Juan David Latorre
Last Wednesday, the Embassy of Lithuania organised a special event at the Hotel Villa Real in Madrid to present the tourist opportunities that Lithuania has to offer, an event which was hosted by Ambassador Lyra Puišytė-Bostroem.
Enjoying a few days strolling around the old town of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius is always an unforgettable trip, as well as visiting the many of Lithuania’s most popular tourist attractions. Ambassador Lyra Puišytė-Bostroem conveyed the alluring beauty of Lithuanian culture, history and gastronomy to the travel agencies and tour operators attending the event, as a cocktail party was held at the end of the event with a nod to her country’s food delicacies, including Šaltibarsčiai, the famous cold beetroot soup; Džiugas, a hard fermented cheese from the Telšia region, among other delicacies that delighted the palate.
The ambassador divided her presentation into four tourism sectors offered by Lithuania, namely Nature and active tourism, Wellness, Culture and history and Business tourism, highlighting the Baltic coast and the Kursiu Nerija (Curland Isthmus) National Park, with its unspoilt beaches and UNESCO-protected dunes, as well as 70 km of forest and coastal bike trails.
City breaks in the country’s capital, Vilnius, were also highlighted, with its lively life and numerous buildings (museums, galleries, baroque churches, the cathedral, etc.) that make this city a very attractive tourist visit. The cities of Kaunas (its basketball attraction) and Klaipéda were also highlighted in the ambassador’s remarks.
For lovers of culture and history, Lithuania offers a fusion of past and present, with numerous buildings and sites that are tangible (5) and intangible (4) World Heritage Sites and a very active artistic and musical life. The many cultural events that take place throughout the year were also highlighted, including the famous Lithuanian Song Festival and the Midsummer Festival, as well as the Christmas Markets.
Forbes magazine has published this month that “Lithuania redraws the map of wellness travel”. Its spas, where nature and tradition meet science, bear witness to this. The towns of Druskininkai, Birstonas, Palanga and Anyksciai stand out for their wellness tourism and spas.
Finally, Ambassador Lyra Puišytė-Bostroem pointed out the great offers and opportunities Lithuania has to offer for the organisation of business events, with unique venues (baroque monasteries or estates) and charming hotels ideal for meetings, incentives and workations, with an excellent price-quality ratio.
Diplomatic visit to the Ben Shahn exhibition
As part of a week full of events organised by the Lithuanian Embassy to disseminate its history and culture, several ambassadors posted to Spain also visited the exhibition of Lithuanian artist Ben Shahn at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, which we reported on in The Diplomat on the 17th of this month. Ambassadors from Hungary, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Poland, Canada, Turkey, New Zealand, Cyprus, Lithuania, USA, Finland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Monaco and Australia attended the visit.
