Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe.
It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea.
Lithuania shares land borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Russia to the southwest.
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Most visited country in Eastern Europe
Lithuania is one of the most visited locations in eastern Europe because of the various unique features and the culture and diversity of the local population.
Since the independence, the country has embraced modernity and allowed integration of the western European institution.
Traveling to the country will give you a totally different perspective, and you will see how unique Lithuania is compared to its counterparts.
Nature, serene lakes, cozy little towns, spa resorts, tasty local cuisine, and friendly local people attract many people to Lithuania.
National perfume
There is a national perfume called ‘The Scent of Lithuania’.
The scent was first released a decade ago, and it gained traction among the beauty and fashion industry.
This perfume is characterized by raspberry, wildflowers, ginger, musk scents, and sandalwood, which adds a fresh and sweet touch to the final product.
Christianity
Lithuania was the last nation in Europe to adopt Christianity in 1387, almost 1000 years after the official conversion of the Roman Empire.
Prior to that time, Lithuanians primarily practised Romuva, an indigenous pagan religion.
Today an overwhelming amount of Lithuania identifies as Christian, however, many pagan traditions are still in place with many younger Lithuanians looking to revive their roots.
Oldest tree in Europe
Lithuania is a rich and diverse nation, and one of the main treasures is the conservation of natural resources.
The Stelmuze Oak is one of the most revered tree species, and it is located in Lithuania.
This tree is over 1500 years old, and it is 13 meters in diameter and 25 meters tall.
Hot air balloon
One of the most common features of the Lithuanian people is their love for hot air balloons.
The number of hot air balloons in the country is the highest ratio of hot air balloons per person globally.
The locals love the hot air balloons and even have named the national dish Cepilin, a meatball-sized dumpling mixed with cheese and potatoes.
Basketball
Lithuania has an incredibly skilled national basketball team, which has bagged three bronze medals at the Olympics with many Lithuanians making it to the NBA’s Hall of Fame.
The most notable basketball player being Arvydas Sabonis who is famous for being one of the best European basketball players of all time.
Known as the ‘grandfather of Lithuanian basketball’, Pranas Lubinas was one of the most important individuals in the history of Lithuanian basketball.
He coached the Lithuanian International basketball team to victory in 1937 and 1939 EuroBasket, where they won gold.
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Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the oldest surviving Indo-European language in the world.
It is an archaic language, similar in structure and form to Sanskrit, a classical Indian language.
The earliest use of Lithuatioan can be traced back over 5,000 years abd today it id one of only two Baltic languages spoken in the world: Lithuanian and Latvian.
Other minority languages include Belarusian, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and Yiddish.
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