Lithuania

I am back from Lithuania and now I don't even know why I was worried to go. It was a brilliant holiday! Lithuania is not that well known as a holiday destination here despite Vilnius being cultural capital last year. It is really a pity not many people do know about it as it is well worth the visit. In this blog entry I will be talking about that capital Vilnius. It does not have the feel of most old European towns I know. As it is not situation at the seaside but a few hours inland it does not have the feel we are used to here in Western Europe. The feature that stands out in Vilnius are it's many churches. Most of those are catholic, the most beautiful of those is without a doubt the St Paul and St Peter church a little outside of the centre. The white inside filled with statues and ornaments takes my breath away. Outside it has more Eastern european influences. On the other hand the Cathedral looks more like a Greek temple on the outside. Inside it is more like a church and the crypt is well worth the visit even though the guides struggle with English. They try and that is the most important thing. Next to these churches Vilnius also has some Russian orthodox churches. They look very different outside and in. For decoration they use much brighter colours, blue and green. Once a city known for it's Jewish community there is now one synagoge left in the city. It is a reminder of what once was. Next to the churches there a many interresting musea in the city and many have texts in Lithuanian and in English, so don't be afraid to go there. Many of the shops selling Amber have a small free museum under their shops and it is pretty interresting to have a look at one or two and see how amber is formed over the centuries and what the artists can make with it. Very impressive is the museum of genocide victims which is located in the former KGB headquarters. The cellars, once the KGB prison really makes you think of what people can do to each other.
The old city is compact and most sights are in walking distance of each other.