Lazdijai Shopping Tips by matcrazy1

SAULUTE: For budget travellers

This was small Lithuanian chain grocery where quite many locals were doing shopping at midday of business day. No wonder, the prices there were mostly low. Credit/debit cards were accepted (at least of Visa system).

What to buy: Food and drinks - quite good choice. Look for local dark Lithuanian bread and beer both Lithuanian and imported (if you like).

What to pay: Lower prices than in any Western European country.
I bought:

1. dark grapes (very good!) - 6.89 Lt per kg (€ 2.08, 9.53 Polish zl/kg or US$ 5.56 per pound - expensive!);

2. Polish (haha) fruit juices called "Kubus" (my recommendation) - 1.55 Lt (€ 0.47; 2.14 Polish zl;US$ 0,56) for small bottle (size for a car holder);

3. Lithuanian beer "Kalnapilis Original" - 1.99 Lt (€ 0.60; US$ 0.72; 2.75 Polish zl) for 0.5 l (16.91 oz) bottle;

4. Mineral water "Maxima" (not carbonated) - 0.99 Lt (€ 0.30; US$ 0.36; 1.37 Polish zl) for 0.5 l (16.91 oz) plastic bottle;

5. Plastic bag for shoppings was paid (??? !!!) - 0.3 Lt.

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Address: Kauno gatve 4, Lazdijai

Directions: Driving highway 134 from Kalvarija: on the left side before reaching the main city square (Nepriklausomybes aikste), just after my parking lot (on the right) located close to a parish church (Sv. Onos Baznycia).

Phone: 8 800 20050

Theme: Food and Drink

Cukrainis ir Ko: My recommendation

We were looking at a few cakes and fruit pies at this small cake shop and finally we decided to choose this one on my picture.

What to buy: The cake on my picture. It was called "Pyragas varskis sai nesis" ??? or somewhat similar in Lithuanian. It was delicious pie with raisins and fruits put on the top. My recommendation.

What to pay: 12.49 Lt (€ 3.76; 17.27 Polish zl) for 1 kilogram or... US$ 2.04 per 1 pound. I paid 2.94 Lt for a quite large piece.

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Address: Kauno gatve 6; Lazdijai

Directions: Driving highway 134 from Kalvarija: on the left side before reaching the main city square, just after my parking lot (on the right) located close to a parish church (Sv. Onos Baznycia).

Phone: 51003

Theme: Food and Drink

Cukrainis ir Ko: Good strawberry pie :-)

This was small, local cake shop popular among locals, I think, as there were a few costumers during a few minutes we were there. Or maybe it was the only one cake shop in Lazdijai?

What to buy: We bought my favourite kind of cake/pie: covered by jelly with strawberies (Pyragai vaisju-gajvus ?). The strawberry pie tasted good although was not the best I ever ate. It was a little bit too sweet.

What to pay: 12.49 Lt (€ 3.76; 17.27 Polish zl) for 1 kilogram or... US$ 2.04 per 1 pound. I paid 2.87 Lt for a quite large piece.

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Address: Kauno gatve 6; Lazdijai

Directions: Driving highway 134 from Kalvarija: on the left side before reaching the main city square, just after my parking lot (on the right) located close to a parish church (Sv. Onos Baznycia).

Phone: 51003

Theme: Food and Drink

Cukrainis ir Ko: Cakes and fruit pies

My wife Urszula (matcrazy0) used to buy and taste some local cakes in each country we visit :-). So, we did it in Lithuania, in small cake shop, just in Lazdijai.
The entrance wasn't well signed: look for window with cakes displayed right to the entrance door, when you go through the door go to the door to your right The shop assistant didn't know any foreign language but it was easy to show what we wanted.

What to buy: They offered pyramidal cakes (sakotis - more: in my local customs tip) and a few kinds of cakes, fruit pies and birthday/wedding cakes.

What to pay: 9.23 - 12.49 Lt for 1 kg of cake.
16.27 - 20.97 Lt for 1kg of birthday/wedding cake.

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Address: Kauno gatve 6; Lazdijai

Directions: Driving highway 134 from Kalvarija: on the left side before reaching the main city square, just after my parking lot (on the right) located close to a parish church (Sv. Onos Baznycia).

Phone: 51003

Theme: Food and Drink

Parduotuve: May I complain a little, please?

The choice of food in that small grocery was very limited and I coudn't find there... do you want the whole list? OK, just my top 5:
- any vegetables or fruits,
- Marlboro cigarettes (LM instead),
- cold beer, juices, mineral water (there were but warm),
- local Lithuanian honey (although I saw beehives in the area around),
- any fresh cold meat (one kind of canned meat instead).

What to buy: Definetely Lithuanian bread. There was quite good choice of both white and dark bread. The common, local, Lithuanian bread is black bread and it always tasted very good.
Something for bread? Well, drive/walk to Lazdijai centre/downtown.

What to pay: Lithuanian dark/black bread: 1.08 - 1.89 Lt (€: 0.33 - 0.57 ;US$: 0.39 - 0.69; 1.49 - 2.61 Polish zl) for one (quite large) loaf of bread.

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Address: Kelias 134 Kalvarija - Lazdijai

Directions: Driving highway 134 from Kalvarija: on the left side, after a cemetery and before Lazdijai centre/downtown.

Theme: Food and Drink

Parduotuve: Cheap Lithuania (my price list)

Excuse, it's more Lithuania than Lazdijai shopping tip. I will transfer it to my Lithuania page soon.

Lithuania is still inexpensive country, at least in comparison to any western European country or the USA. Especially cheap was basic, local food and drinks sold in local groceries like in this very small grocery on my picture located in outskirts of Lazdijai.

What to buy: My price list:
LITHUANIAN BEER: below 2.00 Lt (€ 0.6; US$0.73; 2.77 Polish zl) for 0.5 l (16.91 oz)
bottle.
LITHUANIAN DARK/BLACK BREAD: 1.08 - 1.89 Lt (€: 0.33 - 0.57 ;US$: 0.39 - 0.69; 1.49 - 2.61 Polish zl) for one (quite large) loaf of bread.
EGGS: 1.79 Lt for 10.
COFFEE: 4.99 Lt for 250g of instant coffee Tchibo exclusive.
FRUIT JUICE: 2.39 - 2.94 Lt for 1 l paper carton.
MINERAL WATER: 1.20 - 1.40 Lt for 1.5 l plastic bottle.

What to pay: CIGARETTES (in Vilnius) costed (a pocket of 20) from 2.75 Lt (local) to 6.00 Lt. Marlboro costed 4.25 Lt in May 2004 (€ 1.28, US$1.53, 6.10 Polish zloty). Warning: cigarettes will be more and more expensive since Lithuania joined European Union on 1 May 2004.

VODKA (in Kedainiai): the cheapest bottle (0.5 l) costed 8.95 Lt, Auksine 0.7 l - 17.95 Lt, Vilnius vodka (0.7 l) - 29,98 Lt.

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Address: Kelias 134 Kalvarija - Lazdijai

Directions: Driving highway 134 from Kalvarija: on the left side, after a cemetery and before Lazdijai centre/downtown.

Theme: Food and Drink

Parduotuve: Country grocery

I wondered what very local, small, country groceries look like in Lithuania. Hmm... in former Soviet Union groceries offered mainly not nice stink, lazy and rude shop assistants and additionally almost no food in 70' and 80' (in western Ukraine). Did it work similar in Lithuania that time?

Never mind, I visited this grocery on my picture and it was not similar in any way to those Soviet groceries I visited in 70' and 80'.
This very small store offered basic food and drinks. The limited choice reflected needs (and budgets) of mostly poor locals, I think. Surely, there were no debit/credit cards accepted there. The shop assistant was medium-age woman who was very nice and knew... Lithuanian only but quite well :-).

What to buy: The best was a choice of Lithuanian... bread and beer. So, if you want/need...
Lithuanian dark/black bread tasted great, Svyturys beer - a pale larger brewed by Svyturys brewery in Klaipeda became my favourite Lithuanian beer later.

What to pay: Cheap or very cheap.
I paid 5.60 Lt (? 1.69; US$ 2.03; 7.74 Polish zl) for two red orange juices (the most expensive ones) and two small (0.5 l) bottles of mineral water.
Below 2.00 Lt (0.6 ?; US$0.73; 2.77 Polish zl)for 0.5 l (16.91 oz) bottle of Lithuanian beer.
1.08 - 1.89 Lt (?: 0.33 - 0.57 ;US$: 0.39 - 0.69; 1.49 - 2.61 Polish zl) for one (quite large) loaf of dark/black bread.

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Address: Kelias 134 Kalvarija - Lazdijai

Directions: Driving highway 134 from Kalvarija: on the left side, after a cemetery and before Lazdijai centre/downtown.

Theme: Food and Drink