Druskininkai Shopping

Druskininkai Tourist Information Agency was the first point I visited in Druskininkai. My travel books to Lithuania didn't contain any map and more detailed information on the spa.

HOURS
Monday - Friday:
8.30 am - 12.15 pm
1.00 pm - 5.00 pm
Sat - Sun: closed.

For non-driving visitors there was another tourist information office located in downtown/centre: at Ciurlionio gatve 65; tel./fax: +370 (313) 51777. It was open Mon - Sun: 10.00 am - 6.45 pm.

What to buy: I bought this leaflet on my picture: Exploring Druskininkai. City Guide. It was periodical city guide to Druskininkai which contained schematic map of the town and a lot of usuful information on accommodations (with prices), eating, leisure etc.

What to pay: 5.00 Lt per city guide.

When in your hotel room is kitchen it's better to buy food in department stores. Largest choice is in MAXIMA and / or IKI.
There you can buy food, lot of things for long evenings - firewood, grills and so on.

What to buy: There are no special items, but you will find lot of what you need: food, drinks, lithuanian beer, equipments for grilling and camping

What to pay: Prices are normal, like in whole Lithuania: milk ~2.5 Litas, bread ~2.8 Litas, beer ~2.8 Litas, 1 kilo meat for roasting or grilling ~15 Litas.

IKI is Lithuanian chain of discount supermarket which offered good choice of food and drinks at low prices - good choice esp. for budget visitors. There were few consumers when I was there.

HOURS
Daily 8.00 am -10.00 pm
Closed only on January, 1.

What to buy: I was looking at food and there was very good choice.
Something Lithuanian?
Look for famous local honey (lietuviskas midus), Lithuanian dark bread, vodka , beer (Svyturis, Kalnapilis, Utenos) if you like.

What to pay: A lot of discounts (akcija). Generally, prices for food were similar to the ones in Poland that meant lower than in Western Europe.

One woman sold these woolen slippers, on my picture from the table put at Laisves gatve (street).

What to buy: Woolen slippers unless you don't like them or... your feet are never cold although it comes with age... :-) There were a few patterns to choose, mostly similar to... Scandinavian ones, am I wrong? They were handmade and of good quality at least at first sight.

What to pay: Generally low and not very fixed prices. Try to bargain (preferably in... Lithuanian or Russian). Good luck :-).

One woman sold these amber necklaces, on my picture from the table put at Laisves gatve (street).

What to buy: Simple and cheap jewelry made of Baltic amber ("gintaras") from bracelets to necklaces... if you like amber. It was not the best choice and the stones were of low quality when I looked closer.
Later on, during my Lithuanian trip, I found amber with insects inside but they were much more expensive, at least in Vilnius.

What to pay: Generally low and not very fixed prices. Try to bargain (preferably in... Lithuanian or Russian). Good luck :-). First price for amber necklaces was only 10 (€ 3.01; US$ 3.63; 13.82 Polish zl) or 12 Lt.

One woman sold these wooden and colorful dolls, on my picture from the table put at Laisves gatve (street).

What to buy: These wooden, colorful and thick dolls were NOT Lithuanian but Russian so called "babushka dolls" or "Matryoshka" - the most famous Russian gift, a symbol of old Russia. "Babushka" means little old lady or granny in Russian. The dolls were made of wood (linden) by hand. Hmm... they should be handmade, unless they were produced in, say China :-). Anyway, when you open the first doll and find out there was one more inside, and then even one more, and more, and more...

What to pay: Generally low and not fixed prices. Try to bargain (preferably in... Lithuanian or Russian). Good luck :-).

There were a few small stores with roofed tables among them put along Laisves gatve (street). Locals used to sell various items for visitors there.

Well, it was not my favourite type of business architecture although more and more common in Eastern (or to be more exact: Central) European countries.

What to buy: Various gifts and souvenirs both kitschy and interesting. What you like including wooden, amber and woolen items.

What to pay: Cheap area :-)}}

There were a few kiosks, like this one on my picture put around Druskininkai. Very usuful if you want to buy various small items. They were run by a company called "Lietuvos Spauda" - the largest commercial periodical publisher in Lithuania.

What to buy: Newspapers and magazines (in Lithuanian, Polish and Russian language), cigarettes, postcards, telephone cards, personal hygiene items, stationery, confectionery, transport and lottery tickets etc.

What to pay: Cheap:-).
For newspapers issued in Lithuania in Polish language I paid: 1.20 Lt for "Nasz Czas" (Our Time) and 1.00 Lt for "Kurier Wilenski" (Vilnius Herald).