The capital
Almost every trip starts in Vilnius, whose Old Town is one of the largest in eastern Europe, a UNESCO listed maze of baroque churches, courtyards and cobbled lanes. Across the little Vilnia river sits Užupis, the self declared artists' republic, and the city's history of grand dukes, Jewish scholarship and Soviet occupation is told in strong museums. Plan three nights here at least.
The island castle
Half an hour west of the capital, Trakai is the picture postcard of Lithuania: a red brick castle on an island in Lake Galvė, wooden houses of the small Karaite community, and lakes made for boating. It is an easy half day or day trip from Vilnius.
The second city
Kaunas was the temporary capital between the two world wars and is full of modernist buildings now on the UNESCO list. It has a compact old town where two rivers meet, the much loved M. K. Čiurlionis art museum, the quirky Devils' Museum and the Ninth Fort memorial.
The port
Klaipėda is Lithuania's only seaport, with a half timbered old town from its German past as Memel, a sculpture park and the Sea Museum across the water. It is the gateway to the Curonian Spit and close to the resort of Palanga.
The dunes
The Curonian Spit is a narrow ribbon of sand and pine between the Baltic Sea and a calm lagoon, a UNESCO site with some of the highest moving dunes in Europe. Nida, the main village, has blue painted fishing houses and smoked fish at the harbour.
How to combine them
For a first week, try three nights in Vilnius with a half day in Trakai, two nights in Kaunas, then Klaipėda and two nights on the Curonian Spit. With less time, Vilnius plus Trakai is a perfect long weekend. Use the free trip planner to shape a route around your dates.