Lithuania

Lithuania sits on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east, Poland and the Kaliningrad exclave of Russia to the south. The capital, Vilnius, serves as the cultural and political centre; the official language is Lithuanian, one of the oldest living Indo-European languages, and the currency is the euro. The country is home to around 2.8 million people and blends a strong folk tradition with a modern European urban identity.

Lithuania is a member of the European Union and the Schengen Area, so citizens of most EU and EEA countries may enter freely. Many other nationalities — including those from the United States, Canada, and Australia — may enter visa-free for short stays. Travellers from countries requiring a visa should apply through Lithuania's official e-consul system or the nearest Lithuanian embassy well in advance.

Vilnius Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains one of the largest surviving medieval Baroque ensembles in northern Europe, centred on Cathedral Square and Gediminas Castle. The Curonian Spit — a narrow sand-dune peninsula shared with Russia — is also UNESCO-listed and shelters fragile ecosystems. Trakai Island Castle rises from a lake roughly 28 km west of Vilnius. The Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai holds hundreds of thousands of crosses left by pilgrims across centuries.

Lithuania has a humid continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. Summer temperatures typically range from 18 °C to 24 °C, while winters frequently drop to −5 °C or below, with snow common from December through February. The most comfortable period for travel is late May through early September. The coast around Palanga is slightly milder than the interior. Pack waterproof layers regardless of season, as rainfall is distributed fairly evenly across the year.

• Last European country to officially adopt Christianity in 1387.
• Lithuanian is one of the oldest living Indo-European languages.
• Vilnius has more Baroque churches per capita than Rome.
• Home to the geographical centre of Europe by some calculations.
• Basketball is treated as a second national religion here.

• lithuania.travel — official national tourism portal
• urm.lt — Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visa and entry information
• meteo.lt — Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service, weather forecasts
• litrail.lt — Lithuanian Railways, national train timetables and tickets