A Guide to Vilnius, LithuaniaBy Elizabeth Georgian

A Dash of Wanderlust

With an area of about 65,000 km2, Lithuania is the largest of the three Baltic States: Lithu-ania, Latvia, and Estonia. Lithuania shares borders with Latvia, Belarus, Poland, and Russia (Ka-liningrad) and has a coastline of 98 km. Lithuania is flat and is crossed by various rivers (Vilnius River, Neris River) and has numerous lakes and wetlands. This beautiful country’s landscape is composed of wetlands, peat bogs, and mixed forest of conifers with few broad leaf species. The forested countryside is reminiscent of fairytales. To begin your journey in Lithuania, fly into Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Vilnius is a beautiful city with enormous green spaces, delicious food, and special architecture. I’d suggest visiting in spring, summer, or early fall because Lithuania is dark and fairly cold from about No-vember until April. Enjoy the windy streets of the Vilnius Old Town to find hidden treasures and sit outdoors to people-watch.

Friday: Arrive at the Vilnius Airport and take a taxi to your hotel (let me suggest Shakespeare Ho-tel on Bernidinu Street 8/8). A taxi should cost between 30 to 50 Lithuanian Litas depending on where you stay in the city. Start your visit with the Gates of Dawn, which are from the 16th century and were the gates to the old city wall that went around Vilnius. At the Gates of Dawn you can go inside Our Lady of the Gates of Dawn Chapel. The Our Lady of the Gates of Dawn Chapel boasts a portrait from the 17th century of the Virgin Mary without Jesus. Visitors flock from all over the world to see this icon and it was even visited by Pope John Paul II in 1993. Enjoy a fantastic dinner at the Shakespeare Hotel Restaurant (you don’t need to be a ho-tel guest to eat or drink at Shakespeare) followed by a stroll down Pilies Street. You may want to stop at one of the many bars on Pilies Street that offer outdoor seating.

Suggested Itinerary for Three Days in Vilnius

Saturday: Explore Town Hall Square followed by a walk down Vokiečių g. Vokiečių g. has art shops, restaurants, and is a beautiful tree lined street. Enjoy a Lithuanian brunch of kibinai (a savory or sweet filled pastry) and coffee at Pinavija Café and Bakery on Vilniaus st. 21. Pinavija Café has a beautiful interior and is a perfect place to spend a relaxing late morning. After filling up on treats, walk to the amazing St. Anne and Bernadine Church Complex on Maironio g. 10 which is a monument of Lithuanian cultural heritage. The Gothic church of St. Anne was originally constructed in wood in the 14th century and was replaced with brick in the end of the 15th century. The Bernadine Church (also known as St. Francis from Assisi) was a former fortification of the walls that once surrounded Vilnius and is the largest Gothic church in the country. Tours are offered for larger groups in English, Lithuanian, or Russian Tuesdays through Saturdays (pranciskonunamai@inbox.lt) Make your way back to the Old Town to enjoy views of the entire city from Gedimino Tower. Visit Cathedral Square, Vilnius Cathedral, and walk up to Gedimino Tower, and the Hill of Three Crosses. You will enjoy beautiful views of the entire city from both Gedimino Tower and the Hill of Three Crosses. The walk up to the Hill of Three Crosses is more difficult than Ge-dimino Tower so if you are not interested in a short hike perhaps get your views from the Gedi-mino Tower. Enjoy dinner at La Boheme on Sv. Ignoto 4/3. In the warmer months La Boheme has out-door eating space in the library next door, however be sure to peak inside as the interior looks like a Medieval banquet hall. Follow dinner with a few drinks at Bambalyne on Stikliu street 7.

Useful InformationTipping - A tip of about 10% is customary in restaurants.There are often weekend street festivals on Gedimino g. when the weather is warm.Emergency number: 112Country code: +370

Sunday: Begin the day with an exploration of the thriving art scene in Vilnius. Start on Literatu Street, which holds a permanent outdoor gallery that highlights work from local artists and is dedicated to authors. Continue with an art stroll by entering the Republic of Uzupis. The Repub-lic of Uzupis is just a short walk from Vilnius Old Town, however it feels like entering a different city. Uzupis means on the other side of the river. To get there, you walk over a bridge ladened with love locks. Uzupis was not always the flourishing bohemian neighborhood that it is today; in fact, in the 1990s it was avoided due to prostitution, homelessness, and crime. In 1997 Uzupis named itself as a republic of Vilnius, created its own flag, currency, and constitution and elected a president. Be sure to visit the publicly posted constitution of Uzupis, which is available in sev-eral languages. If you are hungry while wandering Uzupis look no further than Uzupis Klasika. Uzupis Klasika makes a delicious chocolate lava cake that takes about 10 to 15 minutes to make, however it is well worth the wait!

Lithuanian Specialties Lithuanian food features beets, potatoes, honey, and cheeses. The food is rich, filling, and overall delicious. Below is a description of common foods you will see in Lithuanian restaurants or street fairs.

Zeppelins - potato dumplings that are typically stuffed with meat and served with a ladle of sour cream.Cold Beet Soup - served seasonally, this bright pink soup is refreshing and delicious.Fried bread - deep fried rye bread that is served with mayonnaise dipping sauce. This is a popular beer snack.Kibinai - savory or sweet filled pastries.Grybai - mushroom shaped cookies that taste similar to gingerbread.Raguolis - Lithuanian tree cakes are common at bakeries, markets, and grocery stores and are often featured during large celebrations. Gira or Kvass - A drink made from fermented bread, honey, and berries.Jam Tea - Just as it sounds! Jam put into hot water to make a tea.

Useful VocabularyMany people, especially under the age of 30, speak at least some English. However, Lithuanians will be incredibly happy if you try to learn some Lithuanian.

Hello - SveikiThank you - Ačiū! (pronounced Ahh-Choo)Goodbye - Viso geroI would like - Aš norėčiau (pronounced Ahsh norecho)Street - gatvėOne - vienasTwo - duThree - trysFour - keturiFive - penkiSix - šešiSeven - septyniEight - aštuoniNine - devyniTen - dešimt

Addresses:Cafes:

Thierry Kepykla: Uzupio g. 19No Sugar: A. Stulginskio g. 2Mint Vinetu: Sv. Ignoto 16/10Pinavija Café: Vilniaus g. 21Mama Mia: Stikliu g. 7Crooked Nose and Coffee Stories: Pylimo 22c -1. Insider Tip! Crooked Nose and Coffee Stories offers coffee tastings in English and Lithuania and pop up cafes.

Restaurants:

Uzupio Klasika: Uzupio g. 28La Boheme: Sv. Ignoto g. 4/3 - Insider Tip! Try the marinated olives.Kitchen: Dizioju g. 11Bistro 18: Stikliu g. 18Meat Lovers Pub: Sv. Ignoto g. 14Sofa de Pancho: Visu Sventuju g. 5Vegafe: Totoriu g. 3 Insider Tip! Are you looking for a vegetarian friendly restaurant? Try Vegafe!Shakespeare Restaurant: Bernidinu g. 8/8Pilies Kepklele: Pilies g. 19Café Montmartre: Didzioji g. 40

Shopping:

Ausko Avis: Savaciaus g. 10Decolte: Stikliu g. 6Accessories Studio: Stikliu g. 8Butega: Stikliu g. 18Ona: Sv. Kazimiero g. 12Senamiescio Kravutuve: Literatu 5Gedimino 9: for shopping at chain stores such as H&M.

Further Afield Trakai Castle is an easy day trip (via bus or train) from Vilnius and is about 35 minutes away in Trakai, Lithuania. Trakai Castle is a museum with a collection of jewelry, ceramics, glassworks, and other bits from the time period. Unfortunately, there are no explanations of what these items have to do with the castle. Also, there is no explanation of who lived in the castle or its history. Despite the downfalls of the museum, the views in and around the castle are stun-ning. To get to Trakai walk or take a cab to the train station on Gelezinkelio g. or take a bus from the bus station (which is behind the train station on Sodu g.). To travel by train, purchase your tickets for about 5.80 Litas (1 way only) and get off at the last stop, which will be Trakai. To travel by bus, leave from platform 8 or 9 (check the website for the most up to date information). The bus costs about 6.10 Litas. Upon arrival to Trakai you will need to walk about 40 minutes, either along the road or along the water, to reach Trakai Castle.

For more information on Vilnius, destinations in Lithuania, and abroad visit A Dash of Wanderlust at luyoutravel.blogspot.com

ImagesCover: A street in Vilnius Old TownPage 1: The Uzupis Constitution; Cathedral SquarePage 2: St. Anne’s Church; Inside of St. Anne’s ChurchPage 3: Cathedral Square at Christmas; Literatu StreetPage 4: The Hill of Three Crosses; Gedimino TowerPage 5: Statues at the theater; The Mermaid of UzupisPage 6: Trakai Castle, Vilnius University; Trakai, Lithuania