The variety of Lithuanias landscape, its checkered history, and the hospitality of the local people make for a highly memorable visit to this largest of the Baltic states, Vilnius, Lithuanias capital, provides a cultural center with its castles, numerous churches, and monuments. Visitors are guided to highlights such as the Gates of Dawn in the Old Town, an important site of pilgrimage, the presidential palace, and the Gedimino boulevard, all put into the context of Lithuanias history. An invaluable guide for planning sightseeing tours, the Bradt guide to Lithuania features the atmospheric Hill of Crosses at Siauliai, the medieval Trakai castle within easy reach of Vilnius, the seaside town of Palanga, amber museums, and the town of Kaunas with its museums and botanical gardens. For those seeking a tranquil retreat by the Baltic Sea, the Curanian Spit National Park is well covered, with its town of Nida perched amongst a wilderness of dunes and fabulous wooden folklore sculptures at the Hill of Witches at Juodkrante.