In this video, I’ll go over what you need to know about Lithuania and look at where to visit in the country. While much of what I go over is travel tips that will help you make the best of your time in Lithuania without breaking the bank, I’ll also discuss what is important to know before visiting this European hidden gem.
You may not hear many people talking about Lithuania, but it’s a place you definitely want to add to your bucket list. Even if you only can make time for a short trip to Vilnius, you won’t regret it! Lithuania is also cheaper than most European countries and has lots of unique things to offer. I make a point of going over all the great food that you can find in Lithuania, too, so don’t miss that part!
I’ve traveled to Lithuania dozens of times and lived there for two summers, so I’ve got tons of experience with the country to draw from. Summer is the popular time to visit this Baltic country, but in this video I’ll show you why you might want to consider visiting during the other seasons too. My most recent trip to Lithuania was during winter, so a lot of the footage you’ll see was taken during this time.
After watching this video, there’s a good chance that you’ll want to travel to Lithuania in the future if it’s not already in your plans. So do be warned and I hope you enjoy!
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00:00 Intro
00:50 What to know about Lithuania
01:44 Lithuanian superstitions
02:28 Lithuanian food
06:54 Getting to and around Lithuania
08:03 Today’s Lithuania (important history)
08:41 Vilnius
10:48 Beyond Vilnius
14:11 Places to stay and when to plan
15:28 Free things
15:48 Outro
#travel #lithuania #travelguide #budgettravel
Labas I’m David G and today I’m in Vilnius, Lithuania Lithuania is a pretty small country and it may often be overlooked by travelers but it’s a great place to visit although Lithuania is small in both population and size you’ll find a rich culture with amazing places to visit
And importantly Lithuania is a budget friendly destination and throughout this video I’ll make a point of showing you how to get the best value for your money when traveling here so first I’ll be going over some important things to know about Lithuania
And then later in the video I’ll give you an idea of which parts of the country you might want to visit and what to do there if you’ve never been to Lithuania then I highly recommend watching the whole video but if you’re already familiar with Lithuania you’ll likely find this video useful too
I’ve included a ton of travel tips and firsthand experience that I gathered during dozens of trips to Lithuania I even lived here for two summers so let’s dive right into what to know about Lithuania the most popular time to visit Lithuania is definitely summer
But you can see that I’m here in the dead of winter and it’s also nice the name of Lithuania in Lithuanian is Lietuva which literally means place where it rains a lot so it’s going to be precipitating all year round no matter when you visit
All that means is that you should come prepared you know wear a rain jacket all that kind of stuff or if you come in the winter have good winter clothes so really whatever time of year you decide to visit Lithuania in
My opinion at least it’s probably going to be a good time to do it Lithuania is the biggest of the three Baltic states and it’s a member of the European Union Lithuania joined the EU in 2004 and later adopted the Euro which is used by most countries in the EU now
But unlike most members of the EU Lithuania’s National Pastime is basketball basketball is a source of national pride in Lithuania and people often take it pretty seriously so beware another thing that’s sometimes taken pretty seriously in Lithuania is superstition some Lithuanian superstitions may be familiar to you like knocking on wood
But one superstition that was a complete surprise to me when I first encountered it in Lithuania is that giving flowers in even numbers is bad luck so you’ll basically only find flowers being sold in odd numbers in Lithuania and then each year the first time you hear a cuckoo bird in the spring
You’re supposed to pull out your wallet and shake it so that the coins can be heard this is believed to ring in a year of economic prosperity by some and then the first time you see a stork in the spring
If it’s flying that means you’ll have the chance to travel a lot that year but if it’s sitting in its nest it means you’ll be stuck at home most of the time of course these all are just superstitions but keeping them in mind will help you understand Lithuania a little bit better
Another thing that’s taken pretty seriously in Lithuania is its cuisine and while food may not be the only reason to visit Lithuania it’s definitely a good reason bread for free Lithuania has an array of unique dishes to try and you can basically find them all in the capital city of Vilnius
The most well-known dish in modern day Lithuania has to be cepelinai which translates to English literally as “zeppelins” but since you won’t really find these much outside of Lithuania let’s just stick to the Lithuanian name Cepelinai are oval-shaped with a special kind of
Potato puree as the outer part and either meat or cheese curds inside and yes they really look kind of like a blimp or zeppelin generally they’re eaten with sour cream or a gravy likee sauce known as spirguciai but you can eat them with both if you’re feeling really hungry
Cepelinai can be eaten year round but just keep in mind that they’re really really filling another great hearty option are bulvine blyne which we call potato pancakes or latkes in English in addition to basketball another Lithuanian National Pastime is mushroom foraging
And you can often find bulvine blyne served with fresh boletus mushroom sauce on top foraging season is usually during the fall in Lithuania and it’s a very interesting time to visit the country it’s amazing the amount of tasty mushrooms that lithuanians are able to find in their forests don’t eat those ones
But if you choose to visit in summer which is the most popular time to visit then saltibarsciai or cold borscht is a must have even though the color may remind you a little bit of Pepto Bismol don’t let that scare you away it’s pretty darn good and it’s really refreshing on hot day
S but just keep in mind that it’s a a seasonal dish and you’ll only find it during the summer there are plenty of restaurants all around Lithuania serving these dishes and more and Lithuania also loves its sweets and has a huge variety of them Nomeda is a popular candy bar with apple filling
And I always end up eating way too many of them when I’m in Lithuania and then sakotis is a rich tree-shaped cake it’s eggy and sweet and you’ll find it everywhere around the country and then my personal favorite is surelis
It’s kind of like a candy bar made out of Lithuanian cheese curds or varske and comes in a ton of different flavors and is always coated in chocolate Lithuanian sweets may be a little different than what you’re used to but give them a try and I’m sure you’ll find something you like
And when you eat in Lithuania you usually have to drink too and drinking in Lithuania often involves beer, mead, or even harder stuff known as degtine just don’t try to buy it in the grocery store after 8:00 p.m. but don’t worry if you don’t drink alcohol there are plenty of other options too
But still be warned that there’s likely to be alcohol available almost anywhere you go one kind of strange non-alcoholic drink that I’ve come to enjoy in Lithuania is Vytautas mineral water it’s like a salty mineral water with bubbles and based on that information it probably doesn’t sound that good
At least it didn’t to me but then I gave it a try and it actually turned out to be pretty good and if you prefer to save money on food and drink while traveling in Lithuania then being familiar with the grocery stores is pretty important Lithuanian grocery stores are pretty good and they’re
Likely cheaper than what you’re used to back home a few common chains are Maxima and Iki and bigger locations will usually have a hot food bar where you can find most of the national dishes many grocery stores also feature large deli
Areas and the smoked fish that you’ll find there is a must try the kingdom of smoked fish the first time I set foot in Lithuania 7 years ago something felt familiar the reason for this hit me when I was eating what’s known as kugelis in Lithuania
Kugelis is nearly the same thing as the common dish known as kugel in the United States see before World War II and the Holocaust Vilnius was often referred to as the Jerusalem of the north due to its large Jewish population
In fact my Litvak or Jewish Lithuanian roots are a huge reason for my interest in the country that and my beautiful wife is from here! there is still a smaller Jewish community in Vilnius and around Lithuania and tons of the food eaten in Lithuania today is similar to or the same as the
Recipes that you’ll find in Jewish delis in the US for a lot of you traveling to Lithuania particularly from the US or Canada this could be a plus I mean Lithuania doesn’t just have good kugel you’ll find great pickles herring borscht smoked fish and a bunch of other Jewish American staples
But if you’re not a huge fan of deli food there are plenty more options for you the Lithuanian diet kind of has a reputation of being heavy on meat dairy and fish but if you’re a vegetarian or have other dietary restrictions I’ve increasingly
Noticed that grocery stores and restaurants make an effort to provide options for everyone so Lithuania is pretty much guaranteed to meet your dining needs and probably surprise you with a few dishes you wouldn’t have expected but even though food is important and we could go on for another few hours about it
Let’s take a step back and take a look at getting to and around Lithuania most travelers to Lithuania enter via Vilnius Airport and Vilnius is also a great base for your trip from within Europe you can usually find cheap flights to Vilnius I’ve bought dozens of Air Baltic tickets for under 50 euros
And traveling from North America or other long-haul places you’ll usually want to account for at least $600 for round-trip tickets in economy once you arrive getting from Vilnius Airport to the city or to other cities in Lithuania is pretty straightforward there’s a train and express buses to the city
But taxis and ride share apps like Uber or Bolt are also pretty reasonable in Vilnius it’s still usually cheaper to take public transport if you’re traveling alone but I’ve taken Bolt from the airport for Less than 5 euros before renting a car also isn’t too expensive most of the time
Prices usually start around 15 euros a day driving in Lithuania but public transport really is quite good in most of the country and it’s also pretty cheap so if you’re not planning to visit remote areas or travel as a part of a larger group
Public transport is usually going to be the most budget friendly way to get where you want to go I’ll talk a bit more about getting around the country once we get into the part where we go over where to visit in Lithuania
But before we look at what other great stuff this country has to offer let’s take a moment to look at what made today’s Lithuania what it is Lithuania is not just an ex-soviet country yes Lithuania was a part of the Soviet Union until 1990
But during the long Soviet occupation of Lithuania lithuanians constantly fought to keep their culture alive including their language on August 23rd 1989 lithuanians stood together with latvians and estonians to protest the Soviet regime this was known as the Baltic way and the protest took place by forming a
Human chain across the entirety of all three Baltic countries not long after the Baltic way Lithuania regained its independence so now that we’ve got a lot of the important stuff about Lithuania out of the way let’s look at where to go and what to do once you’re there
Vilnius is the capital city of Lithuania and it’s a nice combination of the international vibe that you’d expect from a capital city and Lithuanian culture and by the way in English people often will say Vilnius which is fine in English but in Lithuanian it’s pronounced Vilnius
Regardless people will understand what you’re talking about using either pronunciation and speaking of English you’ll find that most younger people here do speak good English while the older generation often learned Russian as a second language but of course speaking a little bit of Lithuanian is the best way to go
The Lithuanian language is one of the oldest languages in Europe it’s not the easiest language to learn but even just learning a few words will get you pretty far labas means hello aciu means thank you and iki is a great way to say goodbye
Speaking even just a little bit of Lithuanian is usually appreciated especially given the history of Russian language and other languages kind of becoming dominant languages at different points in time in Vilnius the Oldtown is a great place to stay and there’s more than enough to do for a few days
The Gediminas castle tower overlooks the city and going up the hill to take in the views is a must entrance to the tower just costs a couple euros and down the hill from the tower you’ll find the main square of Vilnius Old Town Katedros Aikste or Cathedral Square in English
From there you can have a nice walk around the pedestrian friendly old town and there’s really a ton of history to take in while walking around old town Vilnius you can either join a guided tour or walk around at your own pace
I’ve done both but the tour might might be better if you’re on a tight schedule otherwise there’s a fair amount of information on signs around the city and you can get a free touristic map or mark the sites you want to see in Google Maps there are lots of nice restaurants
Plenty of good hotels and an array of cool local businesses to check out one stop that I’d highly recommend including in your plans is the neighborhood of Uzepis Uzepis is a self-proclaimed republic in the middle of old town Vilnius with its own constitution
It’s probably my favorite place to walk around in Vilnius but go see for yourself Vilnius also has lots of nature right in the city Vingo parkas or Vingis park is a local favorite for a short stroll and Pavylnis Regional Park is another nice place to go for a walk
It’s bigger and has a more rural feeling but it’s still within the city limits but Vilnius is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you can see and do in Lithuania if you’re limited on time by all means go visit Vilnius and it will be great
But if you have more than a few days there are tons of places worth visiting all around the country one of the easiest day trips from Vilnius is to the town of Trakai Trakai is home to a pristine Island castle that’s really worth a visit
And around the island short boat tours on the lake are pretty popular the Trakai Castle is one of those places you have to visit when you’re in Lithuania at least if you have the time and the entrance price is 10 euros
If you don’t want to pay to enter then I’d still visit the town of Trakai but probably the 10 euros is going to be worth it so definitely consider that if you go you must try the local specialty kibinai too
They’re a kind of dough pie stuffed with lamb or beef and the dish has its roots with the local Karaite people that have lived in the area for hundreds of years Trakai is also a great choice for a day trip because it’s just the short train ride or drive away from Vilnius
But if you have time for more than just a day trip from Vilnius then the coastal town of Klaipeda could be a great place to visit Klaipeda is Lithuania’s third largest city and its location on the Baltic Sea makes it a nice place to visit from Vilnius
You can take a bus or train or drive and it will take you a little bit under 4 hours to get to Klaipeda in the city itself there’s a small old town that’s definitely worth visiting and there are beaches within the city limits that area along the Baltic Sea also happens to be
A great place to walk along the beach in search of amber it does take some luck and focused searching to find amber but if you don’t find any yourself you can easily buy it in stores all around the country
And prices for amber in Lithuania tend to be much lower than you’d find outside of Lithuania Klaipeda also has a nice selection of restaurants including a luxury dining experience at the boat restaurant Meridianas when I spent a summer studying Lithuanian at Klaipeda University I often went to Meridianas for their lunch special
But the coronian spit is just the short Ferry right away and you’ll find a lot more to do there there are pine forests up and down the spit and at the end of the Lithuanian part you’ll find the Cozy town of Nida right next to Nida there are massive sand dunes
And the town itself is known for its amazing smoked fish and its local artist population you could also take a direct bus all the way to Nida from Vilnius but I’d recommend to stop in Klaipeda at least once
And then going up the coast the opposite way of Nida there’s the beach town of Palanga in summer Palanga gets packed and it can seem like the whole country is there on some weekends and though a trip to Klaipeda and the surrounding area could be worth it in winter
It’s during summer that you’ll really experience it at its best and that’s not to mention that the Baltic Sea is quite cold so if you have hopes of spending relaxing days on the beach then summer is going to be the best time to go for you
And then Lithuania’s second biggest city is Kaunas Kaunas may not be that well-known internationally but it’s definitely worth a visit there’s a nice old town to explore and the city is home to a medieval castle nearby you also find the town of Rumsiskes which
Is home to one of the largest open a ethnographic museums in all of Europe if you’ve got a half day to spare I think it’s really worth a visit and then one other activity that you should really consider on a trip to Lithuania as adding a spa day or two to your itinerary
In fact I’m sitting in a spa hotel right now talking to you there are two well-known spa towns in Lithuania Druskininkai and Birstonas both are known for having a nice selection of spa hotels with reasonable prices I’m here in Birstonas myself and I really recommend it
In between spa sessions there’s a nice old town to explore and you can take in views of the landscape from a nearby lookout tower made it to the top! Birstonas is conveniently located near both Kaunas and Vilnius too I’m staying at the Royal Spa residence and it costs about
€95 a night for two people including breakfast and unlimited Spa access this is the renovated room so it’s pretty nice and pretty new and it comes with a balcony but do not smoke on the balcony or you’ll have to pay a fine of 60 euros
It’s probably already clear that Lithuania is not that expensive of a country to visit at least compared to other countries in Europe a decent place to stay will cost you around like 50 euros a night but if you want something a little nicer then it’s probably going to be around 100
There are both cheaper options and pricier more luxurious options in both Birstonas and Druskininkai and in the end the best choice of spa hotel will just depend on your needs and the availability on your travel dates do make sure to plan and book well ahead though because both towns can get booked up
Especially on national holidays and weekends planning ahead is also a a really good idea for travel to Lithuania though you may find last-minute availability at low prices in the off-season during peak travel times it’s really important to book ahead this goes for hotels and flights
And for rental cars and popular bus and train routes you’ll also want to book at least a month out where possible I’ve also found that some local businesses may offer better pricing over the phone so if you can call Lithuanian numbers it’s worth a try
Skype offers free trials so if you’re struggling to find a good way to call a Lithuanian number from abroad that might be it and on the topic of free things I’ve got a whole array of free videos to help you get the best prices on flights hotels and save on other travel costs
You can watch all these videos right now for free if you haven’t yet so even if you just need a little more insight for getting the best hotel rates or flight fares for a trip to Lithuania
I’ve designed these videos to quickly give you the information that you need to do just that well that’s all for this video thank you so much for watching and I hope just maybe that I convince you to consider a trip to Lithuania next time!
13 Comments
Ha! "Place where it rains a lot". I was drenched in horizontal rain in Vilnius last summer but loved the place.
Greetings from Canada thanks for sharing this video I'm interested in train travel throughout Europe according to Rick steves from the United States Europe through the backdoor, what's the currency the euro €
thank you for this video. will visit lithuania next summer (hopefully) and this video was insightful!
It's not a hidden gem Ryanair and wizz air have flown there for years
We are planning on visiting all three of the Baltic countries in summer 2024. No flight needed, we'll drive with our car and caravan from the very West of Germany. In two weeks, new travel guide books are going to be publishes, so we haven't bought any yet.
Iki means good bye – funny, it means the number 2 in Turkish.
Good job!Thanks
❤Aciu.
Hi from Lithuanian 😁 nice video and for Bye or goodbye say better 'Viso gero or Ate" xD because 'iki" means see you soon or be right back
Well, that's a bit of shame that you didn't visit Kaunas. You were pretty close.
Even number of flowers is not so much bad luck, just that the tradition is to place even number of flowers on graves. So you can imagine the connotation gifting 2 flowers to someone… you know… alive 😀
Ačiū!!❤️ Great video, thank you!! Greetings from 🇱🇹
3:08 ''spirigucchi''? Sounds like Italiano 🤌
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