Vilnius, Lithuania, was a pleasant surprise! We had not done a lot of research about the Lithuanian capital before our arrival. We learned Lithuania is a digital hub for new tech industries especially since joining the EU in 2004. Have you heard of NordVPN? It’s a Lithuanian creation. Lithuanians are well educated and multilingual, which makes them valued employees. Lithuania is also closely linked to Poland’s thriving economy. We noticed food prices were quite good compared to other places we visited.
The first surprise details about the city emerged as we embarked on the train from Warsaw. The train was wrapped in pink-themed decals! Little did we know then that we were arriving in Vilnius in the midst of a festival!
Where Did We Stay?
We stayed a short walk from the train station at the Comfort Hotel LT . The hotel was clean, and the staff were helpful. We slept well, despite the hotel being full of festival-goers. There was a welcoming large dining area that served budget meals, but we didn’t try them. Instead, we took advantage of the nearby grocery store to buy our breakfast items. When we are in a new place, it is always interesting to see what kind of food is popular. It was the widest variety of vodka brands we’d seen in a neighbourhood store! Our hotel was located about a 10 minute walk into the Old Town.
Things to do in Vilnius
Old Town Walking Tour
We used our favourite app, GuruWalk, to book a walking tour. Our local tour guide, Ugnis, was excellent. Not only did she know the history of the Old Town, but she also had family members who had been part of the deportations to Siberia. When she recounted her grandmother and father’s experiences, it made the historical facts much more memorable. Ugnis was a great storyteller. She incorporated some Lithuanian folk stories along with the historical facts.
The description of the tour we took is at this link:
https://www.guruwalk.com/walks/39515-free-walking-tour-discover-the-secrets-of-vilnius-old-town?ref=b0daqs9t53by2ul34xjt
Search for a great tour in Vilnius with this link:
Church of St. Casimir
During our walking tour, we learned the incredible history of the Church of St Casimir, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built as a Catholic church by the Jesuits, then became Russian Orthodox, and a cupola was added. Then, it became a Lutheran church during World War I while under German occupation. It returned to its original Catholic beginnings in 1919. After World War II, it was closed due to damage and reopened in 1963 as a Museum of Atheism. Finally, in 1991, after Lithuania became independent, the Church welcomed back Catholic followers. This one building reflects the many ways the people of Lithuania were forced to adapt to political and cultural change. Thankfully, both the church and the city’s citizens are thriving at this moment in time.
Lithuanian crosses are unique as they incorporate elements of nature to reflect ancient beliefs. As we walked by, a First Communion celebration was taking place on the steps.
I also found it interesting that there is a section of Vilnius called Uzupis, which is a self-proclaimed independent republic. It’s definitely worth a visit. Many artists live and work here.
Vilnius Portal
The Vilnius Portal, located in Old Town Square, is part of the Portals.org art installation. The concept was conceived in Lithuania and is growing to many other places. The round screen cycles through different camera views in each city, 24 hours a day. It was fun to watch the reactions of others around the world to the portal! I couldn’t help but smile and wave every time a new city appeared on the screen.
Currently, this portal connects Vilnius with people in
- Piauí, Brazil
- Manila, Philippines
- Dublin, Ireland
- Lublin, Poland
- Ipswich, UK
- Philadelphia, USA
We had seen this portal once before in Dublin. We didn’t realize that there were multiple cities. This art installation was created by Benediktas Gylys– a Lithuanian!
What is this Pink Soup Fest?
Luckily for us, the annual three-day Pink Soup Fest landed on the same days we were in Vilnius, so we were able to take advantage of the extra activities. About 93 000 people came to the capital for this spring festival in 2026. We wondered what the significance was of a bright pink carpet along a narrow Old Town street while on our walking tour. Hotels were busy, soup was served everywhere, and we felt a positive energy from all.
Our favourite part of the festival took place on our last evening. We enjoyed an evening’s entertainment of live music in the Town Square. We passed the time speaking with a Finnish couple (in English) while listening to everyone around us singing in Lithuanian to a popular entertainer. The crowd was quiet, family-oriented and very respectful. There was no public drinking and very little security was required or seen at the event. We felt very safe in the crowd.
The Pink Soup Fest is held on the last weekend in May each year.
Check out the details for 2027: https://www.vilnius-events.lt/en/event/vilnius-pink-soup-fest-2027/
Maybe you can plan your trip to enjoy the festivities and the soup next year?
At the end of May, the sun set around 9:30 pm. This was the sky as we left the evening concert. Although we spent only two nights there, we were able to visit many of the city’s highlights thanks to the long daylight hours.
Our Favourite Dining Finds in Vilnius
A Georgian Bistro
Vilnius, Lithuania, is a great place to try new foods. We decided to try a Georgian Restaurant called Chacapuri Bistro for dinner on our first night. The food was made with fresh ingredients and reminded us of a Mediterranean, Turkish and Asian cuisine. We tried the soup dumplings, which came with instructions on how to eat them properly. All of our dinner choices were delicious, and the staff were warm and welcoming.
Litvak Cuisine
We also enjoyed a delicious kosher meal in a Jewish deli called Baleboste. They serve Lithuanian Jewish (Litvak cuisine) recipes. They had Pink bagels made with beet to honour the Pink Soup Festivities.
We had sampled the cold beet soup while we were in Poland, so we did not try another bowl in Vilnius. Apparently every city says its beet soup is the best. We will leave it up to you to decide.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Vilnius and found the city walkable and welcoming. There were many things to see and do.
Our month-long journey continues…
This post is one of a series about our month-long train journey.
If you missed the earlier destinations, feel free to access them below:
- Vilnius, Lithuania
- Warsaw, Poland
- Kraków and Auschwitz
- Berlin to Prague
- Train Trip Planning: Berlin to Finland
I took my first flight at 6 months of age and I have continued to plan trips and travel to more than 60 countries. Now as a middle age traveler we have learned some travel hacks and budget saving ideas that we are happy to share. Follow our posts for ideas and tips to stretch your travel budget in your gogo years!
