LITHUANIA - my homeland

A little country wedged into a corner of the Baltic Sea, Lithuania is the largest of the Baltic States. Both its land mass  of 65,303 square kilometres and population  of about 3.2 million are similar to those of the Republic of Ireland.

During the 14th century, Lithuania was the largest country in Europe: present-day Belars, Ukraine and parts of Poland and Russia were territories of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

The Baltic Sea washes the lovely 99km coastline in the west of the country, which is covered with majestic pines, long beaches and dunes.

Language: Lithuanian is an archaic language derived from Sanskrit, with 32 letters. Some people in the larger cities also speak Russian, Polish, English and German as their native tongue.

Vilnius

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania. It lies on the bank of Neris river and has approxmately 560,000 inhabitants.

Inhabited since the Middle Ages, Vilnius has always been a multinational city with Polish, Jewish, Russian and Belorussian minorities making a substantial share of its population. According to the last census of 2001, Vilnius population includes 57.8% Lithuanians, 18.7% Poles, 14% Russians, 4.0% Belarusians, 1.3% Ukrainians and 0.5% Jews.

Political centre of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the 13th to the end of the 18th century, Vilnius has had a profound influence on the cultural and architectural development of much of eastern Europe. Despite invasions and partial destruction, it has preserved an impressive complex of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and classical buildings as well as its medieval layout and natural setting.

Included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Old Town contains almost two thousand medieval, gothic, renaissance, and baroque buildings, all centered on the neo-classical cathedral and town hall. Other popular attractions include the KGB Museum, located in a former Soviet prison, and the 13th century Higher Castle, which affords a glorious view of the city center.

KLAIPEDA

Klaipėda, Lithuania’s third-biggest city.

Klaipėda is a great place for a holiday. It can offer endless beaches of white sand and dunes for gazing into sea and sky, pine forests for enjoyable walks out of the city and plenty of entertaining clubs, cafes and pubs in the centre. It is full of energy 24 hours a day and you can reach it by ferry or cruise ship as well as by car or bus.