A tiny Baltic nation in northern central Europe, Lithuania is a country happy to finally be free of Soviet rule. Lithuania has embraced many European traditions, capitalism among them. Lithuania has had one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and is a highly developed country. The capital, Vilnius, was the European Capital of Culture in 2009, an honor given to a different European city every year, and in return, the city organizes many European cultural events throughout the year.

The primary language is Lithuanian, which is quite difficult to learn (however, learning a few words can be helpful). Russian is spoken by most of the population and about a third of the population (mostly young people) speaks English. The universal language of friendliness will serve you well in Lithuania, a country where the people are ready and willing to welcome you to their little, rarely explored, corner of the world.

The capital, Vilnius, is an excellent place to delve into the history of Lithuania, which gained independence from the Soviet Union only twenty years ago. The Museum of Genocide Victims (also known as the KGB Museum) tells of tragedy, heartache, and horror as it depicts the story of over fifty years of occupation by the Soviets through several exhibits and a tour of the KGB prison in the basement.

For history that doesn’t tug so hard on the heartstrings, check out Vilnius’ Old Town. The Old Town is filled with little chapels from the sixteenth century and is guarded by a castle much older than those. The fifteenth century Cathedral gives visitors a picture of the architecture of the time and has been important in recent decades, too. The Cathedral was the end-point for a human chain of protesters in 1989 who were fighting for independence from the Soviets.

The Curonian Spit National Park dangles on a skinny swath of coastline in western Lithuania. Visitors enjoy the beaches with bright white sand dunes and the plethora of wildlife in the park. Consider renting a bicycle to follow a long, flat cycling trail where elk sightings are common.

Many national and regional parks protect the natural beauty of Lithuania as well as cultural traditions. Parks feature hiking and biking trails, opportunities for birding and wildlife watching, swimming in lakes, and even camping facilities. But some of the parks are also ethnographic preserves where you can see historic thatched-roof houses and small farms within the parks. It’s like a step back in time to a period when people lived with nature.

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