Lithuania Travel Overview
GENERAL
Official name of the state
Republic of Lithuania.
Capital
Vilnius.
Geography
According to topschoolsintheusa, Lithuania is a Baltic state, it lies on the Baltic Sea and borders Latvia in the north, Poland and the Russian Federation in the south-west and Belarus in the south-east. The landscape is rich in forests and swamps and consists of lowlands and rolling hills. The country is crossed by a variety of rivers, including the Nemunas (Memel) and Neris. 1.5% of the country’s surface consists of lakes. There are over 200 nature reserves and the famous Aukstumala high moor.
Government
Republic since 1991. Constitution of 1922, last amendment 2004. Parliament (Seimas) with 141 members. Independent 1918-1940; Declaration of sovereignty 1990 (formerly part of the Soviet Union). Lithuania is an EU member and a NATO member.
Head of state
Daila Grybauskaite, since 2009.
Head of government
Saulius Skvernelis, since November 2016.
Electricity
220 V, 50 Hz. Euro standard plug.
Time zone
Eastern European Time: CET +3 (CET +4 from March 26 to October 29, 2017)
LANGUAGE
Overview
The official language is Lithuanian. There are a large number of dialects such as Aukstaiciai, Zemaiciai, Suvalkieciai, and Dzukai. Polish, Belarusian and sometimes English and German are also spoken.
ECONOMY
Business etiquette
Business meetings are quite formal, and great emphasis is placed on a well-groomed appearance. German and English are common business languages.
Opening hours
Business hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Economy
Federation of German Industry
East Committee of German Business
Breite Straße 29, D-10178 Berlin
Tel: (030) 20 28 14 52.
Internet: www.ostausschuss.de
German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce, Lithuania Office
Vinco Kudirkos 6, LT-03105 Vilnius
Tel: (05) 213 11 22.
Internet: www.ahk-balt.org Chamber of
Commerce Austria
Eastern Europe Department
Stubenring 8-10, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: (01) 514 50.
Internet: http://portal.wko.at
Swiss Baltic Chamber of Commerce (SBCC)
Goštauto 12A, LT-01108 Vilnius
Tel: (05) 268 38 60.
Internet: www.sbcc-chamber.com
Association of Lithuanian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
J. Tumo-Vaizganto g. 9 / 1-63a, LT-01108 Vilnius
Tel: (02) 61 21 02.
Internet: www.chambers.lt
European Committee of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 11, LT-01103 Vilnius
Tel: (02) 66 38 27.
Internet: www.euro.lt
Business contacts
Federation of German Industry
East Committee of German Business
Breite Straße 29, D-10178 Berlin
Tel: (030) 20 28 14 52.
Internet: www.ostausschuss.de
German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce, Lithuania Office
Vinco Kudirkos 6, LT-03105 Vilnius
Tel: (05) 213 11 22.
Internet: www.ahk-balt.org Chamber of
Commerce Austria
Eastern Europe Department
Stubenring 8-10, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: (01) 514 50.
Internet: http://portal.wko.at
Swiss Baltic Chamber of Commerce (SBCC)
Goštauto 12A, LT-01108 Vilnius
Tel: (05) 268 38 60.
Internet: www.sbcc-chamber.com
Association of Lithuanian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
J. Tumo-Vaizganto g. 9 / 1-63a, LT-01108 Vilnius
Tel: (02) 61 21 02.
Internet: www.chambers.lt
European Committee of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 11, LT-01103 Vilnius
Tel: (02) 66 38 27.
Internet: www.euro.lt
COMMUNICATION
Phone
The country code is 00370. Public telephones can only be used with calling cards. These are available at all Lietuvos Spauda kiosks, post offices, in some hotels, restaurants and other public facilities.
Cellphone
GSM 900 and 1800. Network operators: Omnitel (Internet: www.omnitel.lt) (GSM 900), Bite (Internet: www.bite.lt) (dual band 900/1800) and Tele 2 (Internet: www.tele2.lt) (GSM 1800). Reception / transmission area nationwide. Cell phones can be rented from Bite in Vilnius. International roaming agreements exist.
International roaming can be used within the EU at the Euro tariff. Customers of all European mobile network operators automatically make all calls in and from other EU countries at the euro rate. However, the Eurotariff does not apply to other mobile communications services such as SMS, MMS and data transmission.
The use of prepaid cards, which are available in many shops, petrol stations and kiosks, is usually cheap. The set with the prepaid card includes a SIM card, the credit of which can be used up and recharged with prepaid cards, as well as a telephone number with which you can send SMS and make calls.
The operating instructions are included in Lithuanian and mostly also in English and Russian. The menu navigation can also usually be switched to English. The use of a cell phone while driving is prohibited except with a hands-free system.
Internet
There are more and more Wi-Fi hotspots in Lithuania. Free Wi-Fi access to the Internet is available in many public places in Vilnius and at Vilnius Airport. Public Internet facilities are available in the National Library of Lithuania and in Internet centers in Vilnius and other major cities. There are internet cafés in all major cities. Internet providers are: Omnitel (Internet: www.omnitel.lt) and Aiva (Internet: www.aiva.lt). Many hotels offer access to the Internet.
Post Office
Letters to Western Europe are on the move for up to 6 days. Some private postal companies offer express services. The main post office in Vilnius is called Lietuvos Pastas (A. Vivulskio 23. Tel: (05) 233 75 75, Fax: (05) 216 32 04, E-Mail: [email protected], Internet: www.post.lt) Open Mon-Sat 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Larger post offices are usually open Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sat 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
SHOP
Overview
Amber, linen fabrics, and handicrafts.
Shop opening times: Mon-Fri 8 am-8pm (grocery stores).
NIGHTLIFE
Introduction
There is a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, bars and night clubs in Vilnius. Opera performances and ballet evenings can be enjoyed in the Vienuolio Theater. The Lithuanian National Opera offers a varied program (Internet: www.opera.lt). The productions in the Januimo Theater are particularly renowned. Restaurants with live music, discos and nightclubs with a variety program also offer evening entertainment in the other major cities. There are cinemas in all cities, and Kaunas has a musical theater. Puppet pieces for children are offered in Vilnius and Kaunas.
CULINARY
ACCOMMODATION
Hotels
In Vilnius there are numerous larger hotels with very good comfort. Outside of Vilnius there is a good selection of larger hotels and smaller guesthouses. Advance booking is strongly recommended. The large hotels in Kaunas are located in the city center, in Klaipeda there are also some larger hotels available. Guesthouses and holiday hotels offer good accommodation options in Palanga and on the Curonian Spit. Further information is available from the Baltic Tourist Office (see addresses) and the Lithuanian Hotel Association, Fabijonisiu st. 99, LT-07101 Vilnius (Tel: (05) 26 25 241. Internet: www.lithuanianhotels.com).
Hotel classification: Hotels are divided into the Hotelstars Union star categories from one to five stars.
Camping
There are only a few official campsites, but these are located in the most beautiful parts of the country such as Palanga (Baltic Sea coast) and Trakai (lake area) or near the largest cities, including three in and around Vilnius. Camping is prohibited on the Curonian Spit. On almost all lakes and rivers, including the national parks, you can pitch your tent at designated areas for a small fee, but there are hardly any service facilities. If you park your caravan in a nature reserve, you have to expect high fees.
Other accommodation options
There are currently about 8 youth hostels in Lithuania. Information from the Lithuanian Hostels Association, Aušros Vartu 20-15a, LT-02100 Vilnius (Tel: 65 65 65 71. Internet: http://www.lha.lt/).
CULTURE
Religion
Predominantly Roman Catholic (79%); Protestant, Jewish and Muslim minorities as well as members of the Russian Orthodox faith.
Social rules of conduct
Manners: Shake hands to greet you. The usual forms of courtesy also apply here. Lithuanians take great pride in their culture and history, which as a visitor should be respected.
Tip: Surcharges for service are included in the bills. An extra tip of 5-10% is still common. Taxi drivers are also given tips.
Smoking: Smoking is prohibited in public facilities such as restaurants and on public transport. Airports and train stations as well as long-distance trains have smoking areas.
CLIMATE
Best travel time
Temperate climate, transition zone between continental and marine climates. Generally rather changeable. Warm summers, spring and autumn are relatively mild. Cold winters, often with heavy snowfalls.
COUNTRY DATA
Area code +370 Area (sqkm) 65300 Population 2884433 Population density (per sqkm) 44 Population in 2015 Member of the EU Yes main emergency number 112
