Lithuania sightseeing. Travel guide - attractions, sights, nature and touristic places

Lithuania never ceases to amaze its guests with magnificent nature landmarks. The country is home to approximately 200 parks, 50 nature reserves and as many as 2500 lakes. Simply every park of the country is perfect for rest, where you can relax under the crone of centuries old trees, enjoy the crystal clean water in a lake or walk in a beautiful garden. The historic heritage of the country is no less interesting, and the best way to start your exploration of Lithuania is to visit its capital, Vilnius.

The capital is famous for its magnificent religious complexes such as St. Anne’s Church, one of the most famous churches in Vilnius. The building is made in gothic style and its facades are decorated with amazing patterns made with bricks of different colour. The three altars and an ancient organ are the most precious elements of the inner design. The church got its current look in the middle of the 16th century. Before that there was a small wooden bell tower on the site of the modern church. Vilnius is home to the National Museum, the oldest museum in the country. It was founded yet in 1855. Museum collections are dedicated to history and culture of the country. Yet in the 19th century a part of the collection was transferred to Moscow; currently, the exhibition of the museum includes approximately 800 thousand items. Visitors will see large collections of paintings, weapons, work tools, utensils, jewellery, furniture, medals, historic documents, maps and other ethnographic and historic items.

The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania is an amazing example of medieval architecture. The building of the castle was started in the 15th century and lasted a few hundred years. The castle changed its owners several times, that’s why it took so long to finish the construction. Today, the palace features amazing combination of renaissance and gothic styles, and visitors are welcome to see its beautiful halls and rooms, and listen to many interesting stories about the past of the building. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

One more prominent landmark is located in Kaunas. This is Kaunas Castle, which belong to the list of the oldest buildings in the country. The fortress was built in the 14th century and was severely damaged during military campaigns of Teutonic Knights. Later, the castle was rebuilt and restored several times. Nowadays, one of the towers of the castle is open for tourists. Acropolis Entertainment Centre, which is the biggest centre of its kind in Lithuania, is another great tourist destination. This is the place where tourists will enjoy numerous shops, movie theatres, bowling, gym, and a swimming pool.

History and Entertainment

The first state at the site of modern Lithuania started being formed in the 12th century. During this period, it had been the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The medieval country was governed by Lithuanian dukes. In the 15th century, the duchy underwent multiple major military conflicts with the Teutonic Order. In the late 16th century, multiple wars for the territory led to the establishment of the new country that was called the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. As the country had been formed, the considerable part of Poland joined the territory of the Duchy of Lithuania. Subsequently, the country saw a series of destructive wars and, as a result, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth joined the Roman Empire. The Republic of Lithuania gained independence in 1918.

On the territory of Lithuania, there are several beach resorts. They are distinguished by a calm and relaxing atmosphere. One of the most popular resorts is Klaipėda. Travelers with little children and elderly people choose it for their vacation. Fans of recreation in the countryside will be certainly impressed by the resort of Palanga. Here, you can combine beach entertainments with walks along fascinating pine forests. Today, the Curonian Spit is considered as a protected area. Local beaches are not only incredibly beautiful, but also environmentally safe.

One of the main national symbols of Lithuania is amber, so you should definitely visit some local jewelry stores and one of the themed museums here. Local jewelers make incredibly enchanting accessories of amber that are quite cheap here.

Lithuania is also notable for interesting food traditions. Not all people know that local residents are great fans of beer. Several historical breweries work in Lithuania. The main component of the national cuisine is meat, potato and vegetable dishes. One of the main popular souvenirs among tourists is tinctures of the local production. You can buy them in one of the special stores or directly at the factory. If you are searching for national treats, you should certainly visit local markets. Here, you can find exquisite home sausages, farming cheese and traditional Lithuanian bread, which main ingredient is cumin.