Sunday, October 3, 2010

20 things to know when you go to Lithuania

20 things to keep in mind when you go to Lithuania

1. Lithuania in Lithuanian i.e. - Lietuva is very close in meaning to the word RAIN. So do bring umbrella when you go there.
2. The national Lithuanian dish is CEPELINAI. It is very fatty and filling, if you consider eating it in the place warmer than Lithuania. But try it in Lithuania and you won't regret.
3. Every (almost) tourist goes to Trakai, because there is a cool castle, it's close to Vilnius (30km), and it's a suggested UNESCO site.
4. For the real UNESCO list member you can go to Kernave, which is close to Trakai. The other UNESCO sites are: Vilnius Old Town, Curonian Spit (which is on the Baltic Sea), and Struve Geodetic Arc (this has to do with the measuring of meridian in the 19th century). More on UNESCO sites in LT: http://bit.ly/fWK6j
5. But if you want to have a real relax go to one of the Lithuania's 2000 lakes to some agriturismo place.
6. Young people speak English
7. In Lithuania there are 3,5 million people. There is a Lithuanian language, which is close to Latvian. And Lithuanians write in Latin characters.
8. Lithuania's capital is Vilnius. People usually try to remember the capitals of other two Baltic states, so here you go: Latvia - Riga, Estonia- Tallin
9. The best way to reach Lithuania is by air (considering you are coming from the west). There is a train from the Vilnius airport to the Central Station, thus it helps to avoid the notorious airport taxi drivers, though the taxi drivers in the Central Station are probably more notorious.
10. SALTIBARSCIAI is another Lithuanian dish (from beats and buttermilk), but should be eaten in summer as it is cold.
11. But in autumn, winter and spring (and in cold summer days :) try hot Lithuanian soups ranging from mushroom to potato and further. This could be used as primo piato, or the first dish in the restaurant.
12. Times are indicated in 24-hr format.
13. The length measuring system is Metric
14. Temperature is measured is Centigrade. With the average annual temperature in Lithuania being 6 degrees Centigrade or 42 Fahrenheit.
15. Lithuania is not mountainous, the highest hill - 294 metres (965 ft)
16. The history of Lithuania - 1000 years from first mentioning of the name.
17. Lithuania is predominantly Roman Catholic - a whopping 80% of Lithuanians declaring they are Catholics.
18. The second religion is BASKETBALL. If you know couple world famous Lithuanian basketball players, you can find a friend and the theme for a chat almost everywhere.
19. Tipping in restaurants in Lithuania is appreciated, but more on the side of leaving "several Litas" and not "15-20%" like in the States. More like in Europe :)
20. If you are looking for the party in summer, go to Palanga, the beach resort. It's like Mykonos in Greece or Miami in the USA. If you are looking for miles of Golden beaches and quite time for yourself go to the Curonian Spit.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Events

Upcoming events or regular events worth visiting.