Lithuania: Vilnius
Lithuania exceeded my expectations! I wasn’t expecting to feel a presence of clean, comfort, and quirkiness within the country. I liked Vilnius more than Kaunas, as there was a little more to do and preferred the vibe.
Things to do:
Just wander the city, you will see the obvious sites such as
Uzupis
The various churches, such as Church of Saint Anne
Cathedral of the Theotokos, Vilnius
Funky, local street art
Walk around, outside the main city center:
Walk around the area near Paupio Turgus, a beautiful modern indoor food court. The surrounding area is really beautiful and has tons of shops and restaurants. The design of the area is very clean, fresh, but has a different feel to it.
Walk up to Gediminas Tower and explore the views of the city from higher up.
Cycle or run alongside the Neris River.
Bernardine Garden is beautiful and a nice place to walk around or even sit and read a book.
Vingio Parkas is a beautiful area to run or to picnic.
Balžio poilsiavietė is a local spot that has a large lake and a beautiful area to walk around. It is about a 30 minute drive outside the main city center.
Trakai Castle is a beautiful area to picnic or walk around. There area also some restaurants you can eat at.
Eat at some of the restaurants: I went to Georgian House and it was fantastic! Eton Dvaras wasn’t my favorite but it’s the go to restaurant for beet soup and other local cuisine.