Lithuania

Country Highlights

• Enjoy a lunch of freshly prepared cepelinai—potato dumplings drizzled with sour cream and bacon
• Visit the Kalvariju Turgus, the largest outdoor market in Vilnius, and sample in-season fruits and vegetables sold by local growers
• Enjoy one of many regional variants of mead, Lithuania’s national spirit, made from fermented honey and aromatized with herbs and spices
• Take in sweeping views of the Vilnius skyline after a spirited walk up Gediminas Tower

Experience Ancient History at the Hillforts

Explore a few of Lithuania’s hundreds of piliakalnis or hill forts, which carried out the functions of defense in periods throughout the nation’s history and settlement. These monuments to the nation’s cultural heritage vary in size, building materials, and age, with the oldest dating back to 2000 B.C.

Go Birdwatching in the Curonian Spit

From migrant cranes and small warblers, to flocks of geese and native lapwings, millions of migratory birds travel through the Curonian Spit and Baltic Sea shorelines each season, making it a haven for birdwatchers. In fact, six birdwatching observatory towers are located across the peninsula, where one can catch a glimpse of peregrine falcons, brown kites, or pink starlings.

Explore Žemaitija National Park

Tour the majestic landscape of Žemaitija National Park, home to Lake Plateliai, whose waters are abutted by serene forests of pine and birch trees. The park’s numerous well-marked walking paths allow for up close observation of thousands of types of plant and moss species, many of which are relics of the Earth’s glacial period.