Soviet-era city two hours from UK has Insta perfect streets and is one of Europe's most underrated

I didn’t cognize Lithuania precise good earlier jetting disconnected connected January 22. However, now? I personally deliberation it is an underrated gem of European capitals – and 1 you should beryllium adding to your interrailing lists.

Vilnius differs from galore different cities successful Central Europe. It has the romanticist elements of cities specified arsenic Valencia and Paris. But it besides has reminders of its Soviet era, with the occasional grey Brutalist block.

The city’s architecture has been described arsenic a “treasure trove,” with its Gothic and Renaissance-style buildings lasting arsenic testaments to its affluent past and taste heritage. Many are adorned with elaborate facades and decorative details.

Some of the astir awesome examples I saw erstwhile pottering with take-away java successful manus were the Church of St. Anne, Bernadine Church, the Presidential Palace, and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus and St. Ladislaus - the city’s main Catholic cathedral and adjacent to Vilnius’ antiaircraft castle.

Old buildings are beauteous and marque walking astir a metropolis enjoyable. This was Vilnius successful a nutshell, and not conscionable successful its aged municipality but crossed the full city. If you purpose to get that “Insta” changeable wandering down a beautiful, cobbled thoroughfare – this metropolis is 1 for you. In 1994, the Vilnius Old Town was included successful the UNESCO World Heritage List successful designation of its “universal worth and originality”.

I spent my archetypal time successful the Baltic federation connected a walking metropolis circuit organised by GoVilnius. The metropolis isn’t large, and you tin easy screen it by walking if you tin – truthful if you are a stroller similar I am, you’ll bask what it has to offer. I’d accidental you could screen the metropolis successful a day.

Vilnius is 1 of those places wherever joining a circuit is simply a must. With a guide, you’ll get a deeper knowing of Vilnius’ chiseled quality and person an impactful acquisition that goes beyond what you mightiness observe solo successful different European cities. For things to do, if you’re funny successful Lithuanian history, you should sojourn the Palace of the Grand Duke, which I deliberation covered it brilliantly.

The Palace has galore beauteous rooms that person been reconstructed to replicate what they would person looked similar successful the 15th century, erstwhile the palace was the location of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Costing conscionable 10 euros, it takes a bully fewer hours, and the item was the viewing level astatine the top, which gives you a large presumption of the aged town.

Although, for a amended one, you should caput to Gediminas Tower connected the elevation adjacent door. It’s a spot of a tiny trek, but successful the daylight, you tin spot for miles. It’s besides wholly FREE.

If you privation to larn much astir the past of day-to-day life, past you should sojourn the National History Museum. And for each things political, you should caput to the House of Signatories - wherever connected February 16, 1918, the Act of Independence of Lithuania was signed.. Both volition acceptable you backmost astir six euros.

Vilnius is besides making a sanction for itself arsenic a European creation hub, and 1 of its newest museums, MO, is simply a bully spot to deed if you privation to cheque retired some modern and accepted Lithuanian art. Overall, it has astir 5,000 pieces successful its postulation - though not each of them are connected display.

With an big summons costing 16 euros, this is decidedly the spot for a drizzly afternoon. It’s not big, truthful you could easy implicit it wrong 2 hours. The existent accumulation - which is connected until August - is called “From Within” and focuses connected the interaction of creation connected affectional wellness told by influential Lithuanian artists.

I decidedly deliberation I could’ve done different time - truthful a agelong play - successful Vilnius arsenic I felt determination was a batch which I wasn’t capable to compression in.

Something that made maine anxious astir visiting the eastbound European metropolis was whether I would beryllium capable to bask its cuisine. I americium vegan and person been for astir 8 years. Overall, the cuisine consists of basal vegetables specified arsenic potatoes and beetroots, tons of meat, and bread. Its nationalist crockery is murphy dumplings stuffed with minced nutrient and soured cream.

However, I was truthful wrong. On my archetypal night, I went to the accepted Lithuanian edifice Lokys, successful the Jewish quarter. Opening 50 years agone – adjacent though parts of the gathering day backmost each the mode to the 15th period - the edifice is 1 of the oldest family-run establishments successful the city, and guests tin bask dishes dating arsenic acold backmost arsenic Medieval Times.

Although determination weren’t galore vegan options, determination were some, and that was a win. To start, I got a handbasket of rye breadstuff with beetroot hummus and a pint of lager from the historical Lithuanian Gubernija Brewery - a flavourful portion with much of a airy ale vibe than a modular lager.

My starter was a elemental Salad with Bilberry Vinaigrette. Bilberries are tiny acheronian bluish berries autochthonal to Lithuanian forests and are saccharine and a small tart. The crockery featured crockery leaves with peppery rocket, confit and caller cherry tomatoes, walnuts, strawberries, blueberries, and radishes.

The main portion - and the item - was the vinaigrette. It had the texture of a balsamic glaze, and its tangy flavour gave the crockery an oomph. Meat-eaters who privation a small other tin get the crockery with smoked food oregon beef.

If you fancy a much accepted option, the edifice offers a “Lithuanian Beer Snack,” which features smoked fish, food doughnuts, dried meat, smoked pig ears, and fried rye bread. Another array ordered this, and it was genuinely a spectacle. For the main, I had homemade Boletus Mushroom Dumplings with tangy bulb jam. The dumpling filling was affluent and savoury, and the sweetness and acidity of the bulb jam chopped done it sharply. This crockery was elemental but delicious.

During my trip, I ate astatine a scope of restaurants that did their ain unsocial instrumentality connected the Lithuanian cuisine, and each of them were breathtaking and tasty. So, you’ve got yourself an abundance of options if you determine to visit. Vilnius is besides accelerated becoming a nutrient hub of Europe. Last year, 4 restaurants were awarded Michelin stars. Although, these tin beryllium a spot pricey.

One of my biggest regrets was that I couldn’t find a vegan mentation of the country's Cold Beet Soup - aka Pink Soup. The crockery - which is called šaltibarščiai - is made with beetroots, kefir, and beverage and served with quail eggs and boiled potatoes.

I heard the sensation is “earthy-yet-refreshing,” and with its luminous pinkish appearance, it has garnered a spot of societal media fanfare. Vilnius besides has an full festival dedicated to it successful the summer. You tin get yourself a mentation of the crockery successful galore restaurants, and determination are vegan options. Although, successful the LoveHip vegan establishment, it sadly wasn’t disposable that day. But it's each good; it conscionable means different travel successful the future.

The crushed for my travel to the metropolis was for the Vilnius Light Festival, which celebrates the city’s day connected January 25.

The crushed wherefore it is this day is owed to an aged Lithuanian legend. According to the tale, a Grand Duke named Gediminas dreamt of an robust wolf connected a elevation during a hunting travel successful Šventaragis vale - which contiguous is adjacent the capital’s Cathedral Square. Taking this imagination arsenic a divine sign, Gediminas decided to physique the mighty metropolis of Vilnius, which helium foresaw arsenic being “the metropolis of robust and celebrated worldwide, echoing the howls of a 100 wolves.” As portion of his plan, the Duke wrote letters to Western Europeans inviting them to join.

The earliest surviving missive mentioning Vilnius is dated January 25, 1323 - truthful this is present its birthday, and this year, it was celebrating its 702nd. From Friday, January 24 to Sunday, 26, the festival transforms the metropolis into an open-air gallery, with 18 airy installations, video projections, and interactive displays exhibited crossed the city’s Baroque Old Town.

This year’s festival – which is lone the seventh clip it’s been held – focused connected the city’s relation arsenic the European Green Capital 2025, arsenic good arsenic its arts and culture. The opening nighttime of the festival was thankfully adust – but it was precise cold, with the somesthesia sitting astatine astir 2 degrees each day.

I arrived successful the metropolis earlier successful the week and commented connected however quiescent it felt. However, arsenic I walked retired onto to cobbled street, the opposition was evident. The festival is escaped to attend, and astir 200,000 radical caput to the metropolis each twelvemonth to bask the festivities.

The ambiance could lone beryllium described arsenic electric, it was perfectly buzzing. Dance euphony blasted retired of a DJ signifier which was successful the signifier of a ample greenish dragon, and each fewer minutes, a flare blasted retired of the dragon’s rima to the dependable of excitable screams from some children and adults. It was truthful overmuch fun, and you’d find yourself sticking astir to articulation successful with the adjacent circular of cheers.

One of the festival's standouts for maine was the Dreaming Sun by Lithuanian creator Agnė Kišonaitė. The portion was made retired of aged tennis balls which had been donated by section players, which were utilized to make a ample operation of a sun. The portion reflected the artist’s longing for sunlight during agelong wintertime evenings (relatable) and served arsenic a reminder of the quality of reusing mundane materials.

This operation stood by the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, and what was fantastic was that you could spot a fewer antithetic artworks, 1 of which was the crown airy fixtures connected apical of Gediminas Castle Tower. It changeable beams of bluish and white, which swirled and twirled successful the nighttime sky. I couldn’t assistance but suffer myself successful it.

Before I knew it, I had been exploring Vilnius’ illuminated streets for astir 3 hours, and I could’ve spent a fewer much hours wandering if it hadn’t been truthful cold.

During this time, I was mesmerised by the colours and animations that twinkled, glittered, and radiated onto the aged buildings. I walked down streets with misty hues of greenish and pinkish and saw projections that were the electrical equivalent of watercolours. One of the jazziest installations was the “Echo of Light” by the Latvian radical Those Guys Lighting.

Sat extracurricular the statesmanlike palace, it was an experimental audio-visual installation that represented the continuous question of energy. It was a monolithic cylinder that you could locomotion through, and laser beams would sprout retired and bespeak against mirrors, forming a hypnotic, astir holographic effect. It besides utilized a fog effect which added a small play to the walk-through.

There were times erstwhile I besides felt portion of the artwork, peculiarly erstwhile I recovered myself successful the mediate of a radical of women who were wearing flashing headbands and waving light-up wands, the benignant you would find astatine a British Panto. The Light festival was scheduled to extremity astir 10pm, but it felt arsenic though the enactment could spell connected for hours - and it did.

Light artwork is not new, and the UK has hosted these types of events before. I went to 1 successful my hometown of Bury once. However, the thought down the pieces was truthful interesting, and the execution of the artworks was genuinely a wonderment to see.

It’s a peculiar time for the city, and you tin spot the attraction and attraction that was enactment into crafting this event. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, although, arsenic it was January, It was freezing. So, I urge getting yourself a blistery portion for your rotation - oregon a brew broad - immoderate floats your boat.

Book it

LOT Airlines now connects London City Airport and Vilnius. Flights instrumentality 2 hours and 50 minutes and outgo astir £100.