Travel & accommodation guide Welcome to Lithuania! . Government type: Parliamentary Lithuania in brief democracy . President of the Republic: Ms. Dalia Grybauskaitė . Capital: Vilnius . Money: Eur . Independence Day: 16 February . Restoration of Independence: 11 March, 1990 . Location: Northern Europe, the largest of the three Baltic States, bordering the Baltic Sea, Poland, Belarus, Latvia, and Kaliningrad Oblast. Area: 65 300 km2. Distances: Šiauliai – Vilnius ~ 220km, Šiauliai –Riga ~ 130km, Šiauliai – Kaunas ~ 180km, Šiauliai – Klaipėda ~ 160Km. Climate: transitional between maritime and continental. Population: 3,043,429 (2011 census ) . Ethnic groups: Lithuanian – 84,1%; Polish – 6,6%; Russian – 5,8%; others – 3,5% . Religion: Roman Catholic – 79%; others – Orthodox (Old Believers), Evangelical Lutherans, Judaism, Old Baltic religion etc. Second most popular religion is Basketball . LT Membership in International Organisation: Republic of Lithuania is member of European Union (EU, 2004); Republic of Lithuania belongs to the NATO (2004), The Baltic Assemly (BA, 1994), Nordic- Baltic Eigth (NB8, 1992), Council of the Baltic Sea Strates (CBSS, 1992), United Nations (UN, 1991) etc. Language: Lithuanian is one of the world's oldest surviving languages, and is distantly related to Sanskrit, a religious and literary language in India. The words for god and day, for instance, are devas and dina in Sanskrit and dievas and diena in Lithuanian. Because it has changed less than other languages, Lithuanian is a linguistic link to the past and has a special place in the study of languages. It's one of two languages in the Baltic branch of Indo-European languages; the other is Latvian. Lithuanian is also related to now-extinct Old Prussian. It's not related to Estonian. Taip/Yes vienas/one; du/two; trys/three; Ne/No keturi/four; penki/five; šeši/six; Laba diena/Hello septyni/seven; aštuoni/eight Viso gero/Good-bye devyni/nine; dešimt/ten Iki/See you šimtas/hundred; tūkstantis/thousand Prašau/Please Kiek kainuoja?/How much is it? Ačiū/Thank you Dar prašau/More please Ar jūs kalbate angliškai?/Do you Cukrus/Sugar speak English? Duona/Bread Aš nesuprantu/I don’t understand Alus/Beer Mano vardas.../My name is... Kava/Coffee Atsiprašau/Excuse me Vynas/Wine Kur?/Where? Sultys/Juice Gatvė/street Skanaus/Bon appetit Viešbutis/Hotel Sąskaita/Bill Šiauliai city Šiauliai city was founded in 22th September 1236, after the Battle of the Sun and today it is forth largest city of Lithuania. It is the centre of Northern Lithuania with 107 875 inhabitants. Šiauliai city has one University with nine faculties, 3 Colleges, Šiauliai Vocational Education and Training centre, Over 70 institutions of education, Music Conservatoire, 2 Theatres, Museums, Art Galleries etc. Sightseeing Despite a propensity for almost total destruction just about every time it sees a war, contemporary Šiauliai offers more sightseeing opportunities than most cities twice its size. Everything from 17th-century churches to the most extraordinary collection of museums and of course not forgetting the Hill of Crosses are all begging to be explored, and should all be visited when you’re in town. The city centre itself is a surprisingly good-looking piece of real estate, with one or two remaining Soviet-era masterpieces and a collection of lovely 1930s buildings scattered along Aušros. Šiauliai being the anomaly it is, its most famous site, the Hill of Crosses, is several kilometres north of the city in the middle of the countryside. A jingling testimony to the stubborn resilience of a nation, be sure to leave a cross and say a prayer when you visit. The Renaissance Cathedral, its lofty spire visible from just about anywhere in the city, is not only worth a peep inside but should be applauded vigorously for being there at all in a city twice devastated by war in the last hundred years. Although now given over almost exclusively to Lithuanian history, Frenkel’s Villa is a fitting tribute to the city’s once vibrant Jewish community and should definitely be included on any brief itinerary around the city. Of Šiauliai’s multitude of museums, the three that really stand out are the Aušros Palace, Bicycle Museum and the child-friendly Fire Engine Museum, although an accompanying native speaker is vital in order to get the full effect from all three. How to get to Šiauliai: . Vilnius International Airport (Oro uostas) – Distance from Vilnius (Capital of Lithuania) Šiauliai is 214 km. The most convenient way to get from Vilnius Airport to Vilnius railway station is to take a train (http://www.litrail.lt/wps/portal). The price for the ticket is 1 EUR. Tickets are sold in the train. Vilnius railway station and Vilnius bus station are in front of each other. Bus station is on the opposite side of street. The price of bus or train ticket to Šiauliai is about 10 - 15 EUR. Information about bus connections in Lithuania: http://www.autobusubilietai.lt/; train connections: https://www.traukiniobilietas.lt/portal/ . Riga International Airport – Distance from Šiauliai to Riga (capital of Latvia) – 130 km. Information on bus lines and schedules “Riga Airport – Riga City Centre” available at www.rigassatiksme.lv and www.airbaltic.lv. Information on bus lines and schedules “Riga city – Šiauliai city” http://www.airport-express.lt/regular/index.php?lang=lt and www.luxexpress.eu Furthermore, there is direct bus from Riga airport to Šiauliai bus station. Information about timetable is here: http://www.airport-express.lt/regular/index.php?lang=en There is no train connection with Šiauliai city. Palanga International Airport - http://www.palanga-airport.lt/en/arrival (not so many connecttions). Shopping From eccentric four-star luxury to a night in a dormitory with a shared toilet, Šiauliai claims just about every kind of accommodation option with the exception of a hotel chain you’ve ever heard of. Service may be a little different to what you’re used to at home, but the people are friendly and the prices look like they should be in Euros not the local currency. Good value also means that staying in the centre of the city is always an option for everyone but the cheapest of cheapskates, although just like any other destination without a surplus of hotels, booking in advance is always recommended, especially during the summer months. Breakfast is generally included in the price, although this doesn’t mean you have to eat it. Local transportation in the city City busses go from 5 a.m to 11 p.m. One ticket cost: 0,80 EUR – you can buy a ticket on a bus Bus station: Tilžės 109, Tel.: +37041525058 Train station: Dubijos 44, Tel.: +37041430652 Taxi: 1491; 1458; 1443; 1400; 1456; 1444; 1459; 1400; 1453 It is possible to book a taxi on Internet: http://www.etaksi.lt/en/book-taxi-online Shopping Food, representing Lithuania: . Sweets from fabric “Rūta” . Šakotis . Smoked pork fats (Lašiniai) . Bread . Beer . Kvass Souvenirs: . Amber wares . Further souvenirs (cups, cards, t-shirts and etc.) You can found in Tourism information centre of Šiauliai (Vilniaus 213, E -mail: [email protected]; Website: www.siauliai.lt/tic) Working hours: . Supermarkets: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Shopping Centres: 10 a. m. – 9 p.m. Shops: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m . Saturdays: most shops are open until 3 p.m. Weather Weather in Siauliai in March: http://www.siauliai.climatemps.com/march.php Website of events in Šiauliai: www.siauliai-events.lt Restaurants & Cafés From schnitzel to pigs’ ears and peas, Šiauliai’s diverse range of kitchens pump out a veritable caravan of concoctions to please the stomach day and night. Laughably cheap even by Vilnius standards, eating out is both affordable and, assuming you’re not a stickler for perfection, thoroughly enjoyable. If the following options aren’t in the city centre they’re at least within easy walking distance. Tipping 10-20% is considered the norm, and remember, if the waitress drops an earring in your soup it’s not her fault. Complaints should be aimed squarely at the management. The price of food varies. You can check it here: 1. “Arkos” for instance: http://www.arkos.lt/2.html http://www.arkos.lt/5.html 2. “Kapitonas morganas”: http://kapitonasmorganas.lt/kiaulienos-patiekalai/ http://kapitonasmorganas.lt/vegetariski-patiekalai/ CONTACTS: See You soon! Gintarė Černikienė Social programmes coordinator E: [email protected] M: +370 676 884 21 VšĮ Žmogiškųjų išteklių stebėsenos ir plėtros biuras (Ežero 8-1) www.zispb.lt T/F: +370 41 552469 .