- House of Perkūnas, Kaunas
- Spa town of Druskininkai
- Gate of Dawn, Vilnius
- Historic houses in Klaipėda
- A street in Kėdainiai
- Wooden church in Palūšė
- Lighthouse in Cape Ventė
Lithuania attracts many visitors from neighbouring countries and from all over the world. In 2018,there were 1.7 million foreign visitors to Lithuania for business, family and leisure. [1] The historical legacy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, its rich history, architecture, pristine nature, seaside and spa resorts are the main attraction points of Lithuania. Domestic tourism is also highly popular: in 2018 it grew by 12%. Lithuanians also prefer to spend their vacations in Lithuania – 70 percent.[ clarification needed ] [2]
Lithuania receives a constant increase in foreign visitors. In 2017, the accommodation establishments of Lithuania received 3.25 million tourists, which was 6.2 per cent more than in 2016. [3] Lithuania attracts foreign visitors mostly from Germany, Poland, Russia, Latvia, Belarus, the United Kingdom, Estonia and Finland.
In 2017 hotels received 2.2 million tourists, or 7 per cent more than in 2016. The number of Lithuanian tourists grew by 12.8 per cent, and foreigners by 3.3 per cent. The hotel room occupancy rate stood at 54.3 per cent (in 2016, 51.7 per cent), and the hotel bed occupancy rate at 41.4 per cent (in 2016, 39.7 per cent). [3]
Agrotourism has also gained extreme popularity in the country among the locals as well as foreigners. Ecotourism is actively promoted by the government and national parks. Lithuania has built a successful ecotourism industry, and has also been acknowledged as one of the world's most ethical destinations. Hot air ballooning is very popular in Lithuania, especially in Vilnius and Trakai. Theme routes through historical and nature sites are popular among domestic and international tourists. Nemunas Delta Regional Park, Žuvintas biosphere reserve and Ventė Cape are known for birdwatching. [4]
There are tourism information centres in all major cities and smaller towns, national parks and other places, attractive for domestic or international tourism. [5]
If a tour has a guide who is "interpreting the cultural and natural heritage of an area", Lithuania requires the guide have a guiding license. This definition follows the European standard for tour guiding (CEN). Licensed Tourist Guides are the only professionals permitted to conduct tours in all sites and museums within a city. Licensed guides are required in those areas where the local authorities state that one of them is mandatory. [6] There is a Guides Database to find a guide in your language as well. [7]
The top 10 foreign countries by annual short-term visitors to Lithuania: [8]
Country | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poland | 127,033 | 132,346 | 122,630 | 132,368 | 154,124 | 161,421 | 179,245 | 199,651 | 50,670 | 54,674 | 117,555 | 173,497 |
Germany | 144,975 | 152,087 | 166,436 | 174,494 | 179,723 | 176,154 | 214,444 | 233,407 | 47,884 | 51,324 | 98,992 | 127,401 |
Latvia | 76,431 | 86,101 | 107,744 | 119,673 | 137,962 | 152,269 | 161,660 | 168,925 | 71,971 | 54,531 | 131,781 | 144,323 |
Belarus | 117,037 | 163,707 | 189,888 | 165,410 | 174,070 | 177,099 | 165,569 | 181,074 | 42,946 | 35,439 | 98,328 | 141,894 |
United Kingdom | 37,752 | 44,167 | 46,136 | 54,067 | 58,178 | 66,365 | 77,420 | 83,154 | 21,439 | 29,076 | 67,392 | 74,148 |
United States | 35,230 | 43,524 | 48,566 | 54,068 | 11,746 | 20,883 | 54,442 | 69,685 | ||||
Ukraine | 46,789 | 59,453 | 84,017 | 83,193 | 93,701 | 134,887 | 59,352 | 44,678 | 101,775 | 67,032 | ||
Estonia | 39,712 | 43,183 | 48,681 | 53,732 | 59,579 | 63,193 | 65,131 | 68,302 | 42,305 | 22,944 | 52,585 | 61,317 |
Finland | 34,745 | 34,166 | 49,937 | 16,685 | 27,363 | 35,503 | ||||||
Netherlands | 32,606 | |||||||||||
Italy | 30,137 | 28,912 | 33,790 | 40,627 | 39,944 | 39,890 | 43,285 | 14,105 | ||||
France | 14,491 | |||||||||||
Norway | 26,461 | 29,169 | 42,397 | 39,793 | ||||||||
Russia | 214,337 | 248,536 | 226,575 | 154,117 | 155,538 | 168,099 | 183,750 | 196,540 | 40,260 | 38,081 | ||
Total foreign | 1,147,938 | 1,260,336 | 1,356,835 | 1,388,487 | 1,517,890 | 1,583,801 | 1,744,733 | 1,937,972 | 511,566 | 505,361 | 1,149,537 | 1,369,549 |
Y-to-Y change % | +9.79% | +7.66% | +2.33% | +9.32% | +4.34% | +10.16% | +11.08% | −73.60% | −1.21% | +127.47% | +19.14% |
Protected areas established for the preservation of natural and cultural features. Lithuania has 30 regional parks and 5 national parks and 6 strict reserves.
In 2019 Cultural Route of Lithuanian composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis was opened which leads through the places in Varėna, Druskininkai, Kaunas, Vilnius, Plungė, Rietavas, Palanga where composer has lived. [12]
Cognitive or sightseeing routes (Pažintinis takas) are highly popular among domestic tourists. Usually they lead through unique places in nature, where the visitor can enjoy the nature and local history while walking some predefined path.
Lithuania has many holy sites, especially in Samogitia, which are worth a visit.
Major pilgrimage sites:
Lithuania has 4 official resorts and 5 resort territories. [13]
The country has some military sites left and may be very interesting place as a place of militarism heritage tourism. It might be interesting for anyone who is interested in history of the warfare or the Cold War.
Major militarism heritage sites in Lithuania:
Bicycle tourism is growing, especially in Lithuanian Seaside Cycle Route. EuroVelo routes EV10, EV11, EV13 go through Lithuania. Total length of bicycle tracks amounts to 3769 km (of which 1988 km is asphalt pavement). [16] Most known bicycle routes are: Nemunas River Cycle Route, Suvalkija Cycle Circuit, Lithuanian Seaside Cycle Route. Most of the Tourism information centres and national parks have their local thematic bicycle route plans.
Museums include:
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. It is the third largest city in Lithuania, the fifth largest city in the Baltic States and the capital of Klaipėda County, as well as the only major seaport in the country.
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Trakai of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Trakai Palatinate since 1413. In the Russian Empire, it was the capital of the Kaunas Governorate from 1843 to 1915.
Trakai is a city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 kilometres west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania or just 7 kilometres from the administrative limits of the Lithuanian capital city. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The city is inhabited by 5,357 people, according to 2007 estimates. A notable feature of Trakai is that the city was built and preserved by people of different nationalities. Historically, communities of Karaims, Tatars, Lithuanians, Russians, Jews and Poles lived here. Trakai was the medieval capital city of Lithuania.
Neman, Niemen or Nemunas is a river in Europe that rises in central Belarus and flows through Lithuania then forms the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia's western exclave, which specifically follows its southern channel. It drains into the Curonian Lagoon, narrowly connected to the Baltic Sea. The 937 km (582 mi) long Neman is a major Eastern European river. It flows generally west to Grodno within 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) of the Polish border, north to Kaunas, then westward again to the sea.
Druskininkai is a spa city on the Nemunas River in southern Lithuania, close to the borders of Belarus and Poland. The city of Druskininkai is known for being a spa resort since the 19th century.
Samogitia, often known by its Lithuanian name Žemaitija is one of the five cultural regions of Lithuania and formerly one of the two core administrative divisions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania alongside Lithuania proper.
Telšiai is a city in Lithuania with about 21,499 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telšiai County and Samogitia region, and it is located on the shores of Lake Mastis.
Aukštaitija is the name of one of five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. The name comes from the fact that the lands are in the upper basin of the Nemunas, as opposed to the Lowlands that begin from Šiauliai westward. Although Kaunas is surrounded by Aukštaitija, the city itself is not considered to be a part of any ethnographic region in most cases.
Plungė is a city in Lithuania with 17,252 inhabitants. Plunge is the capital of the Plungė District Municipality which has 33,251 inhabitants (2022). Two parts of the city are separated by the Babrungas River and two bridges are built over it.
Varėna District Municipality is a municipality in Alytus County in southern Lithuania.
Palanga is a resort city in western Lithuania, on the shore of the Baltic Sea.
Palanga International Airport is a regional international airport located near the resort town Palanga at the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest airport in Lithuania and focuses on short and mid-range routes to European destinations. It serves the Lithuanian Baltic sea resorts of Palanga and the city of Klaipėda, and parts of Samogitia and western Latvia.
Birštonas is a balneological resort and a spa town in Lithuania situated 30 km (19 mi) south of Kaunas on the right bank of the Nemunas River. Birštonas received its city rights 1529 and was appointed a city in 1966. The city is the administrative centre of the Birštonas municipality.
Marija Anortė Mackelaitė, better known as Anortė Mackelaitė, is a Lithuanian stained glass artist. Along with stained-glass artists such as Stasys Ušinskas, Algimantas Stoškus, Kazimieras Morkūnas, Antanas Garbuskas, Filomena Ušinskaitė, Konstantinas Šatūnas and Bronius Bružas, she has been cited as one of the leading artists in this field in Lithuania and the Baltic States. Her best-known work is the brightly colored stained-glass windows which she contributed to Anykščiai Church, the tallest church in Lithuania.
The following is an alphabetical list of articles related to Lithuania.
Kėdainiai Bus Station is the central bus station in Kedainiai, Lithuania. It serves as a terminal for suburban and national coach services.
The National coat of arms of Lithuania is a mounted armoured knight holding a sword and shield, known as Vytis. Since the early 15th century, it has been Lithuania's official coat of arms and is one of the oldest European coats of arms. The coat of arms features a red field with a white (silver) armoured knight on a white (silver) horse holding in his right hand a white (silver) sword above his head.