The capital, Vilnius regularly ranks as one of the cheapest city breaks in Europe. A pint of beer is likely to cost less than €2.50. The Baltic state also enjoys the fastest internet upload speeds in the world due to it having the most fibre-optic broadband capacity in Europe. It is also blessed with stunning architecture.

Spend time wandering around the wonderfully atmospheric cobbled streets of the largest medieval old town in central and eastern Europe. The architectural heritage of Vilnius blends many different styles of baroque, gothic, renaissance and Russian. A beautiful city to get lost in.

Just 12 km north of the city of Siauliai, the Hill of Crosses is believed to have come into existence after a battle in 1831 at the site. Crosses, crucifixes, statues of Virgin Mary as well as many other religious items have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims. The hill is now home to around 100,000 crosses.

There is the Hill of Witches as well, which is a stone’s throw from the Curonian Spit (a large sand dune). This outdoor sculpture gallery near Juodkrante features around 80 wooden characters linked to Lithuanian folklore and pagan traditions along a series of trails. Admission is free.

The Curonian Spit is a 61 mile strip of sand dunes that keeps the Curonian from the Baltic Sea. A Unesco World Heritage Site it is home to the highest moving sand dunes in Europe. The area has been described as a place of rare natural beauty which has been preserved in an almost perfect state.

In Vilnius most great restaurants are determined to use locally sourced organic produce. The food is very affordable even at the top end of the market. A lot of Lithuanian dishes are heavily reliant on root vegetables like potatoes and beetroot, meat and dairy products. The food is hearty and filling which is in custom with the cold climate. You should definitely try the national dish Cepelinai which are large dumplings cooked with potato dough and filled with pork and doused in sour cream and bacon sauce. Delicious!!

Lithuania has some great places to visit as well as being affordable and having some hearty food to try out. It is well worth a visit even if it’s just for a long weekend.