Anyone who followed the illustrious NBA careers of Sarunis Marciulionins or Arvydas Sabonis will know that basketball is Lithuania’s national sport.
And while coming here to see the birthplace of some of the best ballers to come out of Eastern Europe is as good a reason as any, this country on the Baltic Sea has plenty to offer beyond that.
The capital city of Vilnius is home to the fascinating KGB Museum, where you can still walk among shredded papers and worn Soviet-era offices. The Hill of Crosses is also a site unlike anything you’ll find in the world. Originally a memorial to those lost in Lithuania’s November Uprising against the Russian empire in 1831, it's become a pilgrimage site despite multiple raids and destruction during Soviet occupation. It’s a little bit eerie, but if you’re the sort of person who enjoys midnight walks through the graveyard, it should be right up your alley.
Vilnius is among Europe's most underrated cities.