Official language: Lithuanian
Capital: Vilnius
Currency: Euro
Population as % of total EU: 0.57
Joined EU: 2004

Did you know?

• Lithuania has declared independence twice in recent history and celebrates two independence days. It first became independent on 16 February 1918, now known as Restoration of the State Day. It was then occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940, by the Nazis between 1941 and 1945, and then by the Soviet Union again. It regained independence on 11 March 1990, which is now known as Restoration of Independence Day.
• Approximately a third of Lithuania is covered by forests.
• Lithuanian is a very old language – in fact, it is the oldest surviving Indo-European language and is (perhaps surprisingly) related to Sanskrit. The only surviving living language close to Lithuanian is Latvian.
• A recent World Health Organisation study found that Lithuanians are the world’s heaviest drinkers. To try and tackle this, the Lithuanian government recently introduced a raft of new rules to try and make citizens cut back on drinking – including a ban on alcohol sales after 3 pm on Sundays and raising the legal drinking age to 20.
• Lithuania’s national sport is basketball.

Visiting Lithuania: a long weekend in Vilnius

My trip to Lithuania started out as an almost completely blank slate. Having booked travel and accommodation many months ago, before moving to a new city and trying to find a new job and new friends, I’d practically forgotten about the trip and hadn’t done a single bit of research on what there was to do there.

I skimmed through a few blog posts and travel websites the day before leaving – and of course caught a glimpse of Vilnius’ ‘G-spot of Europe’ campaign – but ultimately decided to leave things to chance. A city break can be exhausting if you commit yourself to doing too many things, and picking must-sees based on a few minutes of research is hardly the best approach. So, my travel companion and I just agreed on a few loose guiding principles: something scenic, sampling some local food and drink, learning some modern history and a walking tour. And then we were good to go.

Something scenic
Vilnius’ Old Town is a UNESCO world heritage site and is a truly beautiful place to walk around. Full of candy-coloured baroque churches, cobblestone streets and green spaces, it’s easy to walk around and easy to fall in love with. We knew we were onto a winner early on when we took in the view from our just-out-of-town Airbnb:

The Old Town is also full of charming cafes, eateries and bars, ranging from the hipster to the traditional. Our favourite breakfast spot was Brew, tucked just off Pylimo gatvė – the cinnamon and maple pastries are both delicious.

We got very lucky on the weekend we went (31 September), as Vilnius was welcoming new university students with a city-wide festival packed with music and free events. That meant we got to see one of Lithuania’s most famous pop groups (complete with pyrotechnic display), Lithuania’s most famous rapper, the mesmerising set up for a Diner en Blanc in one of the main squares, and much more besides.

We also took a stroll around Užupis (literally: “the other side of the river”), a self-proclaimed republic with its own constitution, anthem and president. It’s generally considered Vilnius’ artistic and bohemian quarter, and there are lots of shops selling weird and wonderful things and various pieces of artwork lining the riverbank.

We upped the scenic portion of our trip even further by taking a day trip to Trakai, about an hour’s bus journey from Vilnius. Part of a national park, the town sits at the meeting point of several lakes (the largest being the Galvė) and has many islands. Perhaps the most striking thing to see is Trakai Castle:

We went on a beautiful sunny day, so mainly spent our time lounging in the sun, paddling in the lake and eating traditional kibinai pastries. Bliss.

Local food and drink
A word of warning: there is not much in the way of traditional vegetarian Lithuanian food. Thankfully though, the options they do have are super tasty. Some of the delights I sampled (and would highly recommend) were:

• Blynai: hot and thick potato pancakes served with sour cream and curd sauce. So oily, so delicious. Like an amped up hash brown.
• Šaltibarščiai: cold beetroot soup served with hot potatoes. A match made in heaven, and pretty to look at too.
• Duona su česnaku: literally “bread with garlic”. Rye bread deep fried and topped with grated garlic and salt. Sometimes cheese and sour cream are added or served on the side.
• Kvass: soft drink made with bread and often flavoured with berries.

Perhaps the most ‘traditional’ Lithuanian dish is cepelinai, stuffed potato dumplings shaped liked zeppelins. The stuffing tends to be meat, but I’ve been told that there are vegetarian ones out there!

Modern history
I was shamefully ignorant of Lithuania’s recent history, so we chose to go to the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights (formerly called the Museum of Genocide Victims). Housed in the city’s former KGB headquarters, it’s a tough visit but definitely worth it.

Set over 3 floors, including the former cells in the basement of the building, the museum tells the story of Lithuania’s occupation by the Soviet Union and the Lithuanian partisans that fought against it, as well as shining a light on the victims of the arrests, deportations, and executions that took place during it.

If you’re interested in this period of Lithuanian history, I would also highly recommend reading Shadows on the Tundra, a memoir by Dalia Grinkevičiūtė recently published by Peirene Press. The memoir starts with her being forcibly deported to Siberia aged just 14 and follows the years she spends in a Soviet labour camp. Beautifully written, utterly compelling and totally heart-breaking.

A walking tour
Having wandered the streets of Vilnius soaking up the atmosphere, we decided to join a free walking tour to find out more about the stories and history behind the sites. We opted for Vilnius Free Walking Tours and were led around by the informative and friendly Violet. The tour was one of the highlights of the weekend and ventured into a few areas we would never have discovered on our own.

Have you been To Vilnius or another destination in Lithuania? Do you have any recommendations? If so, please let me know!