Tourism in Lithuania

Lithuania attracts many visitors from neighbouring countries and from all over the world. In 2018,there were 1.7 million foreign visitors to Lithuania for business, family and leisure.[1] The historical legacy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, its rich history, architecture, pristine nature, seaside and spa resorts are the main attraction points of Lithuania. Domestic tourism is also highly popular: in 2018 it grew by 12%. Lithuanians also prefer to spend their vacations in Lithuania – 70 percent.[2]

Overview

Lithuania receives a constant increase in foreign visitors. In 2017, the accommodation establishments of Lithuania received 3.25 million tourists, which was 6.2 per cent more than in 2016.[3] Lithuania attracts foreign visitors mostly from Germany, Poland, Russia, Latvia, Belarus, the United Kingdom, Estonia and Finland.

In 2017 hotels received 2.2 million tourists, or 7 per cent more than in 2016. The number of Lithuanian tourists grew by 12.8 per cent, and foreigners by 3.3 per cent. The hotel room occupancy rate stood at 54.3 per cent (in 2016, 51.7 per cent), and the hotel bed occupancy rate at 41.4 per cent (in 2016, 39.7 per cent).[3]

Agrotourism has also gained extreme popularity in the country among the locals as well as foreigners. Ecotourism is actively promoted by the government and national parks. Lithuania has built a successful ecotourism industry, and has also been acknowledged as one of the world's most ethical destinations. Hot air ballooning is very popular in Lithuania, especially in Vilnius and Trakai. Theme routes through historical and nature sites are popular among domestic and international tourists. Nemunas Delta Regional Park, Žuvintas biosphere reserve and Ventė Cape are known for birdwatching.[4]

There are tourism information centres in all major cities and smaller towns, national parks and other places, attractive for domestic or international tourism.[5]

If a tour has a guide who is "interpreting the cultural and natural heritage of an area", Lithuania requires the guide have a guiding license. This definition follows the European standard for tour guiding (CEN). Licensed Tourist Guides are the only professionals permitted to conduct tours in all sites and museums within a city. Licensed guides are required in those areas where the local authorities state that one of them is mandatory.[6] There is a Guides Database to find a guide in your language as well.[7]

Arrivals by country

The top 10 foreign countries by annual short-term visitors to Lithuania:[8]

  Record year
Country 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
 Poland 127,033 132,346 122,630 132,368 154,124 161,421 179,245 199,651 50,670 54,674 117,555 173,497 174,266
 Germany 144,975 152,087 166,436 174,494 179,723 176,154 214,444 233,407 47,884 51,324 98,992 127,401 154,540
 Latvia 76,431 86,101 107,744 119,673 137,962 152,269 161,660 168,925 71,971 54,531 131,781 144,323 145,526
 Belarus 117,037 163,707 189,888 165,410 174,070 177,099 165,569 181,074 42,946 35,439 98,328 141,894 109,396
 United States 35,230 43,524 48,566 54,068 11,746 20,883 54,442 69,685 91,906
 United Kingdom 37,752 44,167 46,136 54,067 58,178 66,365 77,420 83,154 21,439 29,076 67,392 74,148 83,004
 Netherlands 32,606 66,081
 Estonia 39,712 43,183 48,681 53,732 59,579 63,193 65,131 68,302 42,305 22,944 52,585 61,317 55,974
 Ukraine 46,789 59,453 84,017 83,193 93,701 134,887 59,352 44,678 101,775 67,032 50,985
 Italy 30,137 28,912 33,790 40,627 39,944 39,890 43,285 14,105 37,902
 France 14,491
 Finland 34,745 34,166 49,937 16,685 27,363 35,503
 Norway 26,461 29,169 42,397 39,793
 Russia 214,337 248,536 226,575 154,117 155,538 168,099 183,750 196,540 40,260 38,081
Total foreign 1,147,938 1,260,336 1,356,835 1,388,487 1,517,890 1,583,801 1,744,733 1,937,972 511,566 505,361 1,149,537 1,369,549 1,449,052
Y-to-Y change % +9.79% +7.66% +2.33% +9.32% +4.34% +10.16% +11.08% −73.60% −1.21% +127.47% +19.14% +5.81%

Notable places

Cities

Main article: List of cities in Lithuania

Towns and villages

Main article: List of towns in Lithuania

Specific destinations

Protected areas and cultural heritage objects

See also: List of protected areas of Lithuania

Lithuania has 1160 protected cultural and natural areas.[12] Among them are 30 regional parks and 5 national parks and 6 strict reserves.

There are also 35 814 cultural heritage objects throughout the country protected by the Department of Cultural Heritage.[13][14]

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Main article: List of World Heritage Sites in Lithuania

Cultural routes

In 2019 Cultural Route of Lithuanian composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis was opened which leads through the places in Varėna, Druskininkai, Kaunas, Vilnius, Plungė, Rietavas, Palanga where composer has lived.[15]

Cognitive or sightseeing routes (Pažintinis takas) are highly popular among domestic tourists. Usually they lead through unique places in nature, where the visitor can enjoy the nature and local history while walking some predefined path.

Pilgrimage sites

Lithuania has many holy sites, especially in Samogitia, which are worth a visit.

Major pilgrimage sites:

Resorts

Lithuania has 4 official resorts and 5 resort territories.[16]

Resorts

  • Birštonas – a balneological resort and a spa town, surrounded by pine forests.
  • Druskininkai – a developed spa town with the largest water park in the Eastern Europe, the Snow Arena – one of the biggest indoor skiing slopes in Europe. The Water Park and the Snow Arena connected with the cable car.[17]
  • Neringa - a world heritage site with unique nature, including resort settlements of Nida and Juodkrantė
  • Palanga – the summer capital of Lithuania with sandy beaches
  • Šventoji - a resort town on the coast of the Baltic sea

Resort territories

  • Anykščiai – ski resort and spa Town in middle Lithuania
  • Ignalina and the villages of Palūšė and Strigailiškis
  • Kulautuva-Kačerginė-Zapyškis – traditional spa treatment area for forest recreation on bank of Nemunas River in Kaunas district
  • Trakai – natural, anthropogenic lake-rich city with a historical world heritage site, near to Vilnius
  • Zarasai – a city in nordeastern Lithuania, surrounded by many lakes and rivers

Former places

  • Likėnai – a resort with mineral springs.

Military heritage

See also: List of castles in Lithuania and List of hillforts in Lithuania

The country has some military sites left and may be very interesting place as a place of militarism heritage tourism. It might be interesting for anyone who is interested in history of the warfare or the Cold War.

Major militarism heritage sites in Lithuania:

Bicycle tourism

Bicycle tourism is growing, especially in Lithuanian Seaside Cycle Route. EuroVelo routes EV10, EV11, EV13 go through Lithuania. Total length of bicycle tracks amounts to 3769 km (of which 1988 km is asphalt pavement).[19] Most known bicycle routes are: Nemunas River Cycle Route, Suvalkija Cycle Circuit, Lithuanian Seaside Cycle Route. Most of the Tourism information centres and national parks have their local thematic bicycle route plans.

Festivals

Museums

For a more comprehensive list, see List of museums in Lithuania and List of palaces and manor houses in Lithuania.

Museums include:

Tourism in Lithuania gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ "2018 for tourism: number of tourists exceeded forecasts".
  2. ^ "Tyrimas: 70% lietuvių ilgąsias atostogas leidžia Lietuvoje, 27% nuomojasi būstą iš privačių asmenų". www.vz.lt. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Tourism in Lithuania. 2017" (PDF). Statistics Lithuania. p. 6. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Fatbirder. Lithuania". fatbirder.com. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  5. ^ "TOURISM INFORMATION CENTRES". lithuania.travel. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  6. ^ "Visit Lithuania". visitlithuania.net. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Lithuanian Guides Dtabase". guides.lt. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  8. ^ "Indicators of accommodation". State Data Agency. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  9. ^ Vilnius Events
  10. ^ "Lithuanian Sea Museum". muziejus.lt. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  11. ^ "Lithuanian Sea Museum and Dolphinarium". muziejus.lt. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Protected Areas in Lithuania" (PDF).
  13. ^ "Information". kpd.lrv.lt.
  14. ^ "Heritage in Lithuania". kpd.lrv.lt. 29 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Čiurlionio kelias". ciurlioniokelias.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  16. ^ "Kurortai ir kurortinės teritorijos". Lietuvos Respublikos ekonomikos ir inovacijų ministerija (in Lithuanian). 22 January 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Druskininkai Cable Car". lynukelias.lt. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  18. ^ Žemaitijos nacionalinio parko teritorijoje veikiantys muziejai Archived 8 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Widawski, Krzysztof; Wyrzykowski, Jerzy (24 January 2017). The Geography of Tourism of Central and Eastern European Countries. ISBN 978-3-319-42205-3. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  20. ^ "Amber Museum-Gallery". ambergallery.lt. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  21. ^ "Church Heritage Museum". bpmuziejus.lt. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  22. ^ "National Gallery of Art". ndg.lt. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  23. ^ "Vilnius Picture Gallery". ldm.lt. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  24. ^ "Vilnius Toys' Museum". museu.ms. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  25. ^ "MO Museum". mo.lt. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  26. ^ "Tartle". tartle.lt. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  27. ^ "Klaipėda Clock and Watch Museum". ldm.lt. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  28. ^ "Šiauliai Photography Museum". ausrosmuziejus.lt. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  29. ^ "Akmenės muziejus". akmenesmuziejus.lt. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
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