Lithuania - Liettua

Lithuania is located In Europe. Its neighbors are Latvia, Belarus, Poland and Russia.

Regions

Lithuania is generally divided into five regions: Northwestern Zemaitija (lowlands) and Northeast Aukstaitija (highlands), Little Lithuania, which is built around Klaipeda, Suvalkija around Marijampole, and Dzukija, which includes southeastern Lithuania. The Joniskis region in northern Lithuania is sometimes associated with the historic Semigallian region, located mainly on the Latvian side.

Cities

• Wool - the capital near the Belarusian border. Major attractions e.g. Statue of Frank Zappa and Gediminas Castle.
• Kaunas - the second largest, but Lithuanian, city. Known for Zalgiris and the Mafia.
• Siauliai - a city about the size of Turku, in the vicinity of which there is a pilgrimage site Ristikukkula. The city was built partly on a swamp.
• Klaipeda - the main port city, the birthplace of Svyturys beer. Historically part of the Prussian region of Köningsberg.
• Panevezys - one of the cities you drive past on your way south.
• Jonava - a small town known for its chemical industry.
• Alytus - a city in southern Lithuania, of which e.g. Alita sparkling wines come from.
• Utena - known e.g. About Utenos beer.
• Druskininkai - a spa town in the southwest corner of the country.
• Visaginas - a young nuclear power town, founded in 1975. A different attraction!

Other items

• Trakai, the old capital and the castle. Located about 30 km southwest of Vilnius.
• Kernave, the old capital, with a view of the castle hills. Various folk festivals are often held in the area.
• Palanga, Lithuanian Yyteri or Sunny Beach. A real tourist trap for locals whose attractions include the Amber Museum and the long sandy beach.

Understand

A brief history

If the Lithuanian flag is colorful, so is the history of the country. The tribes in the land reunited in the face of coercion when the German Knights, on their crusade, wanted to bring their faith and power over the land. The Order was crushed in the Battle of Grunwald (Zalgiris) in Poland by Lithuanian and Polish troops. Lithuania best comprised an area that stretched from the shores of the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, covering present-day Lithuania, Belarus, and western Ukraine.

You can often hear the country was the last pagan in Europe. Admittedly, this is very questionable, because although Zemaitija was one of the last areas where the Religions of Nature remained the occupation religion until the 15th century, the territory of Belarus was Orthodox, and thus the Lithuanian court was strongly orthodox. Lithuania was once a very tolerant country, and many minorities and religions lived here, but World War II changed the situation, especially for Jews, and today attitudes towards minorities have waned. The desire of the descendants of the genocide of the Jewish Jews in particular to regain their former property causes aggravation in a country that ultimately does not have quite clean papers about the genocide itself.

Lithuania and Poland joined forces against the threat from the East in 1569 in the Union of Lublin. However, this was preceded by a covenant made by Jogaila as early as 1386, when he married the 13-year-old queen of Poland. This started the golden age of Poland, but in Lithuania Jogaila is considered a traitor.

When Austria, Prussia and Russia divided Poland-Lithuania, i.e. Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów, in 1775, the territory of Lithuania ended up as part of Russia.

Notable historical figures

Mindaugas was the first and only king of Lithuania to convert to Christianity and halt the advance of the Tatars towards the Baltic Sea.

Vytautas Magnus extended the territory of Lithuania to the Black Sea, and during his reign the whole of Belarus as well as western Ukraine were part of the multicultural duchy of Lithuania. He took part in the Battle of Grünwald, crushing the Germans with the Poles, and was close to becoming the ruler of Moscow as well — progress was, however, halted because his nephew ruled Moscow at the time. He also embarked on a crusade with Jogaila - the former prince of Lithuania and then king of Poland - against the Mongols, but this did not end well.

Antanas Smetona was the longest-serving president of Lithuania, who in practice, as a dictator, led Lithuania from the 1920s to the end of independence. His palace is located in Kaunas.

Finland and Lithuania

Finland and the Baltics have had many common denominators throughout history. The coexistence of ancient times was probably quite peaceful, as evidenced by the common words of the languages, mainly related to everyday life. The next period of coexistence took place during Swedish rule, when Swedish Prince Juhana married Kateriina Jagellonica, the Princess of Poland. Although the union of Sweden and Poland-Lithuania did not last long, the future queen brought her own influences to Turku.

The next coexistence dates back to the days of tsarist rule, when Finland often did much better than Lithuania. Probably the most significant encounter between cultures was the Finnish army's journey south to war through Lithuania. Poorly winter-equipped soldiers fortified for the winter in Lithuanian territory, near Ukmergea, in which a large part of the army died of diseases caused by the cold. They are buried near the city.

During independence, Baltic a military alliance was planned for the eastern shore of Finland, Estonia, Latvian, Lithuania and Polish but this cooperation collapsed Polish and the war between Lithuania. The Finnish national team went to Lithuania to play in the European Championship, but otherwise the cooperation was not very extensive.

Come

By plane

At Finnair is a daily direct flight From Helsinki To Vilnius. Also Air Baltic flights are available via Riga to all Lithuanian airports.

It can also be mentioned that Riga is not so far from Lithuania, and especially if you plan to head to northern Lithuania, flying to Riga airport is a sensible solution.

By train

There are no direct train connections from Finland to Lithuania. There are no functioning train connections between the capitals of the Baltic countries. St. Petersburg through twisting the journey is possible. In the morning from Helsinki to Allegro to St. Petersburg and from there in the evening to the St. Petersburg-Vilnius train departing from Vitebsk station. The connection also works in the other direction: the Vilnius train arrives at Vitebsk station in the morning and Sibelius leaves Finland station in the afternoon.

By road

You can come to Lithuania by car From TallinnVia Baltica along. Depending on your destination, you will have to Riga ring road to choose whether to head Siauliaihin or To Panevezys. If you want to drive to the western part of Lithuania, head to Siauliai. Along the route you will still see the Latvian side Jelgavan the city and its glorious palace. If, on the other hand, you want eastern or central Lithuania, head to Panevezys. This route passes Bauska through the town where you can see the local castle.

By bus

There are connections to Lithuania from Tallinn bus station and ports Eurolines and Ecolines. The bus runs from Tallinn via Riga to Vilnius and onwards to several major European cities. Prices are affordable. For example, Tallinn-Riga about 30 euros.

By boat

Klaipedasta has good ship connections To Germany and To Sweden.

Move

By road

The road network in Lithuania is quite good and the motorway network is better than in Finland, but the quality of the road surface can vary. Road construction and improvement work is hampering traffic in many places. The Via Baltica runs through Lithuania From EstoniaTo Poland.

According to Lithuanian traffic rules, at traffic light junctions indicated by a green arrow, it is possible to turn right when the red light is on, provided that other traffic is not endangered. On motorways, a U-turn is possible. Motorists do not follow the traffic rules as diligently as in Finland, so pedestrians in particular should be careful. Horse-drawn carriages, free-range Pets and goats can be dangerous on roads and motorways.

The promo limit in Lithuanian traffic is 0.4. The promo limit is being lowered to 0.2

By bus

In Lithuania, it is easy to get around by bus and practically all the slightly larger places are accessible by bus. Buses usually run slower than the Finn is used to, due to the fact that, except in the case of Ekspresas, the bus stops at every stop. Thus, for example, a 40 km journey by bus can take an hour. The buses are mainly old cars imported from the Nordic countries. Each city usually has its own bus company, and the best are Kautra in Kaunas, TOKS in Vilnius, and Transrevis, a minibus company that runs between Kaunas and Vilnius. One company to avoid is Busturas, which has old buses in Siauliai and is in a weak financial situation, but if you travel to Siauliai, there is not always an alternative.

The majority of Lithuanian bus routes and services are listed at Autobusubilietai.lt, where you can also book tickets for specific routes. Note, however, that so far only some Lithuanian banks are supported by the payment system, and a credit card is not currently valid.

By train

Lithuania has, in principle, a comprehensive railway network, but unfortunately traffic has decreased recently and trains are sometimes quite slow. Between Vilnius and Klaipeda, three high-quality express trains run daily in both directions. They also have access to Siauliai. You can get to Kaunas by electric trains about every hour. There is only a connection to Panevezys via Siauliai, so you should opt for a more direct and faster bus.

The Lithuanian train network is old, and only on the connection between Kaunas and Vilnius is the train a faster solution than a bus. As elsewhere in Eastern Europe, in Lithuania you can enjoy long and peaceful train journeys on old trains. Train tourism genuinely widens and you can see many small rural villages up close. Yes, and then there is no restaurant car, but some trains have cart sales, as we do in Finland.

Talk

In Lithuania, the official language is Lithuania. In the largest cities, younger people speak English, but in the smallest municipalities they rarely succeed in a language other than Lithuanian. The Curonian Spit is also doing well in German, as there are a lot of German tourists, especially in August. Older people also speak Russian or Polish (in southern Lithuania) but young people may not know Russian at all. If the other party does not know English and you do not know Lithuanian, you can try Russia well after that. In Vilnius and other cities with a large Russian minority (e.g. Klaipeda, Russia is getting along well. Kaunas is famous for its Lithuanianness. As a special mention Visaginasin a nuclear power city where almost everyone speaks Russian. It is a funny fact to say that a person in a leading position in Lithuania has to speak the official language of the state, but this does not apply to the director of a nuclear power plant.

Remember that you are in Lithuania, not in Russia and not in the Soviet Union - Lithuanians do not want to hear their language being 'almost russian' because a) it is not it and b) it is not there at all. Lithuania and Latvia are the last living languages ​​of the Baltic language family. Local people greatly appreciate even small attempts to speak Lithuanian.

Buy

Lithuanian money is litas (plural Litai). The currency is pegged to the euro, with the exchange rate being approximately 3.4528 litas to the euro.

Price level

In restaurants, the price level is somewhat such that what costs the euro in Finland costs the litas in Lithuania - that is, very cheap. In stores, the prices are not as cheap, and you may have to pay more for branded products than in Finland.

Torit

In Lithuania, you can get cheap stuff from markets. Everything from fresh vegetables to those infamous Abibas spokes are available. Copy products are not always cheap, and quality can be what hurts. However, you can find cheap socks and underwear, as well as biscuits and candies at the markets.

Eat

Lithuanian food is rich in pork and potatoes. Buckwheat, beets, sour cream and herring are also used in many dishes. Food is often heavy because there is no saving in fat. Common dishes include zeppelins, mashed potatoes stuffed with meat, cabbage rolls, sausages with sauerkraut, dumplings (stuffed with fresh pasta) and various curd-based desserts. Traditional drinks include jelly, beer and Gira (a lightly fermented beverage made from bread that resembles homemade beer). The price level of food in restaurants is very affordable in Finnish. It is customary to add a tip to the bill, which depends on the quality of the service you receive. Usually 3-10%.

The food is inexpensive and is available for a very long menu in every single pub and bar - so there is no need to go to a 'food restaurant' to eat - so if you came to Lithuania to head and piss at the Presidential Palace (the last one caught in this was a Finn). The bar food is, of course, of inferior quality, and you won’t get anything other than a Pangasius fillet or pizza from the store’s freezer.

In some cities, you can get meat pies from street kiosks heated by a few liters. In smaller locations, some stores also sell hot snacks. A good way to get acquainted with the local food culture is to go to a "canteen" in a smaller place. This perhaps very Soviet-style meal is inexpensive and also includes a food drink. Follow others or ask the seller: In some places the activity is self-service, in others you order food from the counter. You usually pay 6-10 liters for it.

Juo

Bottled water is recommended for drinking water. Tap water can be drunk (not dangerous), but the taste is very variable and usually “metallic” due to the iron piping. Bottled water is available in every store and its price is by no means high.

The country's specialties as drinks are Gira, honey-based mead liqueur (mead) and Trejos devineros - herbal liqueurs. Beer can be obtained very cheaply from both the shop and the bar. Lemonades in bars and restaurants can be even more expensive than beer.

Lithuania is not a wine country, and in bars the wine selection may be narrower than the vodka selection. Restaurants usually have a few different wines to choose from, depending on the level of the restaurant, of course.

Sleep

The price of accommodation depends very much on the location. In Joniskis, northern Lithuania, you can get a hotel room for 25 euros, while in Vilnius a good room can be up to 100 euros. Not all hotels have websites, but the internet helps with route planning.

Especially in Palanga, sleeping with "grandma" is typical. There are hordes of older city dwellers on the city’s driveway, offering accommodation in their extra rooms. Definitely worth experiencing.

If you want to rent an apartment, prices are usually starting at 200 euros per month. In the biggest cities, there are companies that rent apartments for "long-term tourists" or those who work here. In these, you get a well-decorated apartment cleaned and cleaned on good terms. From. 300 euros.

You can find the hotels in each city on their own tabs. Keep in mind, however, that this is a volunteer-run service, and you shouldn’t expect current prices let alone all opportunities listed.

One interesting accommodation option is rural accommodation or your own cottage. Countryside.lt offers a great catalog of accommodation options, where you will find almost all rural destinations and a booking system.

Study

In Vilnius is one of the oldest universities in Europe, where the Finnish language is also taught.

In Kaunas is the country's largest technical university, KTU, as well as KMU Medical University, LKKA Sports Academy, LVA Veterinary Academy, LZUU Agricultural University and Vytautas Magnus Multidisciplinary University, VDU.

Klaipedalla and In Siaulia also has its own universities. There are also several lower education institutions in the country, which are called colleges.

The course offerings depend very much on the university, and some also have programs in English. Please note, however, that the official language of Lithuania is Lithuanian, and the law stipulates that a Lithuanian student has the right to study Lithuanian in Lithuania. Thus, in particular, all bachelor’s level courses are in Lithuanian, and in English-language master’s programs, the majority of courses are in English. Depending on the rules of the university, the courses must have a certain number of foreign students before it must be in English (applies to English language courses), and if this limit is not exceeded, the lecturer may choose to lecture in Lithuanian. As university salaries have been reduced by around 20% last year and in some universities the bonus for English-language courses for lecturers has been removed, many lecturers prefer to choose the easiest path for themselves. In this case, international students can complete the course either by writing essays or based on face-to-face meetings.

The grading scale in Lithuania is generally 1-10, where 5-10 corresponds to approved performances. Local students usually have to keep their average very high to guarantee free studies, and even higher to get a scholarship. There is no student support.

Work

To work in Lithuania, you need a residence permit and a registered address. Immigration authorities may not speak a word of English, so you should know either Russian or Lithuanian. Anyway, in working life you rarely get along without mastering the local language.

The country's salary level is not a reason to go to work in Lithuania: A nurse is paid about 230-300 euros a month, the Secretary can get a hundred more. The highest paid are construction workers, car maintenance workers, coders and car drivers - they can get up to 1,600 euros a month. The salaries of managers are their own, and are even higher than in Finland.

In Lithuania, an employee pays 21% income tax, 6% health insurance contribution, and an unemployment insurance contribution of about 3%. Taxes take up about 30% of your salary, regardless of its size. The minimum wage is about 220 euros.

Stay safe

Traveling in Lithuania is quite safe. However, general caution should be exercised. A careless tourist in a public place will be robbed. The risk does not depend on the city, but areas to avoid are usually station environments. Car thefts are common. It is recommended to use guarded parking areas when parking cars and guarded camping areas when camping. No loose valuables should be left inside the car and all safety devices in the car should be used. Note, however, that no one will heed the car’s screaming alarm, and people won’t be happy to interfere with others ’affairs.

Buying sex is just as dangerous as anywhere else in Eastern Europe. HIV and hepatitis are more common than in Finland, and holding hands is a much safer option.

Same-sex petitions should be avoided throughout Lithuania. The Lithuanian Parliament is planning a law that could ban all forms of homosexual intercourse in public places. Despite the negative attitude of the Lithuanian people towards gays, Lithuanian gay activists have defied all bans from the authorities, and have organized a pride march for several years.

Lithuania has one of the most important organized criminal organizations in Europe, embodied in Kaunas and the Daktaras family. The majority of crimes are committed abroad (car theft, counterfeit money, human trafficking). Organized crime in Kaunas runs restaurants and owns valuable properties in the city center. However, the Mafia is not a nuisance to the average street user, but an entrepreneur may suffer from it.

Stay healthy

Finnish citizens are entitled to receive medical care in hospitals covered by general medical care in Lithuania by presenting a European medical card issued by KELA.

Respect

Lithuanians are Catholic. Remember that by the time you go to church, it’s a good habit to wear long-sleeved clothes, take your hat off your head, and wear it with restraint.

The Soviet era has left its mark on the country and is easily noticed by tourists. However, don’t start comparing to the local how much better things are elsewhere, and it’s not your job to inform them about Soviet architecture.

If you’re in Vilnius, and the night stretches a little long in a nightclub, don’t trust your caveman’s instincts, and urinate into the gatehouse of the first blond house. You will be fined 200 litas for urinating in front of the door of the Presidential Palace, and you will get drunk on all the country's news channels to say what has now been done again.

Take contact

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs tourism bulletin to Lithuania is known for his words "Thefts and robberies take place especially in Kaunas and Panevezys." This tourist bulletin may not have been genuinely updated for years, but it also gives some sort of picture of 21st century Lithuania.

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