When staying just a few days in a place it is hard to really get into the local culture especially when you don't know anyone who can show you around. But there is a trick to get you closer to understand what a country is....it's FOOD 

If you love travelling, you should never hold back from trying the local cuisine, and so I never do. I will share everything I tried out in Vilnius which of course it was not little ;)

I don't know the exact program, but if I am not mistaken it happens several times a year not to say on a quite regular basis. It's right next to the entrance to Uzupis and so you can stop on your way visiting the Republic for a pulled pork or some Mexican taco (even if not local)

you can find here a lot of local dishes, including the "kibinai" having different fillings (picture o the right)

it surprised me as it tastes similar to an old dry cheese but it is actually lactose free

Blynine are the local pancakes and if you want to try them out, Gusto Blynine is the perfect place. You can find both salty and sweet pancakes, it will be hard to pick 

It's actually a Georgian restaurant but seriously absolutely loved the food 

Is a place for beer lovers as it offers a big variety of local and international beers. Make sure you also grab something to eat as they have some strong Belgian beers out there ;)

The meat & cheese plate was outstanding. It's incredible how good their cheese is. 

if you plan to have a drink in Uzupis, this place is for sure interesting to check out 

It was a super hot day in Vilnius and needed to refresh a little bit, so we opted for rose.

Here is where we tried the local beet root soup. It is actually super good, but quite heavy. 

And so we have our stomachs fool every single day of our visit in the Lithuanian capital city. 

Going outside the capital city is usually when you get to see and understand more of the local culture of a country and so we decided to see what is manageable to do in one day

It's easy, you need to go to the Vilnius Central Bus station, on Sodu st. 22 and get a bus from line 6,7 or 8. There are several buses a day so no stress with the hour to get there.  You can check this website for more details. Once in Trakai, you need to follow the road. After 15min walk you will reach the more touristic part of the village.

I loved the colorful houses on the way to the castle so I thought it is worth showing you a bit more than just the standard pictures :)

The main reason for a trip to Trakai is the castle which is located on an island on the river Galve.

"The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kestutis, and around 1409 major works were completed by his son Vytautas the Great, who died in this castle in 1430. Trakai was one of the main centers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the castle held great strategic importance." (Source)

The walk around the lake and towards the castle is very pleasant. There are few cafes around and you can also find loads of crafts shops from where you can buy a lot of nice souvenirs. 

or you can of course rent a boat and enjoy some time on the river itself 

We did not enter the museum of the castle, not big fan of museums in general so I preferred to head back to grab something to eat, but not before taking some pictures of the inside court of the castle. 

You should of course give a try to the local dish "kibinai" which comes with different fillings. 

It's a very relaxing day trip and totally worth it to enjoy the country side of Lithuania. 

Reaching the city center is very easy. Once out of the airport you can immediately see the bus stop. For example you have bus 88 for which the ticket is 1 euro (when purchased in the bus). There are also other options but for me this was the most convenient one. You can check out more details on the airport page.

If I am not staying at an Airbnb I usually go for hostels as you can meet people and usually the ambiance is very lively. I stayed at Jamaika hostel which is right next to the city center. The rooms are ok, it's a pity there are only shared showers, but that's not really a big issue. The place is decorated in a very interesting way and the beds are on beer/wine crates. Cool idea. The hostel was a bit more noisier than desired, but it was ok overall.  

There are loads of cute streets with nice restaurants very cozy decorated, giving you a sort of at home feeling.

or catch a shot of this extremely golden buses ;)

Anther reason is that you can stumble over local markets where you can taste local food and listen to traditional music, which is always a wonderful opportunity to discover more of the local place 

More and more cities are joining the streetart scene and Vilnius also has a few nice pieces you can find around the city

"The Cathedral of St. Stanislav and St. Vladislav is the most important place of worship for Lithuania's Catholics, and the venue for the country's main Christian and national festivities. In 1922, the Cathedral was granted the title of 'Basilica', by Pope Pius XI." (Source)

"Local superstitions and history swirl around this unassuming tile named "Stebuklas" ("miracle" n Lithuanian), hidden in the vast Cathedral Square plaza. The stebuklas is most famous for its magical, wish-granting properties, but it also represents a momentous day in Lithuanian history." (Source)

"If you do make it to the Cathedral Square in Vilnius, superstition would have you find the tile all on your own, without purposefully looking for it. That part may be more challenging, but once you do find the miracle tile, here's what you do: spin around three times clockwise, jump up and clap once (not totally necessary, but certainly entertaining for those watching you), and make the biggest wish that comes from your heart. If it worked for the people in the Baltic Way of 1989, the stebuklas just might work its wonders for you too." (Source)

Your way to the monument of the 3 crosses and the Gediminas tower passes through this park. I found some interesting statues around which I am sharing over here. 

I did not make it up there, but here some details about this monument. 
"The current monument was built by the architect and sculptor, A. Vivulskis in 1989 at the beginning of the Rebirth movement. It was built to replace the one that had been removed by the Soviet authorities in the 1950s, pieces of which still remain on the far side of the slope. [...] Some say, that the origins of the three crosses date back to the 17th century when three monks placed them there to pay tribute to a group of fellow monks who were martyred in the 14th century. According to the history books, seven monks were killed and seven were tied to wooden crosses and floated down the Neris River, with the instruction to return to the west where they came from." (Source)

I love to see cities from the top and for Vilnius this is it. It's a nice short hike up and you can get a great view over the city. Check out online if the tower is open for visiting. 

The contrast in the picture is stunning, the castle in front, Raduskevicius Palace, was built between 1894-1897 and is currently the headquarters of the Lithuanian Architects union 

"The Town Hall was reconstructed for the last time by the architect Laurynas Stuoka-Gucevicius at the end of the 18th century. During that reconstruction, the Town Hall turned into a Classical building. In the 19th century, the Town Hall was transformed into a city theatre where a famous personality - Polish composer Stanislaw Moniuszko - conducted the premier of his opera. Among all the Polish composers, only Frederic Chopin could be considered more prominent than Moniuszko." (Source)

The town hall is located in the huge  town hall square which. The below pictures is on the other side of the square (staying with your back to the city hall)

"The Gates of Dawn is one of the most visited shrines in Vilnius that is famous not only in Lithuania but also abroad, worshiped by the representatives of other creeds too. This is the only surviving gate of the first original five gates in the city wall that was built between 1503 and 1522." (Source)

"The gates were first mentioned in 1514. At first the Gates of Dawn were called the Medininkai Gate, as it is on the road to Medininkai, in Polish Ostra Brama, the "Sharp Gate" because they were in the southern end of the city, which was called the Sharp. Later, due to the cult of the Virgin Mary they could be related to the sunrise, dawn." (Source)

"This is part of the Vilnius Defensive Wall, often called "barbican". The Bastion is a Renaissance-style fortification characterized by its original construction. It consists of a tower installed in the city defense wall, underground gun ports and a connecting corridor, which turns into a 48-meter long tunnel. The Bastion was built in the first half of the 17th century by the German military engineer, Friedrich Getkant. The Bastion was severely damaged during the wars with Moscow in the middle of the 17th century. During World Wars I and II, German military arsenals were located in the building" (Source)

I saw a lot of churches and cathedral out there, but I must say that I found the Saint Anne cathedral super beautiful. 

"The church is a Roman Catholic church in Vilnius' Old Town, on the right bank of the Vilnia River. It is a prominent example of both Flamboyant Gothic and Brick Gothic styles. St. Anne's is a prominent landmark in the Old Town of Vilnius that enabled the district to be included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. And it is one of the most interesting examples of Gothic architecture in Lithuania." (Source)

"is a neighborhood in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, largely located in Vilnius' old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Uzupis means "the other side of the river" in the Lithuanian language and refers to the Vilnia River; the name Vilnius was derived from the Vilnia. The district has been popular with artists for some time, and has been compared to Montmartre in Paris and to Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen, due to its bohemic and laissez-faire atmosphere. On April 1, 1997, the district declared itself an independent republic (The Republic of Uzupis). Since 1 November 2014 Jaap van Ark has been president of the Republic of Uzupis." (Source)

"Copies of the 39 articles of the Republic's constitution and 3 mottos - "Don't Fight", "Don't Win", "Don't Surrender" - in 23 languages, can be found affixed to a wall in Paupio street in the area." (Source)

"On April 1, 2002, a statue of the archangel Gabriel blowing a trumpet was unveiled in the main square. It was intended to symbolize the revival and artistic freedom of eastern Europe. The sculptor, Romas Vilciauskas, is also the creator of the Uzupis Mermaid" (Source)

"The mermaid occupies a special niche on the embankment of the Vilnia. It is said that it is the mermaid who attracts people from all over the world to Uzupis. Those who surrender to her charm remain in Uzupis forever." (Source)

Vilnius has a couple of great murals out there and I did not hesitate to catch them on my camera and share them with you. You can read more on my post about streetart in Vilnius which will follow soon. 

As we were staying a few days and as Vilnius is not a big city, we had enough time to jump on a bus and go to Trakai. the little village is famous for the local castle which construction began in the 14th century. 

And here you have it a wonderful weekend in Vilnius.