Lithuania’s past stories a tumultuous battle for independence. From Nazi Occupation to Stalinist Communism, enemies have desperately tried to dismantle their prized culture…but to no avail. Vilnius’ experience with oppression birthed a generation and culture of artists and intellectuals who are painting this compact city into a lively and creative urbana. This city is stocked with coffee shops and cocktail bars, set against a backdrop of historic antique ruins and graffitied KGB buildings.

This city has a special place in my heart because my Jewish ancestors lived here. Luckily, my great grandparents immigrated from this area to the U.S. in the late 1920’s, but I can’t help but wonder the fate of my other relatives…especially after this history-rich visit.

Arrive: How to Get There

Ask your hotel or apartment owner to call you a taxi…it makes a world of difference. Our ride to our apartment near city center was 4 euro. If we hadn’t been helped by our Lithuanian local, it may have been triple the price.

Stay: Where to Set Up Your Base

Don’t be deceived by the entrance of this AirBnB…or the stairwell for that matter. Let’s just call the first impression authentically post-communism. The location was a block away from the bustle of Gedimino Street, so a key spot to this compact city.

Once your through the apartment doors, you are met with a spacious and quirky apartment…and by quirky I will direct you to the random assortment of cat memorabilia. I love animals, so do your thing, Loretta…didn’t affect my stay.

Kitchen is fully functional. Living room houses a TV and large leather couches that are an early 90’s throwback, but damn comfortable. Bathroom is “updated”, but demands a slight cultural difference…no TP in the toilet, kids. Every time I habitually broke that rule, I crossed my fingers in hopes that I didn’t upset the plumbing gods of Lithuania.

Bedroom offers a workspace and a solid bed, and by solid I’m not referring to the spicy hot red leather frame.

Overall, I’m not calling up Elle Decor about this apartment, but when it comes to functionality and location, I’d stay here again!

Explore: Things to Do

Free Walking Tour

Walking tours are the way to go on the first day in a city you don’t know much about. Enter VilniusWithLocals.com. We met our guide at Vilnius’ City Hall. There were many sightseers magnetized to the FREE tour, so they split us up into manageable groups. 

Our guide was fantastic. She was knowledgeable, funny, and most important of all, local. She shared so many fascinating stories about Lithuania and Vilnius. I’ll share one below: In an effort to cycle-ize the city, there are tons of designated bike lanes everywhere you turn. The mayor was not pleased to learn that many car owners were parking in a way that blocked the bike lanes. So, naturally, he drove a tank over a mercedes to “make an example”. You can watch this ridiculousness unfold here.

Stroll Around

If a walking tour isn’t your thang, just wander around the streets of Vilnius. There is plenty of architecture, street art, windy cobblestone roads, and cafes to keep your eyes pleased. What’s really interesting is the relationship between historic charm and gritty charm throughout the city.

Old Town

Touristy like most European Old Towns, this cobblestone-laden area of Vilnius doesn’t spark crowd anxiety because of it’s compact size. The Old Town is really just an Old Street, comprising of one road that extends from Gediminas’ Tower to the Gate of Dawn. It’s a charming walk!

Vilnius Cathedral

This is massive. Back in the day, the whole dang village, including pets, could’ve fit into this cathedral. The sheer size of this Cathedral will awe you. Insider tip: there’s a spot on the ground in between the watch tower and the Cathedral entrance and rumor has it, if you spin around on it and make a wish…you’ll look really funny. It’s possible your wish will come true, but I’m still not positive if this was a local’s way of making me look awesome.

Gediminas’ Tower

Rising above the Cathedral and the river; a dominant tower fortification perches atop a lush green hill. Take the winding rocky road up to the top or catch the Funicular for some spectacular views of Old Town and Vilnius at large.

For a few Euro, you can enter the tower fort and climb to the very top for an extra elevated view. Throughout your climb, you will find some historical artifacts and photographs aligning with the castle’s history. If you are pressed for time, it is OK to miss this part! The view from the hilltop is just as rewarding.

Užupis

3. Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation.

5. Everyone has the right to be unique.

7. Everyone has the right not to be loved, but not necessarily.

12. A dog has the right to be a dog.

23. Everyone has the right to understand.

23. Everyone has the right to understand nothing.

37. Everyone has the right to have no rights.

These are just a few of the 41 points within Užupis Constitution. It’s translated in over 30 languages and hangs publicly in the streets for all to see. Similar to Cristiana in Copenhagen, Užupis declared independence from Lithuania. 

 However, it differs greatly from Free Town by resembling more of an artists playground instead of a Woodstock concert. It’s still a free-thinking zone though. For instance,they have an annual celebration where they exchange the water in one of the neighborhood fountains with free-flowing beer.

The uniqueness will lure you in and the cafes will win you over.

Literatu Street

Literature geeks of Lithuania unite. On the outer walls of a side street’s building, one can find a multi-media ode to authors. Each “piece” symbolizes and memorializes an author from the country.

KGB Museum OR Genocide Victims’ Museum

Most locals have a personal experience or connection with the iron fist of the KGB, whom occupied Lithuania from the end of WWII to 1990. To commemorate this dark time in history, Vilnius has converted the old KGB headquarters into a living and breathing museum. (Generally, people associate “Genocide” with the Holocaust, but this museum is predominantly focusing on the Genocide that took place during the Communist era).

Inside, you guide through the chronology of events before and during this era. This exhibit is unbelievably thorough. To be completely honest, a little too thorough. There is an epic amount of information presented via text, that you cannot help but miss a sizable chunk of facts. For example, I almost missed these holiday postcards that prisoners in Siberia  were allowed to send their family members back home.

The pretty gripping elements that they do have in this museum are the intact infrastructure when it was the KGB offices.

In the basement, they’ve maintained the actual prison cells that were used against the accused. Very eerie! They even have interrogation cells like the one below…they’d make the prisoner stand on the pedestal on one foot over below freezing water in hopes that the falls would make them spill.

Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum

Before WWII, Jews comprised of nearly 45% of Vilnius’ total population. The war wiped out 90% of this number with over 75,000 lives taken. Today, a mere 5% of the population is Jewish. Maybe it is this massive and tragic reduction that explains the quaintness of the museum memorializing this time in history. Or maybe it’s the recency effect of Stalinism that overshadows the Holocaust. Not entirely sure, but the museum is easy to miss, but you shouldn’t miss it! While the size may be slight, there is an abundance of information detailing the effects of the Holocaust in Lithuania.

The employees were kind enough to pass along my family name to a specialist, in order to possibly identify their story. If anything materializes, it will be pretty fascinating to understand!

In Vilnius, most of the Jews were murdered in a mass shooting at Panerai forest on the city limits. Apparently, there is a powerful memorial at Panerai, which is just a 10 minute train ride from the central station. Unfortunately, we missed our train and were tight on time, so we weren’t able to experience it…but if you are more punctual than I am, I say go.

City Hall

Interesting story about this here building. Many Lithuanians shared a brief stint in loving George Bush. On a visit to Vilnius City Hall, he spoke on behalf of the country and passionately commanded that an enemy of Lithuania is an enemy of the U.S.. They were so ecstatic about a strong country confirming allyship that they quickly created a plaque on the wall of City Hall that still remains today. Fast forward a bit and Lithuanians soon heard George say the same exact thing in Belarus…and Latvia…and Romania…and they realized they may have been a bit too prompt.

Churches

If you frequently need a house of worship, feel no fear. Vilnius has a legion of opulent churches at almost every corner.

At one point, we were standing in an unassuming spot in the city and we counted seven churches within our eyeshot.

Courtyards

Courtyards are plentiful in this city! Just wander down an open archway and you’ll probably come across a blooming garden or funky piece of artwork. One courtyard was centered around a Pagan Statue. Lithuania was actually the last country in Europe to become Catholic. The story goes like this; when missionaries arrived in Vilnius, they offered free shirts to anyone who would convert. Within one year, 90% of Lithuania was Catholic. Locals claim it took a bit longer to shake their Pagan beliefs, but they had to put on a show to ensure they could keep their new shirt!

Neris River

If you are a runner, this is where you should explore each BPM. The side of the river that is farther away from Old Town seems to have a more manicured running path. I can confidently confirm this because I got a little lost in the overgrown weeds on the other side. You know, just doing a little research for future visitors.

Grub: Things to Consume

I’ve listed some favorites below in terms of restaurants and bars, but wherever you end up, you have to try two traditional Lithuanian delicacies while you are in Vilnius:

Sweet Root

If you are a food lover and don’t mind a comparative splurge or celebrating something special, Sweet Root in Užupis offers a wildly fresh and fun twist on typical Lithuanian dishes.

Gyvas Baras

This joint is highly rated on TripAdvisor for a reason. The ambiance is intimate, fresh, and quirky. I’m a true carnivore, but the chili, falafel, and quesadilla here won me over.

Soul & Pepper

The live jazz drew us to this lively gastropub-esque restaurant. The food was yummy, but the music and ambiance were phenomenal.

Alchemika Cocktail Bar

Quaint speakeasy decor and a cocktail menu jam-packed with classic and alternative mixology. Staff are super friendly and skillful. We had a Poloma and a Sazerac – A + concoctions.

Vero Cafe

There are a few coffee chains that litter Vilnius’ streets and after sampling them all for the good of the people, this is the one that I found most tasty.

Trip: Venturing Outside the City

Trakai

Trakai is a small Lithuanian city enveloped by 200 sparkling lakes. For tourists, the main attraction is Lake Galve, in which a the island castle of Trakai reigns over.

How To Get There: While the train is possible, most recommend the bus because it drops you closer to the main lake. During peak season, there are frequent departure times from Vilnius’ main bus station (across the street from the train station). You don’t need to pre-purchase your ticket, but bring euros! Just ask which “track” it leaves from and hop on when it shows up. Warning: there are a mix of seriously modern and seriously run-down buses taking this route. If I look on the bright side of which one we ended up with, I will describe it as a retro Sauna bus that helped all passengers ditch 5 pounds.

Whether or not you are as lucky as us, everyone gets dropped at Trakai’s station. Once off the bus, walk towards/down the road with the white pole that reads “Trakai”. You have an option to walk through the city or along the lakes…choose the lake! You can also rent a bike at the station which seemed like a logical and fun way to explore the area.

What to Do There: Simply strolling along the serene lakes are an activity in and of itself. Before you reach the main touristy hub, enjoy the unaltered peace of this trail.

You will know once you do reach the main part because you will learn how many different pedal boats there are in the world. Take one! It’s 6 euros for each hour. We did this and had a ball pedaling around the Castle and soaking in the shimmering lake.