DOs and DON'Ts in Lithuania

There are several DOs and DON'Ts lists around aimed at people visiting Lithuania, both online and in various books, but the quality of the information they provide seems to vary quite a bit. After reading several of these lists, I see that their advice tend to fall into four main categories:

• “Goes without saying”
• “Why on earth is this relevant for tourists?”
• “Complete dribble”
• “Useful information”

“Fellow citizens of the world; these are my humble suggestions as to what advice you should disregard when visiting Lithuania.”

I have compiled a short list of advice from all categories. Starting from the top:

#1 “Goes without saying”

“DON‘T drop litter”. I would assume that this activity is rather unpopular in most cultures. It is probably a good idea not to litter, even within the confides of your own home.


“DON'T interrupt others while they are speaking”. Most of us learned the potential value of this in kindergarten, and those of us that didn`t probably never will.


“DON`T ask a lady her age”. Well, let`s just say that if you have ever found posing such a question useful from time to time, you should probably keep doing so anyway. The rest of us already know not to.

#2 “Why on earth is this relevant for tourists?”

“DON'T give yellow chrysanthemums, as they are used for funerals”.  Seriously, when was the last time you felt the need to distribute flowers while on holiday?


“DO wait for a woman to extend her hand first”. Before what, exactly? Regardless of the answer, I can hardly think of any reason why this is more important to keep in mind when in Lithuania than anywhere else.

“DO give flowers in odd numbers, not even. Even numbers of flowers are for funeral”. Again, travel sites seem for some reason to think that tourists will develop a strong need to hand out flowers while in Lithuania. This is rarely an issue.


 “DO remove gum, pencils, cigarettes or anything else from your mouth while talking on the phone”. Tourists talking on the phone with pencils in their mouths may have been a big problem in Lithuania in the past, but the tension surrounding this seems do have eased over the years. I personally always keep pencils in my mouth while on the phone, and people are usually able to overlook this indiscretion.

#3 “Complete dribble”

“DON'T speak too loudly in Public”. Lithuanians themselves do so all the time, and I wouldn`t be surprised if testing was to reveal that they are among the loudest people in Europe. This would however give away the fact that you are a foreigner, and that is not always a good idea.


“DON'T show the bottoms of your feet. It's impolite”. Well, there is a shred of truth to this, but since most Lithuanians infact like to show their entire foot (flip flops is the national footwear), the chances of anyone actually being offended is minimal. This is not the Middle East.

“DON'T indicate that you are done eating by putting the fork and knife parallel across the right side of the plate”. Why the hell not? Who comes up with these things? Many Lithuanian restaurants don`t even give knives with their meals. Forks and spoons are considered sufficient, and where you place them afterwards rarely sparks controversy.


“DON`T consume alcohol in parks, squares and other public places – it is prohibited by Law”. So? The people most often seen doing this are the Lithuanians themselves. And enforcing this law is not really high on the priority list with the police.

#4 “Useful information:”

“DON'T smile unless you mean it. In Lithuania, smiling a lot can be seen as insincere”. There are god reasons why hardly anyone smiles on the street in Lithuania, and one of them is that nobody else does so. You would be a fool to think that you as a tourist could contribute to reintroduce public smiling, and they will see you as just that if you try to do so.


“DON'T confuse a Lithuanian with being Russian”. In many ways, this is rule number one. Despite the fact that a number of Lithuanian citizens are of Russian decent. Confusing the nationalities sort of puts the whole independence thing in an unpleasant light.


“DON‘T mix Baltic capitals”. Nations of this size know they are small and insignificant, so they don`t need reminders. So just avoid guessing, or better yet – do some reading before you visit.

The best place to visit while in Lithuania

If I had to make a choice for the country as a whole, I would recommend The Curonian spit. Provided of course that the intention of the visit is to relax, which indeed was the original purpose of holidays. I am aware that some people claim that drinking and partying is their way of relaxing while on holiday and for them I would rather recommend some noisy beach resort like Palanga. Or indeed the airport hotel. Drinking can be done anywhere, and the Lithuanian beverages being of the potency they are, you are not likely to remember much anyway.

 

If this is your idea of a good day at the beach, you are better off in Palanga

Those looking to relax in calm and beautiful surrounding should head to the Curonian spit. This near 100 km long strip of sand is shared by Lithuania and Russia, after originally being a part of East Prussia. The area changed hands after WWII, when what remained of the original German population was forcefully expelled. Many of the old German building did however survive, and this helps the villages on the spit to maintain their image as traditional fishing villages.





Juodkrante beach on the Curonian spit

The people who populate the area today are consequently not indigenous to the place. They are mostly Lithuanians or Russians whose families were resettled there after the war, or who have moved there since. They do on the other hand make an effort to keep the old traditions alive, and you can see examples of this in every village on the spit. One of the more tasty examples is the traditionally smoked eel, which is on sale in at least the two bigger villages. It might seem indecently overpriced, but keep in mind that eel is already something of an endangered species and consequently hard to come by.  




Smoked eel from the Curonian lagoon

The Lithuanian half of The Curonian spit has in all four main villages: Nida, Juodkrante, Preila and Pervalka. Since they all were originally German, they also have German names, respectively Nidden, Schwarzort, Preil and Perwelk. They are all worth a visit, and one of the best ways of doing just that is by bicycle. If you have luxurious amounts of time on your hands, I would recommend spending at least one day in each village. That would give you a rather short stretch to travel each day, and leave you with plenty of time to spend on the beach.

 

Traditional houses in Nida

The Curonian spit is generally great for bicycling, with its long stretches of bicycle roads and complete lack of steep hills. Bicycling on the main road is also possible, but not recommended because speeds outside the villages can be rather high and the roads are generally quite narrow. Bicycles are available for rent in most of the villages, and it is possible to rent the bike in one village and leave it in another.

 

The beach promenade in Juodkrante

The Curonian spit is even a good place to go in winter, if all you are looking for is tranquillity and beautiful surroundings. The Baltic Sea looks good in winter, and the spit provides you with 50 kilometres of undisturbed beach to stroll on while you watch the waves in winter. The place is largely deserted during the off-season, but since tourism is the main industry in this place it is no problem finding a place to stay.

The "Hill of witches" sculpture park in winter

Featured in the Baltic Times

I guess today is something of a milestone – I have detected the first case of unauthorized use of my published material! And the perpetrator is none other than the independent monthly newspaper Baltic Times:




The object of affection - an old Picture taken from the roof of the Akropolis shopping mall in Kaunas 

 

 

 http://www.baltictimes.com/goods_prices_fall__but_service_prices_rise_in_lithuania/

 

I first published the picture in that article in this old post:

 

 http://destinationlithuania.blogspot.no/2014/12/top-5-shopping-malls-in-kaunas.html

 

In this day and age, with the Internet flooded with pictures, I should perhaps feel honoured that anyone even bothers to steal my pictures. But the Baltic Times should at least get their facts straight – the picture shows Akropolis in Kaunas, not in Vilnius.

 

Fast food in Lithuania

Well, fast food is not really all that popular in Lithuania yet. I guess that is why lithuanians still are the skinniest people in Europe, although that is likely to change in the years to come. Thanks in part, I am sure, to the two competing fast food chains offering real western food in Lithuania: The well-known McDonald’s and the somewhat less known Hesburger.




 The iconic Big Mac - a symbol of successful life?

McDonalds, as we know are pretty much similar all over the world, and probably for good reason. Repetativeness and familiar surroundings represent a feeling of security, and that is just the thing that many western travelers need when visiting dangerous Lithuania.



McDonalds in Kaunas

But the tourists are not alone at McDonalds. For some reason, a growing number of lithuanians also do seem to love this place. Those with money, that is. Even though there is better food available in ordinary restaurants, and certainly more affordable fast food to be found, they still flock to McDonalds. The only imaginable reason I can think of is that it has something to do with the brand itself and the fact that it is american. Parallels can be drawn to the fact that many lithuanians also buy poor quality western booze, despite there being top quality Lithuanian vodka on sale for half the price. It`s probably some kind of image thing.



Hesburger in Kaunas

 

However, if you are not insecure with regards to your image, you should head on over to Hesburger. For example to the Hesburger place on Laisves avenue, where you will get a demonstration of fast food efficiency that will overshadow most things you have seen at McDonalds. The sturdy lady at the counter (provided she`s still there of course) will show how a serious woman raised under soviet rule can serve you a burger with military precision. Sadly, she does not speak English, and has no patience for your puny attempts to order in lithuanian, but all you have to do is approach the counter and shout: “ENGLISH MENUE!", point quickly at the burger you want – and you will have it in your hand before your blood pressure reaches normal again. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer this over long lines and fake smiles.




Two cheese burger meals for under 4 Euros at Hesburger

As for lithuanians being the skinniest people in Europe - just give it some time. It seems to me that children in Lithuania become chubbier every year, so I guess western fast food will fatten even this country in the end. But it might be worth remembering that back when lithuanians were the skinniest people in Europe, everyone was still stuffing themselves with meat, potaotes and deep fried čeburėkai. Has anyone guessed the secret ingredient of the fast food industry yet?

For more Pictures of fast food in Lithuania: http://lithuaniainpictures.blogspot.no/2015/07/fast-food-in-lithuania.html 

The best place to visit while in Kaunas

I was skeptical at first, but now I have seen the light! When TripAdvisor first told me several years ago that the modest looking, awkwardly located open air museum of Rumšiškės was the best attraction to visit while in Kaunas, I assumed it was some kind of computer error. Some odd result caused by the fact that so few people visit this this particular area. As it turns out, those who do are rather impressed, and for good reason.



Rumšiškės open air museum

This is no half-assed attraction hastily put together to attract tourists in order to make quick profits. This is a high quality preservation project dating back to soviet times, which probably cost a fortune both to establish and to run. Anyone interested in history, architecture, ethnography or similar oddities will love it. People capable of appreciating the beauty and tranquility of traditional rural life will probably also appreciate it quite a bit, while others are perhaps best advised to stay away.



Cash is king at Rumšiškės

The first rule of thumb is to bring cash! They do not accept cards in this place. After all, it is a traditional museum. They do not understand this modern concept of “money that you cannot see”, but prefer money “in the hand” instead. This caused my first visit to Rumšiškės to become a complete failure, since all I had was my trusty Visa. In my ignorance, I thought that this would be sufficient, since most Places nowadays (even in Lithuania) have cash machines. However, the appropriately elderly lady at the entrance could inform me that the closest cash machine was in Kaunas city center. Which for the record is quite far away.



Get the tickets that allow you to bring the car

Upon returning with hard cash a week later, I was eventually allowed to enter. This time as a big spender since I was previously turned down because of my lack of cash, and so I consequently bought the most expensive tickets - those that allow you to drive Your car around the museum. And I would recommend all visitor who can afford it to do the same! Particularly if you are visiting With small children. The area is huge and it takes forever to walk through it all. With a car, you can cover the entire place in a few hours, but on foot it will take the entire day if not more. 

A typical Rumšiškės building

Another way to enter the museum is by boat from Kaunas. I have not tried this myself, but it is probably a both comfortable and scenic way of getting there. For this reason, the museum has its own port, but other than that, there are few if any maritime items on display. Most of the exhibits are farm related.

The replicated village

An exception to this is the replicated village square with a few more urban buildings. Among them is the museums bookstore, which has a large collection of books dealing with Lithuanian history and ethnography. The staff here is well informed, as in deed most employees here, and very helpful.

The Rumšiškės bookstore

Also, don`t forget to visit the restaurant. They offer traditional Lithuanian food and drinks at a very modest price, and there is an area for children to play outside. The premises are big, so this a place where you can bring a large group of people. You will probably have to wait a while for your food, but then again – this museum takes all day anyway.

The restaurant

Also, try to find the Siberian yurt while you are there. This building is a bit of an oddity at the museum, and placed a bit away from the other exhibits, but there should be a sign. It should be of interest for all who are into old building techniques. It may not be open, and there might be no staff around, so if you want to see the yurt from the inside it`s probably a good idea to ask about this before you enter the museum.

The siberian yurt

All in all, this is by far the Lithuanian museum with the most unleashed potential. The items on display are great, the staff is well informed, the surroundings are beautiful, the area is huge with lots of empty space, and still – almost no visitors? We were practically all alone! There were more staff than visitors! This is outrageous, because you cannot truly claim to have seen Lithuania without having visited Rumšiškės.

Windmill at Rumšiškės

  

The best restaurant in Kaunas

There are many good restaurants in Kaunas, but for those looking for traditional Lithuanian food – Žalias ratas is the place to go. Discreetly hidden away almost at the beginning of Laisvės avenue, they offer quality food in very authentic surroundings. And they do so at rather modest prices. 

The best restaurant in Kaunas

There are many restaurants in Lithuania that offer traditional food, with the chain Bajorkiemis as the perhaps best-known example. They are quite often found in shopping malls or similar places that attract many people. Their food is usually quite good, and the service sometimes even better, but my money is still on Žalias ratas for the best food in town. Or at least the best value for money.

The "noblemans beer snack" - a good alternative while you wait for dinner

The surroundings add a lot to the eating experience. The main building is fashioned in a traditional way (even though we are in the middle of the city), the staff is dressed in traditional costumes, and there is even an old-fashioned fireplace in the middle of the restaurant. This fireplace seems to be rather important for the atmosphere of the place, since they chose to keep the fire going even during the heatwave in June.

Cepelinai - the thing to eat while in Lithuania

As for the menu, I recommend cold beetroot soup, followed by zeppelins and plenty of Švyturys while you wait for the food. In summer, that is. If you for some reason are visiting during winter, my recommendation would be the hot beetroot soup, followed by whatever helps you stay warm in such a climate. Perhaps vedarai and some vodka or coffe? Or if you are Scandinavian – BOTH vodka and coffee. 

You might have to search a bit to find it, but "The green wheel" is worth the trouble 

My conclusion after several visits: Best place in town! If I lived permanently in Kaunas, and could afford to do so, I would eat at this restaurant every day.

Naujatriobiai under attack!

Most people living in rural areas will probably agree that life there is more quiet and predictable than in urban areas. As a life-long villager, I at least hold this perception. And in such societies there are usually strong forces that strive towards maintaining the status quo. As a consequence of this, new and unusual things are commonly met with skepticism. Everything out of the ordinary is instinctively perceived as a potential threat. And the more out of the ordinary it is, the more likely it is to be seen as dangerous. And one can hardly think of a more threatening object to introduce into the Lithuanian countryside than the Google maps car.




The Google maps car. So scary that I did not dare to photograph it myself.
 The Picture is from www-plasticmobile.com

In June 2012 this abomination of a privacy-violating car attacked the small Lithuanian village of Naujatriobiai. Google probably thought they could descend on this small community as a thief in the night, and totally unchecked aim their prying cameras into everyone’s kiemas, but they were wrong.



The seemingly defenseless village of Naujatriobiai

People in rural areas, perhaps because of their close relationship to nature, often feel that some disturbance is about to take place even before it happens. That is perhaps the reason why Googles visit to Naujatriobiai took place under close surveillance. The citizens were ready!
 


The citizens of Naujatriobiai had sent their best man.
He intercepted the Google car on the border - where the ashphalt meets the gravel.

 
Just before reaching the village limits, where the gravel ends and the fun begins, the Google car is intercepted by a lone biker. Probably a member of the local self-defense unit who felt that something was wrong. He immediately intercepts the car and escorts it through the village, only to make a dramatic pose at the village limits as the car leaves his territory.
  




The lone rider is seen here as he is about to overtake the car.
Probably in order to display superior force.

As a result of the efficiently organized defense of the settlement, Google was not able to obtain many revealing images from Naujatriobiai. No one was seen committing crimes, hanging their unmentionables out to dry, spending the day in their hammock despite having called in sick, or committing adultery. In fact, the most shocking discovery was most likely this poorly secured well, which according to EU-regulations probably is bad enough:   






The embarrasing well, With what imaginative viewers might interpret as a bullethole. 

The other villagers of course stayed indoors during the skirmish, but some adventurous children naturally enough snuck out to see the dramatic event. We can only assume that they were properly reprimanded by the lone rider afterwards.




The adventureous children. Keeping what they think is a safe distance.

The chase ends at the village limits, where the lone rider makes an aggressive U-turn while watching the intruder leave his territory. It is over. Yet another threat is avenged, and life can once again return to normal. His job here is done!

The lone rider sends Google maps on their way. His jurisdiction ends here.
Whatever they will do in Padauguva is someone else's problem.



Before leaving the lone rider of Naujatriobiai, we should take a moment to study his very authentic battle suit. Notice how the helmet has been substituted for freedom of sight, how protective clothing had to give way for freedom of movement, and last but not least – how slippers are preferred before other types of footwear.  I have yet to figure out why Lithuanian hooligans prefer slippers to hard boots, since this choice leave them both vulnerable and without an important kicking tool, but I guess we all have our vanities.




The lone rider of Naujatriobiai

So you are hereby warned! Should you venture in the direction of Naujatriobiai, prepare to meet the lone rider. He should appear somewhere around the village limits, and the bread and salt you better bring yourself. Just in case.



Also notice how they manage to spell the name of the village in two different ways.
One end of the village spells it Naujatriobiai, the other end spells it Naujatrobiai.




A final Picture of the lone rider of Naujatriobiai.
Most people wasted their chances when Google Maps visitet, but this man nailed it!