From Wikitravel

Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania with population of over 0.5 million.

Contents 1 Understand 2 Get in 2.1 By plane 2.2 By train 2.3 By car 2.4 By bus 2.5 By boat 3 Get around 4 See 5 Do 6 Learn 7 Work 8 Buy 9 Eat 9.1 Budget 9.2 Mid-range 9.3 Splurge 10 Drink 11 Sleep 11.1 Budget 11.2 Mid-range 11.3 Splurge 12 Contact 13 Stay safe 14 Cope 15 Get out

Understand

Inhabited for centuries, Vilnius today is a multinational city with significant Polish and Russian minorities, about 20% each of them. It used to have a strong Jewish minority before World War II, but most of the Jews from Vilnius got exterminated. After the war the Soviet government expelled most of the remaining Polish population of the city and replaced them with Lithuanian and Russian citizens.

Get in

By plane

Vilnius International Airport is the largest airport in Lithuania (beautifully small in other words). Lithuanian Airlines offers good service to most major Euro hubs, British Airways and LOT also fly there. EL-AL operates seasonal services to Tel-Aviv A taxi is 20LTL. Bus no. 2 goes to downtown Vilnius.

Kaunas is served by Ryanair from Ireland and London, only an hour from Vilnius.

By train

Trains from major destinations come to the Vilnius Railway Station which links Moscow to Warsaw or Berlin.

By car

Motorway to Kaunas

By bus

Bus station is beside the train station.

By boat

Get around

http://www.vilniustransport.lt/e_index.htm

See

• The old town. Many churches and other building built in 13th-19th centuries
• Gediminas castle. The red-bricked tower is restored from the Higher Castle erected in the 13th–14th centuries. Best view of vilnius. Can't find it? Look up!
• Cathedra Basilica. Original (wooden) cathedral built in 1251. In 1387 a gothic style cathedral was built. The most beautiful part of the Cathedral, the baroque chapel of St. Casimir, was built in 1623–1636. The crypt shows a cross section of vilnius through the ages, well worth seeing.
• Frank Zappa statue The only statue in the world for honoring great musician
• Lithuanian National Museum. Biggest and oldest source of national cultural heritage in the country, which systematically collects, stores, displays, and popularises the history of the state. www.lnm.lt
• The Centre of Europe. 25 km to the North of Vilnius is the real centre of Europe, marked by The National Institute of Geography of France in 1989. (it has now somehow moved a little closer)
• The overpriced European Park. The sculptures, which are the works of sculptors from more than 70 countries worldwide, are exhibited in the open area of 55 ha. www.europosparkas.lt Very bad mosquito problem when I went.
• Old Arsenal Building
• Artilery Bastion of Vilnius Defensive Wall
• Three Crosses Hill is a memorable place because seven Franciscan monks were tortured here by the pagans.
• Trakai, Water castle outside Vilnius
• the cemeteries, interesting jewish cemetry in seskine (a little outside the centre) including the grave of some very important rabbi.

By the entrance to Vingis park is a war cemetry with russian, german, turkish soldiers from both wars.

• Uzupis district, a bohemian area largely unrestored, an independant republic also.
• Former KGB HQ on Gedimino prospekt (the main st), scary.

Do

Learn

• Vilnius University. Founded in 1579 by Polish king Stefan Batory, it is one of the oldest Universities in Eastern Europe.

Work

Average wage is around 500 Euros a month while unemployment is virtually nonexistent (according to the Department of Statistics of Lithuania registered unemployment rate in Lithuania was at a rate 2.9% of working-age population as for June 2006).

Buy

• Amber
• Wool socks and hats.

Vilnius is one of the most stylish parts of Europe. Hugo Boss, ZARA, Uniting Colours of Benetton and Escada have all opened and offer very nice quality garmats.

Eat

Budget

• Cili PICA, Didzioji g. 5, and other locations Pizza, pasta, salads. Medium pizza from 10 LTL to 25 LTL
• Cili KAIMAS, same people as above but 'village' food. Try a zeppelin.

Mid-range

• Piti. Islandijos g.4, tel:852627560. Azerbaijani food. Eg the Spicy Piti dish with beef and potatos in a clay pot. Main courses ca. 20 LTL.

Splurge

• La Provance, Vokieciu str 22, tel: 852616573, fax:862312360, mailto:zemaiciusmukle@takal.lt, french inspired food with house specials such as roebuck with cherry sauce. Starters ca 30LTL, main courses 60LTL, extensive wine list starting at 80 LTL.

Drink

• Brodvejus (Broadway), Vokiečių St. / Mėsinių St. 4, cozy bar/nightclub.
• Prospekto PUB, Gedimino pr. 2/1, fun place with non-trendy music, good drinks and a good atmosphere.
• Cozy, Universiteto g. Double floored cozy bar it's a very good place to go if you want relaxing ambient or a good dj play in an extremely cozy environment. Also serves good food and Svyturys, of course.
• Prie Universiteto, Universiteto g. right in front of Cozy, its entrance is marked with a big UK flag, but no, it's nor a english people frequented bar. Nice decoration and also serves good italian food for a good price.
• Savas Kampas, Vokiečių Str. 4, Cozy, friendly and allways welcome place to spend time until 4am. In the summer time there is also a terrace to enjoy warm evenings with a pint of beer, chatting with the friends.
• Soleluna, Universiteto g. Starting point for Erasmus students parties! Small but with friendly people.

NATIONAL DRINKS

• Most popular local beer is Svyturus (lighthouse), it is a world champion beer. Available in lots of different styles but ekstra is probably the best. Ask for "bambalys". Also "Stipriausias" and "Kobra" are very popular.
• Lithuanian vodka (Lietuviskai Degtine) is of excellent quality. The brand 'Lithuanian Vodka' is quite popular. The gold is the premium version. Cranberry is also nice. Remember excessive vodka drinking can and does kill. Drink carefully.
• Samagonka, moonshine that is probably best avoided unless you need to sterilise something.

Sleep

Budget

• Hostel-Viešbutis, šv. Stepono g. 11, tel: (+370-5) 216 02 54; 35 lt per person per night; TV and kitchen; location between the railway station and the old town.
• Hotel Victoria, Saltoniskiu 56, tel. +370-5-2724013, mailto:hotel@victoria.lt; Nice, small, clean hotel; excellent location, only 7 minutes walk to the center; rooms starting from 30eur.

Mid-range

• Hotel Atrium, Pilies g. 10, tel:+370 52107777, mailto:hotel@atrium.lt, good location in the old town.

Splurge

Raddison SAS Astoria. Situated opposite town square and near many upmarket shops and restraunts. President Bush of the United States and Prince Charles have enjoyed the great service offered here.Private Saunas are offered in some rooms.

Contact

Stay safe

Vilnius is a safe place but like anywhere you have to use common sense. Try and walk with a confident air and never look lost. Around the train station is a particularly dangerous area. In the supermarket some drunk tried to pickpocket my girlfriend's phone. Lots of unsavoury types around.

Cope

• Internet. Abundant free hotspots all over the city, especially in restaurants (Cili Pizza i.e.)
• Internet cafe and cheap international VOIP calls. Pilies street in the yard (opposite to the St. John's church).
• New free WiFi hotspots on Gedimino street, Cathedral square and Town hall.

Get out

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