Lithuania

Some 25 km north of Klaipėda and the direction I took is Palanga, perhaps Lithuania’s best known seaside resort. This small village was bursting with visitors last July. Many were strolling through the lovely landscaped Botanical Park where rose lined paths lead to the Amber Museum. Set in a century old palace, this striking building houses an outstanding collection of some 28,000 examples of translucent fossilised resin. Glass showcases on two levels contain the finest examples of Baltic ‘Gold’ though shop keepers in Vilnius the following day tried their best to convince me otherwise.

Lithuania, the largest of the three Baltic countries, can be crossed in about three hours so it wasn’t long before I had travelled from west to east across this Tasmaniasized country and was bargaining with street vendors along Piles Gatve in Vilnius. Summer time shopkeepers here sell everything from amber jewellery and Soviet memorabilia to contemporary paintings and Lithuanian folk art.

Castle Street, as it’s known, is the main pedestrian friendly street that winds its way from an ornate city gate through much of the Old Town and down to Vilnius Cathedral. The Old Town – said to be the largest baroque Old Town in Europe - is studded with striking architectural standouts, many of which could easily double as storybook settings.

(Right) This archway in Vilnius is an entry point to one of the largest medieval Old Towns in all of Europe.

(Below) The classically styled Vilnius Cathedral along with its soaring belfry is the national symbol of Lithuania.

Perhaps none is more glorious than Vilnius Cathedral, a white neo classical masterpiece that glimmers thanks to modern plaster renewals and paint restorations.

A statue of the monarch of the medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Gediminas and his horse rises to the side of the adorned cathedral in a massive square that was a bustling marketplace in the 19th century. Some three centuries before this construction started on St Anne’s which is often considered to be the Old Town’s most beautiful church. Built of 33 different types of red brick, the Gothic building impressed Napoleon so much that he wanted to move it to Paris!

The 1500s not only saw the creation of this lovely church but also the establishment of a much venerated educational institution. Catholic Jesuits arrived in the burgeoning city in 1569 and went on to establish Vilnius University, the oldest institution of higher learning in the Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

The university is but one of around 1500 buildings of merit in the approximately 1 sq. km medieval centre of the Lithuanian capital. Their historical and architectural significance are of such global significance that UNESCO bestowed World Heritage status on this unique area in 1994.

More recent are the events of last year when the people of this progressive nation celebrated the Millennium of Lithuania. Vilnius, too, was also in the spotlight as the European Capital of Culture for 2009.

The 3.4 million residents of Lithuania have more reasons to celebrate this year as they commemorate the 600th anniversary of Grünwald throughout 2010. This decisive battle in 1410 heralded the beginning of a golden age of prosperity throughout Lithuania and particularly in Vilnius where tales of castles and knights are fact not fantasy.

Travel Notebook Lithuania

FLIGHTS:

Thai Airways International has three flights a day linking Sydney with Bangkok and a daily service between Bangkok and Stockholm. For information and bookings contact THAI reservations on 1 300 651 960. See www. thaiairways.com.au

TRAVEL:

After exploring serene Stockholm, my wife and I boarded a Viking Line ship for an overnight cruise between the Swedish capital and Helsinki. See www.vikingline.fi. From the Finnish capital we flew to Vilnius and began a one week road journey incorporating many Lithuanian landscapes.

PACKAGES:

Book your Viking Line cruise, accommodation, tours and all travel arrangements in Lithuania and the Baltic countries through Sydney-based Baltic travel specialists MyPlanet, tel 1800 221 712. Visit www.myplanet.com.au

ACCOMMODATION:

Sited in the heart of the Vilnius Old Town, the classy 50 room Narutis Hotel is contained within a 16th century red brick townhouse. See www.narutis.com. The cosy 28 room Hotel Klaipėda is surrounded by the Old Town of Kaunas. See www.klaipedahotel.lt Set back from the pine bordered sea front, the stylish Vanagupė Hotel just outside Palanga is near the pine bordered Baltic Sea. See www.lithuanianhotels.com/hotels/Vanagupe

INFORMATION:

For detailed information see official city/country websites: www.vilnius-tourism.lt and www.lithuaniatourism.co.lt. We found Lonely Planet’s Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to be an essential guide in making the most of our Baltic odyssey. See www.lonelyplanet.com