new guidebook to an exciting, relatively under-the-radar destination. The old town of Vilnius (the capital, where grand Gothic and Baroque facades line cobbled streets), the second city Kaunas and the UNESCO-listed Lithuanian coast (the Curonian Spit, with its traditional fishing villages amid fragile sand-dune ecosystems) are the eye candy that attract international visitors. Behind these main sights is a patchwork of unspoilt rolling landscapes, wholesome village life, crafts, traditions and scars from a brutal Soviet occupation. Upon these elements are layered the youthful energy, new technologies and quirky artistic expression that create the vibrant spirit leading Lithuania into a new era.