In the first half of 2019, the tourism growth was almost 10 percent. Significant progress has been made in attracting tourists from far-away markets mainly from China and Japan. Lithuania is a unique destination. Indian tourists are now looking for unique places and find the destination to be a perfect fit for that, hence the potential is very high. Those who wish to explore more are impressed by Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Its historical centre is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list and its stunning medieval and baroque architecture is unrivaled in Europe. There's Trakai Castle—a beautiful medieval castle that sits on an island in the centre of Lake Galve. If you need to visit more than just architectures, there's no better place than the Curonian Spit. This peninsula with amazing sand dunes is located between the Baltic Sea and the Curonian lagoon. It has been listed as a place you must see before you die in the travel book—1,000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz, and included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list as one of the most beautiful and unique landscapes in Europe. The Hill of Crosses also leaves a big impression on the tourists. The hill is covered with more than 100,000 crosses and is a sacred place for pilgrims and an awe-inspiring site for tourists and visitors.

Lithuania itself is still an 'off-the-beaten-track' destination. Lonely Planet has recently likened a trip to the Baltic States and Lithuania to a fairy tale, thanks to the abundance of enchanting landscapes. The official geographical centre of Europe is 26 kilometres away from Vilnius, which means being here is equivalent to travelling to the centre of the earth. To add on, hot-air balloon rides above Vilnius should be included in this special trip. For a country where there are no hills, our pagan forefathers had to find creative ways to worship gods. Thus, they created their own mountains, 'Hillforts', 900 of them scattered around the country. Each of them is like a treasury of legends, folk stories and history. Lithuania is a small country having an advanced road system which makes it easy to wander in various parts of the country and see a totally different landscape and attractions in a short time.

Many don't know that Lithuania and India are connected since ancient times. It is proved by the existing links between our two languages: Lithuanian and Sanskrit. 'Dievas' in Lithuanian and 'Dev' in Sanskrit, 'Sapnas' and 'sapna-' mean the same thing. The Lithuanian Language Institute has even produced a dictionary. It is important to build on this existing link between our countries with present-day exchanges and cooperation. Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary was celebrated in Lithuania. His soulmate, Hermann Kallenbach, was born in our country. There is a monument commemorating their friendship in a small town close to Baltic Sea, at Rusne, which is often visited by tourists from India.

Lithuania is part of the Schengen area, so anyone holding a Schengen visa may travel to Lithuania as well. Indians can now apply for a visa at a VFS Global Visa Center at their preferred location. Visa processing will take two weeks, although we encourage everyone to apply as much in advance as possible to ease the planning of the trip. If tourists want to explore more of Europe, it is possible to fly directly to Helsinki and then travel by road or air through the Baltic states, ending the trip in Warsaw, from where you can fly back directly to India (or vice versa). You can tick the box for visiting five countries in one trip!

This is my second year in India. I try to use every opportunity to travel and discover new places in with my family. Even though I've seen a lot in India, the diversity of this country continues to astonish me. I have three kids and we love being in nature, so whenever possible, we try to leave Delhi to go to the hills for a hike. During winters we enjoy going to the Indian seashore and enjoy tranquillity at the beach and lots of fresh seafood.