Introducing Central Lithuania

Central Lithuania is a strange brew. More of an accidental stopover point en route to somewhere else rather than a destination in itself, this large flat area is invariably written off as dull and short on vision. Yet it proffers a couple of Lithuania's most bizarre and blackest sights.

Three cities form a neat triangle. Complacent Kaunas, primary kick-off point for central-country forays, still rides on its sterling reputation as alternative Lithuanian capital during the interwar period when Vilnius was part of Poland. And indeed, it's got a great palace to prove it presidential past. But, say critics, Kaunas must brush up and progress if it wants to stay in today's EU-driven game. The exciting arrival of no-frills budget airline Ryanair to Kaunas in September 2005, not to mention the hoards of Brits it brings on the cheap, could be the catalyst.

Then there's Šiauliai, a closed city in Soviet times that sheltered the USSR's largest military base outside Russia, and today the place from which Baltic skies are policed by NATO air forces. Learning how enterprising locals made a living from syphoned-off fuel intended for Soviet MiG-29 fighters is enlightening. The same incredible spirit of resilience pervades the obligatory pilgrimage tourists make 12km north to Lithuania's strangest monument, the papal-blessed Hill of Crosses.

Throw into the melting pot 'Chicago of Lithuania' Panevėžys, the black fort where Nazis murdered the region's Jewish population, a crook of a nature park, top-brand beers and the Baltic's biggest jazz festival - and that stop in the centre of the country might just become far from accidental.