The Official Gateway of Lithuania

Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is the largest and one of the oldest cities of the country with population of over half a million. It was founded in the 14th century by Lithuania’s Grand Duke Gediminas renowned as a good diplomat. He invited craftsmen, merchants and monks from Western Europe to come and settle here. Thus, Vilnius grew as a centre of tolerance where people of various nationalities, including Poles, Belarusians, Russians, Germans, Jews and others, settled and lived in harmony. With the establishment of a university in 1579, Vilnius became the biggest centre of culture and education in the region. Vilnius is well-known in the world for its extraordinarily beautiful old town inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Kaunas (population of 348,600), the second largest city of the country, is situated on the confluence of the Nemunas and the Neris. Its history dates back to the 13th century when the first stone castle in Lithuania, the biggest defence fortress then, was built. From 1920 to 1940, Kaunas was the provisional capital of Lithuania. Kaunas takes pride in many valuable cultural and architectural objects, including the Pažaislis Monastery, the pearl of the Lithuanian mature Baroque, located near Kaunas, on the coast of the Kaunas Lagoon. Spare a moment to go up in a funicular launched 70 years ago – it opens up a beautiful panorama of Kaunas. Kaunas also has many museums – do not pass by. More to that, Kaunas is a city of students and sportsmen, with five higher education schools and the famous Žalgiris basketball team.

Klaipėda is famous as an ice-free seaport open all year round. That’s why Klaipėda has been a hub of trade since long ago, frequented by merchants from northern and southern countries from across the Baltic Sea as early as in the 13th century. By its old architecture the seaport city differs from other towns of the country and reminds more of a Nordic city. Some of the buildings that have survived in its old town have a pronounced Fachwerk style, but modern elements can also be traced. Klaipėda is particularly anxious to preserve its nice marine traditions – the Sea Festival has been celebrated on the last weekend of every July since 1934. A visitor must see the Maritime Museum-Aquarium, the Clock Museum, and the Blacksmithing Museum, and spend some time on the excellent white sand beaches – in other countries, such sand is a luxury of private beaches, while in Lithuania it is for everybody to enjoy. Yachtsmen are welcome at two yachting clubs, and fans of sport dancing should know that Klaipėda is the home ground of the world-famous dance-sport team Žuvėdra (Eng. seagull), a multiple European and world champion.

Šiauliai is also called the City of Sun, for its history dates back to the victorious Battle of Sun on 22 September 1236. In the course of its history, the city was devastated by wars, plagues and fires many times. The only architectural object having survived from the ancient times is St. Peter and Paul Cathedral built in the Renaissance style, with its 70-meter-high clock-tower – the landmark of Šiauliai panorama – visible from afar. A unique solar clock has survived in the tower. Today, the city takes pride in its pedestrian boulevard decorated with artistic elements, which is the first central street in Lithuania open exclusively to pedestrians. It is worth-while visiting the old cemetery of the city where persons of different beliefs are buried. Those who love extreme experiences should go to the former Soviet military airport of Zokniai. Also, the Hill of Crosses, one of the most famous symbols of Catholic Lithuania attracting crowds of visitors from all over the world, is located in close proximity to Šiauliai.

Settled on the bank of the Nevėžis River, Panevėžys counts its age as from 7 September 1503, although full bloom of the city did not start before the 19th century, due to never-ending wars and epidemics. Panevėžys is a city of theatres. A drama theatre established by director Juozas Miltinis and subsequently named after him has earned worldwide recognition. Nowhere else in Europe will one find a unique Puppet Wagon Theatre. It is visiting the remotest villages and towns in a colourful horse-driven cart in summer, and performing at home in winter. Every year, artists from all over the world gather in Panevėžys to participate in the international ceramic art symposia. Their works are stored in the Art Gallery. The city is decorated with a wealth of original sculptures. It also has the longest in Europe narrow gauge railway, a rarity nowadays, still running between Panevėžys and Anykščiai. A trip on this railroad is an exciting adventure.

Alytus is the capital city of Dzūkija, one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. Back in the 14th century, it used to be just a fortress on a hill on the confluence of the Nemunas and the Alytupis Rivers. In the end of the 19th century, the period of Tsarist occupation, Alytus was converted into a defence town with a motor road and a railway. Once in Alytus, visit the nurtured old garden, the monument to freedom (The Angel of Freedom), and the memorial to partisans of the Dainava district who died for Lithuania’s independence. Moreover, Alytus County is home to the Dzūkija National, the Meteliai and the Nemunas Loops Regional Parks attracting visitors by beautiful nature and landscape, and the Žuvintas Reserve inhabited by a large variety of bird species. One can enjoy a magnificent panorama from top of the fort-hills of Merkinė, Liškiava and Punia.

Utena is the capital of the Aukštaitija ethnographic region. It was first mentioned in written sources in 1261. Destroyed during the Nordic War, Utena recovered in the 19th century, when the Kaunas-Daugavpils highway was laid through the town. The oldest surviving building in Utena is the Post-office Station built in the Classicism style in 1835. Russian Tsar Nicholas I with his son Alexander, Russian painter Ilya Repin, and the famous French writer Honore de Balzac had a stop here to change horses. Today, the building of the Post-office houses the Art School and the Picture Gallery. Utena is crossed by the several rivulets and two lakes, Dauniškis and Vyžuonaitis. The Kloviniai Pond and the Hill of Wedding nearby, where folk artists have put up sculptures representing scenes from old Lithuanian wedding ceremonies, attract crowds of holidaymakers. The Utena County also takes pride in Lithuania’s oldest Aukštaitija National Park rich in lakes, forests and ethnographic villages. And last but not least, Utena is famous for its superb beer.

Marijampolė is considered the capital of the ethnographic region of Suvalkija (also called Sūduva). The town, settled by the Šešupė River, grew from the Pašešupis Village, first mentioned in historical records back in 1667. First, the village evolved into a commercial Starapolė Town in the 18th century. After a monastery was built here, the town was given the name of Marijampolė. Rapid development of the town started in 1918, when Lithuania became an independent state. The town was devastated by World War II but its most beautiful buildings survived. Its rich architectural heritage consists of shrines of different faiths built in the Classicism and Historicism styles, also educational institutions, a railway station and other buildings constructed during the interwar period. A perfect refuge from city noise is offered by the parks of Vytautas the Great, Poetry, Pašešupis (in the Šešupė River valley) and Marijampolės Marios (Marijampolė Lagoon).

Tauragė is a town located in the western part of Lithuania, in the plain of the lower reaches of the Nemunas River. The name Tauragė is composed of two words having the meaning of “aurochs” (tauras) and “horn” (ragas). According to old tales, people once found aurochs’ horns when gathering mushrooms in a forest. The town grew from the Pajūris Manor (Seaside Manor) built in 1499. The first wooden Catholic church, a shelter and a school were built in Tauragė in 1507. In 1567, a customs office was opened, since Tauragė was a border town in those times. In the period of prohibition of the Lithuanian press, Tauragė was a major intermediate point of Lithuanian book smuggling. The most significant architectural sites are the Tauragė Manor farmstead of the 15th century, the history of which dates back to the origins of the town, and the Tauragė Castle ensemble built for customs purposes in the 19th century. The Manor’s buildings on the bank of the Jūra River are surrounded by a large scenic park. Today, the Castle houses the Tauragė History Museum, which stores a wealth of exhibits. The quay of the Jūra River is decorated with an assemblage of sculptures.

Telšiai is the capital of the ethnographic region of Žemaitija (Samogitia) settled on seven hills by Lake Mastis. The first mention of Telšiai in the historical sources appeared in 1450. The town started growing rapidly in the interwar years of independence, when several high schools for girls and boys were opened, a crafts school and a teacher’s seminary were founded, and the Alka Museum was built. The beautiful old town of Telšiai has been given the status of an urban monument. Up on the highest hill of the town, a most adorable church was built in the 18th century in the late Baroque-Classicism style, to become the Telšiai Cathedral in 1926. An interesting place to see is the Military Museum, a former Soviet secret base of thermonuclear missiles. The most picturesque landscapes can be found in the Žemaitija National, and the Varniai and Venta Regional Parks.