This is a country with a colourful history, once boasting an empire stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea...

Lithuania is the state with a thousand year old history, situated in the geographical centre of Europe. Its name was first mentioned in historical records - Quedlinburg Annals - in 1009.

At the turn of the 14th - 15th centuries Lithuania did not only become one of the major powers in Europe but also extended its territory from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The 1569 Lublin Union and the Establishment of the Polish-Lithuanian State, the occupation of Tsarist Russia in 1797 and the soviet occupation in 1940 limited national manifestations of the state. The Lithuanians are proud that following the occupations they managed to re-establish their independent state even twice - in 1918 and 1990.

The Lithuanians are Balts and the Lithuanian language belongs to Baltic group of Indo-European languages and is one of the oldest languages in the world.

The majority of Lithuanian religious believers are Roman Catholics. Cross carving is a unique branch of folk art, which was inscribed on the UNESCO list of Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001. Traditional Lithuanian crosses are syncretic image of culture combining features of wooden sculpture and elements of blacksmith’s work. The Hill of Crosses became one of the most revered sites for the country’s faithful in the 19th century. There are about 3 million crosses of different size on the hill.

Nature has been generous to Lithuanian. Although there are no mountains or great forests, the country’s beauty lies in the diversity of its landscape. This is a place of rolling hills and gentle plains, of quietly following rivers and lakes. The largest river, the Nemunas, gathers and carries the waters of many tributaries to the Baltic Sea, where Lithuania’s famous „amber coast” lies. Called the Curonian Spit, it is a sixty mile long bank of sand dunes and pine trees which stretches from the southwest to the seaport of Klaipeda and encloses the vast Curonian Lagoon. For centuries, amber, Lithuania’s precious harvest of the sea, has been washed onto these golden sands. Amber is the symbol of Lithuania.

There are also many other historic and beautiful places to be worth visiting. The Open Air Museum of the centre of Europe and Grutas Park are two rather original parks that attract attention of many foreign guests.

At the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries the resorts of Druskininkai and Birštonas were known as the most famous health resorts in Lithuania. Nowadays both Druskininkai and Birštonas gradually regain their good name.

Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is the European Capital of Culture 2009!