Lithuania Archives • Cook the Beans

Unmissable Užupis

Visiting Užupis while travelling through Vilnius is a must. Uzupis is a small bohemian republic and for me one of the most interesting parts of the city.

UŽUPIS: A REPUBLIC INSIDE VILNIUS

“Technically” it’s a different republic, with its own constitution and special independence day. This cool and edgy neighbourhood separated from the Old Town by the Vilnelė River.

Užupis declared itself an independent republic on April 1, 1997. It was created by bohemians and artists and you can definitely feel the creative vibe here.

The community hosts regular fashion festivals, concerts, exhibitions and poetry evenings.

For me, the best thing about this place is the colourful street art. You can easily spend a day at least roaming the streets of this fun-loving republic.

Crossing the Užupis Border

Just like any other republic, Užupis has a border, marked with a sign on the bridge.

If you go under the bridge you can see the Mermaid or Užupis’ Maiden. Legend has it that if you look at her long enough she might seduce you to stay in Užupis forever.

The Constitution of Užupis

The Užupis Constitution has 41 articles translated into more than 50 languages.

Curiosity Room

From the Curiosity Room (Užupis’ tourist and information centre) you can get a little something to remember your visit, send a postcard with the Užupis stamp on it, or you can get your passport stamped.

Užupis Art Incubator

Next to the Vilnelė River, you can find really cool sculptures and art installations.

The narrow Jonas Mekas Draught Alley connects the Vilnius Academy of Arts with Užupis Street and is decorated by painters from all over the world.

Uzupis is a fantastic spot to discover some street art, with many of the best pieces concentrated around the Vilnia River.

How to get to Hill of Crosses from Vilnius

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The Hill of Crosses is a small hill about 10 Km north of Šiauliai in Northern Lithuania with a collection of thousands of crosses erected on a small hill.

It’s a spectacular and strange sight at the same time and for others a sacred place of pilgrimage. The Hill of Crosses is easily accessible by train and bus from Vilnius.

How to get to Hill of Crosses from Vilnius

By train or Bus to Šiauliai:

Train from Vilnius to Šiauliai: There are 3-morning trains leaving Vilnius between 5am and 10am in direction to Šiauliai. The journey takes around 3 hours.

Bus from Vilnius to Šiauliai: The bus journey takes an extra hour compared with the train.

From Šiauliai to Hill of Crosses:

Bus from Šiauliai to Domantai: go to the bus station, buy the tickets from the information desk (you can also buy a ticket directly from the driver for the same price) and take the bus nº12 labelled Šiauliai – Joniškis.

On the bus ask the driver for the Domantai stop. From here follow the arrow down the road to where the Hill of Crosses is located. It is a 20 minutes walk.

From Šiauliai back to Vilnius:

To get back to Šiauliai, ask at the visitors’ centre for the return times to get back.

Walk back to the Domantai stop and wait for the bus. You catch the bus on the opposite side next to a large hut painted like a strawberry.

I heard that can be difficult sometimes to return to Šiauliai, but personally, I didn’t have any problems returning from the site but keep in mind that you may need to get a taxi.

If you have extra time in Šiaulai while waiting for the train the town doesn’t have much to offer but you can always visit the cathedral and a few museums.

Visiting the Hill of crosses from Vilnius will take a full day. I expected this to be a popular site but maybe given its rural location not many people get here. So you might find yourself with only a few people there.

Visiting Trakai Castle in Lithuania

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Trakai is a small town with a fairy-tale castle, located just 28 Km away from the capital Vilnius. Most of the town stands on a 2km long piece of land between two lakes.

Trakai Castle: A Medieval Fairytale in Lithuania

The castle is the main attraction here, and the views from outside are sublime. The Trakai Island Castle (Lithuanian: Trakų salos pilis) was built in the Gothic and Romanesque styles for defence purposes, estimated to date from around 1400.

When inside the castle, which now acts as a museum (€7), you’re free to walk around and explore, through the corridors and courtyards, but would be nice if they had more exhibitions going on.

Aside from the museum exhibitions, the grounds of Trakai make for an interesting visit. The main courtyard of the castle has several devices of punishment, that you can test, like a human-sized cage.

A visit to Trakai makes a great day out from Vilnius and during the short journey you get to see a little of the countryside.

From Vilnius to Trakai Castle by public transport

To get here from Vilnius it’s quite easy and cheap.

Go to Vilnius bus station (by the train station, outside the old town), and get an intercity bus that rides on Trakai direction. It costs €2 each way. You pay the ticket inside the bus from the driver.

Platforms No. 6, 7, 8 (local), 28 and 29 (intercity, via Alytus).

The Castle is at the opposite end of Trakai town, so takes around 20-30 mins walking to get to the castle.

Take a stroll in the town of Trakai

If you have time is also nice to have a stroll through the town of Trakai with its Karaites-style houses. It’s also possible to rent a paddleboat or kayak to explore the lake and get a different view of the castle.

Would you like to visit Trakai Castle in Lithuania?

Vilnius street art

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Checking out the street art is an absolute must when travelling through Lithuania and visiting the capital city Vilnius.

Art scene

The streets of Vilnius are dotted all over with amazing pieces of art. Although the city has plenty to see you need to know where to go. There is a map here with the most famous ones.

Even in Vilnius Old Town, you can find small stickers, stencils and graffiti.

from post-industrial quarter to open-air gallery

You can’t miss the Open Gallery in Vilnius a long-term interdisciplinary project and cultural initiative, located in the post-industrial district Naujamiestis.

Here you will find lots of creative projects such as paintings on the factory walls, installations, sculptures, performances, etc.

The spread of art in Vilnius doesn‘t stop with the Open Gallery, new murals keep appearing around the city.

Užupis, Vilnius’s bohemian heart

The small bohemian republic called Užupis with its own constitution and special independence day has lots of colourful street art to be found. Most work is concentrated by the Vilnia River.

Have you been to Vilnius? Did you see any of the eye-catching street art? What’s your favourite street art city?

Vilnius, the very best things to do

Old Town

Vilnius’ Old Town is truly beautiful with pebbly streets, period buildings, pastel-coloured walls and quaint little streets.

Vilnius Historic Centre is protected by Unesco, is one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe and a delight to explore.

Pilies Gatvè is the hub of touristic action and the main entrance to Oldtown.

Gediminas Hill

The Gediminas Tower is the lasting part of a castle, located on top of a hill. From here you have panoramic views of the Old Town. (€5)

If you are not up for the walk get the funicular to Gediminas Hill (cable car) can take you for €1.50.

Hill of Three Crosses

The Three Crosses is a monument erected in 1989. Not a super interesting place in my opinion, but the views during sunset are quite nice.

Palace of The Grand Dukes of Lithuania

Is a well-presented museum with a mix of old palace ruins, history of the leaders of Lithuania, archaeological finds and Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art collections. (€7)

The best part is the 3D virtual reality tour that you can take to see and feel the past.

Cathedral Square

Cathedral Square is a place that buzzes with life. Here you find the Vilnius Cathedral the main Roman Catholic Cathedral in Lithuania.

The Cathedral sits right in front of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania.

Churches

Smaller charming neoclassical and baroque churches are there to be found around town like the St John’s Church, St Anne’s Church and the Church of St Peter & Paul.

The campanile of St John’s Church is the highest viewpoint in town – €2.50, a great place to contemplate the beauty of the city.

Užupis

The Užupis district is a cool and edgy neighbourhood that sits across the river from Old Town Vilnius. Užupis declared itself an independent republic on April 1, 1997. Created by bohemians and artists is a home for the dreamers.

This place has its own flag, its own national day (April 1st) and its own constitution. It is packed with trendy bars, galleries, boutiques and restaurants.

On Thursdays, nearby Tymo Turgus food market is the destination for organic produce, there’s also plenty of street food.

Jewish history

Vilnius’ Jewish Quarter is a particularly pretty section of the city’s old town. This area of Vilnius is all cobblestone streets, paper lanterns, and carved wooden doors.

There are a few museums to visit in the area dedicated to the history and the people that used to live there and about the genocide.

Art scene

Checking out the street art is an absolute must. The cobbled streets of Vilnius are dotted all over with amazing pieces of street art. There is a map here with the most famous street art.

You can’t miss the Open Gallery in Vilnius a long-term interdisciplinary project and cultural initiative, located in the post-industrial district Naujamiestis.

Here you will find tons of creative projects such as paintings on the factory walls, installations, sculptures, performances, etc.

It’s free to visit.

Museums and Galleries

The Nacionalinė Dailės Galerija (called NDG), located across the River Neris from the centre has a collection of contemporary art.

The National Museum of Lithuania displays artefacts from Lithuanian life from Neolithic times.

For 15th to 19th-century Lithuanian sacred art, the Museum of applied art is the place to go.

Gate of Dawn

The chapel in the Gate of Dawn in the former city wall hosts the famous Madonna.

This place attracts pilgrims from all over the world who visit seeking miracles even if you’re not religious the gate is quite impressive.

Hales Market

The Hales Market dates back to 1906 and it’s one of the oldest markets in the city.

A great place to browse and check out the Lithuanian fresh produce and cuisine.

There are also a couple of coffee shops and fast food stalls in the market.

Literatu gatvė

Writer’s Lane, or Literatu Gatvė is a stretch of a street dedicated to Lithuanian writers.

Parks and gardens

There are many lush, green spaces in Vilnius and if the weather is fine, many locals and tourists alike like spending time in them.

Just outside of the city on the banks of the River Neris is Verkiai Regional Park, a great place with lakes, cycle paths and stunning green spaces. The park is always open and the entrance is free.

Bernardine Garden is a nice and peaceful place close to the Cathedral Square and the Gediminas Castle Tower

Vilnius’ botanical garden located on the outskirts of Vilnius was founded in 1781. The place is stunning and a must-see. Entry €1.5o

Getting to and around Vilnius

Getting to Vilnius is quite straight forward, with a city airport receiving flights from all over Europe. From the airport, you can take a taxi to the city centre (around 10 Euro), or you can also take the bus or train, both cheaper options.

Vilnius is a compact city, and most sights are easily reached on foot.

Free Walking Tour

It’s great to do a free walking tour from Vilnius With Locals. It lasts about 2.5 hours and gives a great introduction to Vilnius and its history and interesting sites.

It gives you a good “first look” in the city, the opportunity to speak with a local and get some recommendations.