- Let's take a look at the map
- How New Year is celebrated in Lithuania
- Useful information for travelers
For Russian travelers, winter vacation trips to European countries are becoming a good tradition. And if Christmas tours to France, Denmark or Norway can cause significant damage to the family budget of the "economy" class, then even students can celebrate the New Year in Lithuania. The Baltic republic is still humane in terms of pricing, but the tourist infrastructure here is steadily developing and growing stronger every year.
Let's take a look at the map
Lithuania directly borders with Russia only within the Kaliningrad region, but you can get there both by air and by land. Located on the Baltic coast, the republic, like its closest neighbors, lies in the zone of influence of the maritime climate, which turns into a temperate one as it moves inland:
-
Winters in Lithuania are mild rather than cold. Average temperature indicators in January are kept at around 0 °
From up to minus 5 ° С, although there are night frosts down to –10 ° С.
- Frequent precipitation and temperature changes from plus to minus can cause colds in a guest of Lithuania who is not used to such a climate. Stock up on warm, layered clothing that provides reliable protection and a comfortable temperature during excursions and walks in Lithuanian cities.
- Snow falls frequently in Lithuania in December and January, but it melts quickly, forcing utilities to struggle with wet porridge on the roads. Waterproof and comfortable shoes are an important must-have for your wardrobe during your winter trips to the Baltics.
- Winds from the sea at the height of winter in Klaipeda are a frequent phenomenon, and therefore make sure that the outerwear is, if possible, tight and not blown.
In the southern part of the country, New Year's weather is more comfortable, and your holidays in Vilnius, Kaunas or the balneological resort of Birštonas will undoubtedly be held in a pleasant atmosphere. Moreover, the inhabitants of Lithuania will try to decorate their cities for the arrival of the guests.
How New Year is celebrated in Lithuania
Despite the fact that Christmas is considered the main winter holiday in Europe, Lithuanians have still preserved the New Year traditions inherited from the times of the USSR and do not neglect the opportunity to celebrate something once again.
Preparations for winter holidays begin in early November, when the first signs of impending celebrations appear on the streets of Lithuanian cities. The main illumination lights up, Christmas wreaths are hung on the door, and closer to December, Christmas trees are set up on the squares and streets of Lithuanian cities.
On Christmas Eve, a theatrical procession moves through the streets of Vilnius, the participants of which perform scenes on well-known biblical themes. Not only smart houses, but also the TV tower, which is decorated with garlands and decorated with festive illumination, become a magnificent decoration. The Vilnius TV Tower annually ranks first in the ranking of the tallest Christmas trees in Europe. According to statistics, until 2015, the tower was decorated with 32 garlands, with a total length of more than 5 km and a mass of almost one and a half tons, decorated with six thousand bulbs. Now the tower is illuminated by four dozen laser beams. Green vertical ones imitate needles, and purple horizontal ones - Christmas tree decorations.
On the New Year's table of Lithuanians, there are always zrazy, bigus made from stewed vegetables, smoked pork, a dish of potatoes baked with cottage cheese called kugelis, and ragaishis pie. A coin and a nut are baked into a pie, and the lucky ones who got the cherished pieces will be lucky in business and love in the coming year.
Useful information for travelers
You can get to Lithuania on New Year's holidays on direct Aeroflot flights. Round-trip tickets cost around 200 euros. You will spend only 1, 5 hours in the sky. Tickets for connecting flights Moscow - Minsk - Vilnius on board Belavia cost about the same. If the transfer is going to be a long one, you can always go out into the city and get to know the Belarusian capital.
If you prefer overland transport, use the services of railroad or bus carriers:
- The branded train from the Belorussky railway station in Moscow leaves for Vilnius in the afternoon and arrives in the Lithuanian capital the next morning. Passengers spend about 14 hours on the way, and the cost of tickets starts from 80 euros in a reserved seat carriage one way. From the northern capital, trains leave from the Vitebsk railway station. A ticket to a reserved seat carriage from St. Petersburg to Vilnius will cost 65 euros. The schedule and prices can be found on the Russian Railways website - www.rzd.ru.
- By bus, you will get to Lithuania a little cheaper. The Ecolines company offers trips from Moscow to Vilnius from 50 euros. The journey will take at least 16 hours. Departure from the Tushinskaya metro station in the evenings, and detailed information is available on the carrier's website www.ecolines.net. All buses of the company are equipped with air conditioning and multimedia systems, dry closets, spacious cargo compartments and individual sockets for recharging electronic devices.
You can also go on a New Year's trip to Lithuania by car. For your own safety and comfort, read the traffic rules of Lithuania in order to avoid problems with the law:
- The toll on the roads of the republic is not collected from passenger cars. You will have to pay only if your vehicle accommodates 8 or more people.
- Parking in the center of Vilnius is paid on all days of the week, except Sundays. The average cost of an hour of parking is just under one euro. The website www.parking.lt will help you find suitable parking places and find out the parking rules and prices.
- For not wearing seat belts, a driver talking on the phone without using a hand free, or transporting children without special seats and devices, you can be fined very substantial amounts - from 30 to 90 euros.
The cost of a liter of fuel at a gas station in Lithuania is about 1.13 euros. You will find cheaper gasoline at self-service stations and petrol stations near large shopping centers.
By the way, the New Year in Lithuania is the best time for shopping. After Catholic Christmas, huge sales start in the country's department stores, and you can buy clothes, shoes, souvenirs and even groceries at very nice prices.
Lithuanian health resorts also offer discounts on winter vacations. For example, in the hotels of the Birštonas resort, the cost of living is significantly reduced, and you will buy a course of health programs in spa centers much cheaper than during the hot holiday season in summer.
