Why go to Lithuania

1. It`s original. The place has a bad reputation as a holiday destination, so not many people go. And those who do only visit a limited area in the capital or a few stops for tour busses. As a consequence, most foreigners who have even been to Lithuania have all seen the same stuff.
2. It`s cheap. At least for now. It used to be even cheaper, but if you mostly buy products that are locally made this is still one of the cheaper destinations in Europe. Eating in restaurants, having your nails done and that type of thing. Hotels have suddenly become rather expensive, but that is hopefully just a temporary thing.
3. It`s underestimated. Lithuania, like most small nations in Europe, can seldom boast to be the best in anything.  This is also true when it comes to what attracts tourists. There is always some other countries that does it bigger, better, cheaper or more spectacular. Lithuania on the other hand can sometimes compete when it comes to “doing it real”, with Rumsiskes and the Curonian spit as a prime examples. This fact is however often overlooked because the rest of the country is neither biggest, best, cheapest or most spectacular.
4. It`s always available. You don`t have to stand in line to visit Lithuania. Most people are in fact heading in the opposite direction. This means that there will not be crowds of other tourists at the various attractions, no problems getting a room in a hotel without having a reservation, and certainly no problem getting a table in a restaurant.
5. And…you`re welcome! Since Lithuania is among the least popular holiday destinations in Europe, you will find that enthusiastic foreign travelers are generally welcome there.
   
   

   

   
   

Many Lithuanians seemingly even hate their own country. Until you criticize it, that is.  

The best hotel in Visaginas

Well, an alternative caption could also be «The only hotel in Visagenas, but since the two are not mutually exclusive I will stick with the original one. Since the entire city has seen better days, this hotel by far covers the entire need for accommodations several times over, and consequently there has not been much interest in establishing competing hotels.

The hotel Aukstaitija - the one and only choice when in Visaginas

The hotel itself is impressive. With its monumental exterior it towers over the city, giving guests staying on the upper floors a great view of a city allegedly consisting exclusively of apartment buildings. Since the city originally was founded as a residential area for the nearby nuclear power plant, it offered a good opportunity for soviet urban planners to demonstrate what a works paradise should look like. And in such a paradise there was of course no need for any such bourgeoisie nonsense as individual houses.

From the upper floors you have an excellent view of the workers paradise

There was however a need for a monumental hotel, and this collectively owned marble was designed to show visitors just how much could be achieved when everyone worked together. And how this could be shared. The common areas of the hotel, such as the lounges, the restaurant and the reception area were all probably rather spectacular in their prime.



Are you one of those people who always complain that hotels never provide you with enough coffe cups, and that they never display them lavishly in ridiculously oversized glas cabinets? Well, in that case the Aukstaitija is the hotel for you. 

One previous visitor has described the hotel as resembling a furniture warehouse, and after visiting myself, I do see his point. The hotel in general and the rooms in particular, are rather lavishly furnished. Mostly with quite large and luxurious furniture, and to such an extent that one almost can suspect that the interiors were done by the same decorator that did Saddam Hussein`s palaces. Take this modest coffee table from my humble room for instance:



One of the more decent hotel interiors I have encountered in Lithuania.

The rooms themselves are also lavishly spaceous, at least the one I stayed in. A large bedroom with a bed that could easily have accommodated even two of the most overweight tourists imaginable, a separate kitchen and dining room for five people, and a (by Lithuanian standards) quite spacious bathroom. There was even a balcony, but that one was mostly for people who either know no fear of heights, people who have a strong belief in the craftsmanship of soviet masons, or people who do not fear death at all. Such as smokers.  

When hotel beds are so large that they even seem too big for two People,
it can sometimes make you wonder...if you are using the correctly?

I basically only have one objection to this hotel – the breakfast menu, or rather the interpretations of that menu by the kitchen staff. They will give you such options as “continental breakfast” and “English breakfast”, and even if you feel that you have a good understanding of what these terms mean – I still suggest that you ask. The answer might surprise you. In my opinion, they would be better off just naming their three breakfast options just “Nr.1, Nr.2 and Nr.3”. That would by the way also be in better keeping with the soviet traditions.




And of course, no classic walnut interior is complete without a boom-box

Seeing as how the city is rather young it has few attractions, but since Lithuania is a small country there is always something interesting in the area. Many people view nature as the main reason to visit this part of the country, while others find the city itself interesting enough. However, whether you are staying for long or just passing through – this hotel is the place to stay. After all…where else?  




If you want to seek urban solitude and find inner urban peace - this is the place to go.
Particularly off season.

The worst hotel in Lithuania

It is now official, everyone can stop searching, I have finally found the worst hotel in Lithuania. And rather surprisingly it is located in what is perhaps the best place in the entire country; the old Curonian fishing village of Juodkrante. For several years I have been spending parts of summers in Juodkrante, in which this hotel in commonly considered the most luxurious. This year we decided to finally try the allegedly luxurious hotel Azuolynas, and it was an utter disappointment.





The Azuolynas hotel in Juodkrante. My biggest disappointment when it comes to Lituanian hotels so far.

This hotel is overpriced by at least 50%. Nowhere near the 130 Euros we spent went in to producing the product we received, and I can only assume that this is due either poor management or cynical owners trying to squeeze as much quick cash from their investment as possible. Service was at times so bad that if a blind man was to visit, he would have no idea that he was in a so-called “luxury hotel”.



The water slide. If you pay them extra they might just put water in it.

The reason for this is that everything seems to be pretend at Azoulynas. They pretend that they speak English, even though they clearly don`t. The “Restaurant pirmininkas” in particular pretends to understand you. You can ask her questions and she will answer you, but the truthfulness is on the level of comical Ali.

They also pretend to have “free Wi-Fi for all hotel guests” at Azuolynas. Well, it was free all right, but signals only reached as far as the lobby and even there they were quite bad. That taken into consideration, a more correct slogan would be “Free Wi-Fi for all guests who are born without concept of time and willing to restrict their internet activities to the lobby area”.







A picture from another Lithuanian hotel that actually manages to deliver decent Internet access

They even pretend that there are TV signals in the cable connected to the TV in your room at Azuolynas, despite the fact that the TV quite clearly states (in English, that is) “No signal”. Instead, they view such incidents as some kind of divine intervention beyond both their control and their responsibility. Dysfunctional TVs are on the other hand not uncommonly defined as the visitors own problem in Lithuania, but not at hotels in this price range.

Not to mention the seemingly insignificant fact that they pretend to have minibars in the rooms at Azuolynas. This is at least the impression you get from pictures advertising rooms on the internet, and in a way this claim is correct – they do have minibars, it`s just that there is nothing in them! And if you are visiting with a small child, who after feeling sick all day and not eating suddenly demands food after 22.00, an equipped minibar can be quite useful. We found ourselves in such a situation at Azuolynas, and quickly learned these facts:

• The minibar is just for show
• The hotel restaurant closes at 22:00, even if the employees claimed it is open until 24:00
• There is no food what so ever on sale anywhere in the village after 22:00
• If you ask the hotel staff for food for your sick and hungry child after 22:00, you will merely be told that breakfast starts at 07:00  

One would think that these staff members are turning away in shame,
 but they are infact just busy ignoring you

In my opinion, this takes lack of service to new heights. There is already an attraction in Lithuania commonly labeled “Stalin land”, but I fear that characteristic is somewhat misplaced. It would be more appropriate for the hotel that deliberately starves its guests. I even had to argue to get my hand on a butter knife from the unfriendly staff that were busy preparing breakfast for the next morning, so that I could slice the food I had brought myself. I always come prepared for the worst, and at Azuolynas I certainly got confirmation that this is a correct attitude. Even when staying at allegedly luxury hotels.



Don`t get me wrong - the food here is good if you can get it.
The problem is that you can`t anways get it.

I have been coming to this country regularly for a decade, and this is the biggest rip-off yet. That being said the food was good, once it finally arrived. Let`s hope this place will shape up eventually. They have no lack of potential. When I rate this to be the worst hotel in Lithuania, it is of course not because it is objectively the worst hotel. I am sure there are plenty of worse Places. Hotels where the toilets are clogged, the neighbours fight with knives and bottles until the wee hours of the morning, and where they serve you heppatitis with breakfast, but such establishments usually have the courtosy  to charge in accordance to quality. Azuolynas on the other hand does not. This hotel has everything going for it - great location, high end of the market, a good building, dominating market position, and an old reputation. Yet it fails, and any hotel which fails despite such advantages deserves the title of WORST HOTEL IN LITHUANIA. In my opinion, you might as well sleep on the bench across the street. At least the bench has made no promises.

Yes, the levels can really be Limited in this hotel

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