Top 10 New Things to Experience in Lithuania This Year: From Aristocratic Manor Life to Snacks in a Cold War Bunker
As the green light for travel approaches, Lithuania welcomes its guests with new attractions for an unforgettable adventure.
Although travelling has been absent in our lives for the past year, things are looking up in 2021. As the world is getting ready for the influx of tourists, Lithuania prepares to welcome its guests with a variety of new things to see, feel, experience, and explore. From the brand new tours and exhibitions that lead us through the history of the region, to the exciting adventures in nature, here are fresh 10 attractions in Lithuania that you should include in your travel plans.
Begin your exploration in the streets of Vilnius and Kaunas, and continue with a deep dive into the other parts of the country to find that in Lithuania, everything that’s “Real is beautiful.”
Curonian Spit is often regarded as the most charming piece of Lithuanian nature. It is an almost 100 km long strip of land in the Baltic Sea that is a perfect getaway for a calm holiday. This year it will temporarily become the country’s Island of Culture with various art installations made by famous Lithuanian artists throughout the land that explore the coexistence of man and nature in the kingdom of sand, wind, and water.
The Museum of Ethnocosmology was established to collect information about humanity's relationship with the cosmic world. This year’s latest exhibition gives a glimpse into Lithuania’s brief involvement in space programs, including the live models of the nation's first satellites and various artifacts that Lithuanian scientists have developed and contributed to.
After admiring breathtaking views from the moon-shaped Kirkilai Observation Tower, take up a challenge to escape the newly-opened hemp labyrinth in a nearby Kirkilai Entertainment Park. The trip continues in the Gravity House and the Gravity tunnel that promise to confuse your brain even further. When the disorientation wears off, visit the island of rabbits and finish the day off on a mini disc golf course.
Anykščiai is a perfect destination for a family day trip. Take a scenic stroll in one of the most visited tourist attractions in Lithuania – Treetop Walking Path and visit camels, zebras, and fallow deer, which are among this year’s additions to the animals that roam around the 50-hectare Safari Park. After the ride, jump around in the trampoline park or test your ninja skills on the obstacle course.
During the Cold War, more than 300 civil defence shelters were built in Soviet Vilnius. Automatika, one of the remaining bunkers, is now a popular tourist attraction. The tour around the shelter reveals the most interesting facts about civil defence in Soviet times. This year, the guided tour was expanded to include a screening of a mid-century documentary about Vilnius, while the guests are treated to authentic snacks from the Soviet era.
The first Sleep SPA in Northern Europe will make your rest a calm and soothing experience. The rooms with the human-centric lighting system provide a symphony of smells, sounds, and lights that correspond to natural biorhythms, while the ergonomic beds adapt to your natural body position to ensure the best rest of your life. If you decide to extend your stay, check out the Tech Spa, a unique combination of functional co-working and peaceful co-living for a fresh workation.
The rich history of Lithuanian noble families lies in almost 500 manors scattered across the country. Step into a cabinet of curiosities of Pakruojis Manor panopticon to see an eerie collection of objects of mystical origins or visit Trakų Vokė Manor where HBO’s Catherine the Great was shot. To fully immerse yourself into the life of the aristocracy, visit the Ilzenberg Manor for menu dégustation that takes the diners through the colourful history of Lithuanian cuisine.
The origins of the Balts, the first settlers in today’s Lithuania, date back to several millennia BCE. To explore the unique culture of our ancestors, Balts’ Road was introduced this year. Through the various interactive exhibitions that incorporate biometric data, augmented reality and gaming experience, the visitors are taken back through time and introduced to the rich history of Baltic people.
With the 700th anniversary of the capital approaching, the city welcomes people to become acquainted with its history. Opening this spring, the first exhibition in Vilnius Museum will showcase the colourful history of the house that the museum now occupies. Later this summer, Vilnius Museum will present the capital’s utopian alternate history through the unrealised urban projects that gathered dust in the archives for the last century.
When in Vilnius, enjoy the beautiful greenery around the city. The 100 km trail goes all around the capital and leads through the most alluring spots and panoramas. Pick a section that suits you best and away you go! If you are in for a bigger challenge, check out the new Baltic Forest Trail, a collaborative effort of all three Baltic countries. It is a 700 km hiking route that leads you through the most beautiful forests and national parks of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
ABOUT LITHUANIA TRAVEL
Lithuania Travel is a national tourism development agency responsible for Lithuania’s tourism marketing and promotion, acting under the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. Its strategic goal—to raise awareness of Lithuania as an attractive tourism destination and to encourage inbound and domestic travel. The agency closely collaborates with tourism businesses and organizations, presents Lithuanian tourism products, services and experiences on social and digital media, press trips, in international travel exhibitions and B2B events.
More information available at www.Lithuania.travel and Facebook page "Lithuania. Real is beautiful”.
Media contact:
Greta Skridailaite
greta.s@blueoceanspr.com
© Giedrius Akelis Kirkilai Observation Tower
Although travelling has been absent in our lives for the past year, things are looking up in 2021. As the world is getting ready for the influx of tourists, Lithuania prepares to welcome its guests with a variety of new things to see, feel, experience, and explore. From the brand new tours and exhibitions that lead us through the history of the region, to the exciting adventures in nature, here are fresh 10 attractions in Lithuania that you should include in your travel plans.
Begin your exploration in the streets of Vilnius and Kaunas, and continue with a deep dive into the other parts of the country to find that in Lithuania, everything that’s “Real is beautiful.”
- Discover Culture in the Lithuanian Desert
Curonian Spit is often regarded as the most charming piece of Lithuanian nature. It is an almost 100 km long strip of land in the Baltic Sea that is a perfect getaway for a calm holiday. This year it will temporarily become the country’s Island of Culture with various art installations made by famous Lithuanian artists throughout the land that explore the coexistence of man and nature in the kingdom of sand, wind, and water.
- Explore Lithuania's Connection with Space
The Museum of Ethnocosmology was established to collect information about humanity's relationship with the cosmic world. This year’s latest exhibition gives a glimpse into Lithuania’s brief involvement in space programs, including the live models of the nation's first satellites and various artifacts that Lithuanian scientists have developed and contributed to.
- Find Your Way Out of Cannabis Labyrinth
After admiring breathtaking views from the moon-shaped Kirkilai Observation Tower, take up a challenge to escape the newly-opened hemp labyrinth in a nearby Kirkilai Entertainment Park. The trip continues in the Gravity House and the Gravity tunnel that promise to confuse your brain even further. When the disorientation wears off, visit the island of rabbits and finish the day off on a mini disc golf course.
- Go On a Lithuanian Safari
Anykščiai is a perfect destination for a family day trip. Take a scenic stroll in one of the most visited tourist attractions in Lithuania – Treetop Walking Path and visit camels, zebras, and fallow deer, which are among this year’s additions to the animals that roam around the 50-hectare Safari Park. After the ride, jump around in the trampoline park or test your ninja skills on the obstacle course.
- Go Back to Cold War Times
During the Cold War, more than 300 civil defence shelters were built in Soviet Vilnius. Automatika, one of the remaining bunkers, is now a popular tourist attraction. The tour around the shelter reveals the most interesting facts about civil defence in Soviet times. This year, the guided tour was expanded to include a screening of a mid-century documentary about Vilnius, while the guests are treated to authentic snacks from the Soviet era.
- Relax in Sleep SPA, Work in Tech SPA
The first Sleep SPA in Northern Europe will make your rest a calm and soothing experience. The rooms with the human-centric lighting system provide a symphony of smells, sounds, and lights that correspond to natural biorhythms, while the ergonomic beds adapt to your natural body position to ensure the best rest of your life. If you decide to extend your stay, check out the Tech Spa, a unique combination of functional co-working and peaceful co-living for a fresh workation.
- Experience Aristocratic Life
The rich history of Lithuanian noble families lies in almost 500 manors scattered across the country. Step into a cabinet of curiosities of Pakruojis Manor panopticon to see an eerie collection of objects of mystical origins or visit Trakų Vokė Manor where HBO’s Catherine the Great was shot. To fully immerse yourself into the life of the aristocracy, visit the Ilzenberg Manor for menu dégustation that takes the diners through the colourful history of Lithuanian cuisine.
- Dive into the History of Baltic People
The origins of the Balts, the first settlers in today’s Lithuania, date back to several millennia BCE. To explore the unique culture of our ancestors, Balts’ Road was introduced this year. Through the various interactive exhibitions that incorporate biometric data, augmented reality and gaming experience, the visitors are taken back through time and introduced to the rich history of Baltic people.
- Discover Alternate History of Vilnius
With the 700th anniversary of the capital approaching, the city welcomes people to become acquainted with its history. Opening this spring, the first exhibition in Vilnius Museum will showcase the colourful history of the house that the museum now occupies. Later this summer, Vilnius Museum will present the capital’s utopian alternate history through the unrealised urban projects that gathered dust in the archives for the last century.
- Stroll in Capital’s Nature
When in Vilnius, enjoy the beautiful greenery around the city. The 100 km trail goes all around the capital and leads through the most alluring spots and panoramas. Pick a section that suits you best and away you go! If you are in for a bigger challenge, check out the new Baltic Forest Trail, a collaborative effort of all three Baltic countries. It is a 700 km hiking route that leads you through the most beautiful forests and national parks of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
ABOUT LITHUANIA TRAVEL
Lithuania Travel is a national tourism development agency responsible for Lithuania’s tourism marketing and promotion, acting under the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. Its strategic goal—to raise awareness of Lithuania as an attractive tourism destination and to encourage inbound and domestic travel. The agency closely collaborates with tourism businesses and organizations, presents Lithuanian tourism products, services and experiences on social and digital media, press trips, in international travel exhibitions and B2B events.
More information available at www.Lithuania.travel and Facebook page "Lithuania. Real is beautiful”.
Media contact:
Greta Skridailaite
greta.s@blueoceanspr.com