Also wildly popular are Lithuanian wood-carvings. Wood craftsmanship in Lithuania is spectacular. There are assorted favorites, ranging from living figures (serious, humorous or even macabre) to Lithuanian-style crosses.

Linen items are an excellent buy.

A great place to do some comparative shopping is on Pilies street, where artisans, pensioners and others hock their finest works: including woodwork, paintings of Vilnius and Lithuania, hand-crafted knickknacks and, of course, things made with amber that would stretch the imagination. There are some true bargains here, and some poking around and patience can lead to some real gems.

You can also bring home some alcoholic beverages. A few bottles of Utenos or Kalnapilis beer would make things interesting at home, as would a bottle of Kvietino vodka. It`s also hard to beat a good bottle of krupnikas, or honey liqueur. Other liqueurs, like Palanga, Dainava, or Sokoladinis, are also popular and make a nice after-dinner drink.

Compact discs are also a good buy. Anything by M.K. Ciurlionis would definitely satisfy music lovers. Not all of his works can be found at your local HMV or Tower Records, so it is probably good to stock up here.

Also, for the sports fan, why not a basketball jersey of the top team, Zalgiris?