It is like summer on Basanavičius street: open windows, music, and many vacationers. Most of them are Russians: some came to Palanga to celebrate the Orthodox Christmas.
"We often come to Palanga at any time of the year. Here you have beautiful natural environment, harmony, and good service," said holiday-makers from Kaliningrad.
The manager of the Tourist Information Center says that the number of Russian-speaking vacationers in Palanga increases every winter. However, Russians not only come from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad, but also from Pskov and even as far as Vladivostok.
"If you compare the three Baltic countries, Lithuania has the best prices. They have increased, but not as much as in the summer. A double room in a four-star hotel costs 350-400 LTL a day," said Alla Valuziene, the manager of the Palanga tourism information center.
A vacationing couple from Moscow shared their experience: "We picked the best hotel. The prices are reasonable for us. We live in Moscow, where there are relatively high wages, so this it is not expensive for us. In addition, our children are adults, we both work, so we can afford this for ourselves. Most importantly a good place for us should have a swimming pool, sauna and a good kitchen."
"The hotel is good, and worth the price. Another very important thing is that there is a place to park your car and you do not have to leave your car in a common parking lot or pay by the hour," remarked holiday-makers from St. Petersburg.
Local businessmen say that all tourists are equally welcome, no matter where they come from, but the businessmen acknowledge that Russians that come for at least a week are special.
"They are polite and give good tips. Frankly, they are generous," said Darius Baubkus, an employee of the cafe 'Seaside Lamp'.
"A real influx of Russians started on 2 January and now 95 per cent of the guests in the hotel are Russians from Moscow. They do not have any special needs, and we always leave small Christmas gifts in the rooms and make an exclusive breakfast, so they would feel it is a holiday," says Audra Vainoraite, the manager of the hotel 'Gabija'.
Some of the resort's cafes closed after the Orthodox Christmas, but not for long. A lot of guests are expected to arrive on Valentine's Day. Some resort hotels are already 80% booked for that weekend.
