Lithuania - the safe choice to avoid terrorism

With the world in turmoil after yet another cowardly terrorist attack against one of the most popular travel destinations of the world, the British Prime Minister now proclaims that “things have to change”. That is perhaps also the thought going through the minds of many holiday makers these days. How to stay safe while on holiday? How to avoid getting killed by terrorists while enjoying my vacation? Something must change! But what!

As luck will have it, the answer to this question is rather obvious. It is time to take control of your own risk – it is time to seek refuge in irrelevance. Terrorists are simple people, and they tend to lack imagination when it comes to picking targets. They seem to prefer larger cities in the more famous countries, such as Paris or London. You can turn this geographical ignorance to your advantage by going the other way – to the lesser known parts of Europe, like for instance Lithuania.

The land of Vytis - the unknown holiday paradise for people seeking safety

Over the years, many refugees that later turned terrorists or raised children that grew up to become terrorists, have fled to Europe. But there are however countries that not even potential terrorists bothered to flee to - and Lithuania is among them. This, in combination with the fact that Lithuania is one of the least popular tourist destinations in Europe, makes it the perfect place to go for a terrorism-free holiday.

Nothing spells safety quite lite the Lithuanian countryside

(although this photo is from a museum)

And why stop there? For maximum risk-reduction I recommend seeking out the least popular parts of the country as your destination, just to be on the safe side. Since Lithuanians themselves seem to be fleeing the countryside and flocking to the cities, I guess a nice little village would be the perfect spot. Some kind of “Kaimo turizmas”, perhaps? A nice little guest house by a quiet lake where grandma can cook you pancakes while you sip your vodka.  On the other hand, the well-renowned Russian head of state Vladimir Putin has on several occasions warned against these country-side retreats being terrorist breeding grounds (so-called "Kaimo terrorizmas"), so it might still be wise to stay alert.

The real deal - no terrorists in sight 

Putin himself actually constitutes the only military threat to the area at the moment, at least if we are to believe NATO, but this threat is probably exaggerated. After all, last time I checked there were plenty of potato fields in Russia, so there is hardly any call for an invasion. But on the odd chance that there will be one, it is probably a good idea to stay clear of the Russian tanks and rehearse the phrase “I am here as a tourist” in Russian. Most likely you will be OK. At least if you are in a village. So I guess it boils down to what kind of risk you prefer – Putin or IS.

Lithuania is every bit as full of non-muslim infidels as the rest of Europe,

yet their eastern way of life is rarely attacked.  

I personally prefer the former, and will be holidaying in the rural parts of Lithuania yet again. Where it is nice and safe. Lithuania in general has one of the most ethnically homogenous populations in Europe, and this practically makes Lithuanian villages conformity heaven. In terms of personal freedom of expression and such this can of course be a bit of a drawback, but in terms of safety it is a great advantage. People will spot anyone looking like a potential terrorist immediately and will keep a close eye on him to see if he behaves terrorist-like. And if he does, we can rest assured that he will be dealt with swiftly. Because even though most Lithuanians do not own guns, they are still well equipped with more traditional weapons such as hammers, axes, knives and pitchforks. And their skill level in handling these weapons is such that they can be expected to eliminate any terrorist threat almost momentarily.

A firm Lithuanian rural woman - ready ro respond to any threat a the drop of a hat

The rest is entirely up to you. Going to Lithuania is not completely without risk, but if you follow a few basic guidelines, like not getting stinking drunk while gambling with prostitutes and gangsters, or staying away from pedestrian crossings, you should be perfectly all right.  Because after all, the person most likely to kill you while on holiday…is YOU!

So as the renowned Slav philosopher Boris puts it: “Welcome to Lithuania – Try not to die!”

Buying real estate in Lithuania

Long story short: If you are looking to make quick money in the Lithuanian real estate market, the time for that has long since come and gone. Prices did drop after the 2008 financial crisis, but not as massive and long lasting as one would expect. Locals offer a variety of explanations to this phenomenon, ranging from the effects of many people working abroad to the obligatory government conspiracy theory, but in my opinion the reason is quite different. It is because of the VERY EARLY WARNINGS about how the country was switching to Euros in 2015. This caused every “spekulant” with a mattress full of Litas to look for an alternative way of investing/hiding his untaxed fortune. Most of them seem to have chosen the rather unimaginative option of buying real estate, with a high property price being the temporary result.

 

Vilnius suburbs, seen from the TV-tower. Although rather overpriced,
this spacious city offers some good Investment opportunities in the years to come.

 

Once these people have gotten their money back in Euros, the situation will probably start to normalize. And the successive dip in the real estate market will of course be blamed on the Euro, Germany or for that matter Merkel personally. In the long run, however, there should be plenty of good opportunities in Lithuanian real estate. The largest Lithuanian cities will continue to grow, in spite of the negative outlooks for population growth in the country as a whole.

 

Kaunas. Like most larger cities in Lithuania, it grows at a much higher rate than the nation.

This is largely due to the fact that very little is being done to maintain the smaller settlements in the countryside, and in time one can expect to see a migration of people from villages to the larger cities. This will of course affect the price of rural properties in a favorable way, but foreign investors looking for real estate in Lithuanian villages are usually few and far between. Those looking for a real bargain can in fact already find a village house in the middle of nowhere at sale for next to nothing, but chances are that it will sell for even less in a few years.

 

The Lithuanian countryside. Although heaven for some, it is not for everyone

 

This is also the case in some of the smaller cities, where particularly small to medium sized apartments can be found at very moderate prices. But the problem here is the same as in the cities – unless demand for housing in that area increases, neither will the value of your property. This makes such real estate mostly attractive for buyers who intend to use the house or apartment for their own purposes. Those people should on the other hand keep in mind that petty theft still is rather common in this part of the world, and that it makes sense not to leave ones property unattended for large parts of the year.

 

A luxury house in Palanga. Not something you would want to leave unattended for
 8 months of the year in a country where people would steal your door knob for the scrap value

 

In my opinion, the best investment opportunities are found in the larger cities, where much land is still available in the citycenters at a rather moderate cost. The best examples being Kaunas and Klaipeda, since the capital Vilnius already has a rather inflated price level. Although, one could also find properties there which will likely increase in value significantly in years to come. Particularly mid-range apartments in the suburbs. Another good option is the coastal region. This is a highly esteemed holiday destination for many Lithuanians, and large parts of it is also the ancestral homeland of many Germans. Such, and other factors, helps keep prices there ridiculously high, and will probably continue to do so also in the future.  

 

An old shack in the old German territory of Neringa. I wouldn`t be surprised if the
asking price is 500.000 euros. It will probably sell for double that in ten years, if it still stands...

 

Suggested related post: Buying antiques in Lithuania

 

Bye, bye Lithuanian Litas!

With less than 24 hours to go until euros are introduced, it seems appropriate to take a moment to remember the Lithuanian national currency. For the second time in history, it is about to give way to a larger and stronger currency, but this time it is voluntary. The first time it was replaced was in 1940, when Russian occupants introduced the ruble.




It’s those aviators again. Do you think you have seen the last of them on Lithuanian money? Just wait until they have to come up with another symbol to put on a coin other than Vytis.

The transition from a national currency to euros usually seems drastic to most people, since it happens more or less overnight. In reality, the change is not that huge. The whole thing was in fact decided a long time ago, and Litas have been fixed to Euros for over a decade. It must on the contrary be considered a positive sign that the Lithuanian economy now has been found strong enough for the actual coins and notes to be introduced.

 

 

They probably chose this rather unknown man for the 200 Litas note, so that counterfeiters would have a hard time

 

Then again, people are always skeptical of new things. And in Lithuania, people skeptical to new things have up through history been proven right disturbingly often. One could name such transitions as the introduction of Christianity, the cooperation with Poland, the separation from Poland, the introduction of communism, the parting with communism…they all left sceptics with the right to say “well, It told you it would all turn to shit”. Time will tell whether they will be right this time also.

 



The man on the 100 litas note is Simonas Daukantas. If you already know who he is,
there is no need to read any further. My blog can teach you nothing that you don`t already know.

So will it go terribly wrong? Will prices rise to high heavens and people starve? Will everyone have to flee to the countryside and live off of grandmas potatoes?  If experience has taught me anything, it is that dramatic changes that are advertised in advance seldom materialize. We have such examples as Y2K, the Maya calendar Dooms Day, the first Ebola epidemic (not the second, unannounced breakout), the theoretical possibility that the Americans could lose Desert Storm, or indeed Obamas inappropriately named campaign “Change”.

 

Change we can believe in? Well, not any more.

 

So what will happen? Most likely nothing. But we do however know one thing for certain – the next time financial troubles hit Lithuania the euro is sure to be blamed. Even if it takes 100 years (although, with the luck of the Lithuanians there should be a financial crisis just around the corner).