If you’re traveling to the Baltics, you may be curious about what the best souvenirs from Lithuania are.
Lithuania produces a wide range of unique products, from home-grown food and drink to local design to folk art. An item from any one of these categories is sure to make a memorable souvenir, thoughtful gift, or lovely addition to your home or wardrobe.
Local Design
Local design in Lithuania is hot! Various fashion boutiques, brand-dedicated kiosks, and design markets offer products designed and produced in Lithuania. These products typically have shoppers looking for contemporary style for their home or wardrobe in mind.
Candles
Lithuanian candles range from odorless beeswax candles to candles scented with natural oils. Many Lithuanian candle brands are well-loved in Lithuania and abroad. In addition to candles, oil diffusers, wax melts, and home sprays are often a part of Lithuanian candle brand lines.
Linen
Lithuanian linen is one of the best Lithuanian souvenirs you can buy. It’s beautiful, durable, natural, and sustainable. Whether you’re purchasing linen napkins or sheets for the home or wardrobe staples such as linen blouses, you’ll fall in love with the ease and elegance of this fabric.
Make Heads Turn
Make Heads Turn enamel pins and keychains feature Lithuanian cultural elements, such as cold pink soup, Vilnius’ iconic trolleybuses, and mushrooms.
They also have a cheeky selection of LGBTQ+-themed merchandise and pins that make a political or other statement.
They look great on a jacket or backpack, and they’re small enough that you can grab a handful of them to pass out to friends who were not lucky enough to visit Lithuania without bulking up your luggage.
Maps
Maps might seem a strange inclusion to a list of Lithuanian souvenirs, but two companies specifically produce maps that make travelers salivate.
Map My Hood is a company that produces graphic maps of Lithuanian districts, such as Zverynas, and Lithuanian cities. But it also produces maps of other locales around the world.
Trip Map makes printed map canvases that you can then place pins in to mark where you’ve been. A wide range of color schemes, sizes, and regions means it’s easy to find one appropriate for your personal decor or style preferences.
Unfortunately, many Trip Maps are too large to fit into luggage, so having yours delivered may be the best option.
DSBaltic produces laser-cut puzzle maps of Lithuania or other countries. They make an interesting conversation piece or gift for people who like games. They’re also easy to pack because they’re not fragile and about the size of a piece of notebook paper.
Baltic Amber
Baltic amber, found on the coast of the Baltic sea, is often golden or yellow in color and worked into earrings, necklaces, bracelets, or rings. Baltic amber in Lithuania is often set in silver, but you can also find it in gold, strung onto leather, or incorporated into magnets and other souvenirs.
Wooden Utensils and Kitchenware
Lithuanian-made wooden kitchenware and utensils are ubiquitous at outdoor markets. These hand-produced items (think serving spoons, cutting boards, coasters, and compartmentalized serving dishes) are useful gifts and souvenirs that are also easy to pack for the journey home.
Ceramics
Lithuanian-made ceramic products reflect the personality of their creators. You’ll find useful and classic designs, fun and funky figurines and dishes, and elaborate and beautiful pieces of art.
Black ceramic is another form of ceramic that makes one of the best Lithuanian souvenirs. Created using an ancient technique, black ceramic has a dull, metallic sheen. Some ceramicists using this technique take advantage of the dark background to add touches of colored glaze, which stands out in striking contrast.
Choose a serving dish or mug to take home with you, or snag one of the hanging ceramic mobiles that craftspeople make and sell at fairs.
Also look for ceramic with traditional geometric designs. These beautiful pieces would not be out of place during an outdoor picnic or hanging on a wall in a cottage.
Folk Art Lithuanian Souvenirs
Lithuanian folk art incorporates traditional designs and color palettes with objects reflecting the folk culture of Lithuania. Some types of folk art are merely decorative, while others can be worn or used to brighten up interior spaces.
Decorated Eggs
Lithuanian Easter eggs have their roots in Baltic paganism. Though often associated with Easter, their origins lie in pre-Christian times, when they were used for “magical” purposes—for protection or luck, for example.
That’s why Lithuanian decorated eggs are not simply lovely elements of seasonal decoration—the patterns that they bear represent generations’ worth of cultural heritage.
Wrist Warmers
Beaded wrist warmers are an example of folk design that can be easily incorporated into a winter wardrobe. These wrist bands are typically knitted and slightly stretchy—they are meant to fit close to the wrist and be worn peeking out from beneath long sleeves.
Easter Palms
Easter palms, or verbos, are joyful compositions of dried grass and flowers, bound together in a sort of wand-like shape. These arrangements are taken to church on Palm Sunday to be blessed, but then they may be placed in the home for decoration.
You’ll find Easter palms of all sizes, from tiny to huge. Some are round and fluffy, and others are elongated and elegant. They come in bold color combinations or subtle, earthy hues.
They are particularly prevalent at Kaziukas Fair, where vendors by the dozens offer Easter Palms they have been making well in advance for this very event.
Woven Belts
Lithuanian woven belts or sashes are inspired by Lithuanian folk costume. These bright accessories are typically sold at outdoor markets.
Cosmetics and Body Product Souvenirs from Lithuania
If you like useful souvenirs, body and cosmetic products may be the way to go. Several companies in Lithuania produce good-quality moisturizers, cleansers, and skin treatments that you may want to add to your daily routine.
Handmade Soaps
Lithuanians value using natural materials in their products, and handmade soaps are no exception. Scented with natural oils, herbs, or spices, these soaps are as nice to your skin as they are to smell.
Naturalos Idejos is one company producing such soaps. It also creates scents for the home and candles.
Skincare Brands
Uoga Uoga, which means “berry berry,” is a Lithuanian cosmetics company focusing on using natural ingredients. Its line contains everything from makeup to skin creams to shampoos. You’ll even find it in supermarkets – that’s how beloved and ubiquitous it is.
Math Scientific formulates skincare products with proven ingredients or for specific concerns and packages them in sleek, modern bottles.
Manilla offers sustainable skincare products with serums and creams for various skin types. Manilla also has its own spa in Kaunas.
Kvapu Namai specializes in essential oils and natural products made from plants. Whether you’re looking for a soothing body butter, a refreshing hydrating spray, or a luxurious body oil, Kvapu Namai has various options.
Food Souvenirs from Lithuania
While you must be careful about what types of edible souvenirs you take home with you due to import regulations of your country of origin, various Lithuanian food products make excellent souvenirs and gifts.
Stay away from perishable or farm items such as meat products, and be mindful of your country’s customs limits for alcohol.
The following food and drink may make good souvenirs of your trip to Lithuania:
Honey
Honey is a part of many Lithuanian traditional dishes—one recipe even calls for cucumbers to be dipped in honey. Whether you dip cucumbers in the honey you buy from Lithuania is your call. Otherwise, it’s delicious on bread, in tea, or with yogurt.
Sakotis
Lithuanian tree cake, or sakotis, is a cake that is turned on a spit as batter is poured on in layers. The result is a hollow, spiky cake. You’ll find versions packaged for travel at supermarkets and outdoor markets. It’s one of the best-known Lithuanian desserts!
Beer
Visitors to Lithuania are often eager to try locally brewed beer. If you find a favorite, you can buy a couple of bottles to take home and either savor on your own or share with friends.
Fruit wine
Lithuania produces berry and fruit wines that are sweeter than grape wine varieties. You can try Lithuanian berry wine in restaurants featuring local Lithuanian cuisine. However, if you want to buy a bottle of this wine, head to one of the larger wine and liquor shops.
Herbal Tea
Lithuanians love their herbal tea. Melissa, chamomile, peppermint, thyme, and even carraway herbal teas are healthy tea alternatives readily found in Lithuania.
Various blends of these and other herbal teas are produced in Lithuania and sold packaged in individual tea bags or as loose-leaf teas.
Skonis ir Kvapas, which has stores in shopping centers such as CUP, is a good place to find Lithuanian-made teas. You can also find various blends at 7 Ievos Namai on Vokieciu Street in Vilnius.
Apple Cheese
Apple cheese is a sweet pressed dessert-like food made of apples, sugar, and spices. Served with tea or as part of a cheese plate, it makes a nice contrast to savory foods. Apple cheese is easy to pack, will withstand being carried in luggage, and will appeal to a wide variety of palates.
Chocolate
Chocolate is a universally loved souvenir. Consider stocking up on Lithuanian-made chocolate before you head home – either to snack on yourself or pass out to family and friends.
Ruta chocolate is well-known throughout Lithuania. Its factory is in Siauliai, famous for the Hill of Crosses. If you’d like to learn more about this Lithuanian brand, you can visit the factory and museum and even participate in a chocolate-making workshop.
Chocolate Naive is a bean-to-bar, handmade luxury chocolate brand. You’ll find dark chocolates as well as chocolates with spices, nuts, or even kefir or mushrooms. These chocolates are surprising and delicious.
Where to Buy Souvenirs from Lithuania
You’ll be able to find many Lithuanian souvenirs in the main tourist areas of towns. For example, Pilies Street in Vilnius has many souvenir shops, linen shops, and amber shops.
Lithuanian souvenirs—including edible ones—can also be found at seasonal outdoor markets sold directly by the people who make them. Large supermarkets and bio markets sometimes carry traditionally or locally made food and drink, as well.
Christmas markets in Vilnius are also great places to pick up souvenirs and gifts. Other outdoor seasonal markets, such as Kaziukas Fair are also excellent opportunities to find souvenirs from Lithuania.
Boutique shops and design shops also sell Lithuanian-made goods. Check out Locals.lt in the Gedimino 9 shopping center for a good selection.
Of course, you can always shop for souvenirs from Lithuania online. Many artisans have web pages or sell through sites such as Etsy. Others can be contacted through their Facebook or Instagram accounts.