Šiauliai

Understand

Šiauliai takes its founding date as 22 Sept 1236, when it was documented as the site of the Battle of Saule - though probably that was 30 km northeast. It grew slowly, being devastated in the 16th and 18th centuries by plague and "The Deluge", the invasion by Sweden. After a rebellion in 1769 it was rebuilt in classical style on a grid pattern, and boomed in the 19th when road and rail transport fostered its industries. The big business here was leather and related trades such as footwear, textiles, candles and confectionery, and local magnate Chaim Frankel built a fine mansion on the proceeds. Šiauliai was wrecked in the First World War and eviscerated in the Second, when within a few weeks of the Nazi arrival its large Jewish population lay in the forest graves they were forced to dig for themselves.

Postwar Soviet rule was oppressive but established industries of metal-bashing (including a bicycle factory), electronics, wood-processing and construction. Independence in 1990 led to growth of the service sector and a westward-facing economy. The airport from 2020 was developed as an Airbus servicing facility, and its military role continues as it's within 15 minutes flying time of NATO's eastern frontier.

Get around

Walk: The city sprawls, but most points of interest are within a compact area.

City buses run 05:00-23:00. Timetables are posted at bus stops, the station and online. Single tickets are sold on the buses (adult €1, senior €0.50). E-ticket fares are €0.50, for an upfront charge of €1.50 for an e-card, so you break even on the third journey: buy these at the bus station on Tilžės g.

Taxis are best booked through your accommodation, they know who's trustworthy. Or use the eTAKSI app for smartphones, or Taxify or Uber. In 2023, official rates were flagfall €0.70 plus €0.70/km and €6/hr waiting.

See

thumb | 300px | Hill of Crosses thumb | 300px | The Iron Fox thumb | 300px | Before they discovered motorbikes

Do

thumb | 300px | The cathedral Saulė Concert Hall is at Tilžės g 140. State Drama Theatre (Valstybinis Šiaulių dramos teatras) is at Tilžės g 155 opposite the Photography Museum. MB Game Tunnel (MB Žaidimų tunelis) is a bowling alley with other amusements such as snooker. It's at Tilžės g 121 opposite the Chocolate Museum, open daily 16:00-01:00. Football: FA Šiauliai play soccer in A Lyga, the country's top tier. FA stands for "football academy" and they're the phoenix successors to FC Šiauliai who went bust in 2016. Their home ground is Savivaldybė Stadium (capacity 7000) about 1 km northwest of city centre; it's shared with the women's team FC Gintra, also in their top tier. The playing season is March-Nov. Flower of the Sun is an international folk music and dancing festival held over a week in early July.

Buy

Stores are strung along Tilžės gatvė, the spine of town coursing southwest to northeast. The most central is Maxima on Rūdės g near the Bicycle Museum, open daily 08:00-23:000.

Eat

Leja and Boho opposite side of Vilniaus gatvė get good reviews.

Drink

thumb | 300px | Street sculpture in town centre Pubs are close to Vilniaus g, and include Bottoms Up, Black Bar and Rock n' Roll. Nero is a shisha cafe. Brewery Gubernija may have brewed since 1665, serving a noble estate, but became an industrial business in 1867; it was revived in 2019. It's 2 km north of the centre at Dvaro g 179, open daily 09:00-19:00 for tastings and shop sales. Distillery Pakrutos Manor in Pakruojis town make gin, schapps and liqueurs.

Sleep

Hotel Šiauliai is a Soviet-era behemoth in town centre by the bicycle museum.

Connect

As of Aug 2023, Šiauliai and its approach highways have 4G from Bite and Tele2, and 5G from Telia.

Go next

Klaipėda, Lithuania's third largest city, lies west. It's modern but with many points of interest, and a short ferry-ride brings you to the Curonian Spit. Palanga is a beach resort north of Klaipėda. Kaunas, Lithuania's second city, is southeast, with many features of its time as a Russian bastion then a Polish city. Riga north in Latvia has a fascinating old town centre.