Lithuania: When to Go

Summer and spring (May through September) are far and away the best times of year to travel in Lithuania. In spring, the weather is warm, the days are long, flowery cottage gardens blossom and the cultural calendar oozes fun. April and May, when the land and its people open up after winter, convey a real magic.

June is midsummer-madness month and equally evoke the Baltic peoples' close ties to nature and their pagan past. During the high season (July and August) low-budget hotels and hostels can be fully booked. While these are the warmest and busiest months, and a time when many Balts go on holiday too, they can also be the wettest and subject to the odd thunderstorm.

There's usually a picturesque sprinkling of snow on the ground in winter (November through March), but there's also only a few hours of daylight each day and, when the snow thaws, it brings with it far too much slush for enjoyment. April and October have cold, sharp, wintry days as well as mild springlike or autumnal ones.

Weather

The Lithuanian climate is relatively temperate, with a slight edge that gives it that fresh eastern European charm. It verges on the continental as you move inland where, in winter, it's typically 2°C (36°F) to 4°C (39°F) colder than on the coasts but in summer may be a degree or two warmer.

From May to September, daytime highs are normally between 14°C (57°F) and 22°C (72°F) with moderate rainy periods. Coastal waters at this time average between 16°C (60°F) and 21°C (70°F). Winter (November to March) is a long dark affair with temperatures rarely rising above 4°C (39°F) and frequently dipping below zero (32°F), particularly in January.

Annual precipitation ranges from 500mm (20in) to 600mm (24in) in the lowland areas to 700mm (28in)to 900mm (35in) in the uplands. About 75% of it falls as rain, 25% as snow. The Gulfs of Finland and Rīga freeze occasionally, and the straits between Estonia's islands and the mainland usually freeze for three months from mid-January. The open Baltic Sea coast almost never freezes.