#1768 Lithuania

Thank you, Gintare !

Received on: July 15, 2019

#1733 Lithuania

Pilies Street (literally, "Castle Street"; Lithuanian: Pilies gatvė) is one of the main streets in the Old Town of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It is a rather short street, running from Cathedral Square to the Town Hall Square.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you !

Sent on: May 6, 2019

Received on: May 8, 2019

#1373 Lithuania

The Old Town of Vilnius (Lithuanian: Vilniaus senamiestis, Polish: Stare Miasto w Wilnie, Belarusian: Стары горад Вільні, Russian: Старый город в Вильнe), one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, has an area of 3.59 square kilometres (887 acres). It encompasses 74 quarters, with 70 streets and lanes numbering 1487 buildings with a total floor area of 1,497,000 square meters. The oldest part of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, it has developed over the course of many centuries, and has been shaped by the city's history and a constantly changing cultural influence. It is a place where some of Europe's greatest architectural styles—gothic, renaissance, baroque and neoclassical—stand side by side and complement each other.

Pilies Street is the Old Town's main artery and the hub of cafe and street market life. The main street of Vilnius, Gediminas Avenue, is partially located in the Old Town. The central squares in the Old Town are the Cathedral Square and the Town Hall Square.

One of the most elaborate architectural complexes is the Vilnius University Architectural Ensemble, which occupies a large part of the Old Town and has 13 courtyards. It was selected to represent Lithuania in the Mini-Europe Park in Brussels.

In 1994 the Vilnius Old Town was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (No. 541) in recognition of its universal value and originality. The definition of "historic center" itself has a broader meaning than the Old Town, formerly encircled with defensive walls. It embraces the valuable historical suburbs of Vilnius, such as Užupis, which historically used to be outside the city boundaries. Therefore Užupis is often considered a part of the Old Town of Vilnius.

Wikipedia.org

Property No #541

Date of Inscription on the List of UNESCO WHS: 1994

Thank you, Gintare !

Sent on: August 26, 2017

Received on: August 28, 2017

#1372 Lithuania

The Hill of Crosses (Lithuanian: Kryžių kalnas) is a site of pilgrimage about 12 km north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first crosses were placed on the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort after the 1831 Uprising. Over the generations, not only crosses and crucifixes, but statues of the Virgin Mary, carvings of Lithuanian patriots and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims. The exact number of crosses is unknown, but estimates put it at about 55,000 in 1990 and 100,000 in 2006.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Gintare !

Sent on: August 26, 2017

Received on: August 28, 2017

#1303 Lithuania

Thank you, Sigitas !

Sent on: May 29, 2017

Received on: May 31, 2017

#1211 Lithuania

The flag of Lithuania consists of a horizontal tricolor of yellow, green and red. It was re-adopted on March 20, 1989, almost two years before the re-establishment of Lithuania's independence and more than three years before the collapse of the Soviet Union.

It was first used in Lithuania's first period of independence (in the 20th century) from 1918 to 1940, which ceased with the occupation first by Soviet Russia and Lithuania's illegal annexation into the Soviet Union, and then by Nazi Germany (1941–44). During the post-World War II Soviet occupation, from 1945 until 1989, the Soviet Lithuanian flag consisted first of a generic red Soviet flag with the name of the republic, then changed to the red flag with white and green bars at the bottom. The last alteration to the current flag occurred in 2004 when the aspect ratio changed from 1:2 to 3:5.

The yellow in the flag is meant to symbolize the sun and prosperity, the green is for the forests, the countryside, liberty, and hope, and the red represents the blood and bravery of those who have died for Lithuania.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Vidas !

Sent on: January 26, 2017

Received on: January 30, 2017

#1112 Pasvalys, Lithuania

Pasvalys (Polish: Pozwoł) is a city in Panevėžys County, Lithuania, located near the bank of the Svalia River. Its sister city is Götene in Sweden.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: May 7, 2016 | Europa CEPT 2016 'Think Green'

Thank you, Sigitas !

Sent on: June 15, 2016

Received on: June 17, 2016

#851 Lithuania

 Birštonas is a balneological resort and a spa town in Lithuania situated 30 km (19 mi) south of Kaunas on the right bank of the Nemunas River. Birštonas received its city rights 1529, and was appointed a city in 1966. The city is the administrative centre of the Birštonas municipality.

Wikipedia.org 

Thank you, Ilona !

Sent on: March 23, 2015

Received on: March 25, 2015

#823 Vilnius, Lithuania

 Anykščiai is a ski resort town in Lithuania, 20 miles (32 kilometres) west of Utena.

Wikipedia.org 

 Puntukas is the second-largest boulder in Lithuania. It is situated some 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) south of Anykščiai on the left bank of the Šventoji River. It was believed to be the largest stone in Lithuania until the discovery of Barstyčiai stone in the Skuodas district in 1957.

Puntukas is a glacial erratic—it was brought by glaciers during the last glacial period (18th–12th millennium BC) probably from Finland. It measures 6.9 metres (23 ft) in length, 6.7 m (22 ft) in width, and 5.7 m (19 ft) in depth (including 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) underground). It weighs about 265 tons. It is made of Rapakivi granite. Its reddish mass includes large crystals of potassium feldspar surrounded by green rings of oligoclase.

In 1943, sculptor Bronius Pundzius engraved portraits and quotes from last wills of Lithuanian pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas for the 10th anniversary of their deaths during the transatlantic flight with Lituanica. A local legend has it that velnias (a devil in the Lithuanian mythology) carried the stone to destroy the Anykščiai Church, however a rooster crowed. The devil disappeared back into the underworld, leaving only Puntukas behind. The legend was featured in the famous poem Anykščių šilelis by Antanas Baranauskas. According to another story, a brave Lithuanian warrior Puntukas was killed and was burned (a usual pagan custom) on the stone; since then it is known as Puntukas stone. Other legends claim that the stone was a pagan shrine and that oaks growing around are relics of the sacred groves.

Wikipedia.org 

Thank you, Ilona !

 

Sent on: February 24, 2015

Received on: February 26, 2015

#822 Vilnius, Lithuania

Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 kilometres (17 miles) west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 497.1 square kilometres (191.9 square miles) of area and, according to 2007 estimates, is inhabited by 5,357 people. A notable feature of Trakai is that the town was built and preserved by people of different nationalities. Historically, communities of Karaims, Tatars, Lithuanians, Russians, Jews and Poles lived here.

Wikipedia.org

Trakai Island Castle (Lithuanian: Trakų salos pilis) is an island castle located in Trakai, Lithuania on an island in Lake Galvė. The castle is sometimes referred to as "Little Marienburg". The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kęstutis, and around 1409 major works were completed by his son Vytautas the Great, who died in this castle in 1430. Trakai was one of the main centres of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the castle held great strategic importance.

Wikipedia.org 

Date of Issue: January 17, 2015 - The Red Book of Lithuania: Mammals

 

Thank you, Ilona !

 

Sent on: February 24, 2015

Received on: February 26, 2015

#821 Vilnius, Lithuania

Marijampolė is an industrial city and the capital of the Marijampolė County in the south of Lithuania, bordering Poland and Russian Kaliningrad oblast and Lake Vištytis. The population of Marijampolė is 48,700 (2003). It is the Lithuanian center of the Suvalkija region.

Marijampolė is the seventh largest city in Lithuania, and has been its regional center since 1994. The city covers an area equal to 205.07 square kilometres (79.18 sq mi). The Šešupė River divides the city into two parts which are connected by six bridges.

Wikipedia.org 

1. Monument to "The Nation and Language. To commemorate 1000 years anniversary of the name of Lithuania."

2. Monument to commemorate the Tauras District partisans, their supporters and liaisons.

3. St. Vincent of Paula Church.

Date of Issue: September 7, 2013 - Red Book of Lithuania

Thank you, Ilona !

 

Sent on: February 24, 2015

Received on: February 26, 2015

#820 Vilnius, Lithuania

Zarasai is a city in northeastern Lithuania, surrounded by many lakes and rivers: to the southwest of the city is Lake Zarasas, to the north – Lake Zarasaitis, to the southeast – Lake Baltas, and the east – Lake Griežtas. Lakes Zarasaitis and Griežtas are connected by the River Laukesa.

In Polish, the town was known since the first third of the 16th century as Jeziorosy, from jezioro meaning lake . In 1836, the town was renamed to Novoalexandrovsk in honor of Tsar Nicholas I's son Alexander. This name was maintained until 1918. From 1919 to 1929, in the newly independent Lithuania, the town was called Ežerėnai, from ežeras, the Lithuanian word for lake. The Yiddish name Ezherene is derived from Ežerėnai. The current Lithuanian name Zarasai was adopted only in 1929.

Zarasai holds the record for the highest recorded daytime temperature in Lithuania of 38.5 °C (2014).

Wikipedia.org 

Date of Issue: January 2, 2015

Coins with Vytis, the Symbol from the Emblem of the Lithuanian State

Thank you, Ilona !

 

Sent on: February 24, 2015

Received on: February 26, 2015

#819 Vilnius, Lithuania

Palūšė is a tourist village in the Aukštaitija National Park in eastern Lithuania. It is located south-west of Ignalina.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: January 2, 2015 - Euro Introduction in Lithuania

Thank you, Ilona !

 

Sent on: February 24, 2015

Received on: February 26, 2015

#802 Lithuania

 Gediminas' Tower (Lithuanian: Gedimino pilies bokštas) is the remaining part of the Upper Castle in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The first fortifications were built of wood by Duke of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Gediminas. Later the first brick castle was completed in 1409 by Grand Duke Vytautas. Third floor tower was rebuilt in 1930, by Polish architect Jan Borowski. Some remnants of the old castle have been restored, guided by archeological research.

It is possible to climb to the top of the hill on foot or by taking a funicular. The tower houses an exposition of archeologic findings from the hill and the surrounding areas. It is also an excellent vantage point, from where the panorama of Vilnius' Old Town can be admired.

Gediminas' Tower is an important state and historic symbol of the city of Vilnius and of Lithuania itself. It is depicted on the national currency, the litas, and is mentioned in numerous Lithuanian patriotic poems and folk songs. The Flag of Lithuania was re-hoisted atop the tower on October 7, 1988, during the independence movement that was finalized by the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania on March 11, 1990. A reconstruction of the Royal Palace of Lithuania was completed in 2009, and is located near the base of the hill upon which Gediminas' Tower stands.

There is a museum in the Gediminas Tower. In the museum there are models of Vilnius castles from the 14th to the 17th centuries, armament, and iconographic material of the Old Vilnius.

Wikipedia.org 

Thank you, Ilona !

Sent on: February 11, 2015

Received on: February 13, 2015

#801 Lithuania

For more info, see received card #613.

About some facts on the postcard:

Jonas Mekas (Lithuanian: [ˈjonɐs ˈmækɐs]; born December 24, 1922) is a Lithuanian-American filmmaker, poet and artist who has often been called "the godfather of American avant-garde cinema." His work has been exhibited in museums and festivals world-wide.

 Wikipedia.org

Arvydas Romas Sabonis (born December 19, 1964) is a Lithuanian retired professional basketball player and businessman. Recognized as one of the best European players of his era, he won the Euroscar Award six times, and the Mr. Europa Award twice. He played in a variety of leagues, and spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States. Sabonis played the center position and also won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea for the Soviet Union, and later earned bronze medals at the 1992 and 1996 games while playing for Lithuania. He retired from professional basketball in 2005.

Wikipedia.org

The Hill of Crosses (Lithuanian: Kryžių kalnas) is a site of pilgrimage about 12 km north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first crosses were placed on the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort after the 1831 Uprising. Over the centuries, not only crosses, but giant crucifixes, carvings of Lithuanian patriots, statues of the Virgin Mary and thousands of tiny effigies and rosaries have been brought here by Catholic pilgrims. The exact number of crosses is unknown, but estimates put it at about 55,000 in 1990 and 100,000 in 2006.
Wikipedia.org

Aukštojas Hill is the highest point in all of Lithuania; it is located in the Medininkai Highlands, Migūnai forestry, approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) southeast of the capital city of Vilnius. Its elevation was measured in 2004 at 293.84 metres (964.08 feet) by specialists at the Institute of Geodesy at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, using GPS technology. Previously, Juozapinė Hill, at 292.7 metres (960.35 feet), had been officially regarded as the highest point in Lithuania. In 1985, suspicions were raised by Rimantas Krupickas, a Lithuanian geographer, that Juozapinė Hill was not actually Lithuania's highest elevation. Aukštojas Hill is located approximately 500 metres (1,640 feet) west of Juozapinė Hill.
Wikipedia.org

The coat of arms of Lithuania, consisting of an armour-clad knight on horseback holding a sword and shield, is also known as Vytis (pronounced: [ʋiːt̪ɪs], "the Chaser"). It is one of very few containing symbolism adopted from ducal portrait seals rather than from coats of arms of dynasties, which is the case for most European countries.
Wikipedia.org

The Curonian Spit (Lithuanian: Kuršių nerija, Russian: Куршская коса, German: Kurische Nehrung, Latvian: Kuršu kāpas) is a 98 km long, thin, curved sand-dune spit that separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea coast. Its southern portion lies within Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia and its northern within southwestern Lithuania. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by the two countries.
Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Radvile !

Sent on: February 2015

Received on: February 11, 2015

#739 Vilnius, Lithuania

Juodkrantė (literally: Black Shore, German: Schwarzort [Black Place]) with permanent population of about 720 people is a quiet Lithuanian seaside resort village located on the Curonian Spit. A part of Neringa municipality, Juodkrantė is the second largest settlement on Lithuania's part of the spit.

Situated in Old Prussian territory it was for centuries a fishing village named Schwarzort, which underwent a tourist boom in the late 19th - early 20th century. After World War I this northern part of East Prussia was severed from Germany and the village became known as Juodkrantė.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: November 8, 2014 - Christmas/New Year

Thank you, Ilona !

Sent on: November 8, 2014

Received on: November 10, 2014

#738 Vilnius, Lithuania

Ignalina is a city in eastern Lithuania, famous for the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in nearby Visaginas. It is said that Ignalina name got its name from Ignas and Lina, two lovers with quite popular Lithuanian names.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: November 8, 2014 - Christmas

Thank you, Ilona !

Sent on: November 8, 2014

Received on: November 10, 2014

#737 Vilnius, Lithuania

Šiauliai is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 133,900. 1994 to 2010 it was the capital of Šiauliai County. Unofficially, the city is the capital of Northern Lithuania.

Wikipedia.org

Thank you, Ilona !

Sent on: November 8, 2014

Received on: November 10, 2014

#724 Vilnius, Lithuania

Birštonas is a balneological resort and a spa town in Lithuania situated 30 km (19 mi) south of Kaunas on the right bank of the Nemunas River. Birštonas received its city rights 1529, and was appointed a city in 1966. The city is the administrative centre of the Birštonas municipality.

Wikipedia.org

Date of Issue: March 17, 2012 - Lithuanian Red Book

Thank you, Ilona !

Sent on: September 8, 2014

Received on: September 12, 2014