Forget all of Europe's other pint-sized countries. San Marino, Vatican City, Monaco, and Lichtenstein all pale in swagger to Vilnius's artistic micronation: Užupis Republic.And if there's any district in Lithuania's capital that will paint a smile on your face, it's right here in Užupis Republic, Vilnius's bohemian quarter where weird is no longer optional.Užupis declared independence on April 1st, 1997, ushering in everything that goes along with becoming an sovereign nation: a …
Lithuania
Lessons From Off the Grid in the Baltics: Zervynos, Lithuania
By the time I reached Vilnius, I knew I had enough. Strolling through clamorous cities like Helsinki, St Petersburg, Moscow, and Minsk wore on me: the honking horns, crowded markets, wall-to-wall pedestrians—I needed an escape.After hearing of Zervynos, a Lithuanian ethnographic village about 2 hours from Vilnius, I knew I found the perfect solution: it was time to get off the grid.Located amid the dense forests of Dzūkija National Park, Zervynos doesn't scream out "must-see" for most …