to March. Snowfall is common and abundant in Lithuania, especially from December to March. 

Spring kicks in at the beginning of April, while May is probably the loveliest time of the year to visit. The countryside is lush, the cafe terraces open, and the sun is bright. Hiking and cycling in one of the five national parks are the ideal activities this time of the year. Summer starts from late-June and ends in August. It is indeed rather short, but the mild climate makes it easy to stroll all day long in the cities or head to the 100km (62 miles) Baltic sandy coast. Visit Lithuania in September or October to watch the tawny leaves falling off the trees and the whole nature welcoming the autumn colors.

How to Get There

Most often, this tiny Baltic country is reached by airplane. If you’re flying from another European state, airfares are low almost all year long. Travelers from the USA will find tickets from 520$ (440€). All flights are indirect with an intermediate stop, usually in Amsterdam or Copenhagen airports, before landing to Vilnius. But, if you always had a longing for a train excursion through the dense forests and green European countryside, Lithuania is the ideal destination for that. You can start your journey from Poland or Latvia, and travel through the most beautiful Lithuanian cities and rural areas.

Surprising Facts about Lithuania

• Lithuania is one of the smallest countries in Europe, with a population of fewer than 3 million people. According to the 2020 population census, it has 2,794 million inhabitants.
• Probably, you had no idea that Lithuanian is the most ancient language in Europe. It’s an Indo-European language that has strong links to the ancient Sanskrit language.
• One-third of the country is covered by forest, while Lithuania is home to the oldest oak tree in the world. The Stelmuze Oak, named after the homonymous village, is estimated to be more than 1,500 years old.
• Basketball is the most popular sport in Lithuania. The national team has won several bronze medals in the Olympic Games, and many Lithuanian basketball players have made it to the NBA Hall of Fame.