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| LITHUANIA

LITHUANIA |

01 REVISTA TURISMO, OCTUBRE 2010 REVISTA TURISMO, OCTUBRE 2010 02

hoved successively bet- ween Russian pillar and Nazi post, tenacious little Lithuania stunned the world when it played

David and Goliath with the might of the Soviet Union - and won its independence just over a decade ago. Today the nation that vanished from the maps of Europe is back with a vengeance: it's part of the EU, was the first of the 25 EU players to give the European Constitution a stamp of approval and is a fully fledged 'n' fighting partner of NATO - home no less to four F-16 military alliance jet fighters used to police Baltic.This is a country with a colourful history, once boasting an empire stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Its raw pagan roots fuse with Catholic fervour the Polish inheritance that sets it apart from its Baltic brothers to create a land where Catholics and Orthodox mingle happily in the forest to pick wild berries and mushrooms from nature's altar. Its capital, Vilnius, is an incredibly small place (can this really be a capital city?).with astonishing contrasts - eerie shadowy courtyards, eccentric artist community, awesome arts and beautiful baroque. Its natu-

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Victorija SpraineteFROM KAUNAS, LITHUANIA

ral treasures - forests, lakes, the magical Curonian Spit in Western Lithuania - shim-mer, while its oddities - the Hill of Crosses in and a Sovi- et sculpture park - add a flavour found nowhere else.

Introducing Kaunas…Kaunas has a reputation as a sprawling urban city and a hotbed of post-Soviet mafia. Think again. This vibrant city, the second largest in Lithuania, is a thriving cultural and industrial centre with an interesting Old Town.Legend has it that Kaunas, 100km west of Vilnius at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris Rivers, was foun-ded by the son of tragic young lovers. Beautiful mai- den Milda let the Holy Eter- nal Flame go out while caring for her lover Dauge- rutis. They were sentenced to death by vengeful gods, thus they fled to a cave and gave birth to Kaunas.Today it is a town with a sizable student population, some a fine architecture, plenty of museums and terrible food.

Introducing Klaipeda…Sea port Klaipėda, 315km west of Vilnius, is the spring-board to the natural beauty of the Curonian Spit. But as Lithuania's third-largest city, it is worth a stop in its own right, notably for its Ger- manic flavour and architec-ture that reflects its fascinat-ing past as Prussian capital Memel. The city was destro- yed in WWII, during which it served as a Nazi submarine base, but a teeny weeny patch of its Old Town survi-

ved unscathed - as did one tower of its once magnifi-cent castle.Straddling the narrow strait where the Curonian Lagoon opens into the Baltic Sea.

Introducing Vilnius…Bizarre, beautiful and bewit- ching, Lithuania's capital seduces visitors with its asto- nishing Old Town charm. Its chocolate-box baroque sky- line littered with the spires of Orthodox and Catholic churches are intoxicating, de- cadent and fragile so much so that Unesco has declared this, Europe's largest baro- que old town, a World Heri- tage site. But there's more to this devilishly attractive capital than meets the eye. There is an underlying odd- ness that creates its soul.Straddling the narrow strait where the Curonian Lagoon opens into the Baltic Sea, the city is Lithuania's only port of call for Titanic-sized cruise ships, and a vital sea link for cargo and passenger ferries between Lithuania, Scandinavia and beyond. Klaipėda celebrates its rich nautical heritage each July with a flamboyant five-day Sea Festival internet website:

Where else could there be the world's only statue of psychedelic musician and composer Frank Zappa? Or a self-proclaimed, unofficial, independent republic inha- bited by artists and dream-ing bohemians? Where else is there the spirit of freedom and resistance that existed during Soviet occupation? There are reminders of loss and pain everywhere, from the horror of the KGB's tor- ture cells to the ghetto.

Rebellious, quirky and vibrant, Lithu-ania is Europe’s best-kept secret.

“Sea port Klai- peda, 315 km west of Vilnius, is the spring-board . . .”

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http://www.juros.svente.lt

Kaunas has a reputation.

Salsa is dancing´s experience

Lithuania is probably one of the last countries in Europe to be baptized by salsa virus, and it's sad, but better late than never! Salsa is danced in three ma- in cities: Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. Main styles are on1 and Cuban salsa. People are also taught on2 style but it is usually for advan- ced dancers, and from my own experience not many are enthusiastic swit-ching from on1 to on2 style. “Salsakaunas“ is a young organization, bringing the enthusiasts of salsa toge- ther in Kaunas city. Their aim is to create and develop Kaunas salsa community, introduce the real spirit of salsa to Kaunas, create it in their classes, parties and concerts.Donatas Chlebinskas, the teacher of “SalsaKaunas,“ danced all his life. He was a ballroom dancer in his child-hood, later he became a b-boy, hip hop, popping and locking dancer and instruc-tor (won a solo hip

hop Baltic cup in 2007). And finally discovered salsa. He started developing his LA salsa dan- cing skills in Portland, Ore- gon, where he danced in Viscount dance studio with incredible danc-ers and tea- chers Sara and Jorge. SalsaSisters is Lithuania's premier salsa dance school, created and run with passi- on, dedication and flair by sisters Elena and Ieva.The sisters fell madly in love with salsa in 2004. They tried all the different salsa dance styles, travelling around the world and learn-ing from the best teachers from Europe and USA. Then in 2005 they decided to share what they had learned and spread their passion for this most sensual and beau-tiful of dances. So they la- unched SalsaSisters, the first and without doubt still the most progressive NY/LA- style salsa school in Lithuania.Feeding off each other as only two sisters can, they bring dynamism, intimacy, creativity and humor to their classes in a way that you simply have to experience for yourself in order to fully understand.As well as salsa classes, the sisters organize immensely popular salsa parties and many other events during the year, notably the Lithu-anian Salsa Festival which they launched in 2007. As well as salsa classes, the sisters organize immensely popular salsa parties and many other events during the year, notably the Lithu-anian Salsa Festival.

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