Samogitia travel guide

Samogitia (Lithuanian: Žemaitija, meaning lowlands) is a region in the northwest of Lithuania. It's bordered to the west by the Baltic coast and Lithuania Minor, to the south by Sūduva, to the east by Aukštaitija and to the north by Latvia.

Cities

• Šiauliai is the largest city. It's near the Hill of Crosses pilgrimage site.
• Palanga is Lithuania's main beach resort.
• Kretinga has several religious sites.
• Plungė has a Cold War missile base.
• Telšiai is a lively town and the local government centre for Samogitia.
• Tytuvėnai has a famous monastery and pleasant lakes.
• Mažeikiai is dominated by its oil refinery.
• Židikai was home to writer Šatrijos Ragana.

Other destinations

• Žemaičių Kalvarija is a pilgrimage village, with a large church festival in early July.
• Hill of Crosses is a symbolic site north of Šiauliai.

Understand

Chapel at Žemaičių Kalvarija (Photo: Žemaitijos kelias, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Lithuania is divided into five "cultural regions", ten counties (apskritys) and 60 municipalities (savivaldybės). The five regions are ill-defined but are said to have distinct characteristics, which for Samogitia means "lowlands" - a rolling post-glacial terrain of low hillocks, forests and lakes. It remained pagan until the 15th century, repeatedly attacked by the Teutonic and Livonian Orders. Those were smashed in 1410 at the Battle of Grunwald or Žalgiris, and Samogitia became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It fell under Russian control in the 18th century. It now has the same mix of farming and industry as elsewhere in provincial independent Lithuania.

This region is off the main tourist routes and few people understand English; they may have some German.

Get in

Palanga pier (Photo: BigHead, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Palanga (PLQIATA) is the regional airport, with seasonal flights from London Stansted, Dublin, Oslo, Copenhagen and Riga. There's much more choice flying into Kaunas or Vilnius.

Buses from Kaunas and Vilnius reach all the main towns.

Šiauliai has the best rail connections, on the lines from Vilnius to Riga and Tallinn, and to Klaipėda. Trains also run from Kaunas.

Get around

You can explore the towns on foot, and reach Žemaičių Kalvarija and Hill of Crosses by bus. But you really need a vehicle to get around the countryside.

See

Missile silo in Plungė (Photo: foundin_a_attic, CC BY 2.0)

• Museums are found in most towns. Quirky examples are the bicycle museum in Šiauliai and the Cold War missile silos in Plungė.
• Religious: several towns have cathedrals or basilicas. Tytuvenai monastery has Christ Stairs Chapel, where you ascend on your knees chanting devotions, for all the good that will do you.
• Žemaičių Kalvarija is best known for its church festival and "Stations of the Cross" pilgrimage trail. It also has the grave of the nationalist poet Vytautas Mačernis.
• Šatrija is a hill 25 km southeast of Telšiai with good views. In the 14th century it had a wooden castle.

Do

Hill of Crosses (Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0)

• Palanga beach is long and sandy.
• Football is played March-Nov. Siauliai has a top-tier team.
• Sietuvos Kūlgrinda: only in Lithuania! A kūlgrinda is a secret route through a swamp laid down in medieval times, with submerged flagstones and gravel. Take hiking sticks to test the way ahead of you, and be prepared to get muddy. It's a 250 m section within a conventional 2 km trail in Varniai regional park. There are others nearby but this is the only one publicly accessible. Approach by dirt road 4118 and watch for the signed turn-off.

Eat

Food in Samogitia is trad hearty Baltic fare. Expect to consume a lot of potatoes.

Hesburger is the main burger chain, western franchises such as KFC are uncommon.

Drink

Orthodox church in Mažeikiai (Photo: MichalPL, CC BY-SA 4.0)

This is beer-drinking country, and most towns have pubs. Šiauliai has a brewery plus a gin and schnapps distillery.

Stay safe

Beware traffic, safeguard valuables, and keep a watch on children especially with water activities.

Go next

• Aukštaitija ("highlands") is the region east. Its main draw is the national park.
• Lithuania Minor is the narrow coastal strip west. The most interesting part is the Curonian Spit, reached by ferry from Klaipėda.
• Latvia is reached across the open border north - its capital Riga is a must-see.

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