About Lithuania

Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, most populous of the Baltic states, Lithuania has 262 kilometres  of coastline consisting of the continental coast and the “Curonian Spit” coast. Lithuania’s major warm-water port of Klaipėda (Memel) lies at the narrow mouth of Curonian Lagoon, a shallow lagoon extending south to Kaliningrad and separated from the Baltic sea by Curonian Spit, where Kuršių Nerija National Park was established for its remarkable sand dunes.

Lithuania is glacially flat, except for morainic hills in the western uplands and eastern highlands no higher than 300 metres. The terrain is marked by numerous small lakes and swamps, and a mixed forest zone covers over 33% of the country.

Temperate climate in Lithuania, but with considerable temperature variations. Summer is warm with relatively mild weather in spring and autumn. Winter, which lasts from November to mid-March, can be very cold. Rainfall is distributed throughout the year with the heaviest rainfall in August. Heavy snowfalls are common in the winter months.

Larger Lithuanian cities have an extensive public transport system. Buses and trolleybuses are available in Vilnius and Kaunas. In smaller cities (Klaipeda, Šiauliai, Panevezis) only buses are available. The tickets for buses and trolleybuses may be bought both in the kiosks and in the bus or trolleybus itself, but if you buy them from the driver they are somewhat more expensive.

Vilnius trolley buses and buses start running at 5 in the morning and stop at midnight. For bus timetables visit www.stops.lt

TICKETS:

There is available E-Ticket (Electronic ticket, “Vilniečio kortelė”). Vilniečio kortelė is credited with an appropriate amount of money and/or the selected public transport tickets. With a valid ticket in the card, properly activated on board of public vehicle, if necessary, it is possible to change the public transport for free and for unlimited number of journeys.  New Vilniečio kortelė costs 1,5 EUR.

If you came to Vilnius for a short visit, you can buy a one-, three- or ten-days ticket. You can buy and top – up  Vilniečio kortelė in all venues marked by sign Vilniečio kortelė. For more information visit www.vilniusticket.lt There is an option to buy ticket from the driver of public vehicle. It costs 1 EUR). This ticket is valid till the last stop of the route. For more information visit www.vilniusticket.lt

Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre – It was built in 1974. Apart from standard Western and Russian repertory works, the opera also performs national operas. Vytautas Klova’s opera Pilėnai (1956), has since 2001 been performed outdoors during the summer at Trakai Island Castle.

More info & Tickets – www.opera.lt

Lithuanian National Drama Theatre – is one of Lithuania’s most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues and cultural institutions. Founded as a Vilnius State Theatre in 1940, it became Lithuanian National Drama Theatre in 1998. The theatre’s façade featuring the Three Muses sculpture has become a landmark of Vilnius city.

More info & Tickets – www.teatras.lt

Domino Theatre – The brainchild of a small collective of like-minded local thespians, this very Lithuanian affair puts on shows inside a cinema.

More info & Tickets – www.dominoteatras.lt

CINEMAS

Forum Cinemas Vingis – www.forumcinemas.lt

Adress – Savanorių pr. 7

Forum Cinemas Akropolis – www.forumcinemas.lt

Adress – Ozo g. 25

Multikino – www.multikino.lt

Adress – Ozo g. 18

Kempinski Hotel- The luxurious, five-star Kempinski Hotel is located just next to the beautiful Cathedral Square (which begins the Old Town) and close to the Presidential Palace and Gediminas’ Tower. The 96 rooms (standard, superior or deluxe) and suites the hotel features are stylishly decorated with old-fashioned and vintage furniture; they also offer a splendid view of the old part of the city. The hotel’s Telegrafas Restaurant serves modern Lithuanian as well as European dishes; there is also a terrace and a lounge bar.

Adress: Universiteto g. 14, Vilnius, Lithuania, +37052201100

Radisson Blu Royal Astorija Hotel – Vilnius’ five-star Radisson Blu Royal Astorija Hotel is centrally located (Old Town) and near the river. Its neo-Baroque building contains rooms furnished in a modern, classy way, refurbished only a year ago. The rooms are divided into three classes: standard, superior class, and business class. The on-site restaurant Brasserie de Verres en Vers serves premium-quality French dishes. The gym and pool inside the hotel allow you to stay active even during bad weather.

Adress: Konstitucijos pr. 20, Vilnius, Lithuania, +370 5 236 0826

Narutis Hotel – The fairy-tale-like Narutis Hotel in Vilnius’ Old Town is located on the iconic Pilies street inside a historical building that dates back to the 16th century. The decoration of the interiors will make you feel like royalty because of the elegant curtains, stylish furniture and romantic decorations. The view from the rooms is on the Gediminas’ Castle by the river and on the Hill of Three Crosses – some of the best landmarks in Lithuania’s capital. The hotel features two refined restaurants and a terrace café.

Adress: Pilies g. 24, Vilnius, Lithuania, +370 5 2122894

Stikliai Hotel – This five-star hotel is located in the heart of the Old Town, near the colorful ‘Writers’ Street’ and the beautiful university buildings. Stikliai Hotel offers ample standard and business class rooms, decorated in a colorful and upbeat way. It is known for being comfortable and having extremely friendly staff. The patio restaurant offers historical Lithuanian dishes, such as Forest Mushroom Cream Soup served with Onion Stuffed Dumplings and Cured Ham Crisps or Herring served with Jacket Potato in Country-style.

Adress: Gaono g. 7, Vilnius, Lithuania, +370 5 2649595

Shakespeare Hotel – This four-star hotel is located in the Old Town. If you are looking for a luxurious but slightly cheaper place to stay, and have a penchant for books, the Shakespeare Hotel is the perfect choice. It is beautifully furnished with antiques and literary references and full of mini-libraries, and some of the rooms are dedicated – in style – to a particular writer, such as Oscar Wilde, Voltaire or Mark Twain. There rooms are divided into four standards: standard, business, superior and luxury. The hotel’s restaurants serves delicious Lithuanian, French and other European dishes.

Adress: Bernardinu g. 8/8, Vilnius, Lithuania, +370 5 2 665 885

Restaurant Balzac -In the heart of old town, the lovely French Restaurant Balzac greets its guests with the warm and intimate ambiance of a traditional French farmhouse. Named after the famous French writer and founder of Realism in European literature, Honoré de Balzac, the restaurant serves a variety of classic French dishes including traditional onion soup or oven-baked Burgundy snails for starters, and rabbit in a mustard sauce or duck confit with cowberry sauce for the main course, all accompanied with great selection of French wines. Following the exquisite meal, the gourmands can indulge themselves with assortment of timeless French desserts such as tarte au citron and crème brûlée, a delightful gastronomic experience.

Adress: Savičiaus street 7, Vilnius, Lithuania,+ 37061489223

Restaurant Neringa– The legendary staple of Lithuanian culinary scene, the restaurant Neringa is considered to be the oldest restaurant in Vilnius. Opened in 1959, Neringa was the most luxurious restaurant in the city at the time, with its interior décor designed by famous Lithuanian artists, architects, sculptors and muralists. Since being listed as a ‘state-protected monument of Lithuanian architecture’, the interior with its mosaic floors, frescoed walls and a fountain has remained unchanged, providing guests with a quick insight in the life of artistic elite 40 years ago. The menu features variety of contemporary European and Lithuanian dishes along with several of the restaurant’s house classics, on offer over 40 years, such as chicken Kiev or Neringa salad.

Adress: Gedimino pr. 23, Vilnius, Lithuania, +37052614058

Senoji Trobele – A small and cozy restaurant, Senoji Trobele, meaning old hut in Lithuanian, is the best choice to explore traditional Lithuanian cuisine in Vilnius. The venue is well-known for its folk-themed and rustic interior and simple, unpretentious yet delicious traditional Lithuanian dishes, including zeppelins – traditional potato dumplings filled with meat, mushrooms or cheese – and variety of hefty meat and fish main courses such as marinated herring or potato pancakes with chicken. The experience of a traditional Lithuanian meal can not be complete without a glass of local beer or sweet mead, a local alcoholic beverage produced from the local honey and herbs.

Adress:Naugarduko str. 36, Vilnius, Lithuania, +37060999002