The Baltic capital of Baroque — Vilnius's UNESCO old town of 65 Orthodox and Catholic churches, Trakai Island Castle rising from a lake, and the quirky Republic of Uzupis that declared independence from itself.
- Capital
- Vilnius
- Population
- 2,894,548
- Area
- 65,200 km²
- Languages
- Lithuanian
- Currency
- Euro (€)
- GDP
- $89,192M
Good to know
Driving side
Right
National dish
Cepelinai
Annual visitors
2,284,000 (2020)
Safety
Low (2.63/100k)
Avg temp
7.4°C
Religion
Christianity
Coast
Coastal
Travel guide
Lithuania (Lithuanian: Lietuva) is one of the three Baltic states of northeast Europe. It's a low-lying, mostly agricultural country bordered by Latvia to the north and east, Belarus to the south, Poland to the southwest, Kaliningrad exclave of Russia to the west, and the Baltic Sea to the northwest. It broke away from the Soviet Union to become an independent republic in 1990, soon followed by Latvia and Estonia, the other two Baltic states. It is the largest of the three Baltic states, extending to about 65,300 square kilometres with a population of 2.9 million in 2025. Vilnius the capital is the country's star attraction. Beyond is a compact yet diverse country of modern cities, unique small towns, traditional villages, forests, castles, manors, churches, lakes, rivers, hillforts and strange sculptures and monuments attesting to its pagan past.
© Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA)
Explore Lithuania
Best time to visit
May–September is ideal. Vilnius is most pleasant June–August. Curonian Spit sand dunes best in summer. Baltic beaches open June–August. Christmas in Vilnius is atmospheric. Winters are cold with occasional snow.
Visa
Citizens of US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and most Western countries receive 90 days Schengen visa-free in Lithuania.
Public holidays
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (5)
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