knew going into Vilnius that the real draw of Lithuania is the country at large, and you’d need to rent a car to see it, and I simply didn’t have enough time for a road trip. So, since Vilnius is all I’d get to see of Lithuania I splurged on a beautiful Airbnb right across from the main gate to the Old Town section of Vilnius.

It didn’t disappoint, a split level architecturally remodeled, all-white space that felt like a cross between a church and a lodge. It offered great views of the old town wall and the streets below.

Coming into the city (and dragging our suitcases) we passed a very run-down area with lots of street graffiti and street art, I wanted to get back to this area to photograph, but never made it. I often prefer the grittier sections than the white-washed-for-tourists parts of towns.

1. Things to see

Once we got out and headed for the wall you have to go through the Gates of Dawn – the last remaining tunnel in the wall that used to surround the Old Town (there used to be ten). The entryway wasn’t that impressive for such a cool name, but after the gates (on the right) was the Chapel of the Blessed Mary and a Madonna that is said to work miracles. The church was beautiful, blue and there was an ongoing service, so I slinked around the outskirts, sat down and took a few quiet pictures, then fled.

There are a LOT of churches in Vilnius, and they all seem to differentiate themselves through color. A blue church, a pink church a pink and white striped church, a green church… The town itself was pretty dramatic – dark overcast skies with muted ocher buildings.

All of the architecture was over the top, ornate, wedding cake.

There was a castle we tried to get in, but the walkway was closed with a temporary fence and we couldn’t find a way in, settled for a lookout high up in a belltower that gave views over the city.

A few other tourist places exist – like a ‘museum’ with a lot of optical illusions and visual tricks. It was worth an hours visit, although it gave my travel partner a migraine.

Pink and white church

Town square

Around town

Inside the pink church

The wall

Sign

Mural

2. Nightlife

There were a surprising number of bars along the street that had inner courtyards and offered outdoor seating with lots of beer and good food. Almost every block there was at least one place to have drinks. We tried our share and it nice to sit out in the night and watch everyone drinking around us while we got a buzz. One tapas restaurant kept the food coming until we couldn’t take any more.

In the bars

3. Spend

Amber jewelry is supposedly quite cheap here, but because it’s known to be cheap here it means that the tourist places jack up the prices thus making it not all that inexpensive. Still, I bought some earring and two necklaces and I think it was still cheaper than I could find elsewhere. The difficult part was finding a set that would match well.

Amber

4. Food

Our one find was a pancake house in the center of town. I think it was meant for kids, but we’re just big kids too – so each morning started with a big plate of pancakes (and blueberry) pancakes with syrup and butter – yum.

Pancakes and foods!

5. Getting Around

Feet

6. Costs

Cheap compared to Scandinavia. On par with other eastern Europe cities.

7. Tips

Shop around for your amber, I think the further you get from the Gates of Dawn the better prices you’ll find. Don’t be afraid to mix and match either – going from one shop to the next until you find what you want.

A beautiful but small town, in what I’m sure is even a more beautiful country. But you’ll need to rent a car and get out of Vilnius to see what Lithuania has to offer.