Lithuanian Cities And Resorts

Vilnius (pop. 541.3 thousand), the capital of Lithuania, is the largest and one of the oldest cities of the country. Its name was first mentioned in 1323 in the letters of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas inviting craftsmen, merchants and monks from Western Europe to come and stay here. In 1387, after Lithuania adopted Christianity, the city was awarded the Magdeburg Rights, i.e. self-governing.

Vilnius was forming as a centre of tolerance where people of various nationalities, including Poles, Byelorussians, Russians, Germans, Jews and others, settled and lived in harmony. It also enjoyed prospering crafts and trade. Upon having established a university in the Lithuanian capital in 1579, Vilnius became the biggest centre of culture and education in the region.

Vilnius boasts the most wonderful architectural styles of Southern and Western Europe, Gothic and Renaissance, as well as the original “Lithuanian” Baroque, also called the last vivid flash of Baroque in Europe. During these periods the dynamic silhouettes of the majority of very elegant churches and belfry towers emerged above the city panorama. The end of the 18th century enriched the capital with beautiful buildings in the Classicist style. The capital of Lithuania is the biggest northernmost and easternmost city of Europe with especially evident influence of Western cultures in its architectural harmony. In 1994 the Old Town of Vilnius was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

At the start of the 20th century, Vilnius became the centre of the Lithuanian national rebirth. On 16 February 1918 the independence of the Lithuanian state was declared here.

Contemporary Vilnius is the fastest growing and advancing capital in the Baltic States, aspiring to be the most attractive centre for business, political and cultural meetings and events in the region of the neighbouring countries. The city enjoys a well-developed infrastructure of services and entertainments–it has plenty of accommodation, catering and leisure places of various levels. Vilnius is home to the majority of national art and cultural institutions and companies as well as artists. Eimuntas Nekrošius, Oskaras Koršunovas, Rimas Tuminas and other Lithuanian artistic directors, the best in Europe, are working here. During summertime the city hosts international and national cultural events, including Vilnius Festival (classics and of the virtuosi of the world music), Christopher’s festival of traditional and modern music, several jazz, folklore and modern dance festivals along with other inventive festivities.

Vilnius, for its activities in creating the good neighbourship and civic community, earned the 2000-2001 UNESCO Cities for Peace Prize and was nominated as the City for Peace for the region of Europe and North America. In 2009 Vilnius, the first from the new EU Member States, along with the Austrian city Linz will become the European cultural capital.


Kaunas (pop.364.1 thousand), the second largest city of the country, is situated on the confluence of the Nemunas and the Neris. The city originated in the 13th century when the first brick castle in Lithuania, the biggest defence fortress then, was built. In 1408 the city was granted the Magdeburg rights. Afterwards Kaunas began growing at a fairly rapid pace, especially its importance as the centre and main port for trade with Western Europe. In the 16th century Kaunas was one of the best developed cities in the Lithuanian Grand Duchy.

From 1920 to 1940 Kaunas was the provisional capital of Lithuania. Certainly, this had a positive influence on the city’s development. This period also witnessed the formation Laisvės Avenue, presently a pedestrian boulevard, the only non-smoking area in the whole of Europe.

The city boasts a compact, well-preserved and nurtured Old Town, which is a concentration of valuable cultural and architectural monuments, including Kaunas Castle, Gothic Perkūnas House (The House of Thunder), Vytautas the Great and St. Gertrude Churches, Kaunas Town Hall, also called The White Swan, and a number of others. In addition, the city has interesting objects of engineering heritage, i.e. funiculars launched 70 years ago. One of them lifts people to the Aleksotas hill which, like the Insurrection Church, opens beautiful panoramas of Kaunas.

Pažaislis Monastery, the pearl of the Lithuanian mature Baroque of the European scale settled by Kauno Marios (Kaunas Lagoon), hosts international Pažaislis music (classical) festivals every summer. The city offers a number of opportunities for cultural and leisure activities: several drama, pantomime and dance theatres, a puppet-show, and the Musical Theatre, which is the initiator of the perfect annual Operetta festival in Kaunas Castle. The International Kaunas Jazz Festival represents an annual emotional fiesta of music. The unique features of this festival include carillon jazz, the Jewish theme in jazz performed in a synagogue, and others.

There are many museums in Kaunas. M.K.Čiurlionis Art Museum offers a chance to see the works of M.K.Čiurlionis, the genius of the Lithuanian art who is ranked alongside M.Shagal, V.Kandinski and K.Malevičius. M.Žilinskas Art Gallery displays a large variety of Western works of art of the latest centuries. Visitors to the Museum of Devils (with over 3,000 items), the only museum of its kind in the world, will experience a number of merry impressions. Vytautas the Great War Museum acquaints its visitors with the history of Lithuania. Nearby is a nice symbolic Statue of Liberty and the eternal fire commemorating those who died for Lithuanian independence.

Quite different is the 9th Fort Museum, which was an integral part of the Kaunas fortress during the occupation of the Tsarist Russia, served as a branch of the Lithuanian prison during in-between-war period it, and was a death camp during Nazi occupation.
Kaunas is also a city of students and athletes, with 5 higher education schools and the famous Arvydas Sabonis’ basketball team Žalgiris.

Klaipėda city (pop. 188.8 thousand) is the northernmost ice-free port in the Baltics and the only one in Lithuania. Klaipėda has been an important commercial centre since ancient times: as early as the 13th century, having crossed the Baltic Sea, merchants from the northern and southern countries frequented it. 1 August 1252 is considered the date Klaipėda was founded. In 1257 the city was granted the Lübeck City Rights.

By its old architecture the seaport is closer to the northern countries. Some of the buildings that have survived in the cosy Old Town have a pronounced Fachwerk style. Modern elements can also be traced.

Klaipėda cherishes nice marine traditions–it hosts the Sea Festival on the last weekend of July every year since 1934. This event includes a number of performances of artistic companies and craftsmen’s fairs. The festival attracts many participants and guests not only from Lithuania but from abroad, too. The Kopgalis Fort complex, built in the 19th century, houses the Maritime Museum with an attractive exposition of marine nature and the history of navigation. These unique structures also accommodate a rich Aquarium and a Dolphinarium hosting shows of trained dolphins and Californian sea lions, which attract many spectators. Another interesting activity of the museum is dolphin therapy for children with disability.


The Lithuania Minor and Castle Museums house exhibits related to the history of the region; Pranas Domšaitis Gallery stores valuable collections of paintings; the Museums of Clocks and Blacksmith also boast interesting collections. A number of original artworks of the best national sculptors are displayed in Klaipėda Park of Contemporary Sculpture. One can listen to the carillon music concerts given in the tower of the Old Post-office at midday on weekends. In summer the seaside enjoys intensive musical life–several festivals of serious and light music and concerts are held here. The International Pilies Jazz Festival held in late June is a real fiesta for music lovers, every year it receives new and new world-class stars. Žuvėdra dance sport ensemble, the most famous artistic company of Klaipėda, is a repeated European and world champion.

Klaipėda is the city suitable for recreation. Klaipėda, like the entire coast of the Baltic Sea in Lithuania, boasts excellent white sand beaches. The Seaside Regional Park, in close proximity north of the city, is attractive by beautiful landscape and unique nature. The services of accommodation and leisure activities are well developed in the city. Yachtsmen are offered 2 yachting clubs, one of which is located in the very centre of Klaipėda, like the Cruise Ship Terminal. The seaport is on the routes of cruise ships sailing on the Baltic Sea. Palanga, the biggest Lithuanian seaside resort, is located on one side, and the beautiful Curonian Spit–on the other one nearby Klaipėda.

NIDA, PREILA, PERVALKA, JUODKRANTĖ

"The Curonian Spit is so unique that it is worth seeing just like Italy or Spain especially if you want to give your soul a wonderful sight", wrote the famous German scientist Wilhelm Humboldt at the beginning of the 19th century.

In the year 2000, the Curonian Spit (www.visitneringa.lt) was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the most beautiful and unique landscapes of Europe.

The Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann built a summer house in Nida and spent the summers of 1930 and 1931 there. Today, this house serves as the writer’s memorial exposition and the culture centre called after his name. Popular Thomas Mann festivals are hosted here every year.

The German artists-expressionists who adored the beautiful nature of the Curonian Spit used to stay at the hotel of Hermann Blode (in the 2nd half of the 19th century-the beginning of the 20th century). Artists paint in Nida all through the summer and the exhibitions of their works are held at the V. and K. Mizgiris Artists’ House. The nearby Amber Gallery-Museum introduces the history of amber, shows the full range of its colours, and displays the inclusions and the amulets of the treasure of Juodkrantė. One should visit the old cemetery of the town with the old krikštai (minor tombstones of unique shape) having survived from the ancient times. Another original feature of Neringa is its weathercocks that would indicate the belonging of a kurėnas (an ancient Curonian fishing boat) o some particular village.

The administrative centre of the Curonian Spit, the town of Neringa (pop. 2.8 thousand), is Nida settlement; another bigger settlement is Juodkrantė; Pervalka and Preila remind us of colourful fishermen's villages. Nida boasts a great number of hotels of various levels; some of the local inhabitants rent their houses or flats to vacationers as well. The red-roofed settlement, sheltered beneath pinewoods, is exceptionally cosy and clean. The beaches of Nida and Juodkrantė have met the requirements of the Blue Banner for several years already. Nida is the warmest part of Lithuania that enjoys the biggest number of sunny days in a year. In summer, it receives more than 100,000 holidaymakers the majority of whom are guests from various foreign countries.

Juodkrantė is a fascinating settlement with a perfectly arranged and adorned promenade by the Curonian Lagoon, the reconstructed stylish old villas and fishermen’s houses abounding in flower gardens and green orchards.

It is a sin to be in the Curonian Spit and not to visit its “travelling” sand and the "dead" dunes, not to see the great colony of the black herons and cormorants settled nearby Juodkrantė, or not to enjoy the wooden sculptures on the Hill of Witches in Juodkrantė. Without seeing all that, one can hardly realise how rich and marvellous the peninsular is. Washed by the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea, sometimes it creates an impression of a desert.

The Curonian Spit represents a national park. The visitors are offered a perfectly established information system indicating the location of all the objects with their descriptions in several languages.

Palanga (pop. 17.6 thousand; www.palanga.lt ) is the biggest and most universal seaside resort of Lithuania. The Lithuanian seacoast is famous for its beaches of beautiful white sand and dunes, which can be found nowhere else on the Baltic Sea coast.

Originally a fishermen’s village, Palanga was first mentioned in the written sources in the 12th century. The inhabitants were engaged not only in fishery, they also gathered amber which would reach the distant countries of Europe and Asia via the merchants’ routes.

In the 19th century, Palanga started developing into a health resort, which was a great merit of the dynasty of the Count Tiškevičius (Tyszkiewicz), who moved to the town at that time. A park was laid out, a new palace was built, a port was equipped, a natural therapy centre was launched, a new church was constructed, and the sea pier was built then. During the press prohibition period, the route of book spreaders was crossing Palanga. The first national play in Lithuania, “Amerika pirtyje” (America in the Bath) by A. Keturakis, was staged in this resort in 1899.

Over recent years, a great number of new hotels and guesthouses of various levels have been opened in the resort. Palanga also boasts several high-standard sanatoriums that provide treatment for the vestibular mechanism, nervous system as well as cardio-vascular disorders. Resting can be combined with heath improving here.

The resort boasts a large variety of pubs, cafes, restaurants, discotheques, bars, night clubs, and casinos. Those who enjoy active holiday are offered pedal boats, bicycles, horse-riding, tennis courts, pools, a complex of baths, etc. A number of trails are intended for cycling or hiking. The Palanga Regional Park, stretching somewhat southward in the direction of Klaipėda, attracts visitors by impressive scenes of wild and severe nature.

One of the most beautiful places in Palanga is the Tiškevičius Palace surrounded by a large park that was laid out by E. Andre. Presently, this building houses the Amber Museum, which holds a great variety of amber pieces and the collection of inclusions, the biggest in the world. Amber is the symbol of Lithuania. In August evenings, concerts and poetry readings are hosted in the terrace of the palace. Palanga offers a big choice of cultural entertainments during the holiday season.

The resort is home to a very interesting museum of Antanas Mončys, the Lithuanian artist who created in Paris. Its small exposition shows expressive works of big artistic power. The Savickas Gallery often hosts memorable exhibitions of modern artists. One can see the views of old Palanga in the Local Lore Museum of the town.

Palanga is the resort submerged in the shadows of trees, which is fascinating at any season of the year. During a colder period, it is an ideal place to hold conferences and seminars.

Druskininkai (pop. 16.9 thousand; www.druskininkai.lt) is one of the oldest health resorts in Lithuania nestling in the pinewoods by the bend of the Nemunas River. Mineral water was discovered there in the 18th century, and a little later one of the best curative mud in Europe was found in Druskininkai.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Druskininkai was a resort popular with the rich, which was frequented by noblemen from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw and Vilnius. Beautiful villas reminding us of these days still stand on the bank of Lake Druskonis.

Druskininkai has 9 sanatoriums and one balneological bath, which can serve about 6000 people at a time. The most advanced technologies of diagnostic and treatment along with a wide range of procedures, including underwater massage, Jacuzzi, and the mineral, pearl, oxygen, vertical, herbal and mud baths, are applied at the sanatoriums. All the sanatoriums have pools, saunas, training facilities and beauty parlours. The town also has a health centre and 7 mineral water springs.

Druskininkai is gaining in popularity as a venue of seminars, conferences or meetings. The resort has several very beautiful and cosy small hotels.

At the end of 2006, an Aqua Park, to be the biggest and most modern in the Baltics, will be launched in Druskininkai. It will offer a large variety of entertainments for both adults and children as well as a wide choice of relaxation procedures.

The scenic nature of Druskininkai and the neighbouring Dzūkija National Park is another “curative” component. A great number of hiking paths, several cycling routes will take you to the most interesting places of the environs, including Švendubrė and other ethnographic villages, and the mystic valley of Raigardas. You can also cycle to the park-museum of Grūtas displaying monsters of the Soviet era or visit the hill-forts of Liškiava and Merkinė on the banks of the rivers. The lovers of water pleasures are offered to go canoeing or kayaking on water routes, enjoy a trip by a steamboat, or go fishing. Druskininkai boasts a large supply of entertainments for active holidays.

Druskininkai is the native town of the world-famous artists, M.K. Čiurlionis and J. Lipchitz, the initiator of Cubism. The town perpetuates their memory. Druskininkai hosts the Čiurlionis Music Festival every year. The resort town also hosts concerts of classical and popular music, poetry evenings, and its art galleries organize a number of exhibitions.