Introduction
A member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation since 2004, Lithuania has seen impressive economic growth
in recent years: its GDP reached its peak of 10,5 percent in 2003, and its
average annual growth is estimated at 6 percent in 2004-2008.
Day by day cities and towns are becoming more beautiful, the infrastructure
of services is developing to provide every citizen and visitor with internationally
recognized conveniences, such as the internet connection, sports and holiday
places, shopping and entertainment centres, well developed network of roads and
a variety of international flight connections.
Lithuania takes pride in its rich cultural heritage. The Old Town of Vilnius, featuring the Gothic, Baroque and Classicism, is the biggest in Europe and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. Countryside mansions, water mills nestled in parks, small wooden churches and ancient villages - the heritage of old wooden architecture is scattered all over the country. The Curonian Spit (Kuršių Nerija), a long and narrow sand peninsula, separating the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea, dominated by picturesque sand dunes and pristine beaches is a truly unique spot in every way - Thomas Mann used to spend his holidays there, and today the visitors enjoy its distinct ethnographic flavour.
Lithuania takes pride in its higher education, the roots of which go back to 1579, when Vilnius University was founded. Today the higher education system is in the state of change, looking at the good practices of both EU and the United States, driven by Bologna process and orientation towards the labour market needs.
Location
Lithuania is situated on the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. From the cartographic point of view Lithuania is a Central European rather than an Eastern European country, as it is generally claimed. One must note geographical and political concepts blending.
Located in the geographical centre of Europe, Lithuania rests at one of the largest crossroads in the continent. It is divided by a straight line connecting Paris and Berlin with Moscow via Vilnius, whereas another straight line, connecting Helsinki with Athens, also crosses the centre of Lithuania. It shares a common continental border of 660 km with Belarus, 588 km with Latvia, 103 km with Poland, and 273 km with Russia (Kaliningrad Region). From east to west the country stretches 373 km, and the distance from the southern end of the country to the northern one is 276 km.
Climate
The climate of Lithuania is transitional between maritime and continental. It is characterized by seasonal changes of temperature, by moderate heat in summer and by adequate humidity and sufficient number of bright days. The negative features include long autumns and winters, and a relatively short vegetation period. The average temperature in winter is - 4.9oC, in summer + 17oC, although in summer it can rise above +30oC, and in winter fall to 30oC. Don’t forget your sweater and gloves!
Population
With respect to population, Lithuania is the largest of the three Baltic Republics. In 2005 the population was 3 414 300 inhabitants. The Lithuanians predominate in the national composition of population and make 83% of the total, Polish 6.3%, Russians 6.3%, Belarusian 1.2%. The majority of inhabitants are Roman Catholics. There are also Russian Orthodox and Evangelical Lutherans, as well as adherents of Islam and Judaism. A total of 1055 traditional and 172 nontraditional religious communities were registered in Lithuania in 2005.
Language
The state language is Lithuanian. It belongs to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European family of languages and is one of the oldest languages in the world. The Lithuanian language has retained an ancient vocalic system and a number of morphological peculiarities known only in extinct or no longer used languages, such as Hittite, Sanskrit and Ancient Greek. At universities where the history of languages is taught Lithuanian is referred to as ‘the living Sanskrit’.
State Symbols
The tricolour displays yellow, green and red horizontal stripes. The coat of arms features a mounted armoured knight (Vytis) against a red background.
Currency
The national currency is the litas (Lt) [pronounced as littus]; it is pegged to the euro at the rate of 3.4528Lt=1. The currency comes in denominations of 500Lt, 200Lt, 100Lt, 50Lt, 20Lt and 10 Lt notes and 5Lt, 2Lt, 1Lt, 50ct, 20ct, 10ct, 5ct, 2ct, 1ct coins.
Internet
Internet connection is well-developed in Lithuania. By the Information Society Development Committee and TNS-Gallup data, there were one million internet users in Lithuania in November 2005. 31% of citizens between 15 and 74 years of age have used the internet at least once in half a year. The growing tendency of its usage is reflected in the fact that as many as 75% of children between 10 and 14 are well familiar with internet applications. Internet cafes are popular and can be found in every city and town. Educational institutions, offices, public spaces offer access to internet communication. Most of regular services can be provided via internet, such as bank services, payment of monthly bills, booking of tickets, etc.
History Highlights
Lithuania was first mentioned in written sources in 1009. The State, the Great Duchy of Lithuania, was formed in the middle of the 13th century.
Later, seeking closer contacts with Poland, it survived until the end of the 18th century when Russia annexed it. Lithuania regained its independence in 1918, establishing a new state, the Republic of Lithuania, which existed until the Second World War, when the Soviet Union occupied it. After great losses: the genocide of Lithuanian Jews, mass deportation to Siberia and a forced mass emigration to the West, Lithuania was annexed by the Soviet Union for half a century, until due to ‘perestroika’ (restructuring) and a national revival, it re-established its independence in 1991.
1009 Lithuania was first mentioned in the Annales Quedlin-burgenses, the Quedlinburgh Chronicle. Thus, in 2009 Lithuania will celebrate a millennium of the first record of its name in historical sources.
13th century Foundation of the State of Lithuania. The grand Duchy of Lithuania was established by Mindaugas, the first King of Lithuania (crowned in 1253).
1323 The city of Vilnius was founded by Grand Duke Gediminas.
1385 Krėva Treaty signed between Lithuania and Poland, which resulted in Lithuania’s conversion to Christianity.
1392 - 1430 During the rule of Grand Duke Vytautas, Lithuania be came one of the largest states of Europe. Its territory extended from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
1569 Under the Lublin Union, Lithuania and Poland merged into a Commonwealth (Rzeczpospolita) which remained in existence until 1795.
1579 Vilnius University, one of the oldest and most famous establishments of higher education in Eastern and Central Europe, was founded.
1795-1915 The major part of Lithuania’s territory was annexed by Russia.
16 February 1918 The Council of Lithuania declared the restoration of an independent Republic of Lithuania.
1921 Lithuania joined the League of Nations.
1940-1990 Lithuania was occupied by the Soviet Union.
11 March 1990 Lithuania declared the restoration of its independence.
17 September 1991 Lithuania became a member of the United Nations.
29 March 2004 Lithuania became a member of NATO.
1 May 2004 Lithuania became a member of the EU.
The main cities
Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is the country’s largest and most beautiful city and also one of the oldest cities in Europe. Vilnius was built at the confluence of the rivers Neris and Vilnelė and is surrounded by picturesque wooded hills.
According to the ancient legend, Grand Duke Gediminas fell asleep tired after hunting and had a dream that an Iron Wolf was standing on the hill and howling far and wide. In the morning Gediminas asked a pagan priest what the dream meant. The priest’s answer was: Build a city in the place where the wolf stood, and the fame of the city will spread around the world. This is how the city of Vilnius came to be.
First mentioned in historical documents in 1323 as a capital of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the city’s subsequent history has been as turbulent as the nation’s. Over many years it has been repeatedly plundered during wars, devastated by many fires and has suffered numerous occupations. Yet, the city managed to retain it unique character as a northern cultural meeting point at the crossroads of Roman and Byzantine, European and Eurasian worlds. It is a place where the greatest architectural styles of Europe - Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical - stand side by side and supplement each other. The old town, covering 359 hectares of the city has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. No doubt, today Vilnius is the centre for political, economic and cultural life of Lithuania.
Trakai is a town situated between three lakes, 28 kilometres west of Vilnius. On your way to Trakai you will travel through the historic lands of the former Duchy of Trakai, the centre of which, Old Trakai, was the capital of Lithuania in the Middle Ages.
Not far away, in the midst of the lakes, on two islands and a peninsula, another settlement was founded which has grown into the present town of Trakai. Together with its environs, it is an area representing the history of the Lithuanian State. Three castles point to its exceptional significance in the nation’s life. Even after losing its military importance, the location long remained the residence of the rulers of Lithuania. The two castles which have survived to this day are the most famous samples of defensive architecture in Lithuania.
The process of founding the town and its surrounding settlements in the 13th century went hand in hand with the process of the integration of Lithuanian territories into a unified state. In those days the newly founded and yet pagan Grand Duchy of Lithuania was attacked on a regular basis by the Teutonic Order, and for two centuries had to withstand invasions from Christian Europe.
Fortresses were built in all the strategically important locations nationwide, and Trakai was one of the crucial political and defence centres of the state. The fiercest battles took place at the Peninsula Castle. As early as 1377, German chronicler Wigandus Marburgensis pointed out that the Crusaders “in the land of Trakai” have besieged “the new castle”. Thus Trakai was first recorded in history with the reference to the Island Castle. Nowadays the restored Island Castle, dating late 14th and early 15th century, is the only one of its kind in Eastern Europe. In 1991 Trakai was granted the national and historic park status.
Royal Palace Theatre performances, the Prehistory Experimental Centre with their social events in the Peninsula and Island castles add to the historical concept of the place. The Trakai Castle Festival, which is becoming increasingly popular, is taking on the status of tradition. Its inspiration is the world-famous Maya Plisetskaya, the legendary Russian ballerina, who resides in a near-by estate.
Kernavė. The village on the picturesque banks of the River Neris is said to have been the first capital of Lithuania, before Trakai and Vilnius were founded. In 1920s a brick church was erected on one of the five castle mounds. Recent archaeological excavations uncovered a medieval settlement dating back to the 12th century. You will enjoy a breathtaking view of the Neris Valley from the top of the hills and will share the unique atmosphere of a national event if you join the traditional folk gathering in Kernavė on the Midsummer and Autumn Equinox celebration. The unique locality of Kernavė has complemented the list of the World‘s Culture and Nature Heritage. Kernavė region was included into the UNESCO World Heritage List of Protected areas in 2004.
Kaunas, the second largest city of Lithuania, picturesquely dominates the confluence of two rivers and is a reference point to a great number of significant historical events that lead to the establishment of modern independent Lithuania. The city’s old town dates back to the 13th century and preserves evidence of the battles between Lithuania and the knights of the Teutonic Order. Its castle, as well as medieval buildings produces an amazing mixture of architectural styles and traditions, thus placing it on the list of the most frequently visited places in Lithuania.
Traditionally, Kaunas is a city of universities. Situated in the very centre of Lithuania, it offers a choice of nine universities (two affiliations included) and a large number of colleges. Students are an integral part of the city, and so is the academic spirit that is expressed thorough numerous public events.
Kaunas is a gathering point of artists and musicians: the composers of the past and the performers of today - Kaunas Jazz festival is one of the many to be mentioned! - leave their imprint on the dynamic, youthful life of the city.
Druskininkai 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.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Druskininkai was a resort of international fame. It was frequented by noblemen from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw and Vilnius. Beautiful villas reminding us of those days still stand on the bank of Lake Druskonis.
Druskininkai has 9 rest homes, traditionally called sanatoriums and one spa, which can serve about 6000 people at a time. The most advanced technologies of diagnostics and treatment, along with a wide range of procedures, including underwater massage, Jacuzzi, and 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 Baltic countries, will be launched in Druskininkai. It will offer a large variety of entertainment for both adults and children, as well as a wide choice of relaxation activities.
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 vendubrė and other ethnographic villages, and the mystic valley of Raigardas. You can also cycle to the park-museum of Grūtas displaying statues of the Soviet era or visit the hill-forts of Liškiava and Merkinė on the banks of the rivers. The fans of water sports go canoeing or kayaking on water routes, enjoy a trip by the steamboat, or go fishing.
Druskininkai is the native town of the world-famous artists, composer and painter Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis and Jacques Lipchitz, the initiator of Cubism. Druskininkai hosts the Čiurlionis Music Festival every year.
The Seaside. It is a unique countryside famous for its sandy beaches and the Curonian Lagoon swarming with fish. The Curonian Spit (Kuršių nerija) is a must for every visitor who stays in Lithuania for a longer while. First, from Klaipėda port you have to take a ferry to get you to Smiltynė, the first stopping point on the route. You can get a bus, a mini-van or other means of transport to reach selected places in Kuršių nerija; you can reach it by your own car, yet you should remember, that the Curonian Spit is a UNESCO.
World Heritage object, thus the prices for driving the roads of the area might be unexpectedly high.
Lithuania shares the Curonian Spit (52 km of it) with the Kaliningrad Region of the Russian Federation. In fact, it is a narrow strip of sand, a peninsula which separates the Curonian Lagoon, a fresh water basin which has originated from the mouth of the Nemunas River, from the Baltic Sea. Since 1961 the villages of the Lithuanian part of the Curonian Spit - Alksnynė, Juodkrantė, Pervalka, Preila, Nida, - have been administered as Neringa town.
On the road to Nida, one of the view points is Parnidis Dune, a steep, pale gold colour sand hill opening a spectacular view to the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. Endless dunes, covered with nothing but scarce growth of desert weeds, run north and south, remind of the villages and people who perished under the moving sands; Nida Foresters’ Cemetery is a monument to the pioneers of dune forestation. The sombre spot of Nida has preserved true cultural treasures: ancient Lithuanian wooden grave mar kers of the 19th-20th century, posted at the foot of the graves, reach back to the pre-historical Europe, as their feature the symbols closely reminding those of an awl, frog or woman shapes.
Today the Curonian Spit is a summer resort place and a popular visiting place for tourists. Amber stalls on the streets, the smell of freshly smoked fish, yachts gliding on the surface of the lagoon, a relaxed pace of life in the background of authentic farmsteads of local fishermen, mellow climate and very agreeable temperatures the entire year round make the place irresistible. It should be added that thanks to the beauty and uniqueness of the place Thomas Mann, the famous German novelist, used to spend his summers in a cottage in Nida overlooking the Curonian Lagoon. Now it is a popular spot for visitors and a place of cultural events.
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