Vilnius April 2014

Ardennes1944

Hi guys,
I've a week off from 31st of March and I can get 4 days in Vilnius with flights and accommodation for 150e. It seems to be a rather nice place, if a bit small, but its different and I like that.
Ive read a few threads here on it but most are years old and although stuff online is good id like to hear from a few boardsies who might have been.
Ill be travelling on my own, Male 22.

kerry4sam

I'm moving your thread into Independent & & Youth Travel.

Have a look here as that is where we got the basics of info before we arrived. On arrival, the staff in our hotel has some top-notch 'local' info on where to go & what to see

We mainly used our hotel in Vilnius as a base as it was from there that we went bob-sledding in Latvia (see here). Your passport will be checked regular (well it was for us anywhoo), so have on you at all times, in safe place.

The Old Town is certainly worth spending some time. Have a read here.

Not sure how you'll spend 4days in Vilnius tbh, I'd say you'll end up sight-seeing to varying cities and countries like we did.

Certainly worth visiting, exploring and expanding your mindset into a different way of living.

Hope you Enjoy,
kerry4sam

tampopo

yeah, I was there last year. Travelled by myself to visit two friends. Spent some time by myself.
I enjoyed it. Yes it is small. Lots of embassies! It's much cheaper than here. The Lita is fixed to the euro, about 3.46 per euro. There's a Coffee Inn chain and a cappucino and a cake for 6.50 was the norm. Less than €2

the cathedral in the old town area...


Looking across from the front of the Cathedral, Gediminas street. The Irish embassy is in prime position just out of shot there on the right.


A Coffee Inn on Vilnaus Avenue, off Gediminas street...they have wifi.


If you like churches, then you'll love it. Churches everywhere. There is a 90 min walking tour of the old town from the Tourist Office/Town Hall . This building here on the left hand corner.


One thing you should do is take a half day trek out to Trakai Castle. Takes 30-45 mins by bus, or you can get the train. Both stop in the train station. It's 2km walk to the castle. It's at the end of this isthmus...

that's the bus/train station and it's well signposted. Don't worry if you rush to get an early train or bus there are two supermarkets between the station and the castle if you want to grab a bite to eat.
The castle itself.

It's very pretty. 15lita to enter. I met a young couple in the hostel after I got back and they went to it, but didn't pay to go in.

One thing I didn't do and will do the next time I go over is visit the Hill of Crosses. I didn't know it was there before I went and I'm raging I missed it. It's several km away,(Trakai Castle is 28km from Vilnius btw) and looks a bit mad. Search for images of it. Seems VERY odd!

There are some mad buildings alright, the KGB museum,


In the early 90s, 2-3 million people in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia linked arms between the three capital cities. This is the point in Vilinius where it started/finished.

it's outside the Cathedral between it and the belltower.

They had their 1916 Easter Rising equivalent in 1991 so there are a lot of references to the 'rising up' against the Russians at certain buildings. The National Pariliament being one...

where they left some of the barricades in place as a reminder and a memorial to the people who died at that time. January 13th, I think.



TV Tower being another. 28 Litas to go up. It's a revolving restaurant at the top with good views of the city and surrounding area.


it's a good spot. Have fun...

neris

Its a pretty compact city easy to walk around and not get lost. The airport nots that far outside the city centre maybe 10-15 minutes if even in a taxi. The man areas are around the cathederal area. Gediminas & Pilius. The KGB museum is at the opposite end of Gediminas to the cathederal. Well worth a visit. Tyhe national museum beside the cathederal has recently been done up aswell. The university is around Pilies so good bit of a buzz around there but if you want to find a pub for a quiet beer or to watch the football forget it, theres very few if any pubs in the city centre. More cafe bar type places. There are some nice little places around the town sqaure/red square. Also on Pilies try forto darvas they do traditional lithuanian foods. Trakai is worth a visit for a few hours some nice little pastry shops out there aswell to get some nibbles at. Traditional lithuanian pies. The tv tower has great views of the city and surrounds but not the best of places Ive founded quite boring as a sight and the food at the top is missable.