Vilnius has one of Europe's largest surviving medieval old towns, with Baroque churches, the artists' republic of Uzupis, Gediminas Tower and the Trakai island castle nearby. It is warm, creative and good value.
Good to know
- Trakai is 30 minutes away by train.
- Visit the Hill of Crosses near Siauliai if you have time.
- Lithuanian dumplings (cepelinai) are filling.
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Places the planner can use
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One of Europe's largest baroque old towns, with pastel churches, hidden courtyards, galleries and cosy cafes to wander.
Neoclassical cathedral with a separate bell tower.
Gothic red-brick church so beautiful Napoleon wished to move it.
Last surviving medieval city gate, topped by a chapel with a revered icon of the Virgin that draws pilgrims year-round.
Try cepelinai, large potato dumplings stuffed with meat and served with sour cream, in a traditional Lithuanian restaurant.
Climb Castle Hill to the red-brick tower, or take the funicular, for a view across the old town's rooftops and spires.
Bohemian district with a satirical constitution.
Red-brick castle on an island in a lake, 30 minutes away.
Former KGB headquarters turned museum, with preserved cells and exhibits on Soviet occupation and Lithuanian resistance.
Dawn balloon flight over the old town and Trakai countryside, weather permitting; a spectacular way to see the city.
Striking pilgrimage hill near Siauliai, covered in over a hundred thousand crosses, a symbol of Lithuanian faith and defiance.