Siauliai in Lithuania can be as local as it gets, as well as be the perfect urban exploration option for travellers who’ve already ticked off the country’s other major cities and now want something more original and authentic, through-and-through.
To gauge the city’s local character, start by taking a stroll past the laid-back coffee houses and beer bars of Vilniaus Street a.k.a “The Boulevard”, also Siauliai’s central modern core. Be sure to ask your Siauliai tourist guide for tips on the curious array of architecture, from the magnificent Cathedral of Siauliai with its tall white tower and the elegant Villa of Chaim Frenkel that have lingered here since the town’s destruction in World War Two, to the Sundial Square symbolising the city’s very foundation.
In the winter, be sure to make a trip to the mysterious Hill of Crosses to the north of town (best done in the snow), a pilgrimage site where masses of religious icons protrude from the ground. While in the summer, there are the city’s lakes Rekyva, Talkša, and Ginkunai, and their concomitant green parks and water sports to enjoy.