Valeska Blue Guide to Liotain

## 100 Things to See In Liotain

### Ten things in Neris

**1. Charnaduras Prospekt**: this straight, wide road runs from the Liutu Tiltas (Bridge of the Lions) to the front steps of the Saint Jonas Basilica. A significant portion of Liotain's most historic buildings - including a number on this list - face the Prospekt, which makes the seven-kilometer walk an easy way to view the cultural heart of the country.

**2. Orthodox Basilica of Svent Jonas Kankinys**: a basilica completed in 795, the structure is named for Saint Jonas the Martyr, an early convert to the Orthodox faith. The 43m dome was the largest dome in the world between its completion until the 1600s, and even still remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. The interior is ornately decorated, intended to evoke an awe of the divine. The interior of the dome was painted by Mykolas Valaitis (1475-1564) and his stepdaughter Jurate Strolia, two of the foremost painters of their age.

**3. Reman Forum**: this rectangular plaza in the center of Neris is located on the Aventino Kalva, or Aventine Hill, which it shares with the Karolean Palace. The Forum was constructed in the 1st Century BCE to 4/5ths the scale of the original forum in Remus, and included many similar monuments - statues, obelisks, columns, and icons of victory. The tallest of the columns, celebrating the victories of the locally-born Reman general-admiral Horatius Nerisius, rises to twelve meters tall.

**4. Karolean Palace**: the royal palace sits on the Aventino Kalva just to the west of the Bridge of the Lions, overlooking the Charnaduras Prospekt. The oldest portions of this sprawling castle, completed in the mid 900s, replaced the Reman-era Temple of Bellona, with foundation stones dating to the First Century BCE. Other sections of the castle are newer, with the final addition coming in the mid 1700s under King Karolis, whose name was attached to the structure. It neighbors the Reman Forum, slightly to the north.

**5. Maurizian Embankment**: in 1785, Queen Maurizia ordered the demolition of nearly a mile of run-down warehouses running along the west bank of the River Neris, replacing them with a picturesque pedestrian street. The Embankment crosses the Charnaduras Prospekt at the Bridge of the Lions, and runs along the base of the Aventino Kalva. Numerous bronze statues and sculptures by famous period artists dot the length of the Embankment, which is viewed as one of the best places in the capital city to "be seen."

**6. Galleria Karalius Edmundas**: Designed in 1861 and completed in 1867, the Galleria was the first shopping mall in Liotain. The Galleria has two vaulted arcades of glass and wrought iron, with a central octagonal dome at the intersection of the two arcades. The Galleria hosts some of the most prestigious department stores in the capital.

**7. Liotainian Royal Zoo of Neris**: the Royal Zoo was founded in 1752 as a menagerie designed for the enjoyment of King Raimondas and the royal family. In 1782, Queen Maurizia opened the menagerie to limited public viewing. The menagerie was renamed the Royal Zoo of Neris in 1856. The zoo expanded to its current location on the outskirts of Neris in the 1880s. It is one of the five largest zoos in the world.

**8. Liotainian Royal Opera and Ballet Company**: Liotainians love opera, and the Royal Opera and Ballet Company, located on the Charnaduras Prospekt, serves as one of the most prestigious theatres in the country. Opened in 1871, the elliptical dome can seat over five thousand people, with both a main stage and removable central stage for "Theatre in the Round."

**9. Neris Catacombs**: first cut as stone quaries for the growing city above, the Neris catacombs are believed to stretch over 600km underground, with so many passages and secret turnings that no one knows the true extent. Throughout the years, the catacombs have been hideouts for persecuted religions, burial places for the city's poor, and storage for things ranging from wine to coal. In recent years, there is even an underground railway transporting cargo that would otherwise clog the streets.

**10. Bridge of the Lions**: a magnificent wrought-iron drawbridge, decorated with seventy life-sized bronze lions, crosses the River Neris just upriver of the Forum Hill.

### Ten more things in Neris

**11. Pearl and Sword Coffee House**: this coffee house in downtown Neris, located less than a block from the Liotainian Parliament House, served as a gathering place and debate-hall for governmental reformers during beginning in the 1730s, who eventually became known as the Pearl and Sword Party in reference to their headquarters. The cafe was burned down in 1780, but rebuilt three years later to a grander neoclassical design.

**12. Royal University of Neris**: founded in 1149, the Royal University is one of the earliest and most prestigious centers of higher education in Liotain and Velravin. The University is well-known for leading in the fields of medical, engineering, and science. The Royal Hall, the campanile, the university chapel, and the riverfront promenade are all excellent examples of late medieval and early Renaissance architecture.

**13. Neris Amphitheatre**: located across the Neris river from the Karolean Palace and the Reman Forum, one of the largest remaining exemplars of the ancient Reman amphitheatre. This oval-shaped building has outstanding acoustics, and an orator can still address crowds of up to thirty thousand.
14. Naujieji Atėnai District: for the young and adventurous, the Naujieji Atėnai district in east-central Neris is the best place to sample the nightlife in the Liotainian capital, with restaurants, small theatres, clubs, cabarets, and dance halls.

**15. Orthodox Basilica of Saltielis and Reicele**: the oldest basilica in Liotain was completed in 550 on the site of the Reman-era circus in Neris, where the Theophanite missionaries Shealtiel and Rachel (Lio. Saltielis and Reicele) were martyred. After the destruction of the Circus in the earthquake of 512, the site was claimed as a meat market before the basilica was built on the site. The building was briefly converted to a prison by the Canstori during the 800s before being reclaimed in 918.

**16. Temple of Carmenta**: of all the temples built by the Reman founders of Neris, only the Temple of Carmenta (a Reman goddess of childbirth, prophecy, and innovation) still stands completely intact, as many of the others were destroyed by the Canstori or survived the ages only as ruins. The Temple of Carmenta escaped both of these alternatives, and currently serves as the centerpiece of the Museum of Ancient Liotain.

**17. Liotainian National Library**: founded in 927, this library has one of the largest collections in the world. The Library has three different buildings in Neris, with the largest building, containing the public collection, placed on the Charnaduras Prospekt. However, the Ancient Literature archive is most noteworthy, containing scrolls, papyri, and clay tablets dating back to the first appearances of writing. Many of the ancient volumes were saved from the Great Library of Philippi before its destruction in the 1400s, perhaps the only remainder of this lost wonder of the world.

**18. Julian Baths**: this sprawling Reman-era bathhouse had one of the largest domes in the Ancient World until its collapse in 873. The baths, now open to the air and surrounded by the ancient walls, are still open for visitors to swim and relax in much the same manner as two millenia ago.

**19. Midway Fountain**: located on the Charnaduras Prospekt precisely halfway between the Bridge of the Lions and the Basilica of Svent Jonas Kankinys, the Midway Fountain was commissioned in 1808 by Queen Elzbieta in memory of her mother Maurizia. Urban legends claim that Maurizia was secretly re-buried in a stone sarcophagus beneath the fountain's foundations. The fountain was damaged in 1876 when a party of socialist radicals fired a cannon into it, killing several bystanders and sparking a nation-wide crackdown.

**20. Arch du Triumfas**: this Reman-style triumphal arch, located just to the east of the Bridge of the Lions, is engraved with the names of Liotainian heroes and victories. National parades usually come down the Charnaduras Prospekt and cross the bridge in order to reach the Arch.

### Ten things in Sventoji

**21. Grand Canal**: of all the canals that wander through the New City, the Grand Canal is the most noteworthy, running from the Arsenal Basin down to the Sventoji Lagoon. The canal is lined by some of the most picturesque buildings built in a unique style known as Neo-Vydmantine architecture. A trip to Sventoji is incomplete without touring the Grand Canal in a native barcaccia.

**22. Ducal Palace**: located halfway down the Grand Canal, the Hercogo Rumai (Ducal Palace) is the remnant of the days when Sventoji was an independent city-state ruling much of the Gulf of Argent and Nestorian Sea. The palace was completed in 1050, and demonstrates some of the oldest azularie (Liotainian tilework) in existence.

**23. Pervalka Island**: this island forms part of the large lagoon just across from Sventoji proper. Charming seaside houses, restaurants, and small hotels make Pervalka a place that ought not to be overlooked in any visit. Visit Pervalka by taking one of the water-taxis from Svent Antanas Square or the Grand Canal.

**24. Svent Antanas Square**: the great square of Sventoji is bordered on the north side by the Grand Canal, on the west by the Arsenal, on the south by the Basilica, and on the east by Filduliutai Campanile. The square is a classic place to take in the view and get photographs.

**25. The Arsenal**: a complex of shipyards and armories clustered on the northern edge of Sventoji, the Arsenal mass-produced galleys on an industrial scale as early as the 13th Century. Most of the ornate walls and towers of the Arsenal date from the 14th Century. Six stone lions, believed to date from the 5th Century BCE, stand outside the main gate of the Arsenal. A quarter-scale galley, built in 1878 for the three hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Cape Sovata, is on display within the Arsenal itself.

**26. Basilica du Sventa Jurate Skaiscioji**: the Basilica of Saint Jurate was founded in the 11th Century. This ornate Orthodox basilica was expanded and remodeled in the 1490s, when the vaulted ceilings were painted by Gilberto Filstephane and his apprentice, Mykolas Valaitis. The basilica was home to the religious composer Damiano Forestale (1749-1802), one of Liotain's most prolific and well-known liturgical musicians.

**27. Teatras Mykolas Pisula**: Sventoji's opera house and theater sits on the border of the New and the Old Cities. The elegant structure, unusually, has two front faces, one of which is designed for those arriving on the Grand Canal by barcaccia. The auditorium is decorated in a grandiose baroque style, with a stained glass ceiling. It is named for the opera composer Mykolas Pisula, arguably Liotain's greatest musician of the Classical period.

**28. Galleria du Amidei**: founded by the famous patroness of the arts Countress Zydre du Amidei in the late 1500s, the Galleria hosts one of the largest collections of paintings and sculptures in Liotain, including works by Mykolas Valaitis, Haraldo Espindola, and Rokas Petrauskas.

**29. Filduliutai Campanile**: a great bell-tower standing a hundred meters tall. The first bell-tower on the site was started in 985 C.E. and completed forty years later, but collapsed in 1439 following an earthquake. A new campanile, taller than the original, was built between 1444 and 1464 by the famous architect Arunas Filduliutai. A four-meter-tall golden statue of the Archangel Remiel crowns the top of the tower. The campanile still stands as the tallest building in Sventoji.

**30. Turgaus Pliazas**: situated on the V-shaped angle where the Dysna River flows into Sventoji lagoon, the Turgaus Pliazas is an artificially-constructed beach designed to provide citizens of the Old City with a place to cool off during the hot months of summer. The Pliazas is divided between the shorter North Beach (facing the lagoon) and the South Beach (facing the river), with a boardwalk boasting several small shops running between them.

### Ten Things in Rokantiskes, Svyturys and Rietavas

**31. Rokantiskes Sword Museum**: in the Ancient and Middle Ages, Rokantiskes was famed for the quality of its steel, and most particularly its swords, which were viewed as some of the finest blades of all Velravin. A collection of over a thousand blades is preserved at the Rokantiskes Sword Museum, including two swords dating to the First Reman Empire, and reportedly carried by imperial hands.

**32. Zemasis Sritije Field**: Zemasis may not be the largest sritije field in Liotain, but it is one of the oldest and most storied. Built in 1491 in the style of a Reman circus, this field is home to SK Fortuna (one of Liotain's best women's sritije teams) and the Liotainian Army's Red-and-White.

**33. Rokantiskes Tram**: the prototype street tram in Liotain was constructed in 1880, only a year after the first street tram was built in Celtica. Of particular interest is the southern end of the tram network, where the line climbs through steep, narrow, and twisting streets, where riders can view picturesque neighborhoods.

**34. Rokantiskes Aquarium Society**: when an "aquarium craze" struck Liotain in the 1840s, Rokantiskes natives founded a club to show off their collections of exotic fish. In 1890, with money left by several deceased members, the Society built a new headquarters where several massive glass tanks house a publicly-viewable collection of fish, eels, and sea slugs.

**35. Keltu Steps**: a hundred and forty steps connect Rietavas's Harbor Plaza with the Basilica of Sventa Léja. The city held a design contest for the steps in 1712, with a Celtican designer winning the competition, bestowing the "Celtican Steps" nickname on the project. The Steps have been the site of no fewer than three famous swordfights, most recently in 1780.

**36. Rimsa and Pozela Houses**: the rival Rimsa and Pozela families had a long-runing family feud that was eventually immortalized in Mykolas Pisula's opera "Valdas and Ausra," where the doomed lovers try to overcome their prejudices. The two families, however, actually exist, and the stately fortified homes that serve as backdrop for the opera can be seen by visitors.

**37. Orthodox Basilica of Sventa Léja du Rietavas**: natives of Rietavas claim their city was the first town in Liotain to accept the Theophanite faith, citing the story of the Reman slave girl Léja. The city's small Orthodox basilica, constructed in 235 CE, is perhaps the oldest Theophanite church in continuous operation. The structure lacks the awe-inspiring architecture of the larger basilicas, but still conveys a feeling of nearly two millenia of worship.

**38. Little Firocco**: during the 1600s, Svyturys was a highly-profitable Firoccan treaty port, and the city center was built in accordance with architectural practices common in Firocco at that time. Although the western side of the "Firoccan city" was rebuilt after the Fire of 1763, the eastern district maintains the architecture of the prior era. Many buildings, ranging from Cathedral of Our Lady of Svyturys to the Guild Hall (a copy of the guild hall in Damlis), echo foreign prototypes. Little Firocco's architecture was officially protected by a city ordinance in 1862.

**39. Escudo do Rei**: until 1707, this artificial watercourse diverted the flow of the Virvycia River to provide a defensive barrier to the Firoccan trade port of Svyturys. A dozen small fortresses strengthened the trade port's defenses, and the project created wetlands south of the canal. Parts of the Escudo do Rei were allowed to silt up after Liotain retook the area in the early 1700s, but nearly half of the watercourse is still navigable. In the 1850s, the city expanded and transformed the Escudo do Rei into a nature reserve with equestrian and pedestrian paths, and a number of paddle-steamers which can be hired for an afternoon.

**40. Svyturys Carnival**: another relic of the Firoccan occupation is the three-day street carnival, which takes place every year in mid-April. Attendees wear painted wooden masques to disguise their identity, as well as gaudy historically-inspired (but definitely not historical) costumes. The Carnival represents Liotain at its wildest and least restrained, with food, drink, dancing and entertainment aplenty.

### Ten things in Eletrinai, Tvirtoves Kalnas, and Trakai

**41. Fountain of the Giants**: although this monumental fountain has been moved six times since its completion in 1698 by the sculptor Jonas Alekna, it remains Eletrenai's most enduring symbol. Marble horsemen and a band of female archers do battle against the quartet of lightning-wielding giants in the center of the fountain, retelling the legendary foundation myth of Eletrenai.

**42. Eletrinai University**: founded in 1240, the Eletrenai University bows only to Neris as the oldest higher education school in the country. Unlike Neris, Eletrenai was open to women from the very start. Twelve buildings including the chapel predate 1500.

**43. Arkada Maurizia Urmana**: based on the Galleria Karalius Edmundas in the capital, this arcade-style shopping mall in Eletrinai is one of the most exclusive retail locations in the country, with space for thirty-six stores. The Arkada runs the length of a long city block, with a cast-iron and stained-glass roof.

**44. Darbo Birza**: built in 1872, the Darbo Birza (Labor Exchange) building is located just west of the Eletrinai University, replacing an earlier building damaged in an earthquake. The Labor Exchange serves as the ultimate example of late Liotainian Palazzo-Revivalist architecture, and the economic heart of the city.

**45. Tvirtoves Kalnas**: the city of Tvirtoves Kalnas carries the name of the peak that overlooks the city. "Fortress Mountain" is a volcanic plug, the remnants of a former geologic era, with sheer walls and a central spire that resembles a medieval castle. Storms from the southwest often shroud the summit. Despite its relatively low height, climbers view Tvirtoves Kalnas as one of the most challenging peaks in the country, as weather conditions can change suddenly.

**46. Tvirtoves Kalnas Botanical Gardens**: built in the 1600s for local nobility, these decorative gardens have slowly expanded to cover nearly three hundred acres. A walking path winds through the gardens, pausing at several follies and grottos, before returning to a glass arboretum filled with exotic plants from around the world.

**47. Mazeika Glass Factory**: factories do not usually qualify as works of art, but this glass factory in Tvirtoves Kalnas, owned by the Mazeika family, certainly qualifies. Fluted wrought-iron Erisian columns hold up twelve colored glass domes, while the walkways feature elegant mosaic floors. The factory exterior also does not fail to impress, with decorative flying buttresses and bronze gargoyles. Even the miniature tramway which carries parts around the production floor is artistically-designed.

**48. Trakai Castle**: the ancient Remans first built a 'castrum' here in the 1st Century BCE. Abandoned in the 6th Century, it was torn down in 942 to make way for a new castle, which remains to this day. A funicular railway, the Traku Funikulierius, runs from the lakeshore to the top of Pilies Kalnas, an altitude gain of over 400m, where travellers can disembark at the gates of the castle. From the walls, visitors receive an overlook with an unparalleled view of the lake - and on clear days, a view of the southern shore.

**49. Kite-fighting Festival Trakai**: Held in October, this festival draws hundreds of kite enthusiasts, who pit their kites against each other in aerial duels with the goal of shearing off a detachable streamer.

**50. Melchiore's Galley**: history does not record why this galley, likely built in 1240 by Duke Melchior of Trakai, was buried intact several hundred feet from the shoreline. Rediscovered in 1893, the galley remained in a fine state of preservation, showing transitional design elements between the ships of the Second Reman Empire and more modern vessels armed with prototype cannon. Such galleys were used to police the Lake against Pictish barbarians and Erisian bandits.

### Ten things in Breizh

**51. Home of the Sovereign Military Order in Kernave**: the Hospitaller Knights of Saint Mykolas are a unique organization that, due to a quirk of law, is defined as a sovereign nation, with three tiny plots of land to call their own. The largest enclave is located in the Breizhoned city of Kernave, which the Order regards as their headquarters. The enclave measures slightly less than four acres in area, and sits in the city center, completely surrounded by Liotainian territory. Due to legal agreements and alliances between Liotain and the Order, however, visitors can freely enter the enclave to see its 15th Century architecture and the Hospitaller Chapel.

**52. Bosser & Bosser Showroom**: this custom gunsmithing firm in Kernave caters to the most elite customers, and prides themselves foremost on the quality of their wares, but also the level of their hospitality. When not browsing the showroom's wares, visitors can tour the international art collection, view the Safari Room, or order dinner from the company's five-star chef. Casual visitors, however, are discouraged: entrance to the showroom is limited to existing customers and their invited guests.

**53. Plougrescant**: situated on the north shore of Breizh, Plougrescant has nearly everything for the discerning visitor, ranging from a charming town square with well-supplied shops, medieval city walls, a beautiful harbor with native luggers, private sandy beaches with crystal-clear water, and a highly-active local musical company with intimate 450-seat opera house built in 1738. Don't miss the nearby chateau at Kerivin, with its botanical gardens.

**54. Kastell Kerouzere**: a castle dating from 1425, Kerouzere has been held by the Quemener family since 1631. Among its famous occupants was the privateer Grazina Ferrodumond-Quemener, who married into the family in the 1700s. Although the castle remains a private residence, it is open to the public on select days, allowing visitors to see, amongst other things, Grazina's collection of 307 ladies hats dating to the early 18th Century, and the painting "Genovaite Summons the Storm" (1583) by Jurate Strolia.

**55. Martello Towers**: a dozen round tower-like fortifications dating to the 17th and 18th Centuries dot the northern coast of Breizh. Although most date to the times of the Firoccan War, the oldest Martello tower was actually built by Valpo in 1583. The squat towers usually have two to three floors, with a single heavy cannon that rotates around a central pillar. All twelve towers were abandoned in the mid 1800s, and while several remain empty, others have been reconstructed as unique houses.

**56. Daoulaz**: this little seaside port, located east of Plougrescant, is famous for its offshore oyster bed, which providees almost one-third of the oysters consumed in Liotain. The town is situated slightly offshore on a tidal island, which can only be reached at low tide. Two excellent cafes serve fresh oysters, and a six-room hotel serves visitors. The best way to reach Daoulaz is by bicycle from Plougrescant, timing your arrival for low tide.

**57. Plouharnel**: this picturesque seaside village was a pirate's haven in the Reman era, and a smuggler's den until the early 1800s.

**58. Citadel of Sant Winoc**: this Celtican-styled citadel, built in the late 1600s, commands the approaches to the harbor of Kernave. Looming exterior walls surround a saltwater moat (where the garrison maintained their own fleet of small boats) and a central bastion. Used only once in 1707, the Citadel remains an impressive site. The best way to explore the structure is by renting paddleboards or a barcaccia in nearby Kernave, and entering by way of the moat.

**59. Karnag**: the tiny town of Karnag, on the Alizava peninsula, is famous for its "castle in the surf." The 12th century castle was built in the shallows just offshore, with the original builder allegedly aiming to repair a Reman-era fort. At high tide, waves crash around the castle walls, which shelter the small harbor from the wrath of the sea.

**60. Mespaol**: this small inland market town has a city center that has changed very little since the 1200s. Pastel-painted houses and blue tiled roofs give this little town a unique aesthetic. Also visit the nearby tumulus, a prehistoric burial-mound. Scholars believe that the tumulus was raised over seven thousand years ago to honor a fallen prehistoric warrior or chieftain.

### Ten things in the southeast

**61. Telsai Treasure Hoard**: in 1881, a farmer broke through the wall of a storage cave on his farm, and found a hidden chamber filled with Reman-era artifacts, hidden by a wealthy family sometime in the 5th or 6th Century. The find includes coins, jewelry, weapons, scrolls sealed in jars, and a stockpile of food and wine. The treasure hoard is now on display in a museum located in central Telsai.

**62. Siuriai**: this small village, now a suburb of Telsai, claims to be the oldest city in Liotain, having been founded as "Urai" in the 12th Century BCE, where it served as the capital of a seafaring confederation that traded and colonized around the rim of the Encircled Sea. The claim is validated by a series of ancient ruins slowly yielding their secrets to archaeologists.

**63. Akaina on the Beach**: Telsai claims to be Liotain's most diverse city, with sizeable minorities of Mardins and Erisians. However, Joseon refugees fleeing from wars in the north immigrated to Telsai and transformed the run-down northern quarter into a colorful reincarnation of their homeland. Immigrants from elsewhere in Akaina have carved out their own niche on the fringes of the Quarter.

**64. Via Nerisium**: one of the fabled Reman roads, the Via Nerisium, crosses the southern Liotine Kordiljera range near Eisiskes, where over a hundred kilometers of the original road, with only minor modernizations, is still used by the peasants of the region, and travels through the scenic hill country. Before attempting to travel the road, however, visitors are advised that several kilometers of the road are now in Erisian Vreketai.

**65. Eisiskes City Hall**: before the city began its present spurt of growth, Eisiskes was best known as a major railway hub for southern Liotain. The city hall, constructed in 1883, is one of the earliest examples of the architectural style now known as "Art Nouveau."
66. Palace of Music: although visitors might write this off as yet another Liotainian theatre, this opera house in Eisiskes demands attention. When workmen accidentally released a freshwater spring in the building's basement, the architect reworked his entire design to make the resulting pool the visual centerpiece of the entire structure. The unique design then inspired Liudvika Forestale's famous opera "Undinelé," which is performed several times every year.

**67. Natural Bridge**: located in the rugged hill country five kilometers northwest of Sasnava, a stream has cut a natural bridge out of the rock. A railway station for a mining town is located just downstream, and summer visitors can charter donkeys from the locals.

**68. Sasnava Castle**: located in the southwestern quarter of the city of Sasnava is an ancient castle reputedly built in the 800s by the half-legendary Princess Miglé, who reportedly transformed into a giant ravenous lionness every new moon in order to eat the Canstori who murdered her fiancé. The castle's dungeon connects to a network of tunnels and caves that lead out into the surrounding countryside.

**69. Towers of Pagramantis**: many of the hilltops in the sparsely-inhabited Pagramantis Province, in the extreme southeastern portion of Liotain, are crowned with square tower-houses. The tower-houses, many dating back to the 12th Century, were designed and built for defense against bandits and raiding parties. An 1870 survey of the region catalogued over seven hundred tower-houses in the province, with at least one being owned by eighteen generations of the same family.

**70. Zeimiai**: this old-fashioned walled city was founded by Anitkabir under the name "Vize" as a border fortress. Having traded hands a dozen times over the last seven hundred years, Zeimiai now serves as one of the two major border crossings between Liotain and Anitkabir. Visitors are advised to hire a local tour guide, as the town's winding side-streets, restricted to pedestrians, can be disorienting.

### Ten places off the beaten path

**71. Reman Aquaduct**: as a testament to the construction skills of the ancient Remans, three ancient aquaducts in the Rokantiskes region still carry water from the Bartuva River to communities on the northern bank, allowing farmers to irrigate their fields in the dry months of late summer.

**72. Stone-Age Megaliths**: no fewer than forty monumental stones are located in an area of eight square kilometers near the tip of Cape Sovata. These mysterious structures are believed to date from 2500 BCE or possibly even earlier, and their purpose - like the identity of their builders - remains completely unknown. The megaliths are situated atop a steep hill a day's hike from the nearest railway station, although local guides arrange donkey rides to the summit in summertime.

**73. Monastery of Sventa Justina**: located in the rugged country west of Rekyva, this monastery is perched on top of a hill, and surrounded by sheer cliffs. At the best of times, access is difficult; visitors must use a rope suspension bridge to reach the base of the hill, and then ascend by means of a narrow staircase cut into the granite. A ladder, which could be raised in times of trouble, provided a final hurdle for any intruder. The monastery is usually cut off for most of the winter.

**74. Strigailiskis Kalnas**: standing in a remote corner of south-central Liotain is Strigailiskis Mountain, at 4,061m Liotain's tallest mountain. Local alpinists refer to it as "the thunder-crowned king" due to the regular storms which obscure it from view. Surrounded by uninhabited valleys and lesser ridges, Strigailiskis requires a dedicated trek with no certainty of actually seeing the summit due to the regular stormy conditions. Novice alpinists should avoid Strigailiskes.

**75. Dantytas Gorge Waterfall**. This waterfall tumbles nearly a hundred and ten meters into a limestone sinkhole, which serves as the head of the narrow, twisting Dantytas Gorge, some 45km southeast of Rokantiskes. Two natural arches, one above the other, create natural windows which frame the waterfall for visitors approaching from downstream. Visit in the late winter or spring when the stream is flowing.

**76. Labirintas Caverns**: further down the Dantytas Gorge, visitors find the entrance to the fabulous Labirintas Caverns. The full extent of the cave network (well-deserving of its labyrinthine name) remains unknown, but the mapped sections cover almost twenty kilometers of tunnels and caverns.

**77. Headwaters of the Sirvinta**: Liotain's longest river rises on the southern slopes of the Liotine Kordiljera, near the border with Anitkabir and Erisia. Since the 1850s, equestrian trekkers have conducted a week-long ride to the Liotainian frontier, where dedicated trekkers can take in unparalleled wilderness views.

**78. Kanjonu Pilis**: undiscovered until 1818, this hidden fortress is located in the mountains of extreme southeastern Liotain, nestled under a rocky overhang. Apparently built by Reman architects in the 3rd Century, it was promptly abandoned. However, graffitti on the interior walls shows it was occupied again by rebels who fought against invaders, possibly as late as the Kabirite Wars.

**79. Velnio Pelké**: located northwest of Zeimiai, the Devil's Marsh has long served as one of the border obstacles between Liotain and Anitkabir. The southern half is a freshwater wetland created by several small stagnant rivers, while the northern half is a saltwater marsh created by the southernmost end of the Gulf of Telsai. The marsh is home to numerous species of birds, many of which are not found elsewhere in Liotain.

**80. Ugnies Kalnas**: located on the Northern Peninsula near Meteliai, Ugnies Kalnas - "Fire Mountain" - is Liotain's only active volcano. The cone-shaped peak registers three to four minor eruptions every year, and has grown 88 meters since it was first measured in 1712. Significant eruptions are rare, but took place in 1344 and 1888. A period of dormancy followed the 1888 eruption, but the mountain sputtered back to life in 1903. It is best seen at night from a distance. The railway station at Meteliai added an observation tower in 1874 that remains one of the ideal places to see the growing peak.

### Ten places on the coast

**81. Nevarenai Blue Holes**: the Breizhoned Gulf is famous for its clear, shallow waters, but just off the seaside town of Nevarenai are six underwater sinkholes, where the seabed, usually averaging ten to fifteen meters in depth, abruptly drops to a hundred meters or more. The Blue Holes were known even in ancient times, when the Remans believed they were entrances to a deep underwater palace made for the goddesses of the sea.

**82. Svedasai**: located on the Breizhoned Gulf, the town of Svedasai offers some of the best beaches in Liotain. The protected seas offshore are extremely shallow and calm nearly year-round. Vacationers can play on the beaches or rent small sailboats. For those uninterested in the water, the town of Svedasai is worth attention, with a town center dating to the 12th Century.

**83. Perlas Pliazas**: located midway between Sventoji and Eletrinai, Pearl Beach is one of Liotain's finest beaches, with crystal-clear water and a flourishing reef located just offshore.

**84. Shipwreck of the *Kariska***: in 1876, Liotain's first ironclad monitor *Kariska* sank in shallow waters after a collision with an Antargentine steamship. The wreck lies in shallow, clear waters north of the town of Seta (east of Neris) where swimmers can easily view the ship, which is now home to fish and dolphins.

**85. Cape Atropos and Cape Clotho**: these two neighboring promentories define the eastern and western ends of the Moirai Strait. Cape Lachesis, in Firocco, is visible across the Strait in clear weather. Visitors can take a cable car from nearby Alizava to the top of Cape Atropos (321m), but Cape Clotho is only accessible to dedicated hikers.

**86. Elephant Beach**: located on the eastern shore of the Sovata peninsula, Elephant Beach is noteworthy for its fifteen kilometer-long black pumice beach. A herd of wild elephants lives in the vicinity, and can often be seen splashing in the shallow surf. Beachgoers can hire local elephant-handlers to take them on rides along the beach. Tourism is limited to a set number of visitors per year, however, as the elephants can be territorial.

**87. Trigaila's Cave**: the sea is the only entrance to this cave complex located on the coast between the cities of Rietavas and Meteliai. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of Stone Age writings, a Reman shrine, and medieval hermits, but the cave is also claimed as the abode of the legendary sorceress Trigaila, from Liotainian mythology. Visitors may enter the cave on paddleboards or punts, although only swimmers can navigate the short underwater tunnel to reach the chamber known as Jurate's Pool.

**88. Drebulio Islands**: located northwest of Karnag, the two small Drebulio Islands sit atop a particularly active seismic zone, where regular earthquakes can be felt. The islands have been uninhabited since 1873, but an inn operates during the summer months, and walking trails still criss-cross the island. Visitors can reach the islands by hiring a boat in nearby Karnag.

**89. Eresieciai Floating Villages**: tiny floating villages dot the shallow Breizhoned Gulf, where the Eresieciai people, descended from slaves imported in the Reman era, still practice their traditional way of life, including pearl-diving and aquaculture. Some of the villagers only step foot on land a few times a year.

**90. Purvo Vonia**: the tiny seaside village of Purvo Vonia was known to the Remans, who attributed miraculous healing properties to the mud from the thermal hot springs, which lie within a stone's throw of the sea. In the 1880s, the mud baths regained their ancient popularity, courtesy of a local who built a hotel on the site. Visitors can take advantage of either the hot mud baths or the cooling waves of the beach.

### Catch-all category

**91. Rekyva**: this small city in the western Snieguoti Kalnai, originally founded for its thermal baths, features heavily in Liotainian history as the headquarters of an early Orthodox patriarch, a vacation spot for Liotainian monarchs, and Liotain's only winter sporting resort. Winter visitors can learn to ski or ice-skate. During the hottest months of summer, the city serves as a refuge for people - including the royal family - looking to beat the heat.

**92. Pikantiskas Kepykla**: this little-known bakery in central Neris suddenly appeared in the national spotlight when, in 1903, the eight-year old Queen Kotryna declared that this bakery had the best curd cheese donuts in the capital. It eventually transpired that Kotryna's aunt, Princess Elze, regularly snuck out of the palace in disguise and brought back curd cheese donuts from Pikantiskas Kepykla. Once this royal secret spilled, culinary experts agreed with the queen's assessment, and added the bakery to the capital's gastronomic map.

**93. Great Bicycle Road**: when the great bicycle craze started in 1890, the cities of Sventoji and Eletrinai built a tar-macadam connecting road specifically for the use of bicyclists, sandwiched betwee the main coastal railway line and the sea. Camping shelters were built every seven kilometers along the road, and are free to the first people to arrive. Riders can often simply cross a single fence to reach the seashore. The Bicycle Road provides riders one of the most inexpensive vacation options in the country.

**94. Vadgirys**: located on the coast northwest of Neris, the charming seaside city of Vadgirys produces much of the azularie tilework used in Liotain. Once a vital port during the Second Reman Empire, its importance decreased when the harbor silted up in the 1500s. Visit the 1392 basilica, the walled urban citadel, the Gabrielite art gallery, and the restaurants lining Delnas Street.

**95. Dainava Winery**: while the entire country is known for its wine, the town of Dainava holds a particular reputation for some of the highest-quality wine in the entire country. The particularities of the soil, the rare species of grapes, and cultivation techniques handed down from parent to child since the Reman era all combine to produce some of the best red wine in the world.

**96. Fords of the Rudeksna**: massively outnumbered Liotainian defenders resisted an invading Kabirite army at these three shallow fords over the River Rudeksna, and the struggle became a keystone of Liotainian national identity. Visitors can see the battlefield in a state of preservation, with walking paths and a memorial for the fallen. In the 1770s a granite stone of 1500 tons was moved to the area where it serves as the pedestal of the bronze statue titled "The Last Stand of the Tercio."

**97. Royal Liotainian Lion Preserve**: located just east of Rekyva, the Royal Liotainian Lion Preserve was established by King Edmundas in a last-ditch attempt to prevent the extermination of the white-maned Liotainian lions. Slightly over two hundred lions are believed to live in the area of the reserve.

**98. Lake Paplovinis**: in the 1700s, picturesque Lake Paplovinis was home to a "colony of poets" who lived on the western shore, at the base of the twin Hills of Pertako. Elements of the poet's colony still remain, although crowded now by vineyards. Lake Paplovinis has a reputation for romance: young couples come to the area to get engaged. In the summer, the vineyards and hotels register the highest number of weddings per capita.

**99. Royal Liotainian Express**: the fastest way to see Liotain is on the Royal Liotainian Express, a passenger train operated by the Liotainian State Railways. The RLE departs twice a day from Eletrenai and follows the coast, stopping at Sventoji, Neris, and Rokantiskes, before finally arriving in Svyturys twenty-eight hours later. The RLE's first-class service provides white-glove service including a five-star dining car, a well-stocked bar, and onboard musicians.

**100. Alizava**: the northernmost city in (non-colonial) Liotain, Alizava sits on the Strait of Moirai directly between Cape Clotho and Cape Atropos. Native houses, distinctive for their white-painted three-story overlook towers, cling to the steep hills which fall toward the sea.