Šiauliai is a modest city, and its appeal for couples is a gentle, outdoor one. This page covers a short list of free places for a walk together rather than packaged romantic experiences, and it works best as one weekend within a longer Baltic trip. The plan below follows the light from evening to morning. Prices are in euros. Friday evening: Sundial Square and the boulevard Sundial Square was built in 1986, and the gilded bronze Archer on its tall obelisk is the city’s best-known landmark.

Šiauliai is a northern Lithuanian city of about 112,000 people, and its activity list is short and specific rather than long. Everything except the Hill of Crosses sits within roughly 1.5 km of the pedestrian boulevard, so it works best to choose by mood and let distance take care of itself. All prices are in euros. For a quiet, reflective hour The Hill of Crosses (Kryžių kalnas) lies about 12 km north of the city, close to the railway line to Riga.

Šiauliai has very little in the way of organised sightseeing. There are no coach companies, no hop-on hop-off service and no city tour with a fixed timetable. What exists is a handful of guided visits run by museums, a venue and the tourist office, and a few day tours sold from other cities. Because the options are limited, it helps to sort them by how far ahead you need to arrange them.

Northern Lithuania is flat, quiet farmland with a scatter of shrines, manors and regional parks, and Šiauliai sits in the middle of it, near the Latvian border. Here the trips are grouped by distance so you can match them to the hours you have. Road distances are approximate, and the further ones are easiest by car because regional buses are infrequent. Prices are in euros. Trip Distance from Šiauliai Best for Hill of Crosses about 12 km north a morning Kurtuvėnai Regional Park about 20 to 25 km west a half day Tytuvėnai and Šiluva about 45 to 50 km and 53 km south a full day Pakruojis Manor about 50 to 60 km north-east a half day Telšiai about 70 km west a full day Rundāle Palace, Latvia about 75 to 90 km a full day Under 30 km Hill of Crosses.

Šiauliai has no historic old town, and that shapes how to see it. The sights are scattered along a pedestrian boulevard, around one main square and beside a lake, all within about 1.5 km of each other, with one important place a short drive north. The order below runs from the square outward. Prices are in euros. Sundial Square The square dates from 1986, when the city marked its 750th anniversary.

Šiauliai is flat and its centre is compact, so a good walk needs no guide and no map beyond the routes below. They are arranged by how much time you have. The tourist office at Vilniaus g. 213-90 (+370 41 523 110) lists the official routes, and a paper copy of the summer board game played along the boulevard is free there. Wear comfortable shoes, and add grips between December and March, when the lakeside paths can be icy.

Travelling with children in Šiauliai comes down to the weather. The museums are small, hands-on and quick to see, and the lakeside park fills the dry hours. Everything below is close to the pedestrian boulevard, so you can change plans without a long walk or ride. Prices are in euros. When it rains Bicycle Museum, Vilniaus g. 139. This is the busiest stop for children, because visitors can try modern and antique bicycles and ride a velomobile.

Šiauliai is a convenient place to spend two or three nights, mainly because of where it sits. The city lies on the road and rail line between Vilnius, about 215 km to the south-east, and Riga, 137 km to the north. A night here splits the journey between the two capitals neatly. Prices are in euros. Getting in and out Šiauliai’s own airport is a military air base, so arrive through Riga, Kaunas, Palanga or Vilnius, at 137, 146, 160 and 216 km respectively.