Lithuania
Amber. Amber permeates Lithuanian culture and folklore. The legendary goddess/mermaid Jurate lived under the Baltic Sea in an amber castle that was smashed into countless pieces as punishment by the thunder god for falling in love with a mortal fisherman, Kastytis. The baubles of amber that wash ashore after storms are thought by some to be fragments of Jurate's castle. Amber shops are scattered throughout the old town of Vilnius, from the Cathedral Square to the Ausros Gate. Visit exhibitions held by folk masters and purchase jewelry in modern and classical designs at the Amber Museum-Gallery (Sv. Mykolo Street 8, Vilnius; tel. +370 526 23092). Admire the amber sculpture collection at AMBER (Latviu Street, Vilnius; tel. +370 527 24090) and peruse their Baltic amber pieces and high-quality jewelry.
Linen. Lithuania has a centuries-old linen tradition of growing flax and manufacturing linen products of exceptional quality. Archaeological excavations have found that traditional costumes were made from wool and linen. Find linen in a wide range of products such as cloth, bedspreads, tablecloths, and other interior decorating accessories at
Wooden toys. Lithuanian wooden toys known for their good quality and innovative design. Local birch trees, including those from the Skuodas forest region, are often used in toy production. Traditional handmade wooden toys are available from Arbobaltas and Zigra.
Pottery. Learn traditional pottery techniques and participate in the handicraft process of the Amatu gildija workshop-gallery in Vilnius (Pranciskonu Street 6, Vilnius; tel. +370 521 20520). Potters in an open-air workshop demonstrate early ceramic production and sell pottery made with different techniques like raku—a process by which pottery is fired at a low temperature and rapidly cooled.
Wool. People in what is now Lithuania have been raising sheep since the second millennium B.C. Today there are about 28,000 sheep in the country. When winter comes, sweaters, scarves, and the like flood the marketplace. For fashionable items in colorful fabrics, shop the Baltic Mills (Zemaiciu Street, Kaunas; tel. +370 374 26839) located in Kaunas, the second biggest city of Lithuania.
