Lithuania

Curonian Spit and the Baltic Coast

The Curonian Spit is a sliver of dune-covered land stretching along the Baltic Sea, shared with Kaliningrad and jointly listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Towering sand dunes shifting grain by grain, pine forests scented with resin and glassy lagoon waters make this a landscape unlike anywhere else in the region. The harbour town of Klaipeda serves as the gateway, with ferries whisking you across to cycle paths, fishing villages and the famous Hill of Witches carved-sculpture trail at Juodkrante.

Forests, Lakes and Living History

Lithuania is more than half covered by forest, and its national parks offer some of the most peaceful nature escapes in Northern Europe. Aukstaitija National Park shelters a mosaic of lakes and old-growth pines, ideal for kayaking between villages that still smoke their fish the traditional way. Trakai, just outside Vilnius, delivers the quintessential Lithuanian postcard: a red-brick island castle rising straight from the water of Lake Galve, surrounded by the wooden homes of the Karaite community who have called this place home for six centuries.

Food, Amber and the Lithuanian Spirit

Lithuanian cuisine is hearty and proud. Cepelinai, the potato dumplings stuffed with meat and smothered in sour cream and bacon, are the national dish and a rite of passage for every visitor. Kaunas, Lithuania's second city, has reinvented itself as a hub of street food, independent design studios and interwar Modernist architecture, with a genuine local warmth that makes visitors feel quickly at home. Pick up Baltic amber at the Palanga market, raise a glass of local craft beer and let Lithuania surprise you at every turn.