Rest in Lithuania can be a good option for travelers who prefer a mild, cool climate, families with children, and especially for people aged .The latter will be able to improve their health at one of the numerous medical resorts in Lithuania .Again - paying much less for this than in other European countries .In addition, Lithuania will not give boredom and demanding lovers of attractions: the country has something to look at and in terms of historical "excursion", and in relation to natural beauties .Other pleasant bonuses that Lithuania welcomes tourists are the absence of a language barrier, the non-extreme cuisine ("acclimatization" is not required even for gentle stomachs) and a short flight .In a word, if you are still wondering whether Lithuania will be suitable as a place for a vacation - reject doubts and buy a tour!

The capital is Vilnius. Large cities - Trakai, Kaunas, Siauliai.

The main medical resorts: Birštonas, Druskininkai, Neringa, Palanga.

Beach resorts: Klaipeda, Palanga, Neringa and the whole Curonian Spit.

For a complete list of the cities of the country, search the city page and the resorts of Lithuania, and about when it is best to come here and what to do, see details on the page tours to Lithuania.

How to get here

Lithuania has three international airports: Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga. Daily scheduled flights Moscow - Vilnius are performed by UTair (1 hour 45 minutes in the air). A number of airlines also offer flights with transfer in the cities of Europe: AirBaltic - with a landing in Riga, Estonian Airlines in Tallinn.

Trains Moscow-Vilnius depart daily from Belorussky railway station, the journey time is from 14 to 16 hours depending on the train.

From St. Petersburg you can get by buses of BalticShuttle companies (only in summer to Palanga) and Ecolines. And also by train from Vitebsk railway station.

Direct flight Kiev - Vilnius is carried out by Donbassaero. Trains run from Lithuania to Gomel, Minsk, Kiev, Kharkov and Lviv, and from the Ukrainian capital you can also reach Vilnius by a direct shuttle bus in 12 hours. It is even cheaper to get by train to Minsk, and then take the express or bus to Vilnius. Citizens of Kazakhstan will be able to fly to Vilnius from Almaty.

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Visa to Lithuania

Lithuania is a member of the Schengen countries. A visa is required to visit the country.

Customs

Import and export of foreign currency is not limited .The amount above 4350 USD is subject to declaring, the amount exceeding 10 000 USD must be declared with documentary evidence of the legal origin of the money .There are no restrictions on import of personal and food items .Tobacco products can be carried in the amount of 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco .Customs will skip one liter of strong drinks (with a strength of more than 22 °) or two liters of alcohol with an alcohol content of less than 22 ° .You can also carry 50 grams of perfume or 250 ml of toilet water .Medicines will be missed in the amount necessary for the tourist for personal use .

Phone numbers

Embassy of Lithuania in Moscow: Borisoglebsky per., 10; telephone of the consular department: (495) 785-86-25

Embassy of Russia in Vilnius: Latvių g. 53/54; tel .: (5) 272-17-63; Web site

Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Klaipeda: Šermukšnių g., 4; tel .: (46) 499-952 (with an answering machine), 499-953; Web site

Firefighters: 01, police: 02, first aid: 03, paid reference: 09 (118)

Transportation of Lithuania

Between cities it is convenient to travel by trains: railways cover the whole country. In addition, long-distance buses, minibuses and shuttles run around Lithuania.

Public transport in Lithuania - buses and trolleybuses. Usually it works from 5:00 to 23: 00-24: 00. Tickets are sold in kiosks at stops or at the driver (about 1 LTL). Penalty for ticketless fare is 20 LTL. In all cities, around-the-clock shuttle buses operate (2-3 LTL).

You can take a taxi in the parking lot or order by phone (the second is cheaper, and most importantly - more reliable). The body of the car must have a company logo and a phone number, the driver must have a license and a counter. The fare is from 0, 7 to 1, 5 LTL per km.

Rent a Car

To rent a car you need an international driver's license and a "credit card". Children under 12 years of age must not be seated in the front seat.

Safety of tourists in Lithuania

As in all the Baltic countries, Lithuania has a relatively low crime rate, but no one is immune from surprises - so you should not relax. The usual security measures will not prevent.

Weather in Lithuania

Lithuania's climate is transitional - from maritime to continental. The summer is not hot, the average July temperature is about +20 ° C. The swimming season starts from the middle of June, when the water temperature does not drop below +16 ° C.

The local climate is very favorable for the elderly and people with poor health. Due to the frequent cloudiness in these parts of the cloud, the harmful effect of sunlight is minimized, which is good for children. In summer, there is almost no overheating of air, and the heat, which is possible only in the middle of the season, is mitigated by light winds from the Baltic.

Actual information: weather forecast for the main resorts of Lithuania for the next few days.

Hotels in Lithuania

In recent years, the country's tourism infrastructure has been actively modernized. Hotels and motels have a "star" classification, from 1 to 5 *, and guest houses, holiday homes and campsites - from 1 to 4 *. In Palanga, many small family hotels, in addition, there you can rent a cottage, apartment or room.

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Money

The currency can be exchanged at banks or exchange points, Russian rubles are accepted everywhere. Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00, and some even on Saturdays until 13:00. Old or torn bills, most likely, will not be accepted for exchange. The sums from 5000 USD can be exchanged only upon presentation of the identity card.

In many shops, hotels and restaurants, credit cards of major payment systems are accepted for payment. ATM ATMs are available in all major cities.

Shopping and shops in Lithuania

From Lithuania amber is brought - it has long been a tradition. You can buy items of Lithuanian folk craft: articles made of wood and ceramics. A rare tourist will forget to seize from Lithuania local strong tinctures and balsams.

Shops usually work from 9:00 to 18: 00-20: 00 on weekdays, on Saturdays - from 9:00 to 17: 00-19: 00. Large supermarkets are usually open from 9:00 to 20: 00-22: 00.

Kitchen and restaurants

In Lithuania it is worth trying potato dishes: "zemaichu" (potato pancakes with meat), "woders" (pork intestine stuffed with grated potatoes with bacon), "plockstein" (potato pudding). As a snack for beer - out of competition smoked pork ears and tails, as well as smoked eel.

The most delicious and popular beer in the country is Svyturys Baltijos Extra. In addition, Lithuanians are proud of their strong honey tinctures, for example, "Suktinis" and "Medovas."

Entertainment, excursions and sights of Lithuania

First of all it is worth to visit the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. In the second - Kaunas or Trakai. Kaunas, the second largest and most important city in Lithuania, was founded in 1280 at the confluence of the two largest Lithuanian rivers: the Nemunas and Neris. To the buildings of the Gothic style here are the Kaunas Castle and the house of Pirkunas. The palace of the princes of Masalsk is a creation of the Renaissance. And in the Baroque style the monastery of the Kamaldolians in Pažaislis, the town hall and the Jesuit church were built.

Trakai is the famous ancient capital of Lithuania, where in the Middle Ages the residence of the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was located, Trakai Castle was built as a defensive fortress, used as a prison, and in the 17th century it was completely launched .Now the island castle (unique in the whole of Eastern Europe) is one of the most visited historical and architectural monuments of Lithuania .Since 1962, there is a historical museum, there are republican events, festivals and concerts .In Trakai you can also see a lot of interesting things: the Dominican Monastery, the Church of the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity Church St. .Mother of God, houses of Karaites, ethnographic exhibition of Karaites, Kenessa (cult building of Karaites) and pillar of St. .Jana Nepomukas, defender of the local lakes .

Kernavė - the oldest known capital of Lithuania, in 2004 included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The history of the Balts and the origins of the Lithuanian state are best traced in Kernava. In the local historical and archaeological museum-reserve are represented all the epochs, beginning with the X millennium BC. e. and ending with the early Middle Ages. In July, "Days of Living History" are held in Kernava: at this time medieval handicraftsmen work there again, warriors experience weapons, and women treat old tourists with idle dishes.

In Lithuania there are five national parks: Aukštaitija, Dzukija, Žemaitija (all three are created in original ethnic regions), Curonian Spit and Trakai Historical National Park. Plus - 30 regional parks. Photos of Lithuania (202)