Lithuania Adventure Travel Guide: Ideas and Inspiration
PureTravel Says: “The gifted land of Lithuania is a great holiday destination with its varied landscapes that offer diverse outdoor excursions ranging from forest lands to sand dunes and vast plains to lakes and hills. The other side of Lithuania can be witnessed in its charming cities like Vilnius that are dotted with baroque style architecture. The land of castles and culture is an intriguing destination.”
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Holiday Highlights
Adventure Sports - Lithuania is ideal for water sports with opportunities to go sailing and windsurfing. The beaches have paragliding facilities along with the opportunity to fly kites. You can get an aerial view of the coastal region on a hot air balloon ride and leap off the gigantic structure of Vilnius’s TV tower, which is the tallest bungee jump site in Europe.
Outdoor Excursions: This is a country of contrasts between the long white sand beaches and wide expanses of forest. Lithuania is predominantly flat with over a fourth of it being forested, which offers a great abundance of wildlife, birdlife and plantlife.
Walking & Hiking - There are some great hiking tracks in Lithuania such as the Curonian Spit Park which has been labelled as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This region is situated on a peninsula that separates the Curonian Lagoon and the Baltic Sea. Witness a change in colour of Lithuania’s landscape amongst the gigantic sand dunes on one side and pine forests on the other. The region is also home to some very rare species from the plant kingdom.
Beaches - The long strips of white sand house some amazing beaches such as Kursiu Neija and Palanga. Natural sand dunes and pine forests surround these areas.
Museums - The country has some amazing museums such as the famous Devil Museum dedicated to the victims of the Nazi occupation and the renowned Lithuanian painter Ciurlionis. Situated within the vicinity of this museum are three huge theatre halls. The Amber Museum Gallery of Palanga is another great museum to explore in Lithuania.
Sightseeing - Begin your sightseeing with the historical Old Town of Vilnius which was founded in 1323 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Lithuania has many ancient castles and the ones at Kaunas and Trakai have castles, which date back as far as the 11th century.
Churches - Visitors have the chance to marvel at the architecture of some amazing church buildings including St. Peter and St Paul’s Church in Vilnius.
Festivals - Lithuania celebrates many different festivals such as the Capital Festival that takes place in September and is celebrated with fireworks and fairs that fill the streets of the capital city Vilnius. The Mardi Grass festival is another popular event that Lithuania is known for.
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Lithuania's Cities and Regions
Vilnius — The capital city of Lithuania, brimming with cultural and historical sights, as well as being the financial, educational and political hub. Don't miss the stunning Old Town area with its unique architecture.
Curonian Spit — Lying on a unique peninsula within the Baltic Sea, the area is typified by sand dunes, deep forests, white sandy beaches and old ethnographic villages - one of Lithuania's four UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kaunas — Second-largest city and a former citadel of the Russian Empire, the city is brimming with fascinating architecture and archaeological sites.
Klaipeda — The third-largest city is also the main seaport for the country with European and Baltic cruises using the city as a stopover point. It's also well-known for its packed calendar of summer events.
Palanga — Seaside resort on the Baltic sea coast, popular with both Lithuanians and tourists in the summer.
Trakai — This small town lies just 28km away from Vilnius and is well worth a trip to explore the history: this was a former capital city with a residence of medieval rulers.
Hill of Crosses — Site of great religious significance.
Kernavė — The very first ever Lithuanian capital lies on the banks of the Neris River and the well-preserved archaeological site is now an important UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Moletai Lakeland — The eco hub of the country with its abundance of homesteads and small scale resorts dotted amongst the 200 or so lakes of various size.
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When To Go
Lithuania has a temperate climate and winter lasts from November to mid-March and can be very cold. Summer season runs from April to September and is warmer and drier.
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Top Tips
- Drive carefully as Lithuania has a bad record of road accidents especially at night.
- Check the latest recommendations for vaccinations.
- Explore the capital city of Vilnius
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Classic Itineraries
- Action sports
- Outdoor excursions
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UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Vilnius Historic Centre
- Curonian Spit
- Kernave Archaeological Site
- Struve Geodetic Arc
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Public Holidays in 2014
January 01 - New Year´s Day
February 16 - Day of Re-establishment of the State of Lithuania
March 11 - Day of Restitution of Independence of Lithuania
April 20 - Easter
April 21 - Easter Monday
May 01 - Labour Day
June 24 - St. John's Day
July 06 - State Holiday Lithuania
August 15 - Assumption Day
November 01 - All Saints' Day
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 26 - St. Stephen´s Day
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