What is VILNIUS? I Didn’t Know THIS!

Few days ago I had the chance to revisit a city that has long been on my Europe bucket list, Vilnius. According to Lithuania, the G-Spot of Europe. What do you know about Vilnius?

Before I forget, this is the video in case you prefer to watch a more complete version:

PART I: ORIENTATION

Vilnius is Lithuania’s capital and also known for its baroque architecture easily seen in its medieval Old Town. In fact, the Old Town is not different from Tallinn (Estonia) and Riga (Latvia), meaning still super beautiful. According to Go Vilnius the city is packed with action, art, inspiration, history and more than a few unexpected adventures along the way.

Having been there few times I can certainly confirm all that. But this time it was the first time I visited Vilnius in summer and the weather was on my side. In case you didn’t know Lithuania means the “country of rain”, so we can’t take the sunny days for granted.

It’s also worth noting that Vilnius is very international and people speak in many places English. Actually more than I thought! I talk about this in the video.

So the day started with Gediminas Tower, the symbol of Vilnius providing a gorgeous view of the city. This used to be a castle built by the Duke Gediminas.

PART II: GASTRONOMY TOUR

PART III: THE DISCOVERY

One of the places I saw for the first time was a neighbourhood called Užupis. It’s a bit of a bohemian area with street murals and interesting vibe. What’s even more interesting is that they self-proclaimed “Republic of Užupis” and you can see that mounted on wall plaques.

There are also artists’ studios, some local-designer boutiques and hipster coffee shops. It’s not too big so we can easily walk and see most of it. Nearby there’s also another neighbourhood called Paupys, the first step in implementing the large-scale conversion project “Vilnius Architecture Park” in Lithuania.

My favourite place in Paupys… the market! A space where various cuisines, chefs, cafes, restaurants and people gather together under one roof. This is the birthplace of a new generation of dining experiences as it’s like being in a mini-forest shopping centre with different places to eat. I show exactly what this is in the video too.