Lithuania boasts an abundance of opportunities for families with children to enjoy the outdoors and the natural beauty of the country. Seaside towns on the Baltic offer the chance to build sand castles, swim and go for a sail. For indoor treats, there’s a number of museums that will interest children, including the fascinating Devil Museum and the dolphinarium at the Lithuanian Sea Museum in Klaipeda.

Cycling
Equipment and tours can be quite easily arranged in Vilnius. There are trails suitable for families with children in many parts of the country. As the countryside is relatively flat, most of the cycling rates as easy to average in difficulty. Main roads are paved with asphalt, with occasional hills. Cycle paths are found in many areas, as are forest trails and gravel roads.

Devil Museum 
This fascinating museum is based on the Zmuidzinavicius collection of carvings and sculptures representing the devil. Children are fascinated by what’s on display here, such as a collection of devils from most parts of the world, and of the many items presented by visitors, including images of devils and witches, and of characters from fairy tales and myths. Located in Kaunas. Phone: +370 37 221 587; website: www.muziejai.lt/Kaunas/velniu_muziejus.en.htm.

Lithuanian Sea Museum 
This complex comprising a museum, an aquarium and a dolphinarium is located in Klaipeda and has been in operation for more than a century. The museum houses collections of insects, sea fauna and artefacts from archaeological expeditions including coins and nautical equipment. The aquarium is home to fish, penguins, seals and a large number of molluscs. The highlight of a visit here is undoubtedly the dolphinarium, where the resident Black Sea dolphins entertain visitors at regularly-scheduled shows. Phone: +370 46 490 740; website: www.juru.muziejus.lt/en/index.html.

Parks and Woodlands
Lithuania boasts outstanding scenery and natural beauty, in its lakes, old growth forests and traditional villages. Five areas have been designated as national parks by the government in order to protect native flora and fauna. They all provide opportunities for children to enjoy the outdoors, a camping adventure with the family and even to learn how to fish. The five national parks are: Kursiu Nerija, Aukstaitija, Trakai, Dzukija and Zemaitija.

Puppet Shows 
Traditional puppet shows are popular throughout the country and are sure to be a hit with your children. The main puppet theatres are located in Vilnius and Kaunas, where regularly-scheduled performances are staged. Local families attend these shows as well, and it is a good opportunity for your children to meet local children. Phone at: +370 5 262 8678; website: www.teatraslele.lt/?english

Seaside Resorts
The Baltic resorts of Kursiu Nerija and Palanga are great spots for families to enjoy some seaside fun. Both resorts have lovely white sand beaches, plenty of natural sand dunes for children to climb and loads of water sports on offer. For the parents, Palanga is home to the Amber Museum and Gallery and also a beautiful botanical garden.

Lithuanians have a strong sense of cultural identity, and folk music, national holidays and traditions are all important aspects of life. Numerous galleries and museums are devoted to the history, art and architecture of Lithuania over the centuries, and the resilience of its people though many periods of foreign dominance and repression.

Baroti Gallery
The gallery is located in a renovated German-style house in the old centre of Klaipeda. Works by the most well-known artists from Lithuania are on show, including ceramics, graphics, paintings, photographs, sculptures and stained glass. The main exhibition area features educational displays on the history of Klaipeda society and modern Lithuanian art. Over the past eight years more than 150 exhibitions have been mounted at the gallery.Phone: +370 46 313 580; website: www.muziejai.lt/Klaipeda/baroti_galerija.en.htm.

Country Life Museum
This open-air museum features traditional dwellings and commercial structures that have been moved to this locale from the various regions of Lithuania. The buildings are grouped around themes. There are farmsteads, farming operations and small villages and towns, all representing typical construction and decorative features of each of the country’s regions.Located 18kms east of Kaunas. Phone: +370 346 47233; website: www.muziejai.lt/Kaisiadorys/Open-Air_muziejus.en.htm.

Lithuanian Art Museum
The art museum is the country’s largest institution dedicated to the preservation and promotion of art having historical, cultural and artistic value. Throughout the museum’s rooms, visitors will see displays of work by both Lithuanian and foreign artists, including exhibits of folk art and applied art.Vilnius. Phone: +370 5 262 8030; website: http://www.ldm.lt/ .

Lithuanian Museum of Theatre, Music and Cinema
Noted Lithuanian writers Vincas Kreve and Balys Sruoga founded the theatre museum in 1926.Currently the museum features a large exhibition space, an amphitheatre, a cinema and a café club. Today’s collections include exhibits on the history and development of Lithuanian theatre and music art. You’ll see documents, memorabilia, newsletters, photographs, program sheets, scenery sketches and also costumes and personal items belonging to well-known performers. Vilnius. Phone: +370 5 262 2406; website: http://teatras.mch.mii.lt/index.en.htm.

Museum of Simonas Daukantas
The museum dates back to 1986, and at the current time features approximately 220 paintings by well-known national artists who works depict the themes of the life and work of Simonas Daukantas, a major figure during Lithuania’s Age of Enlightenment. There is also diverse documentary data housed here such as the recollections of other famous Lithuanians about Daukantas. Visitors are introduced to his life and his historical and linguistic works. Also included in the museum’s collections are the works of other authors who wrote about the works of this historian and writer. In Akmeme. Phone: +370 425 32667; website: www.muziejai.lt/Akmene/daukantas_muz.en.htm.

National Museum of Lithuania
In 1968 an exposition on the culture and history of Lithuania was held in Vilnius, and the materials collected in preparation for this event became the basis for the opening of the country’s national museum. In 1992, the museum became officially known as the National Museum of Lithuania. The collections are organized in six specialised departments, including archaeology, ethnography, history, iconography and numismatics. Over 800,000 exhibits are housed here.Vilnius. Phone: +370 5 262 774; website: www.lnm.lt/en/index.php.

Lithuania’s cool, moist climate plays an influential role in the country’s cuisine as it determines the type of ingredients that form the basis for most dishes. Barley, greens, mushrooms, potatoes and rye are all readily available, and in this respect Lithuanian cuisine resembles that of other Eastern European nations. It definitely has its own character, however, with dishes having their origins from the many foreign influences in the country over the centuries.  

Due to an ages-old alliance, Lithuania shares much of its cuisine with Poland. Both countries share similar versions of dumplings, for example, known as pierogi or koldunai, and also doughnuts (paczki or spurgos) and crepes (bliny or blynai). German cuisine has also left its mark in the pork and potato dishes that are popular in Lithuania. Potato pudding or kugelis and potato sausages (vedarai) top the list.

Some of the other specialities of Lithuanian cuisine include cepelinai, which is a mince and potato pie with smoked eel, skilandis, a type of smoked meat and salti barsciai, a cold soup. A mild white curd cheese is nationally popular and is usually served with honey.  

There are plenty of choices for sampling good Lithuanian fare all across the country. Most restaurants of this type are exceptionally good value, and you’ll find that restaurant owners are proud of their cuisine and very hospitable. Restaurants offering various international cuisines are becoming more common in larger cities and resorts. Self-service snack bars and bistros are also becoming more popular and are found in Vilnius and at the Baltic resorts.  

Shoppers will find plenty of traditional handicrafts to choose from. The country’s most well-known product is amber, called gintaras in Lithuanian. Items on offer include amber bracelets, earrings, necklaces and watches. Other popular items include wood carvings, which make great souvenirs and gifts. The carvings are intricate in detail and range in type from religious crosses to figurines of all sorts.

One of the top places for shopping in Vilnius is Pilies Street. Shops that line the street offer up items made with amber, handicrafts, paintings and wood carvings. There’s good variety available and some great bargains for those patient enough to search through the shops and outdoor market stalls.

Local beers and liquors are good value and can make great gifts to take back home. A few bottles of Kalnapilis or Utenos beer, for example, would make a unique gift, as would a bottle of krupnikas (a honey liqueur) or Kvietino vodka. Dainava, Palanga and Sokoladinis are brands of popular liqueurs that make great after-dinner drinks.

Department stores are now features of all cities and major towns, offering a variety of shops typical of anywhere in Europe. Books, high-street fashion, jewellery and music are some of the goods available. Street markets are also features of towns throughout the country, offering an interesting cultural experience for the visitor, as well as bargain prices.

Lithuania offers the visitor plenty of opportunity to engage in outdoor activities, in its forested areas and lush countryside, in its rivers and streams and on the Baltic coast. Off-road racing, extreme sports, golf and hiking are all part of the adventure and excitement of a holiday here, as are water sports at Baltic resorts.

Four Wheel Drive Off-road Racing
In recent years, off-road racing has gained popularity in most areas of the country. There’s plenty of opportunity in Lithuania’s rural countryside to practise your skills through forested land, on dirt paths and through fields. Even experienced enthusiasts will find vehicle hire companies and destinations that will meet their requirements. Racing can be a great way to travel through parts of the country you might not otherwise visit.

Extreme Sports
From bungee jumping off the tallest television tower in Europe (the Vilnius TV Tower) to hang-gliding over the lush green countryside, there’s plenty in the way of extreme sport on offer here. For those who enjoy shooting, the Lithuanians can provide an exhilarating experience. They learned how to shoot from the Soviets and have turned this part of their past into weekend fun for tourists, providing top notch facilities and instruction.

Golf
From those whose idea of golf is a pitch-and-putt to those who demand a championship 18-hole course, Lithuania has plenty of options to choose from.  The Capital Golf Club in Vilnius is set amid streams, lakes and wooded areas, and treats visitors to views of the lovely surrounding countryside. The 18-hole course here is top-rated, having excellent facilities that are well-maintained.

Hot-air Ballooning
The most popular destinations for hot-air ballooning in Lithuania are the skies over Vilnius, Kaunas and Trakai.  Each city offers quite a different perspective. Over Vilnius you’ll see the Old Town and its architectural magnificence. From the skies over Kaunas you’ll have a panorama that takes in the confluence of the country’s two largest rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris, with an Old Town wedged in between. From the balloon over Trakai, passengers are rewarded by stunning views of natural beauty in the lakes and forests that surround the town, and a medieval castle as well.

Hiking
Visitors will find hiking trails in most areas of the country, although the most popular ones are found in Curonian Spit National Park. The park is located on land separating the Baltic Sea from the Curonian Lagoon. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, as it’s home to rare native fauna and flora.

Water Sports
Nida is the country’s water sports capital, offering just the right conditions for paragliding, sailing and windsurfing. The town boasts long stretches of white sand beaches at the edge of crystal clear waters. Reputable operators offer equipment for hire and qualified instructors, so that regardless of your level of experience, you can enjoy the many sports on offer.