Lithuania: A Travellers Guide

Vilnius, Lithuania's Capital City

Attractions

• Vilnius Cathedral - FREE - dating back merely 600 years, this beautiful Cathedral in the centre of Vilnius has been redesigned 8 times, this is due to many reasons such as unstable ground causing the building to fall apart, flooding and fires.

• Cathedral Crypts - 4Euros - you MUST book a tour to go down into the Crypts, our tour guide spoke in English and takes 1 hour. Archeologists are still today finding new hidden rooms and caskets down within these Crypts, nothing too creepy but very interesting

• German Street - FREE - A lovely cobbled street leading from the Cathedral up to the old main gate entrance to Vilnius. Many cafe’s and restaurants line this street, with traditional foods such as Ceppelines and Pink Soup available, as well as an abundance of local beers.

• Museum of Genocide Victims - 2Euros (plus 6Euros for an English speaking headset) - Maybe not for the faint hearted, this museum is very informative on the ground/1st floors, but venturing down into the cells in the basement sends chills down your spine as you learn the horrific living conditions of the prisoners. From standard cells, to padded walls and straight jackets, to the Execution Chamber, this museum extensively covers the life of those who tangled with the KGB.

• Smile Hot Air Balloon Rides - 500Euros for 6 people - Two very friendly, informative instructors, one of which is a Hot Air Baloon Champion (2015) in Lithuania. We took off from Central Vilnius (this varies depending on the weather), and went for a 45 minute ride over the city and out into the countryside, being met at the end by the second instructor who had a surprise for us, then drove us back to our take off point.

• Kayaking - 20Euros per double kayak for 4 hours - Meeting point in Central Vilnius, drive out of the city around 15km and set off back into the centre. Going with the river can make for easy paddling, but there are many fallen trees and shallow areas (in mid summer) that can cause for difficult manoeuvring. Half way you reach Boumont Restaurant, where you must pick up the kayaks and carry them past a small man-made waterfall. As inexperienced but enthusiastic kayakers, we had a great time!

• St Annas Church - FREE - ‘the most beautiful church in Europe’ according to Napoleon, the rumour goes that he wanted to take this stunning, Gothic style church in his pocket back to France… But in reality he used this magnificent church to house his horses (according to the tour guide from the Crypts). This church is stunning both from outside and in, with a monastery behind, there is plenty to see.

From our Hot Air Balloon

In the Crypts of the Cathedral

Bars in Vilnius

• Gringo - As expected this bar is aimed at travellers, though you will find the occasional local. There is an abundance of under 30’s getting their drink on, I felt a little cliche here but the FOOSEBALL table makes for a fun night.

• Piano Man - This bar is more like an English style Pub, I felt 100% at home here, with beers/ciders on tap that I recognised. Not the one if you’re looking for a more traditional Lithuanian-style drinking experience.

• Carre - On a completely different level we have Carre. Situated in Central Vilnius, this fancy bar/restaurant has the standard drinks you find anywhere in the city, in addition to COCKTAILS THE SIZE OF YOUR HEAD. These cocktails come at a bit of a price - 12 to 18 Euros - but I am not joking when I say they are the size of your head, they are huge, and one drink will get you rather jolly.

• And The Third One - A small, quaint pub/bar off the beaten track. And The Third One offers local beers and a super chilled out environment, with many local Lithuanians for company.

• House of Beer - On one of the main roads along the river, House of Beer (unsurpringly) has a huge range of beer! With a good mix of locals and foreigners.

• In Vino - Perfect for a warm evening of wine drinking, In Vino is within a cobbled courtyard away from the main tourist street. Although it can get quite noisy on a weekend, during the week this bar has good vibes and is perfect for a relaxed evening.

• Terasa Mano Kiemas - Like Vino Uno, Terasa Mano Kiemas is within a walled, cobbled courtyard. This bar tends to attract 18-25 year olds who are feeling a little fancy but aren’t into the hustle and bustle of places like Terasa Mano Kiemas. We had the luck of stumbling across this bar when there was a live jazz band playing, which were really good.

• Wine Box - Situated along the river that snakes its way through the centre of the city, Wine Box is a quirky little bar that sits between a skate park and volleyball courts (in the summer). Although it’s placement, there are some seriously chilled vibes with locals and tourists mixing together to listen to a live DJ and drink plenty of wine.

• Peronas - With a similar style to House of Beer or And The Third One, Peronas has an added novelty that it is right on the train platform. You spend the night surrounded by local Lithuanians, good beer/wine and a show as the trains run throughout the night.

Other Towns to Visit

Ranging from busy tourist towns to small seaside towns, these are my top 8 other places to visit during your stay in Lithuania.

• Trakai - Cultural/Touristic

• Biržai - Cultural/Tourist

• Anyksai - Local Life

• Klapedia - Touristic

• Karkle - Touristic

• Rokiskis - Local Life

• Nida - Touristic

• Palanga - Local Life

Other Attractions Across Lithuania

• Trakai Castle - 6Euros - Trakai Castle is one of the most photographed Castles in Europe. Situated in the middle of a lake it is a perfect photo opportunity and the castle itself is huge with plenty to see. There are interactive options such as crossbow shooting as well as information about the history of the castle, and why it is where it is. This is one of the attractions that has a lot of information in English too.

• Dukes House - 2 Euros - There are many Dukes House’s dotted throughout Lithuania, they belonged to the ‘royalty’ of the country who over saw their towns to be run properly. The Dukes House in Biržai is the best one of the many we visited, it took around 2 hours to look around as there is SO much to see. Rooms dedicated to stuffed animals, traditional clothes, money, war time items, sports items and many more. Although everything is in Lithuania, there are conveniently placed museum employees to help. Neda to Klapedia 50km cycle path - 11Euros for ferry, 11Euros for bike hire for day

• Hill of Crosses - FREE - The Hill Of Crosses in Lithuania is a place of pilgrimage for many. With over 100,000 crosses made from wood and metal, ranging in size from tiny 1 or 2cm high crosses to monumental statues over 10ft tall, this hill is one of the most religiously extreme places I have ever come across. It has a slightly creepy feel to it at night, but it is 100% worth the visit.

• Viewing platforms - FREE - Dotted throughout Lithuania, there are many viewing platforms that take you way up above the trees to view the surrounding lakes and islands. Lithuania has over 4,000 lakes, so as you can imagine there are quite a few of these platforms. If you get to any of them around sunrise/sunset, the views can be quite spectacular and uninterrupted - being such a flat country.

• Rooftop bar in Klapedia Sky 21 - Many people in Lithuania drink in their own homes as it is so much cheaper, so there aren’t many bars outside the big cities that have caught my eye, Sky 21 being the exception. Between the funky elevator to the top of the building, the modern style and the view, this bar really caught my attention as it is so different from any of the bars in Vilnius.

• Dukes House in Rokiškis - 2Euros - My second favourite Dukes House, and although much smaller than that of Birzai, this house is less of a typical museum but more like a restoration project. Every room is set up in the way it would have been when the last of the Dukes resided there, with an english radio to explain each room as you go around. There is also a second building that is about the history of the area and is more interactive.

• Church in Rokiškis - FREE - This church is very beautiful from the outside, and very humble on the inside. If you stand at the front of the Church, looking away from the building, you will see there is a perfectly straight, tree-lined path from the Church’s front doors to the front door of the Dukes House.

• Blažys Bakery in Roskiškis - The best home made bakery goods I have found throughout my travels. From traditional Lithuanian savouries to a huge variety of cakes (their caramel cake being my absolute favourite), this tiny little bakery is somewhere not to be missed!

A quick note on Rokiškis; very much off the beaten track, this very charming little town is worth the visit! I have been spending most weekends in a very small village about 6km outside the town, somewhere that has no internet connection, no cell phone coverage and no television. If you’re up for walking/hiking, swimming in lakes, mushroom picking, exploring a loads of abandoned soviet buildings/bunkers and meeting some truly old-school Lithuanians then this area is perfect for you. There are Traditional Ball party type events at the Dukes House in Rokiskis every weekend, anyone can go as long as you purchase a ticket and wear the appropriate Traditional clothing. There are also events such as meets for small air craft enthusiasts and off-road motorbike races. Although this area may seem rather sleepy, there is so much going on if you look in the right places - local newspapers and message boards.

Supermarket Pricing (Maxima/Iki/Rimi)

• Loaf of Bread - 1.69

• 12 Pack of Eggs - 0.78

• Sandwich Meat (sliced ham per kg) - 3.75

• Deli Meat (pre-cooked chicken wings per kg) - 4.35

• Tomatos (per kg) - 1.27

• Bananas (per kg) - 1.00

• Watermelon (half) - 1.90

• 2L Bottle of Mineral Water - 1.49

• 1L Bottle of Beer - 0.69

• 1L Bottle of Vodka - 4.79

• Chocolate bar - 0.56

Since joining the European Union around 2004, Lithuania kept it’s own currency - the Leitas - and only converted to the Euro around 2014. This country is well known for it’s wonderful selection of beers, and a lot of the time beer is cheaper than bottled water. I have also recently discovered that a standard minimum wage job (working in retail for example) will earn an employee around 300Euros a month. Though living costs are also low here, meaning you can still come out of the end of the moth with 100Euros or so saved up.

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- If you have any questions, please let me know at the Contact page! I can find out answers from the wonderful Lithuanian family I am currently living with! -