Siauliai was first mentioned in
rhyme in 1236, in reference to a savage battle
between the then Lithuanian tribes and the Sword
Brothers, a particularly nasty bunch of monks
working for the bishop of Riga. The monks, so the
story goes, were 'cut down like women', and the
battle is notable in being the first ever victory
of the emerging Lithuanian nation over a
significant external power. Modern Siauliai
retains that original fighting spirit. Its largely
industrial landscape was twice obliterated last
century during both world wars, yet it just keeps
coming back. The Soviets saw its potential, and
based large electronic, radio and television
factories in the city, and since independence the
presence of a huge, cheap manual workforce has led
to the area being designated a Free Trade Zone,
attracting the sort of foreign investment needed
to keep the city afloat. Despite being the fourth
largest city in the country with a population in
the region of 150,000, the centre has a
distinctive towny feel, with a clump of
interesting bars and restaurants, bizarre statues
jumping out at you from every corner, leftover
tale-tale signs of Communist urban idealism and a
shockingly odd collection of museums and
galleries, all within walking distance of each
other. A week here could drive you nuts. A day or
two is highly recommended.
Getting there Siauliai
is approximately 220km northwest of Vilnius,
slightly northwest of the centre of the country.
Lithuania's efficient network of public transport
makes it an easy target for the adventurous
itinerant.
By bus Lithuania's
excellent bus network provides services to
Siauliai from all over the country, and if you
like to bounce about a lot, they really are an
excellent way to travel. It's advisable to check
the journey time before picking a bus, as many
services crawl from village to village and can
take what seems like an eternity to finally arrive
at their destination.
By road
Siauliai is one of the best-connected
cities in Lithuania, being in the middle of
several fairly decent city-to-city roads. Journeys
times are, from Vilnius around two hours, Kaunas
and Klaipeda one hour, depending on weather
conditions and driver mentality.
By
train The average speed of a passenger
train in Lithuania is 57km/h. You can practically
cycle to Siauliai quicker. However, trains remain
the choice of fidgets and chain-smokers alike, and
there are worse ways to travel. Siauliai is on the
main rail route between Vilnius and Klaipeda, and
several direct trains run from both cities daily.
Street genius! Siauliai's claim
to genius lies in the numbers on all the buildings
in the city. Along with the regular digits, a
small triangle is also included, which cleverly
slopes upwards in the direction that the building
numbers increase. Essential on long roads.
Where to stay
Salduve Donelaicio 70, tel.
(+370-41) 55 35 93, fax (+370-41) 55 35 90.
Located in a dreary, desolate industrial
estate, Salduve is a beautifully tatty relic of a
by-gone Soviet age. You couldn't invent anything
more kitsch. The decoration has to be seen to be
believed, yet as with so many of these hotels, the
place is spotless, and the staff get by with large
helpings of irony and humour. If you don't mind
roughing it a bit, and travelling to town and back
by taxi (about 5Lt), this hotel is an excellent
budget choice. Singles 35 - 40Lt, doubles 40 -
120Lt, triples 80Lt.
Siauliu Draugystes 25, tel.
(+370-41) 43 73 33, fax (+370-41) 43 83 39.
It's no longer strictly a Soviet hotel thanks
to a modicum of renovation, but the feeling
certainly hasn't gone away. It is, however, the
best in town. Perfectly situated in the centre of
the city, the rooms are clean and bright, all
coming with satellite television and their own
bathrooms. At 16 floors, this is a good option for
getting to know the city without getting dressed.
The higher up you go, the better view you get of
the city. Singles 70Lt, doubles 100Lt, luxury
suites 130Lt.
Tomas Tilzes 63a, tel.
(+370-41) 45 55 41. Mid-range in Siauliai
means only a few light switches are broken. Don't
be put off by the slightly scruffy bar on the way
in, as the comfortable attic rooms are more than
adequate in this small family-run hotel. A
kilometre or so from the city centre, Tomas is on
a busy bus route in and out of town. Singles 80Lt,
doubles 140Lt, suites 200Lt.
Sustenance
Edenas (entrance at the back of
the building) Tilzes 121, tel. (+370-41) 52 49
73. A non-smoking restaurant with hand-made
wallpaper and tropical fish can't be bad, and the
fact that the food is delicious and practically
free makes this Siauliai's number one destination
for the lung/wallet-conscious visitor. The
portions are huge too. Open 11:00 - 24:00.
Granto
Visinskio 41, tel. (+370-41) 42 79 02.
No you haven't stumbled onto the set of
Cheers, although you could be excused for
thinking so. The excellent lunchtime steaks keep
coming until bedtime, but are gradually
overshadowed by the regulars, hell-bent on
enforcing their opinion that the place is really a
whiskey bar. Vegetarians and children will be
pleased to know they are both catered for here.
Open 08:00 - 24:00.
Norna Tilzes 126c, tel.
(+370-41) 42 55 94. Tongue in horseradish,
pancakes, caviar, and saltibarsciai
(delicious cold beetroot soup with a side dish of
potatoes) to reaffirm every bone in the body, all
served in a heavily oak-clad room, the only
non-wooden concessions being the pleasant staff
and the large mirror ball taking centre stage
hanging from the arboreal ceiling. Come here for a
real Lithuanian lunch. Open 11:00 - 24:00.
Salingas
Tilzes 168, tel. (+370-41) 52 09 22. Is
the Chinese cook really doing his best in the face
of the nightmare that are limited ingredients, or
is he just pulling the wool over our eyes? It
seems to be the latter. The soups are edible, but
the spring roll fillings seemingly got lost on
their way to the inside of a cepelinai.
Still, if you like a snug, minimalist environment
in which to quaff 150Lt bottles of La
Freur, this is the place for you. Open
11:00 - 23:00.
What to see & do
Just about everything worth mentioning in
Siauliai takes place within a small radius at the
intersection of Vilniaus and Tilzes.
Art Gallery Vilniaus 245, tel.
(+370-41) 52 43 85. A small but impressive
gallery, housing both permanent exhibitions and a
host of temporary shows from fine art to video
installations. Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun,
Mon.
Bicycle Museum Vilniaus
139, tel. (+370-41) 52 43 95. What town with a
bicycle factory would be complete without a
bicycle museum? Follow the history of the
two-wheeled beast from its early 19th century
precursors to today's modern carbon fibre racing
machines. It's enough to make one out of breath
just looking at them. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat
11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun, Mon.
Cathedral Ausros 3 At over
70m, the imposing cathedral tower sticks out over
the city like an angry white pencil. The first
religious building to be built on this spot dates
back to 1445, although the modern building was
completed in 1625 in a Renaissance style. The
simple white form both inside and out is a relief
after the extravagances of the religious
architecture of much of Lithuania. Once finished
taking it all in, take a stroll around the
outside, a trek down into the small wooded
cemetery behind, and follow it down the hill to a
small gate, which opens out onto a quite charming
lake.
Photography Museum
Vilniaus 140, tel. (+370-41) 52 43 96.
On two floors, the upstairs is dedicated to
equipment and the history of taking pictures in
Lithuania. The downstairs gallery features
constantly changing exhibitions, mostly by native
photographers. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 11:00 -
16:00. Closed Sun, Mon.
Blasts to the
past The cinema at Tilzes 136 is a must to
behold, being one of the few Soviet relics left in
the city. A squat, concrete pagoda, the building
is notable for the huge expanse of stained glass
around three sides of the building, and really
should be seen. Also mentionable is the bus
station at Tilzes 109. Again, a great testament to
Soviet social planning, the scruffy interior is
brought alive by the exquisite mural in the large
waiting room. Also take a look at the kavine (Open
07:00 - 19:00) for a glimpse into the way things
were.
Further reading An
exhaustive list of things Siauliai can be surfed
online at the superb http://www.siauliai.lt/.
Although informative, the site doesn't get updated
as often as it could, so you're advised to check
opening times with venues before going along. If
you want to browse whilst in town, try the
internet cafe (interneto kavine) UNDO, Vytauto
111, tel. (+370-41) 43 19 61. Open 10:00 - 22:00.
Twelve fast machines for 3Lt/hr.
Siauliai was first mentioned in
rhyme in 1236, in reference to a savage battle
between the then Lithuanian tribes and the Sword
Brothers, a particularly nasty bunch of monks
working for the bishop of Riga. The monks, so the
story goes, were 'cut down like women', and the
battle is notable in being the first ever victory
of the emerging Lithuanian nation over a
significant external power. Modern Siauliai
retains that original fighting spirit. Its largely
industrial landscape was twice obliterated last
century during both world wars, yet it just keeps
coming back. The Soviets saw its potential, and
based large electronic, radio and television
factories in the city, and since independence the
presence of a huge, cheap manual workforce has led
to the area being designated a Free Trade Zone,
attracting the sort of foreign investment needed
to keep the city afloat. Despite being the fourth
largest city in the country with a population in
the region of 150,000, the centre has a
distinctive towny feel, with a clump of
interesting bars and restaurants, bizarre statues
jumping out at you from every corner, leftover
tale-tale signs of Communist urban idealism and a
shockingly odd collection of museums and
galleries, all within walking distance of each
other. A week here could drive you nuts. A day or
two is highly recommended.