Lithuania

Spending nearly two weeks in Vilnius, I felt like I had a great chance to get to know this Baltic capital and it quickly became my favorite of the three. I was also fortunate to be provided with a 72-Hour City Card from the Vilnius Tourist Information Centre, which gave me the motivation and opportunity […]

Approaching the bridge over the River Vilnia on Uzupio gatve in Vilnius, two large signs welcome you to the Republic of Uzupis. Yes, the capital city of Lithuania is also home to its very own republic as Uzupis declared its “independence” on April 1, 1997.  While it has its own president, prime minister, anthem and

I exit my taxi and walk up a short gravel driveway in the middle of a forest outside of Vilnius, facing nothing but a two-story concrete building and a lot of trees.  I cautiously enter the building, where I see several dozen people milling around, all in bulky blue jackets.  Soon, a man tells me

No one really knows when the first crosses started appearing on this small hill just outside of the city of Siauliai in Lithuania, but some trace them back to uprisings against Russian rule in 1831 or 1863. Over the years, it has been a place for Lithuanians to pray for peace and their country and

I haven’t had many crazy sightseeing days on this trip yet – mainly because I have been traveling relatively slowly, giving me the luxury of just checking out one or two sites each day. But when the Vilnius Tourist Information Centre offered me a free 72-hour Vilnius City Card, I decided to make the most