Lithuania

Bulldozed repeatedly under Soviet rule and rebuilt overnight each time. More than a hundred thousand crosses stand there now, and anyone may add one.

A fourteenth-century castle on an island, reached by footbridge. Half an hour from Vilnius by car or bus, so most people come for the day.

A small quarter where artists settled and hung their constitution on a wall. Cross the bridge and you are in it; the constitution is posted in many languages.

What remains of the upper castle on the hill, with the red roofs of the old town spread below. A funicular runs, but the walk takes only fifteen minutes.

A vast dune whose shape shifts slightly with the wind. From the top there is open sea on one side and still lagoon water on the other.

A shore long known for the amber that appears on the sand after a storm. Palanga has a museum devoted to it.

The whole old town is listed, layered from Gothic through classicism. The lanes are narrow and curved enough that a map does not always save you.

A long, thin sand peninsula shared half and half with Russia. Forests have been planted here for centuries to stop the sand burying the villages.

Five hill forts in a row marking the centre of early Lithuania. It is grassland today, so it takes some imagination.

Buildings put up while the city served as capital, listed as a group. Banks and post offices, ordinary in their day, are the heritage here.

Old town, Uzupis and the hilltop viewpoint all connect on foot. Prices sit below western Europe, so a few nights cost little.

Provisional capital between the wars, which is why its architecture from that period is everywhere. Just over an hour from Vilnius by train.

A port with surviving German timber houses, and the place ferries leave for the Curonian Spit. A sea festival fills it in summer.

Quiet, with painted wooden houses and a fishing village still legible in its streets. Good country for cycling the length of the spit.

Long known for its mineral water, with wide walking paths through forest and along the river. A nearby open-air park collects Soviet-era statues.

Snow goes and the parks turn green. Still cool enough for a jacket, but with far fewer people about.

Long days and the festival season, which makes it the busiest time. Around midsummer it stays light until ten at night.

The forests colour and prices come down. Rain grows frequent, so bring a waterproof layer.

Dark by four in the afternoon and below freezing for weeks. The old town Christmas markets belong to this season.

Up to 90 days in any 180 across the whole Schengen area. The European travel authorisation scheme is being phased in, so check official guidance before you leave.

Small shops and buses take cards as a matter of course. Prices are clearly lower than in western Europe.

Buses run to more places than trains, and the distances are short enough to reach most towns in half a day. A ferry takes you onto the spit.

Often described as the living Indo-European language that kept the most archaic forms. English is fine in tourist areas.

Conditions on these borders change at short notice, so check current notices before planning any overland crossing. The Latvian and Polish sides are open as usual.

The pan-European number reaching police, ambulance and fire, with English available. Signal is weak in places in the forests and along the spit.