Sights in Lithuania
-
Hill of Crosses
Lithuania's most incredible, awe-inspiring sight is the legendary Hill of Crosses. The two-humped hillock is covered in a forest of thousands upon thousands of crosses - large and tiny, expensive and cheap, wooden and metal. Some are devotional to accompany prayers, others are memorial.
It's thought that the tradition of planting crosses here may have begun in the 14th century. In the Soviet era the crosses were bulldozed at least three times, only to spring up again. It's an eerie place, especially when the wind blows and the silence is broken by the rattling of crosses and rosaries.
An alternative view of the cross-swamped hill is from the chapel of the modern brick…
reviewed
-
Grūtas Park
Headline-grabbing Grūtas Park opened amid controversy in 2001. Dubbed Stalin World, this collection of bronze sculptures once stared down Big Brother-style at oppressed Lithuanians in parks and squares countrywide. The former head of a collective farm, Viliumas Malinauskas made his fortune canning mushrooms then won the loan of the hated objects from the Ministry of Culture in 1999 and transformed part of his 2-sq-km estate into a Soviet sculpture park.
Built to resemble a Siberian concentration camp, the park entrance is marked by a Soviet-Polish border crossing with barbed wire, red-and-white (Polish) and red-green (USSR) striped poles. Next to it is a single carriage…
reviewed
-
Sand Dunes
Legend has it that motherly sea giantess Neringa created the spit, lovingly carrying armfuls of sand in her apron to form a protected harbour for the local fishing folk. The truth is as enchanting. The waves and winds of the Baltic Sea let sand accumulate in its shallow waters near the coast 5000 or 6000 years ago to create an original beauty found nowhere else.
Massive deforestation in the 16th century started the sands shifting. Trees were felled for timber, leaving the sands free to roam unhindered at the wish of the strong coastal winds. At a pace of 20m a year, the sands swallowed 14 villages in the space of three centuries.
Dubbed the 'Sahara of Lithuania' due to its…
reviewed
-
Zokniai Military Airfield
In Soviet times this airfield with two 3.5km-long and 45m-wide runways - large enough to land a space shuttle - was the USSR's biggest military base outside Russia, used to defend its western border. The last of its 55,000 troops based here left in 1993, and since 2004 the Lithuanian air base has been used by NATO forces to patrol Baltic skies.
Guided tours take you around the airfield, built in 1935 and much of it in a shocking state of crumbling disrepair after 10 years of abandonment. Many of the 50 or so Soviet aircraft hangars once housing MiG-29 fighters remain, as do the subterranean command post, sturdy enough to survive nuclear attack, and the fuel reserves, a…
reviewed
-
Hill of Crosses
This 'Mecca of Lithuania' - thousands upon thousands of crosses on a hillock - has inspired countless pilgrimages.
Large and tiny, expensive and cheap, wood and metal, the crosses are devotional, to accompany prayers, or finely carved folk-art masterpieces. Others are memorials, tagged with flowers, a photograph or other mementoes in memory of the deceased, and inscribed with a sweet or sacred message. Traditional Lithuanian koplytstulpis (wooden sculptures of a figure topped with a little roof) intersperse the crosses, as do magnificent sculptures of the Sorrowful Christ (Rūpintojėlis). Should you wish to add your own, souvenir traders in the car park sell crosses big…
reviewed
-
English-speaking Bird Watching Guide
Two exhibitions rooms inside the Ventės Ragas Ornithological Station explain Nemunas birdlife and an observation deck encourages visitors to spot species first-hand. Vytas is a local English-speaking ornithological guide.
This wetland is a twitcher's heaven. Some 270 of the 325 bird species found in Lithuania frequent the Nemunas Delta Regional Park, many rare birds breeding in the lush marshes around Rusnė, including rare black storks, white-tailed eagles, black-tailed godwits, pintails, dunlin, ruff and great snipe. The common white stork breeds like there's no tomorrow in Ventė.
The Arctic-European-East African bird migration flight path cuts through the park, making…
reviewed
-
A
Teatro Aikštė
Little of German Klaipėda remains but there are some restored streets in the oldest part of town wedged between the river and Turgaus aikštė. Pretty Teatro Aikštė is the Old Town focus, dominated by the fine classical-style Drama Theatre (1857). Hitler proclaimed the Anschluss (incorporation) of Memel into Germany to the crowd on the square from the theatre's balcony.
In front tinkles a fountain dedicated to Simon Dach, a 17th-century Klaipėda-born German poet (1605-59), who was the focus of a circle of Königsberg writers and musicians. On a pedestal in the middle of the water stands Äennchen von Tharau (1912), a statue of Ann from Tharau sculpted by Berlin artist…
reviewed
-
Ignalina
Ignalina (named after Ignalina region) looks uncannily like Springfield's nuclear power station in The Simpsons and it's just as safe say scientists. Unlike reactors in the West, its one remaining online RMBK reactor - the same design as Ukraine's Chornobyl reactor, which exploded in 1986 - is graphite-cooled and has no containment system. If an accident occurs, there is an increased chance of emissions escaping into the atmosphere. Until 2004 the plant met 80% of Lithuania's energy needs.
Enormous pressure from the EU forced a reluctant Lithuania to shut down the first reactor on 31 December 2004 and pledge to shut the second by the end of 2009. Millions of euros have…
reviewed
-
B
Vilnius Cathedral
At the base of Gediminas Hill sprawls Cathedral Square (Katedros aikštė), dominated by Vilnius Cathedral and its 57m-tall belfry, a Vilnius landmark. The square buzzes with local life, especially during Sunday morning mass. Amuse yourself by hunting for the secret stebuklas (miracle) tile, which if found can grant a wish if you stand on it and turn around clockwise. It marks the spot where the Tallinn-Vilnius human chain ended in 1989.
Vilnius' age-old meeting point, Cathedral Square buzzes with local life. To make your dreams come true, find the tile marked stebuklas (miracle). It marks the spot where the human chain - formed between Tallinn and Vilnius by two million…
reviewed
-
Nemunas Delta Regional Park
The soggy cluster of islands form a savage but serenely beautiful landscape protected since 1992 by the Nemunas Delta Regional Park. One-fifth of the park is water - which freezes most winters, exposing hardy residents to extreme weather conditions. Rusnė Island, the largest island, covers 48 sq km and increases in size by 15cm to 20cm a year.
Boat is the main form of transport, villagers being transported in and out of the park by an amphibious tractor from March to mid-May, when merciless spring floods plunge about 5% of the park under water. In 1994 flood waters rose to 1.5m in places, although 40cm to 70cm is the norm. Dike-protected polders (land reclaimed from the…
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Ventės Ragas
Ventės Ragas (literally 'world's edge') is a sparsely inhabited area on the tip of the south-pointing promontory of the delta, which, with its dramatic nature and uplifting isolation, is beautifully wild. Bar a few fishers' houses and the lighthouse (1862), the main attraction here is the Ventės Ragas Ornithological Station, 66km south of Klaipėda at the end of the Kintai-Ventė road.
A Teutonic Order castle was built here in the 1360s to protect shipping in the area, only for the castle and its church to collapse within a couple of hundred years due to the severity of storms on this isolated point (in German, it was called Windenburg meaning Windy Castle). The church…
reviewed
-
Trakai Island Castle & History Museum
The centrepiece of the old Lithuanian capital of Trakai is its picture-postcard Island Castle. The painstakingly restored red-brick Gothic castle is perched atop an island on Lake Galvė. It probably dates from around 1400, when Vytautas, Lithuania's Grand Duke of the time, needed stronger defences than the nearby peninsula castle afforded.
A footbridge links it to the shore and a moat separates the triangular outer courtyard moat from the main tower with its cavernous central court and a range of galleries, halls and rooms. Some house the Trakai History Museum (Trakų istorijos muziejus) which charts the history of the castle. The castle's prominence as a holy site is…
reviewed
-
C
Gediminas Hill
Vilnius was founded on 48m-high Gediminas Hill, topped since the 13th century by Gedimino Tower. Its walls were ruined during the Russian occupation (1655-61), but it was restored in 1930 to house the Upper Castle Museum.
The Renaissance ushered in the Royal Palace (Valdovūrumai), where the first Lithuanian operas were performed.
A quadrangle of four wings enclosing a vast courtyard of 10,000 sq m, the palace buzzed with masked balls, banquets and tournaments in the 16th century. But in 1795 with the Russian occupation of Lithuania the palace - along with the Lower Castle and city defence wall - was demolished.
This palace of incredible dimensions rose from the ashes in…
reviewed
-
Pažaislis Monastery
This fine example of 17th-century baroque architecture is 9km east of the centre, near the shores of Kaunas Sea (Kauno marios), a large artificial lake created by damming the Nemunas.
The monastery church with its 50m-high cupola and sumptuous Venetian interior made from pink and black Polish marble is a sumptuous if shabby affair. Passing from Catholic to Orthodox to Catholic control, the monastery has a chequered history and was a psychiatric hospital for part of the Soviet era. Nuns inhabit it today. The best time to visit is between June and August during the Pažaislis Music Festival (www.pazaislis.lt). Take trolleybus 5, 9 or 12 to the terminus on Masiulio gatvė, a…
reviewed
-
D
Basanavičiaus Gatvė Pier
From the end of Basanavičiaus gatvė, a boardwalk leads across the dunes to the pier. The original wooden pier dated to 1888. By day, street vendors sell popcorn, ledai (ice cream), dešrainiai (hot dogs), alus and gira here. At sunset families and lovers gather here on the sea-facing benches to watch the sunset.
From the pier end of Basanavičiaus, a walking and cycling path wends north and south through pine forest. Skinny paths cut west onto the sandy beach at several points and, if you follow the main path (Meilės alėja) south onto Darius ir Girėno gatvė, you reach the Botanical Park where cycling and walking tracks are rife.
reviewed
-
E
Švyturys Brewery
Reservations are essential for tours of Klaipėda's Švyturys Brewery , rebuilt after WWII. Švyturys is the big-brand beer to drink. Tours of 1½-hour duration depart at noon Wednesday and Friday.
Brewed in Klaipėda by Lithuania's oldest operating brewery (since 1784), the market leader comes in eight types ranging from the light fresh golden Gintarinis to the old-style unfiltered Baltas (shake before opening) and the strong, dark, amber-coloured Baltijos. Danish beer giant Carlsberg Breweries bought a controlling stake in Švyturys in 1999 and four years later scooped Utenos into its corporate fold, managing the two breweries under controlling company Baltic Beverages…
reviewed
-
F
Gates of Dawn
The 16th-century Gates of Dawn is the only one of the town wall's original nine gates still intact. The gate houses the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the black-and-gold 'miracle-working' Virgin Mary icon. A gift from the Crimea by Grand Duke Algirdas in 1363, it is one of the holiest icons in Polish Catholicism, and the faithful arrive in droves to offer it whispered prayer.
When the Russians destroyed the old city walls in the 18th century, they spared Aušros Vartai, fearing bad luck if they tampered with the resting place of the Virgin icon. The Soviets likewise refused to touch it. Look up as you're exiting Old Town and you can spot the icon through the window…
reviewed
-
Island Castle
The centrepiece of Trakai is its picture-postcard Island Castle atop an island on Lake Galvė. The painstakingly restored red-brick Gothic castle probably dates from around 1400, when Vytautas needed stronger defences than the peninsula castle afforded.
A footbridge links it to the shore and a moat separates the triangular outer courtyard moat from the main tower with its cavernous central court and a range of galleries, halls and rooms. Some house the Trakai History Museum, which charts the history of the castle.
The castle's prominence as a holy site is reflected in its collection of religious art. In summer the castle courtyard is a magical stage for concerts and plays.
reviewed
-
Paneriai Museum
A path leads to the shocking Paneriai Museum. There are two monuments here, one Jewish (marked with the Star of David), the other one Soviet (an obelisk topped with a Soviet star).
From here paths lead to a number of grassed-over pits where, from December 1943, the Nazis lined up 300 to 4000 victims at a time and shot them in the back of the head. After the bodies fell, they were covered with sand to await the next layer of bodies. The Nazis later burnt the exhumed corpses of their victims to hide the evidence of their crimes. One of the deeper pits, according to its sign, was where they kept those who were forced to dig up the corpses and pulverise the bones.
reviewed
-
G
Museum of Deportation & Resistance
The Museum of Deportation & Resistance documents the spirit of Resistance encompassed by the partisan Forest Brothers, who fought against Soviet occupation. Led by Jonas Žemaitis-Vytautas (1909-54), 100,000 men went into Lithuania's forests to battle the tyrannical regime. One-third were killed, the rest captured and deported. Fighting continued until 1954 when the last partisan was shot.
One of the most desperate anti-Soviet actions was the suicide of Kaunas student Romas Kalanta. On 14 May 1972 he doused himself in petrol and set fire to himself in protest at tyrannical communist rule. A suicide note was found in his diary explaining why.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
H
Amber Processing Gallery
A key stop on Lithuania's Baltic Amber Road is an old barn that has been renovated and given a lick of yellow paint to become a workshop where raw amber is crafted.
In the 17th century there were a dozen or so such workshops, which today's Amber Processing Gallery, run by the Palanga guild of amber masters, emulates. In the late 1880s Palanga was one of the largest amber-processing centres in the Baltics, its amber products being transported to southern Russia then mailed on to the Caucasus, Germany and France. A gallery sells finished amber pieces (jewellery, sculptures, chessboards etc), as does upmarket amber jeweller Valentina ir partneriai.
reviewed
-
Ventės Ragas Ornithological Station
Bar a few fishers' houses and the lighthouse (1862), the main attraction in Ventės Ragas is the Ventės Ragas Ornithological Station, 66km south of Klaipėda at the end of the Kintai-Ventė road. The first bird-ringing station was established here in 1929, but it was not until 1959 to 1960 that large bird traps were installed here.
Today, one million birds pass through the station each migratory period, zigzag, snipe, cobweb and duck traps temporarily ensnaring birds to be ringed. Two exhibitions rooms inside the station explain Nemunas birdlife and an observation deck encourages visitors to spot species first-hand.
reviewed
-
Spa Vilnius
Druskininkai is spa-riddled. But beware; not all are swish. Step into the wrong place and you could be slapped around by a formidable babushka straight out of a horror movie.
Striking designwise is Spa Vilnius. This spa, with a retro 1950s-style café-bar inside an eight-storey hotel, sports the best indoor swimming pool (filled with local mineral water) and a clutch of baths, including one with seaweed and another with mud. It also offers the full range of massages, including underwater body and Shiatsu foot ones. Scary-sounding things like intestine showers and gynaecologic irrigations are other mineral-water treatments on offer.
reviewed
-
Mingė
From Nida there are seasonal boats across the lagoon to the delta settlement of Mingė (also called Minija after the river that forms the main 'street' through the village). No more than 100 people live in Mingė - dubbed the Venice of Lithuania - and only two families still speak Lietuvinkai, an ethnic dialect of Lithuanian distinct to the delta.
The 19th-century riverside houses are made of wood with reed roofs and are protected architectural monuments. A good way to explore this area is by bicycle; from Mingė a cycling track runs around Lake Krokų Lanka, the largest lake in the park at 4km long and 3.3km wide.
reviewed
-
Curonian Spit National Nature Museum
The Curonian Spit National Nature Museum is in three wooden houses, incorporating the birds and mammals, plants and insects, and landscape sections of the museum painted yellow, green and brown.
About 700m further north are old fishing vessels, including three Baltic Sea fishing trawlers built in the late 1940s and a 1935 kurėnas (a traditional 10.8m flat-bottomed Curonian sailing boat used for fishing). Next door, the Ethnographic Sea Fishermen's Farmstead, with its collection of traditional 19th-century buildings (the granary, dwelling house, cellar, cattle shed and so on) proffers a glimpse of traditional fishing life.
reviewed