Sport & Activities
Hiking: Lithuania is a predominantly flat country, a quarter of which is covered by forests. There are five national parks and numerous other conservation areas. Hiking trails can be found all over the country. One of the highlights is the Curonian Spit National Park, on the peninsula separating the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea, where visitors can explore a range of large sand dunes and several pine forests. Rare flora and fauna are to be found here. Trakai National Park contains many lakes while Aukstaitija and Zemaitija National Parks feature hills, lakes and uplands.
Watersports: A range of watersports is practised on Lithuania's many lakes and rivers, and equipment can be hired locally. Fishing is very popular. Licences, which are compulsory, are issued by the Department of Water Resources, Juozapaviciaus 9, Vilnius (tel: (2) 723 631). Sailing and windsurfing are popular on the lakes near Trakai, at Kursiu marios (a lagoon at the Baltic) and at Kauno marios near Kaunas.
Other: Winter sports include ice-fishing, cross-country skiing and skating.
Lithuania has extensive sporting facilities including the 15,000-seat Zalgiris stadium in Vilnius and facilities for swimming, football, handball, basketball (the most popular sport), tennis and hockey.
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