Lithuania: Vilnius

Lithuania truly exceeded my expectations. I wasn’t expecting to feel such a strong sense of cleanliness, comfort, and quirkiness throughout the country — but it was there immediately. Vilnius, especially, completely won me over. Compared to Kaunas, there felt like a little more to do, and I preferred the overall vibe. The city has this light, easy energy — people seemed genuinely happy, the air felt fresh, and everything moved at a relaxed pace. I loved wandering through the cobblestone streets of the Old Town and walking along the river in the evenings.

I was in Poland visiting a friend and found a cheap bus to Lithuania, which made the trip an easy addition to my itinerary. By chance, I even met up with a couple I had first met while traveling in Nepal — one of those small travel moments that makes the world feel beautifully connected.

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.