Once you break through the stereotypes of Lego and pastries, Denmark offers travelers rich experiences from its Viking heritage and Renaissance castles to modern design stores and a cutting-edge food scene where you can’t move for Michelin stars.
21.07.2023 - 07:37 / roughguides.com
Lithuania is a vibrant, quirky and largely unspoiled country, which has undergone rapid change since becoming independent from the Soviet Union. You’ll find lively nightlife, both in Vilnius and on the coast, ample grounds for outdoor pursuits in the national parks and several great beaches, as well as a stark contrast between city life and rural simplicity. Here's our pick of the best things to do in Lithuania.
The information in this article is inspired by The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget , your essential guide for visiting Europe.
A cosmopolitan city with an ancient, Baroque heart, Vilnius is relatively compact and easy to get to know, with a variety of inexpensive attractions and a lively nightlife. Its numerous churches and palaces jostle for space in the Old Town’s winding cobbled alleys, where glitzy restaurants stand incongruously beside dilapidated old buildings.
At the centre of Vilnius, poised between the medieval and nineteenth-century parts of the city, is Cathedral Square (Katedros aikštė). The Old Town, just south of Cathedral Square, is a network of narrow, often cobbled streets that forms the Baroque heart of Vilnius, with the pedestrianized Pilies gatvė cutting into it from the southeastern corner of the square.
To the west of this street is Vilnius University, which was constructed between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries around nine linked courtyards that extend west to Universiteto gatvė. Within its precincts is the beautiful Baroque St John’s Church (Šv. Jono bažnyčia), founded during the fourteenth century, and taken over by the Jesuits in 1561.
St Johns Church, Vilnius, Lithuania © Tom Roche/Shutterstock
The Vilnius TV Tower was designed by a Lithuanian engineer V. Obydovas. It was originally built to provide broadcasting in the Lithuanian SSR, then part of the Soviet Union. Today it continues to function as a Lithuanian broadcasting tower for several Lithuanian stations. The TV tower is one of the tallest buildings in Lithuania and one of the tallest TV towers in all of Europe.
When considering things to do in Lithuania, visitors to Vilnius should not miss the TV Tower, as its observation deck provides a stunning panoramic view of the city and its surroundings.
Find more accommodation options to stay in Vilnius
Vilnius Tv Tower, Lithuania © Pixabay
Around 30km west of Vilnius lies the little town of Trakai. Here one finds a mix of concrete Soviet-style buildings merged with the wooden cottages of the Karaite community, Lithuania’s smallest ethnic minority. Standing on a peninsula jutting out between two lakes, Trakai is the site of two impressive medieval castles and makes for a worthwhile day trip from the capital.
Once you arrive, follow Vytauto gatvė and turn right
Once you break through the stereotypes of Lego and pastries, Denmark offers travelers rich experiences from its Viking heritage and Renaissance castles to modern design stores and a cutting-edge food scene where you can’t move for Michelin stars.
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