Before, I never heard about Lithuania, I just knew this
country from a friend of mine who live in this country. Because of him I was able to know the Secret
of this place….Lithuania.
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Lithuania |
Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe the biggest of the
three Baltic states. It is located along the southeastern shore of the Baltic
Sea, and across the Baltic Sea to the west lie Sweden and Denmark. It shares
borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the
south, and a Russian exclave (Kaliningrad Oblast ) to the southwest. Lithuania
has an estimated population of 3.2 million as of 2011, and its capital and
largest city is Vilnius.
Lithuania is famously known for the amount of
churches and sacred sites. The country has strong Russian and German influences
that can be appreciated in places.
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Vilnius, The Capital City |
Vilnius is the most enthralled place you should visit in Lithuania. Situated
at the confluence of the rivers Neris and Vilnia, the capital of Lithuania is one of the most visited cities in Eastern
Europe. The Vilnius Old Town – a Baroque masterpiece as they say – was included in the UNESCO World
Heritage List in 1994. Vilnius has long been called Little Rome, North Athens
or North Jerusalem. Approximately 40
churches of various architectural styles stand here, and some authentic
buildings with Gothic, Renaissance or Classical features have survived. Vilnius
though it is the city, you can still find a lot of remarkable places to visit.
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Kaunas |
Kaunas is the
second largest city and one of the top eastern
European cities to visit, and it's just 90 minutes drive
west of Vilnius drive. Kaunas is a great destination if you’re planning on
doing a day trip from Vilnius, though the city is also an
excellent place to base your vacation in Lithuania. Old City
of Kaunas has many significant architecture and historical monuments. In the
confluence of Nemunas and Neris stands Kaunas Castle. From City Hall to center
of the city stretches Vilniaus street intended for pedestrians, whereby it is
very comfortable to reach in all Lithuania famous Freedom Avenue (lith. Laisvės
Alėja).
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Trakai |
Trakai happens to be one of the most stunning places in Lithuania;
it’s on the edge of a vast lake that contains quite a number of small
islands. You see many sailing and motor boats, as well as all the cafes
and restaurants you’d expect for a town that draws tourists in like a
magnet. Its showpiece however, is its Island Castle, dating to the 14
th
Century. The castle is made of red brick and takes up almost the entirety of
the island upon which it sits. It’s really a very gorgeous site, no doubt
largely due to the fact that it was rebuilt from rubble during the 20
th
Century; however it does give a very good sign to how the castle initially
looked.
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Curonian Spit |
Curonian Spit is a narrow strip (maximum width is 3,8 km) of
sand stretching 97 kilometers along the Baltic Sea. The eastern shores of the
Curonian Spit are washed by the Curonian Lagoon, while the Baltic Sea washes
the western shores. Curonian Spit is also a great place for bird watchers,
because migration routes run through the Curonian Spit. They said that once you visit the Curonian
Spit in spring and you’ll be amazed to see flocks of birds coming back to
Lithuania
.
There are still a lot
of great places you can visit in Lithuania, too many to see and not too hard to
find. All you have to do is to have someone with you who lives in the country or
maybe find a tourist guide to guide you to all this magnificent places. Good
for me, I have a friend who show me this wonderful place. Thanks to you Laurynas!