Guide of Lithuania

Overlooking the Baltic Sea, Lithuania is a fascinating country with many places to discover. In 2015,  Lithuania a became part of the European nation, breaking away from the Soviet republic and adopting the Euro currency.

History

There are written testimonies of Baltic tribes inhabiting Lithuania, dating back to 1200. For centuries Lithuania was the target of the Crusaders, but by 1400 it was the largest European state in Eastern Europe. Towards the end of the 1500s there was a union between Lithuania and neighboring Poland called the Polish-Lithuanian confederation, due to the marriage between the Grand Duke Jogaila and Queen Hedwig of Poland, this marriage also Christianized the country. More recently Lithuania was under Russian hegemony, then suffered Nazi invasion during the Second World War and the post-war period saw Lithuania under the control of the Soviet Union.  Independence finally came in the nineties when Lithuania become the first Baltic republic.

What to see in Lithuania

The capital Vilnius, is a city to be experienced, characterized by beautiful landscapes and fairytale views, with Baroque style palaces in the old town. In 2009 Vilnius was made European Capital of Culture. A few kilometers from Vilnius there is the the town of Trakai. It is an enchanting place, on an island connected to the mainland by a strip of land, surrounded by the waters of Lake Luka and Lake Totoriskiu. There is a beautiful red-brick castle built in the 1400s. In the center of Lithuanai is the city of Kaunas, which is home to a medieval fortress that is worth a visit, there also an interesting cathedral. Siauliai is a destination for pilgrims and The Hill of Crosses features more than one hundred thousand crosses placed on the hill by the pilgrims who visit from all over the world. Finally, Druskininkai is a very popular spa resort, surrounded by rivers and lakes.

Lithuanian Food 

The Lithuanian culinary tradition is based on simple foods, its an earthly, peasant cuisine influenced by German, Polish and Scandinavian flavors. The main dishes consist of potatoes, beets, soups and meat, mainly pork. A very common dish is the Vedrai, which is composed of potato, sausage and pork intestine, accompanied with fresh vegetables. Celelinai, are large potato dumplings stuffed with cheese or meat, served with sour cream and mushrooms. Kibinai, small puff pastry pocket stuffed with chicken or cheese, or vegetables. A classic snack to enjoy whilst sipping some excellent Lithuanian beer are Kepta Duona, strips of black rye bread fried with garlic and usually accompanied by cheeses.