Vilnius

Lithuania’s capital city has an international flavour due to the influence of the big Lithuanian diaspora and because it has always been exposed to influences from central Europe and beyond. In the 16th century, Vilnius was one of the biggest cities in eastern Europe.

Vilnius played a part in Poland’s 17th-century ‘golden age’ and became an important Jewish city in the 19th century. Germany, Poland and Russia have all played pass-the-parcel with Vilnius last century. Post-WWII, Vilnius developed into the chief focus of Lithuania’s push for independence.

Curonian Spit

The typical Baltic coastal scent of mingled ozone and pine is at its headiest on the northern Lithuanian half of the Curonian Spit, which dominates Lithuania’s Baltic coast. This area is made up of four settlements, none of which are more than a couple of kilometres from the coast.

There’s a magical air to this isolated 98km (60mi) thread of sand, which is composed of dunes and pine forests inhabited by elk, deer and wild boar. Here you can savour fish freshly smoked to an old Curonian recipe, hire jet skis or paddle boats, go ice fishing, or get some vodka into you.

Druskininkai

This resort’s status stems from its mineral springs, which have been in demand for their curative powers since the 19th century. Druskininkai is also known as the birthplace of modern sculptor Jacques Lipchitz and the home town of romantic painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis.

In recent times, a new ‘attraction’ has hit the outskirts of town. Stalin World (officially the Soviet Sculpture Garden at Grutas Park) is described by the canned mushroom mogul behind its construction as combining ‘the charms of a Disneyland with the worst of the Soviet gulag prison camp’. Druskininkai is in southern Lithuania, on the Nemunas river, not far from the border with Belarus.

Hill of Crosses

Lithuania’s most incredible, awe-inspiring sight is the legendary Hill of Crosses. The two-humped hillock is covered in a forest of thousands upon thousands of crosses - large and tiny, expensive and cheap, wooden and metal. Some are devotional, to accompany prayers, others are memorial.

It’s thought that the tradition of planting crosses here may have begun in the 14th century. In the Soviet era the crosses were bulldozed at least three times, only to spring up again. It’s an eerie place, especially when the wind blows and the silence is broken by the rattling of crosses and rosaries. The Hill of Crosses is 10km (6mi) north of Siauliai, which in turn, is 140km (87mi) north of Kaunas and has good rail and bus connections with both Kaunas and Vilnius.

Palanga

This small city is quiet in winter, but in summer it’s transformed into Lithuania’s premier seaside resort with a long, sandy beach backed by pine-covered dunes; a large botanical park with a rose garden; a hill thought to have been the site of a pagan shrine; and an excellent Amber Museum.

Palanga hosts a grand opening of the summer season on the first Saturday in June; the closing of the season, on the last Saturday in August, is marked by a massive street carnival, market, song festival and pop concert.

Palanga is 30km (18mi) north of Klaipeda and 18km (11mi) south of the Latvian border. Kretinga, the nearest train station, is served by daily trains from Klaipeda and Vilnius. Bus services abound. Motorists have to pay a small entrance fee to drive into Palanga.