Vilnius
Today, Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is one of the most frequently visited cities of Eastern Europe. It draws attention, not only because of its unique architectural character, but also by its cultural events and attractions. A variety of business, political and cultural meetings are held there. Vilnius is attractively presented at international tourism exhibitions and co-operation between many capitals of Europe is promoted. In 2009, Vilnius, as the first of the new cities of the EU Member States, became the European Capital of Culture. It shares this honour with the Austrian city of Linz.
During the first ten years of independence the city has become a tourist attraction centre. It is, therefore, not surprising that during these ten years the number of tourists has consistently increased and at the same time tourist infrastructure and services have been developed.
Vilnius, as the capital of Lithuania, is the home of the President, the Seimas, the Government and the Supreme Court. Diplomatic missions, educational, cultural, financial, research, and health care institutions are based there.
It is also the largest city of the country. According to the 2006 census, the population of Vilnius is 553,553 people, which accounts for 17 per cent of the total population of the country. Vilnius is home to people of different ethnic backgrounds. Ethnic Lithuanians - 57.8%, Poles - 18.7%, Russians - 14%, Belarusians - 4%, Jews - 0.5%, and representatives of other ethnic backgrounds account for the remaining 5%.
Vilnius occupies an area of about 400 square kilometres of which 20.2% approximately is developed and the remainder is green belt (43.9% approx.) and water (2.1% approx.). The historical centre of Vilnius, the Old Town, (Senamiestis) is one of the largest old town centres in Eastern Europe (covering almost 360 hectares). The Old Town is situated in a picturesque valley of two rivers – the Vilnia and the Neris, at the crossroads of trade roads, next to the ford, which was guarded by Vilnius castle in the olden times.
The city has been hospitable, open and tolerant throughout the ages. Throughout the course of its history three faiths merged: paganism, western and eastern Christianity. As far back as the 14th century Grand Duke Gediminas noticed that. The Ruler of the last pagan state in Europe wrote in his letters to the European countries that everybody worshiped one God in Vilnius, only everyone worshiped him according to his customs, that both Catholic and Orthodox churches had already been built in the city. Later the Muslims, Crimean Tartars, Karaites and Jews settled in the city and erected their houses of worship. Vilnius was even referred to as the Jerusalem of North.
As a multicultural city and a centre for numerous faiths, Vilnius has always attracted visitors and fascinated everyone with its architectural diversity. The ruins of castles, an old network of narrow streets, church spires, bell towers, red tile roofs, residential cellars… all testify to the fact that Vilnius is a Gothic city. However, in the 16th century Gothic became intertwined with Renaissance, and in the 17th – 18th century Baroque buildings started to appear.
Whoever you are – a businessman who has arrived in Vilnius to sign an agreement, a tourist on vacation or an experienced traveller looking for new adventures – several days stay in Vilnius will be sufficient to make you fall in love with this city. It is worth staying in Vilnius longer. However, even if you came only for a weekend, the city will leave a lasting impression on you. Theatre or opera goers, lovers of all-night parties or street carnivals, people who are interested in architecture or those who just like to relax and commune with nature will find something close to their heart in this city.
Kaunas
Meet 3000 devils in the heart of Lithuania. Enjoy Jazz Festival or Classical music during the Pazaislis music festival. Be the first to discover the bird flight from the roof of Resurrection church, feel free and be brave to try professional acrobatic flights, wake a pilot inside yourself. Believe in the second “religion”- basketball and shake the famous Europe basketball players by the hand. Indulge water activities like yacht regattas or water biking. Don’t forget to relax at SPA, leisure and entertainment center.
If you want to feel the real taste of Lithuania spirit visit Kaunas and discover unique Kaunas fortress.
Trakai
Trakai Municipality borders with the municipalities of Vilnius, Varėna, Prienai and Elektrėnai and is situated not far from the city of Vilnius. The municipality centre is Trakai, which is just 18 km from Vilnius the capital of Lithuania. There is excellent access to Trakai, both by road and railway.
Trakai Municipality covers an area of 120,274 ha with a population of 37,000. There are in total 621 villages and isolated farmsteads. The administrative area consists of 8 neighbourhoods: -Aukštadvaris (2,800 residents), Grendavė (860 residents), Lentvaris (14,800 residents), Onuškis (2,900 residents), Paluknys (1,600 residents), Rūdiškės (4,300 residents), Trakai (9,000 residents) and Senieji Trakai (Old Trakai) (2,700 residents).
Trakai Municipality can boast of its recreation, tourism, forestry and collective farming.
Industry is mostly concentrated in the neighbourhoods of Lentvaris, Trakai and Rūdiškės. Given the exceptionally beautiful landscape tourism is developed throughout the entire territory of Trakai municipality, though it is most intensively developed in the town of Trakai and the small town of Aukštadvaris and their surrounding areas.
The location of Trakai District Municipality is very interesting in terms of its conformation: - it extends between the elevations of Trakai and Aukštadvaris, which belong to the Great Baltic Plain, whilst the larger part of the territory lies in the so-called Dzūkija Highland (the lowest point being at 55 metres below sea level and the highest at 257 metres). The region is characterised by the particularly picturesque Trakai Lakelands (over 200 lakes and 14 ponds), hills, valleys and pinewoods. The largest lakes undulate at 149 metres above sea level. Galvės Lake at its deepest point is 46.75 metres (its area is 361 ha).
Sand, gravel and rinsed clay are dominant within the municipality territory.
The network of rivers in the hilly terrain is markedly sparser in comparison to the average for Lithuania; however, the rivers are full and rapid.
A wide network of subterranean water channels, mainly flowing with mineralized and very clear water, can be found within the territory of the municipality. Large and small lakes with shallow waterholes have in many places become wetlands with an amazingly diverse flora, younger and older moors and wastelands.
In recent decades 942 higher species of plants have been found and described within the district. This number constitutes the greater part of the Lithuanian flora. As many as 75 plant species are considered to be rare and very rare, whilst 54 species are included in the Lithuanian Red List Book of protected species. Even in the past the Trakai region has attracted botanists from all over the world, as a unique, preserved and pristine treasure of flora.
We can be proud of the enviable diversity of forests: - the breathtaking beauty of the hilly Mergiškių forest, the Onuškio pinewoods growing in dampness, the Rūdninkų pinewood which has been famous for ages, the hilly Ropėjos forest characterised by an entire range of species of trees and the dry, but extremely productive Rūdiškių forest. In olden days these forests used to be the hunting grounds of kings, nobility and honoured guests.
The King of the Polish Kingdom, Grand Duke Žygimantas the Elder of the Great Duchy of Lithuania and his son King Žygimantas Augustas had permanent residences in these forests. Queen Barbora Radvilaitė also used to hunt here. It is not surprising that the area covered by forests in the Trakai District is higher (41.5%) than the average for Lithuania (31.7%).
The mosaic of forests and groves, meadows and marshlands, hills and hollows provides an excellent habitat for wildlife. Here one can find the full range of Lithuanian fauna, including a very large number of rare types of insects. In Lithuania there are 99 species of fish, 46 of which can be found in the territory of Trakai Municipality, including 9 species of commercial fishing: - vendace, whitefish, northern pike, bream, tench, pipe-perch, eel, red-eye and perch. An abundance of amphibians, as well as the fire-bellied toad and the Natterjack toad, which are included in the Lithuanian Red Book of protected species, can also be found here. Water turtles may also be seen here.
Birds constitute perhaps the largest group of wildlife. Of the 350 species of birds found in Lithuania, 182 live in the Trakai region, including 62 very rare species such as the ferruginous duck, great bittern, white-tailed eagle and great snipe.
Trakai represents Lithuania. Each year the Trakai region attracts approximately two million tourists.
The pride of Trakai is the Island Castle, the only castle in Eastern Europe built on an island, museum on the Galvė Lake. The peninsular castle, barrows and cemeteries are unique sites and the church exhibiting the picture of the Holy Mother of God built in the 15th century in the Baroque and Gothic style is considered by historians to be one of the most valuable Lithuanian heritage objects. Persons who are the greatest figures of our history and who have honourably remained important in European history lived in the Užutrakis Manor and the Old Town of Trakai.
For visitors and tourists alike Trakai always proves to be an unexpected wonder. This may be due to the fact that the city and surrounding areas with their natural beauty are carefully protected by the State. One can find wildlife reserves, landscapes, ornithological and other sanctuaries. The Trakai historical national park, which covers over 8,000 ha, preserves the regions uniqueness and its nature. It is the only one of this type in Europe.
Nowadays, as in the olden days, Trakai and its surrounding areas is the home for the most eminent artists, scholars and politicians. Lithuanian culture is represented by the children of the Trakai Art School and in particular young artists, as well as one of the best children’s fanfare orchestras in Europe.
Each year crowds of fans from all over the world are attracted to the music festival “We Greet Trakai” (Lith. „Mes sveikinam Trakus“) with performances by the best musicians from Lithuania and the world. At Užutrakis Manor on the shore of Galvė Lake in the quiet natural setting it is possible to listen to classical music during the “Užutrakis Evening” (Lith. „Užutrakio vakarai“) concerts. Performances staged in the natural historical setting of the courtyard of the island castle create a breathtaking effect.
Galvė Lake is known by rowers from all around the world. The World Students’ Regatta and the huge festival of the world “senior” rowers are organised on the lake.
Everyone visiting Trakai is invited to join the various fitness programs which are on offer, enjoy the water attractions or stay at one of the hotels. Cottages and recreation complexes are being newly built close to Trakai
The heritage of Trakai cuisine is also very unique. Most visitors want to experience the taste of a traditional Karaite dish “kybyn” (Lith. kibinas) and other dishes made by different nations residing in the area. Trakai Municipality has a great deal to offer - one can sail on the lakes either in a yacht, boat or water bicycle. There is a wide range of country homesteads available, which offer exotic services: - horse riding tracks, paragliding, sailing through the reeds in an aero-boat, wading in the marshlands or for something different try finding your way back from the forest in the middle of the night - that is truly “extreme”!
Palanga
It is hard to imagine Palanga without the Baltic Sea. The Sea is our past, present and future. Since the New Stone Age (IV – II c B. C.), the sea has influenced mental and material culture, trading relations of the peoples living here.
A lot of Lithuanian legends are related to the sea. From generation to generation, by the cradle, mothers would narrate their children about the love of the sea goddess Jūratė for the fisherman Kastytis, about the enchanted prince of the sea Žilvinas and Eglė, a fisherman’s daughter, about the giants Naglis and Neringa or priestess Birutė, the wife of Grand Duke Kęstutis.
The origin of the name of Palanga is related to the sea. People say that in ancient times fishermen lived here on the Baltic seashore, and built their huts so close to the water that during storms sea waves rolled over the window-sills meaning “palangė” in Lithuanian. Linguists claim, though, that the name of Palanga is derived from such archaic Baltic words as: palvė, palios, pala, palas (meaning low, marshy area) or from rivers’ names, such as: Palanga, Palangis, Alanga, Langa.
Not only traders from the overseas did land to the seashore or Palanga, but conquerors as well. For the first time Palanga was mentioned in historical documents in 1161 as the landing place of the Danish King Valdemar I and his army.
In the chronicles of German Order Palanga was first mentioned only in 1253.
In the run of history there were more conquerors. The Vikings or Normandy coveted these lands, then in XII – XIV c.c. the Crusaders devastated the area more than once. Only after Grunvald’s battle (in 1410), the Peace Treaty of Meln was concluded in 1422. This stopped the invasion of the Order to Lithuania and in accordance with terms of the Brest Peace Treaty (on 12.31.1435) Lithuania regained Palanga.
In XII – XVIII c.c. the inhabitants of the town earned their living by fishing, gathering amber, which was cast ashore by the sea, trading with other towns of the Baltic coast. Traders often visited Palanga and exchanged their goods for amber, honey and furs.
In the records of the XVII c. it was mentioned that Palanga and Šventoji started competing with Riga, Liepaja and other ports (of Hanseatic League) and the goods were sold at lower prices there. They say, that at request of the port owners of Riga and Liepaja, the Swedish fleet destroyed Palanga and Šventoji ports.
After the third allotment of Žečpospolita in 1795 Lithuania was annexed to the Russian Czarist Empire. Palanga got assigned to the province of Vilnius (renamed to Kaunas in 1843). In 1819 Palanga town was assigned to the province of Courland. In 1824 Count Mykolas Tiškevičius, a colonel of the Czar’s army bought Palanga town and some adjoining lands. The contribution of the nobles Tiškevičiai to the development of the town is apparent: the park was established, the new palace was built, the seaport was restored, the enterprise producing bricks was build, the resort with sanatoriums was established and the new church was erected.
After the suppression of the 1863 uprising against the czarist regimen the Lithuanians were forbidden to print in Latin letters (1864 – 1904). But one of the routes, when books printed in Latin letters in Eastern Prussia were smuggled to Lithuania by book spreaders (knygnešiai), went via Palanga. This helped the Lithuanians teach their children to read and write in their mother tongue.
During the years of press ban the first Lithuanian play “Amerika pirtyje” (“America in the Baths”) was performed (in 1899) in Palanga.
After the First World War Lithuania became an independent state (16 02 1918). Lithuania and Latvia had the same disagreement regarding the territory of Palanga and Šventoji.
Storms of the history like unpredictable waves of the sea surged over the Baltic seacoast – the Soviet occupation in 1940 and the German occupation in 1941. After the war turmoil, at the end of January in 1945 the Soviet army occupied Lithuania and the Soviet authority set in. In Palanga private villas were nationalized, instead of them sanatoriums and holiday homes were established.
In 1952 Palanga was granted republican subordination and the project of the layout of the town as a resort was accepted.
The basic lines of treatment and relaxation were adapted and the town, which had preserved the old XIX c. resort traditions, started functioning all year round and became one of the most popular on the Baltic coast.
In 1991 Palanga resort opened a new page of history. Nationalized buildings and plots of land started to be given back to the rightful owners. Holiday homes and hotels became private. New modern individual villas were erected. Holidaymakers and guests of the town expected more and better service with every day.
People rush to the Baltic coast as usual to marvel at the sunset or to say “So long!” to the sea.
Birštonas
The history of one of the oldest balneology resorts in Lithuania – Birštonas has been written from the Middle Ages. Prussian chronicler Vygandas Marburgietis in "Naujojoje Prūsijos kronikoje" ("New Chronicle of Prussia") mentioned that marshal Kuhn von Hottenstein during the march to Lithuania divided the army into three parts in order to assault Punia, Alytus and Birštonas. At the beginning of the XIX c. the researcher of history Theodore Narbutas in Königsberg archives found almost 20 references of Birštonas during 1384-1402 reconnoitrers to Lithuania in which the "homestead" beside the salty water is called Birsten, Birstan as well as a well fortified wooden castle on the sheer scar of the Nemunas.
After the battle of Žalgiris (Battle of Grunwald) when the crusaders’ incursions were over Birštonas was mentioned as a hunting manor of the great dukes of Lithuania. The manor was freequently visited by Vytautas the Great, Kazimieras Jogailatis with his sons and duchess Ellen. After the ruling of Jogailaičiai dynasty Birštonas conceded its leader positions to Pienai. Only in the middle of the XIX c. when the mineral waters were started to be used for healing purposes the revival of Birštonas began.
The beginning of the establishment of Birštonas resort is interrelated to 1846 when doctor Benediktas Balinskis from Stakliškėa resort being interested in Birštonas springs sent a patient for whom the healing sources of Stakliškės did not help. The patient recovered only in Birštonas. At the end of 1854 after long investigations and bureaucratic procedures Russian Minister of the Interior Affairs signed a permission to establish Birštonas resort. Next year the first healing site was built and in the sixth decade of XIX century Birštonas was already well known balneological resortin all over Russian Empirea. Before the I World War there were 72 baths in the healing sites and 3 hotels containing 200 rooms were built .
During the I World War Birštonas suffered a lot and the remaining buildings were sold. The young state was short of money for renovating and restoring the resort. The only resort of Independent Lithuania (Druskininkai was occupied by Polish) was The complete decay menaced to) was doomed to vanish but at that moment Lithuanian Red Cross became interested in Birštonas and in 1924 signed a contract with the Department of Health pledging to modernize the resort, build up the baths of mud, install water-supply, sewerage, and electric illumination. The Board of the Red Cross promised to allocate all the profit to the development and refinement of the resort.
The most significant event in the history of the science of resorts was the initiation of mud application for healing purposes in Birštonas. The peat for the healing mud was brought from Velniabliūdis peatbog and the mud treatment centre decorated with the emblem of the Red Cross was built in 1927. This building has remained till the present days and has become the most important building in Birštonas.
It was the board of the Red Cross who got the park in trim, installed the fountain and the reservoirs for the fresh and mineral water on Vytautas hill. Water-supply, sewerage and electricity was installed in all the hotels of the resort. The regular connection by buses was arranged with Kaunas and Alytus. Not only sanatoriums and villas were built in Birštonas. The town expanded itself and became more beautiful. The central square of the town was formed in which the monument to J. Basanavičius was unveiled in 1939. The memory of the patriarch was eternelized from the fund of resort's tax.
During the II World War Birštonas vegetated, however it avoided bigger disasters. Only the Kurhauzas had losses where the panels painted by the famous painter Kazys Šimonis were lost during the fire. Right after the war the resort started functioning. In 1945 the writer Balys Sruoga who returned from Stutthof concentration camp was cured in the "White" villa. Here he wrote the memoirs "Dievų miškas" (The Forest of Gods). In the sixth decade the construction of new sanatorium complexes began. Sanatoriums "Tulpė", "Spalis" and "Versmė" welcomed their visitors.
The oldest Lithuanian bottling mineral water company is still functioning in Birštonas. It started its activity in 1924 when it was very popular to sip mineral water "Vytautas" or "Birutė". The first bottles of mineral water were poured in Kaunas but in the seventh decade this activity was relocated in Birštonas. However, it is not necessary to buy mineral water in the resort. One can taste the real non-carbonated mineral water "Vytautas" in the pump-rooms of the sanatoriums "Tulpės" and "Versmė".
Not only the unique natural recourses but also the exclusive landscape of this terrain attract the holidaymakers to visit Birštonas and its surroundings. The forests in the loops of the Nemunas recall the times of royal huntings when the bugle of Vytautas the Great echoed in Žverinčius forest and invited to recreate the members of those days European royal families. The beauty of the loops of the Nemunas was described by the writer V. Sirokomlė who traveled along the river, the poet J. Marcinkevičius, whereas the painter N. Silvanavičius memorialized everything in his canvases.
Justinas Marcinkevičius wrote about this country: "Blessed places, rare picturesqueness of the surroundings. It seems that even the old Nemunas which toiled over creating them remained fascinated by their beauty and started rushing from one side to the other… Thus, its head turned round and it did not understand where it was floating the waters. Thank's to his giddiness that created the most unique natural monument – the Great Loops of the Nemunas of 60 km in length. No other European river has ever worked in such a way".
The Great Loops of the Nemunas were hardly understandable for the old times rafters. Cartographers did not manage to depict them even in 1613 in the precise map of the Great Duchy of Lithuania "Magni Ducatus Lithuaniae". Only in 1852 Abichtas, the professor of Vilnius University, indicated the Great Loops of the Nemunas correctly.
The real reason why the river makes those loops is still unknown. Some geologists state that the origin of the loops is determined by the rising derivatives of the earth's entrails between Birštonas and Punia. That caused the Nemunas to toss about and curve the loops of Punia, Balbieriškis, Prienai and Birštonas. In a stretch of 65 km the Nemunas flows to the direction of all the points of the compass - recently from the spur of Birštonas one could see that the river was flowing to the West on one side and to the East on the other, however nowadays this scenery is hidden by the forests. The average depth of the valley is 40 m.
In 1992 the Regional Park of the Great Nemunas Loops was established. It is one of the largest regional parks in the country covering the area of over 25 thousand hectares. The aim of the establishment of the park was to preserve the unique landscape formed by the Nemunas.
82 % of Birštonas Municipality is in the territory of the Regional Park of the Great Nemunas Loops. General area of the municipality is 124 sq. m. The area of Birštonas town is 13 sq. m. The municipality consists of Birštonas town and Birštonas elderate. Over 5300 inhabitants live in Birštonas Municipality. The major part of the inhabitants, i.e. 3200 live in the town, whereas the rest in 46 villages of Birštonas elderate.
