27 TOP THINGS TO DO IN LITHUANIA (INSIDER TIPS & MAP)

The Best Things To Do in Lithuania

Are you planning a journey to the most attractive country in the Baltics, and imagining the things that you can see and do in Lithuania? With the help of this article, you can find my selections of the best places to travel and the best activities to do in Lithuania.  This is an article from a native person and some of the best tips and instructions are included. I think my guide will be a help for you to visit my country and to Know The Best Things To Do in Lithuania

The Full Suitcase travel blog belongs to me and I have been doing it for many years now. I give and show you the various kind of paradises all over the world.  But I haven’t still written about my home country, Lithuania.  The thing is I have been poor to see my home town through the eyes of the tourists.

Google

However, I found that Google does not give any proper articles about Lithuania, and it is not fair.  Many of them are written by hired writers who have never step to  Lithuania and even don’t know what you can do here.  I am writing this article on the behalf of you not to fill my article with the strangest places.

I have planned to present to you my knowledge about my favorite places and the best things you can do in Lithuania.  In this article, I am giving you a local insight and important tips to use in Lithuania.

I need you to know how diversified and attractive my country is and the much more things you can do and watch in Lithuania. Explore the information!

The article shows you the best tasks you can do in Lithuania and the unique hideaways that you must go to even once in your life. The all the places mentioned here are proud of Lithuanians. I have brought you the only places that have important for travelers. If you are coming to Lithuania for the first time, and are willing to visit the best places in Lithuania refer to the article.

For additional information:

I have created a map for the tourist in Lithuania because the given places are spread throughout the country.  You can clearly note the exact point with the help of it.  The map is attached at the bottom of the guide, keep it with you and identify the correct location where you plan to travel.

The best things to do in Lithuania for the foreigners.

The Sand Dunes of the Curonian Spit

In Lithuania Sand Dunes of the Curonian Spit is the spot personally I am loving the most. I have spent many summer vacations in this place since my childhood. When I became an elder, even at that time I brought my husband to see this place. This is a good place that I recommend you to visit in Lithuania.

The Curonian Spit is a special place. This is a sandhill of 98 km long and 0,4-4km wide that divides the  Curonian shoreline and the Baltic Sea. There are about two villages nearby and boarded by sand drifts and wide jungles.  However, I don’t find any difference with my past times here.

There are lots of things to observe in The Curonian Spit and I have listed them below. The main reason to come here is the sandhills made up to 60 meters high in some places, they are considered as the highest sand hills in Europe.

After settling down in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, the hillocks were losing, some villages were hidden under these sand. Many projects are being continued to protect this treasure for future generations and now this has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Point: 

The main hillocks are Parnidis Dune in Ninda and Dead Dunes which calls Agilos kopa in Nagliu Nature Reserve.

You have the risk of entering the territory of Kaliningrad if you travel until the Southwest from Parnidis Dune. It is dangerous because you are entering the area of the Russian federation. Keep in mind not to have any issues with crossing the borders.

Vilnius Historic Center

Another name for this place is Vilnius Old Town which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Lituania.  There were a number of wars and demolitions but consisted of the early ages as a set of Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance, and traditional architecture technologies.

There are lots of ancient buildings in the Old Town and have a walk to this historic center and guide and observe the monuments.

Don’t forget to see the St. Anne’s Church and the close by  St. Francis of Assisi church,  the Gate of Dawn, Pilies Street, the palace Grand Dukes, the University of Vilnius, The Presidential home, the VBilnuis Catherdral, and the National icon the Gediminas Tower.

There are more places to mention it’s better to find them by yourself exploring these sites. You will find related information in the below sections.

The Trakai Island Castle

This castle was settled in the 14-15th centuries and recently renewed, and the main attraction that you must go and see in Lithuania. This Castle is on a beautiful island with an impressive environment and Lake Galve. The area around Trakai is rounded by the lakes and try to have a journey to see them.

Trakai has a few long distances from the capital city, and you will find it is an important trip from Vilnius. This is a popular place among foreigners and lots of natives and tourists visit this attraction in Lithuania.

However, you will find it’s a mess but you will praise the tradition and their architecture settings through the crowd and touring vehicles.   This architecture technology belongs to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania periods. They reach other regions such as the Black Sea.

Point: 

You have the facility to have a tourist guide from Vilnius, go there by train or car and both are soo funny. If it is a hot season go on a boat ride or a kayak journey.  Visit the area around the castle spend the time in the best way. Or else have a hot air balloon tour.

Gediminas Castle Tower

One of the best attractive places in Vilnius, known as Gedimino Bokstas.   This tower is a main icon in the country and it dates to Soviet times.

Gediminas Tower exists from the ancient upper castles.  The first wooden structure of the tour was built in the 14th century by the Grand Duke Gediminas.  This castle is the pride of the city and later became the capital of Lithuania.  This place should be included in the list  “Best of Lithuania ”.

Some stories say that the Gediminas set a camp in this place for the night. The reason for him to make the camp is once when he was hunting near the two rivers Vilniia River and Neris River he got soo tired and had no ability to go back home. That night Gediminas saw a dream of an iron wolf on a top of a mountain.  The meaning of the dream is about a castle and a city that you will gain the glory and the royalty which spreads throughout the whole world.

Though it was a frequent incident in those days, Gediminas considered this as a will of the Gode and planned to turn the forest into a city. It was named Vilnius after the Vilnia River.

There is no one to find who has missed reading the stories of this legend in Lithuanian. And also it is hard to find some who haven’t kept the step to this castle in their life.  This is the place you must visit in Lithuania.

Further Information:

The Gediminas’ Tower is available for the public daily but not on Public Holidays. There are cableway facilities to reach there or else you can have a walk.  You can have a top view of the tower and reserve the time to visit the weapons and armory displays inside.

Hill of Crosses

Another name for the   Hill of Crosses is Kryziu Kaunas, which is not the best place to visit in Lithuania but a special place included in the world list. Thousands of different-shaped crosses are filling this middle of the hilltop and are a stunning sight!

The estimated times of the Hill of Crosses run to the late 19th century and the people placed the crosses to celebrate their loved ones who lost their lives in the Russian Tsar. Of course, the officials were not pleased. Placing these crosses was banned and removed by the government. People didn’t stop by these threats and however, they found another place. This is the way Hill of Crosses settled on the Domantai Hill Fortress.

Though the government created the issues, the Hill of Crosses was grown and turned into an icon of wish and the strength of the Lithuanian’s.  It was a famous place for pious activities in the war period.

However, after the Soviets settling on Lithuania’s grounds its was seriously forbidden to pray and place crosses in this place. The Soviets tried to demolish the Hill of Crosses, by removing them, blocking the roads, and even flooding the area. But none of these became successful, the people’s power of will was greater than everything.  People come here all night and bring their new crosses. The Hill of Crosses memorizes the lives of the heroes and the crushing of religious freedom.

Since Lithuania’s gained freedom, the Hill of Crosses got more importance. Its value got increased by the Pope’s visit in 1993. At present, it’s famous for holy journies and the best place to visit in Lithuania.

Further information: 

The Hill of Crosses is near Siauliai in the north of Lithuania. It takes 2,5 hours from Vilnius and 2 hours from Kaunas or Klaipeda. You can stop there and have a break if you are heading to Riga in Latvia it is just 2 hours.  This place is available for anyone at any time.  Though it needs some effort to come here, many people don’t think about it. It’s a place you must visit for even one time.

Lithuania grand Dukes places

The Valdovu remains, the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lituania is a superb museum positioned inside the renewed 15th-century palace at the Cathedral Square in Vilnius.  According to my point of view, this is one of the best museums in Lithuania.

The museum is made with different types of parts, the most magnificent one is the decayed underground palace and the ancient rooms with antique furniture, curtains,  and drawings on the top floor.

But the most magnificent thing is the visually real 3D experience.  Among many reality experiences, this is the best context, which is suitable for both kids and adults.

Within few moments you will be taken to the beginning of Vilnius City. This will astonish you definitely.  This 3D experience will make you praise all the things that you see within this city. So don’t miss the chance.

For more Information:

The museum is available in the summer times, and every day except Mondays throughout the year. And will be closed on holidays.

Kaunas

This is the second-largest city in Lithuania and must be included in the list of best places that you have to visit in Lithuania. This city was settled in the 14th century and is located near the two biggest rivers in Lithuania, the Nemunas and Neris.  Kanus has been a very individual place for its visitors and a nice place for everyone.

In the postwar times,  when Vilnius was under the Polish, Kaunas was treated as the capital; city of Lithuania. The city had good times though it suffered many more times,  and the town was like fighting with itself.

Kaunas has been selected for the European Capital of Culture of 2022 and it seems to be the city changing too fastly.  It’s obvious that the city gets a quick renewal and it will make proud all the citizens on the city.

Note:

Don’t miss the old town of Kaunas. The Kaunas Castle and the Town Hall square, the Cathedral, Vytautas Church, House of Perkunas, the junction of Nemunas and Neris rivers,  the main streets Liberty Boulevard, St. Michael the Church. Furthermore, there are numerous museums such as the M.K Ciurlionis Museum of Art. 

Klaipeda

This is also the best place to visit in Lithuania but it seems to not be famous among the people. This is the third-largest city in Lithuania and the main port city. Klaipeda is on the Curonian beach and the Baltic sea. If you having a journey through the Baltic Sea, don’t forget to stop here.

In old days this was called Memel, and Klaipeda belonged to the Prussian Kingdom till 1923. This is the reason to have different types of architecture than the rest of Lithuania. The 18th-century German-style complexes with wood frames are a major attraction.

You should mark on your list to visit the Theater Square located near the Danes River, with numerous streets and ancient buildings in the old town. I also recommend you the Lithuanian Sea Museum to visit, a beautiful place.

Lithuanian Public Museum in Rumsiskes

This is the best place to learn about the old lifestyle in Lithuania. Once this public museum was known as the Open Air  Museum of Lithuania. This is a large art historical museum in Europe, located in a pleasant area near to Kaunas shoreline.

The museum is a great icon of Lithuanian art history. Dainava, Highlands, Sudovia, Samogitia. All these houses are a symbol of their territories and explore their magnificent architecture as well as the traditional costumes belonged to several areas. Some houses have old 18th – 19th-century traditional machines.

Within this museum, the “town” is displayed with the conventional buildings around Lithuania. You can see the places such as a Church, a market area, crafts and pottery houses, costumes making,  and wood crafting.

Tip:

You better visit the public museum in summer because it’s a very nice time to travel there, if not you can go there any time in the year. Several programs are held in this place like Uzgavenes(an old ceremony of Lithuanian style).  If you visit Lithuania in a carnival period don’t miss the Rumsiskes!

Further information: 

The museum is nearby the highway of Vilnius and Kaunas. It’s about 80 km from Viluis and 30 from Kaunas town center.

Pazaislis Monastery.

Pazaislis Monastery is and the Church belongs to a large convent in Lithuania. This complex is near the Kaunas Reservoir and belonged to the 17th century in Lithuania. There no many tourists to see but sometimes there’s a crowd for the events.

These amazing buildings represent the Italian Baroque architecture in Lithuania and you must see this technology.  As it’s a real convent, you have the chance to go and visit.

It’s worth going around and sees the environment. This is a pleasant and tranquil place.

Further information. The convent is 10km away from the Kanus town and easy to travel by car. Or else use the public transport. It’s daily available for you but not on Mondays. Visit the public museums with tour guides and explore everything.

Nida

This is a big town in the before mentioned Curonian Spit. In addition to the huge and amazing sandhills in the area, this is the most valuable place in Lithuania. No one does not about this gem.

Nida is a fisherman town, and its community maintains an individual feature and architecture that does not find anywhere in Lithuania.  This is my favorite place and seems like a hidden place and more silent than the previously mentioned Palanga.

 Note: Don’t forget the sand hillocks, the beautiful wood fishing houses, the Thomas Mann Museum, and the lighthouse. You have the chance to go on a boat ride and see the sandhills from the sea or nearby Ventes Ragas.  Bit it’s interesting to ride the 52 km along the Curonian Spit by a motorbike. You will love it!

Grutas Park

This is a private property Soviet monument garden in the forest of Grutas village, next to Druskininkai in the South of Lithuania.  There is a large exhibition of Soviet-era items, Soviet souvenirs, and many Soviet antiques at the time Lithuania was part of the USSR.

After Lithuania got freedom all the towns and the villages were left by Lenin, Stalin, and other Soviet heroes. At that time a wealthy person in Grutas collected all of them. In 2001 this museum started and became a highlighted icon in the town. Now it’s well developed and goes and see the small zoo, kids playgrounds, and a café.

Grutas Park has been under argument since the old days and is a result of history. It’s worth visiting, now this has become the most important place in Lithuania.

Further information:  The park is available for anyone at anyone, open for the whole year. Get a tour guide and explore the all landmarks in the area.

Druskininkai

This is a pleasant small city in Lithuania.  Druskininkai is mostly famous among western visitors.  It’s sad that none has mentioned this beautiful town among the best attractions in Lithuania, but a place that you must visit.  I have influenced into this town and no doubt you will also face with it.  This is one of the best local paradises in Lithuania and lots of travelers come here for their vacations here.

 They have good Spa treatments centers, Druskininkai is a greeny area, with many parks, forests, and lakes around the town.  You have the public facilities to walk and riding paths available and numerous services for the tourists available.  Wander in Vilnius Blvd,  rent a boat, and travel to see the fountains in the center of the lake. Or else rent a bike and +go around the parks or the museums.

There are also water parks, event parks, indoor skiing complexes,   exciting tramways over the Neris River, and many more fun activities. In the evening go to the musical fountain and ask for any song that you would love. If you are not satisfied with it got the ancient Liskiava Village and enjoy it.

 Though it seems  Druskininkai like a busy, crowded city by the tourist, it’s not. There is a good ambiance and a pleasant area to visit in Lithuania any time of the year.

Note: 

Druskininkai is a unique paradise, you better stay there even one night and see the beauty. Join with the nearby Grutas Park and spend the moment.

Anykscial resort in North Vilnius.

You have numerous activities to do here such as Treetop Walking, Visting Horse Museums, and exploring Puntukas Stones.  This resort town is about 100km north of Vilnius. This resort town plays a major role in Spa treatments, and many natives come to this place. I recommend this place for travelers to experience the beaten paths in Lithuania.

The town is beautiful and has a greeny vibe, the main icon of the town is the St. Matthias Church that belongs tallest spires in Lithuania. But do you believe that most of the natives come here for  A Stone?

Anykscial is the place where you can see the largest stone in Lithuania, Puntukas. Lots of people come here around the country to see this. I found that this is the second biggest stone in the country and the first is the Barstycial stone. The thing is Liyhunians don’t know about it.  So Puntukas is the national stone and all Lithuanians are proud of their valuable resource.

More attractions

Recently another attraction became apparent in this area Anykscial Treetop Walking Path. According to my, it’s better to give this one the priority than any stone.  This is inside the national park and is rounded by the thick forests. It’s a peaceful journey and ends up on a tower with magnificent scenery in the area.

Another attraction is the Horse Museum. A great place for horse lovers to visit, or to travel with the kids. Many activities with horse ridings are available and pretend to be good open-air museums in Lithuania.

When you gather all these places it will be a nice expedition. In addition, you can go to Labirynth park and enjoy yourself with your family and your friends.

More information: 

The Puntukas stone is available all the time, and the treetop walk is only in the daytime. They have opened daily and the opening hours depend on the seasons. If you don’t have a vehicle to reach there are some tour guides.

Palanga Museum and the Harbour.

Palanga is a famous Lithuanian seaside town, and lots of natives spend the summer vacations at the Palanga beach. This consists of beautiful nature, forests, and attractive beaches with white sands. And also the crowded and noisy streets that seem fair. But ignore this crowd and the noise then it will be a pleasant area for you to visit.

The reasons to enter this place for the article are the Palanga Amber Museum and the Pier of Palanga.

The Palanga Museum is inside the 19th-century Tiskevicial place with a beautiful Botanical garden around it. There is a nice gathering of Lithuanian gold amber in the museum.

Amber is something frequent in Lithuaninand there are many amber products including pieces of jewelry. See the best pieces of amber in this, museum. There are fossilized remains of insects

Pier of Palanga

 Another main thing in Palanga is the Pier of Palanga, the name used by the natives. This is the best place to see the sunset far away from the sea.

In the evening soo, many Lithuanians come here to see the sunset, and in the lower season, it gives a magical scenery.

If you come here in Summer, skip the weekend. If it is after the cold seasons you will find pieces of amber on the beach.

 Uzupis

This part is located in the city center and an eccentric part of the old Vilnius town. Uzupis means “beyond the river”  and is divided by the Vilnia River.

With the falling down of the USSR and the former Soviet power, some native artists assembled a monument of the US rock musician Frank Zappa, this became a figure of freedom and autonomy. After few years, they got more developed and on the 1st of April 1997, Uzupis became an independent state.

While it calla a small government in the world and exaggerate the structure,  the president, and the small navy force. However, Uzupis doesn’t belong to any political statements. This place was mostly attracted among the artists and they were proud of this property.

You can refer to the building located on Paupio Street, 3A, and see the Structure of the Uzupis Governments displayed on its walls. There is 26 translation that makes easy for the tourists to understand what they are seeing.  There are some state laws described on the walls and have some idea by reading the translations.

This is a strange place in Vilnius and one of the best tourist attractions in Lithuania.

Museum of Occupation and Freedom Fights.

 This museum is known as the Museum of Genocide Victims, an amazing museum in Vilnius, Lithuania. The museum is inside the KGB building a high-spirited place. The things you will see are savage and stimulating. However this is a major icon in Lithuania and you must here,

Go and see the interior KGB prison and the places where the Death sentence was performed for 50 years. You have the chance to learn about the professions and suppression of the Soviets and the president’s struggles for freedom.

The museum is available for the public from Wednesday to Sunday from 10 AM to 6 PM.

The Europe geographical Center and the park

In 1989, the French National Geographic Institute found the geographic center of Europe is positioned in Lithuania, near Purnuskes. Though there are some countries in the center of Europe, Lithuania accepted the decision and they were proud of it.

If you are a fan of exploring such strange places, you will like this Geographical center in Europe.

One more magnificent place to visit is Europa Park, which symbolizes that Lithianaia is the center of Europe. This is private property, settled on a forest area with modern decorations. It’s nice to visit this place and you can have some relaxation for your body and soul.

Further Information:  The Center of Europe is about 30km north of Vilnius.  The Europa Parks is also in this same area. You can go there any time of the year.

M.K. Ciurlionis Museum of Art

Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis was of Lithuanian nationality and a melodist, painter, and writer at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries. He is avey popilar artist.

He lived only 36 years and within that period he made hundreds of music, paintings, poems, and library creations. This Art Museum has the biggest collection of his works, You can watch his paintings and also listen to his music. Both the music and paintings ara joined. In addition, there are ancient Egyptian and Greek arts displayed from 16th to 20th centuries.

Further information: Located in the heart of Kaunas and open all the time but not on Mondays. There is good staff and ready to provide any service that you ask for.

Devils’ Museum

The original name is Zmuidzinavicius Museum, a special and unconventional museum in Lithuania. The world has only this museum of its kind and takes the main place in the Lithainaia’s attractions list.

Antanas Zmuidzinavicius was an artist that gathered many sculpture and crafts of the devils in the world. After the death of him the devil’s collection became a museum and also there are some of his own paintings.

At Present there are more than 3000 devils belonged 70 countries. Come and learn about Lithusnmia’s myths, folktales about devils and evil creatures. If you have the idea of providing a devil of your county, the museum will accept ist and add to the collection.

The museum is in Kauna next to the Museum of Art mentioned previously. This is open to the public every day except Mondays.

The Hill of Witches

This is an outdoor monuments collection in Juodkrante on the Curonian Spit that you read previously. Many of them are made in wood and symbols fairytale characters like witches and devils.

This is in a magnificent forest and gives a magical vibe for the visitors. You better visit there with your families and children. Better you spend half an hour there.

As it is n the jungle is always open for you.

 Lithuanian Sea Museum.

This is a maritime museum, with tunnels, sea animals, and ancient displays. Settled in an old fort on the Northern side of Curonaoina Spit. It takes a short ride and is near to the town of Klaipeda.

This is a suitable place to visit with kids, and show the different types of sea animals and learn about the Baltic Sea. At last, you can see ancient ships and models of fisherman houses.

This is the best museum in Klaipeda. From the Curonian, you can come here by a car early in the morning. It s open in the whole year except depending on the seasons.

Dutchman’s Cap

This is a 24-meter high sandhill near the Baltic Sea. It’s an unspoiled coastal scenery in Lithaunaina. This place got this name because of its shape. This area worked as a navigational guide in the 19^th century.

This is a very n nice peaceful place in Lithuania with a beautiful view.  You better visit there in the sunset. The Dutchman’s Cap is located between Klaipeda and Palanga. You have the chance to have a good walk and there are places to leave your vehicles.  There are places but to enjoy the coastal scenery and you can spend the time as you wish here.

Vilnius TV Tower

This place has historical importance and belongs to the best sceneries in Vilnius. The Viliuis Tower was a central icon of independence on the 13th January 1991 against the Soviets. This was a big fight and at last, the USSR got defeated. On that day 14 Lithuanian were killed and no one gorgets this darkest historical say in Vilnius.

This is the tallest tower in Vilnius with more than 326 m Height., and 8th of Europe. There are underground displays that you can visit, the elevators of 165m height give you views of Vilnius and its surrounding.

There is a 360 view restaurant, and you can have a good meal there. An attractive place in Vilnius.

Lakes, Rivers, and Forests.

Lithuania is a heaven of natural and simple resources. There are over 6000 lakes, 800 rivers, and 33% of the ground is covered by wood forest.

It seems that Lithiunias love the natural environment that the urban areas nowadays. They spend the vacation swimming, fishing, and favorite activities with the wood surroundings. In the winter they go walking, skiing, and ice fishing.

If you need to enjoy to the topmost level in Lithuania, do it like a native and explore all the lakes and forests.

The best thing to do in summer is doing Kayak.

Christmas Trees

It should defiantly tell about the Lithuanians Christmas trees. It’s worth visiting Lithuania in winter to see the Christmas trees.

 The Cathedral Square and the Town Hall Square in Vilnius display the unique and special Christmas trees. And the townspeople also crate beautiful Christmas trees.

Foods in Lithuania

No one can complete the attractions in Lithuania without the traditional Foods in Lithuania.  Do not forget to taste the native foods here.

Lithuania has unique traditional dishes, especially with potatoes. They are like cepelinai, kugekis, bulviniai and vedarai.

Other favorite foods are pancakes, numerous types of soup, fried bread, and non-alcoholic drinks called Kisielius or gira.

You can try traditional dishes which have Italian tastes. If you are not fond of fat foods try sour cream instead.  Thank you!