Having loved Tallinn but having failed to fall in love with Riga we didn't know what to expect from Vilnius, our last capital before we exit the Baltics and enter Poland.
First stop was the Hill of Three Crosses which required a good sense of direction to locate since no signs were present to help you to navigate the maze of paths in the park leading up to the monument. Having made the accent we were greeted with an almost perfect blue sky.
The old town, while windy, did not have the claustrophobic feel of Riga and we explored the streets. The restaurants here seem to sell largely Lithuanian Cuisine which involves a lot of mash potato from what I can see! The big chains haven't made it here yet, but you can get a drink and a Pizza for £3!
First stop was the Hill of Three Crosses which required a good sense of direction to locate since no signs were present to help you to navigate the maze of paths in the park leading up to the monument. Having made the accent we were greeted with an almost perfect blue sky.
Next on the list was the Castle, also located on the hill. We made the second accent on foot choosing to ignore the cable car journey although I suspect it would have only been a £1 at most since the castle itself was only £1.25 to enter. The view of Vilnius from the top was excellent and you can see the clear divide between the old and the new town.
We marveled at the architecture on display, the immaculate main shopping street with a selection of 'Western' European shops (largely empty) pedestrianized and lined with lush green trees and the market stalls not selling tat but local produce and crafts of wood and linen. At the main intersections there were large immaculate parks where we stopped for a lunch of bread and ham in the company of tame sparrows.
At the end of Gedimino Street just before the river the theme reverted back to that of Soviet occupation with the street furniture that reminded us of Karosta and some an ere memorial to victims of genocide which appeared to have little or no tourist attention.
The old town, while windy, did not have the claustrophobic feel of Riga and we explored the streets. The restaurants here seem to sell largely Lithuanian Cuisine which involves a lot of mash potato from what I can see! The big chains haven't made it here yet, but you can get a drink and a Pizza for £3!
There are some lovely buildings in the Old Town of Vilnius, we enjoyed strolling through the side streets seeing some fantastic architecture along the way.
Overnight Locations:
Vilnius City Center GPS: (54.68505, 25.29250) - Small
off-street parking area next to park. Free on Sundays, 2LT per hour Mon-Sat
8-22. Only suitable for 6m Panel Van.
Vilnius City Camping GPS: (54.67731, 25.22598) - Outside of city center - £17/Night
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