Vilnius: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
English|
EUR 44 - 200 Nesė Pramogų Bankas Guest House
 Nesė Pramogų Bankas is a 4-star guesthouse in the centre of Vilnius, only a few steps from Gediminas Avenue. It offers free Wi-Fi and has a casino.
… MoreEUR 50 - 170 Neringa Hotel
 Only a 5-minute walk from Gediminas Castle and the old town of Vilnius, Hotel Neringa offers a traditional restaurant and air-conditioned rooms. Wired… MoreEUR 45 - 163 Natalex Apartments
 Located in the charming historical centre of Vilnius, these spacious apartments are ideal for leisure and business travellers who require comfort, pri… MoreEUR 16 - 66 Mikotel
 The Mikotel is a small and cosy 2-star hotel in the old town of Vilnius, close to the bus and train stations.
A continental breakfast is served daily… MoreEUR 73 - 240 Novotel Vilnius Centre
 Novotel Vilnius Centre is a modern 4-star hotel in the Old Town of Vilnius, only 500 metres from the Cathedral. It features a fitness centre, a sauna,… MoreEUR 30 - 95 Old Market Apartments
 Old Market Apartments offer a selection of modern, bright and cosy apartments in the old town of Vilnius, just minutes away from the town hall, the Ga… MoreEUR 103 - 239 Radisson Blu Astorija Hotel, Vilnius
 Built in 1901, Radisson BLU Astorija is located in the heart of the old town of Vilnius. All major sights are within easy walking distance.
The Radis… MoreEUR 26 - 55 Paupio Namai
 Just a 10-minute walk from the Old Town of Vilnius, Paupio Namai is close to St. Anne’s Church and the Vilnele River. It offers free Wi-Fi and free … MoreEUR 35 - 169 Park Inn Vilnius North
 This comfortable, economy-class hotel is strategically located in the northern part of Vilnius, next to the Riga motorway, and boasts excellent connec… MoreEUR 35 - 60 Old Vilnius Apartments
 Surrounded by all major sights of Vilnius Old Town, Old Vilnius Apartments is set in a charming, historic house. Complimentary coffee, tea and pastrie… MoreEUR 25 - 39 Mara
 Mara Apartments features modern rooms with a balcony, free Wi-Fi and cable TV. A bus stop is only a 5-minute walk away, taking guests into the city ce… MoreEUR 15 - 57 Mano kelias
 Just a 15-minute drive from the city centre of Vilnius and the Old Town, this cosy hotel offers rooms with cable TV. Facilities include free Wi-Fi and… MoreEUR 20 - 110 Jeruzale Hotel
 Completely renovated in 2007, this family-run budget hotel is located in a charming and quiet part of Vilnius, near the historic Jeruzale Park.
Jeruz… MoreEUR 26 - 93 In Astra
 This is a cosy, newly renovated B&B located in the Old Town of Vilnius offering spacious, light rooms and including breakfast.
The hotel is located … MoreEUR 59 - 229 Ida Basar
 This 4-star hotel is set in a historic building from the 16th century. It is located in the centre of Old Town Vilnius and offers free access to Wi-Fi… MoreEUR 33 - 78 Hotel Zemaites
 The Zemaites is a 3-star hotel offering cosy, clean and comfortable rooms in a convenient location close to the Vilnius city centre, the bus and train… MoreEUR 21 - 85 JNN Guesthouse
 Easily reachable from the A2 / A14 motorway, the JNN Guesthouse is located a 20-minute walk from the historic centre of Vilnius. It offers en-suite ro… MoreEUR 25 - 130 Karolina
 This modern hotel is situated in a quiet park area only 7 minutes´ drive from the hustle and bustle of Vilnius center.
It is 15 minutes´ … MoreEUR 64 - 201 Mabre Residence
 Mabre Residence hotel is situated within a few minutes walk of the Old Town and the city centre. Located in a former monastery, the modern renovated r… MoreEUR 20 - 61 Litinterp Vilnius
 Located 1 km away from Cathedral Square, Litinterp Vilnius offers good-value accommodation with free Wi-Fi access. All rooms have a kitchenette and sh… MoreEUR 46 - 120 Le Meridien Vilnius
 Le Meridien Vilnius is one of the the leading conference and incentives venues in the Baltic States.
Overlooking 2 scenic lakes, the hotel lies amids… MoreEUR 63 - 149 Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva
 Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva is located on the banks of the River Neris in the centre of Vilnius. It offers free Wi-Fi, free public parking, and a casin… MoreEUR 95 - 450 Ramada Vilnius
 The Ramada Vilnius is located in a 15th-century building in the heart of the old town. It offers free wired internet access and air-conditioned rooms.… MoreEUR 40 - 140 Vilnius Boutique Apartments
 Situated in the historic centre of Vilnius, this elegant apartment house features apartments with direct views of the famous Cathedral of Vilnius. Fre… MoreEUR 38 - 85 Vilnius Apartments
 Located in a charming historical street in the centre of the city, Vilnius Apartments are within easy walking distance of all major points of interest… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vilnius: Guide
is the capital of Lithuania with population of over 500,000.
Understand
Inhabited for centuries, Vilnius today is a multinational city with significant Polish and Russian minorities, about 20% each of them. It used to have a strong Jewish minority before World War II, but most of the Jews from Vilnius were exterminated. After the war the Soviet government expelled most of the remaining Polish population of the city and replaced them with Lithuanian and Russian citizens.
Get in
By plane
is the largest airport in Lithuania (beautifully small in other words). Lithuanian Airlines offers good service to most major Euro hubs, British Airways and LOT also fly there. EL-AL operates seasonal services to Tel-Aviv
A taxi is 20LTL. Bus no. 2 goes to downtown Vilnius.
Kaunas is served by Ryanair from Dublin, Stockholm, Liverpool, Frankfurt and London, only an hour from Vilnius.
By train
Trains from major destinations come to the Vilnius Railway Station which links Moscow to Warsaw or Berlin.
By car
Motorways to Kaunas and Panevezys.
By bus
Bus station is beside the train station.
By boat
Get around
http://www.vilniustransport.lt/e_index.htm
The bus or trolley ticket for one time (it's the same ticket for both bus and trolley) costs 1.40 Lt if you buy it in the vehicle, and 1.10 Lt if you buy it in the newspaper kiosk. You may also catch a private bus, which also costs 1.10 Lt bus is actually a bit faster. There is a 50% discount for the tickets for students and elderly people, both in public and private buses. There is no subway or tram in Vilnius; if you need get there fast, you may catch a van-taxi, which may cost 2-3 litas. A regular cab may cost about 10-15 litas if you need to get from periphery of the city to the center. Travelling by car is not very much advised at about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, as there are huge traffic jams all over the place, especially in the center.
Bicycle lovers should be a bit disappointed, because in the center it's very hard to find the bicycle tracks to travel around the old town. Lithuanians are not very enthusiastic about bicycles. In the periphery, moreover, the surface is a bit too steep sometimes to cycle. The oldtown, however, is not that big and can be easily walked by foot.
See
]
There are lots of nightclubs in the oldtown, such as Connect, Galaxy, Gravity, Helios, Intro, and others. Just choose.
Vilnius University. Founded in 1579 by Poland|Polish king Stefan Batory, it is one of the oldest Universities in Eastern Europe.
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikitravel article "Vilnius". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 license.
The old town. Many churches and other building built in 13th-19th centuries
Gediminas castle. The red-bricked tower is restored from the Higher Castle erected in the 13th–14th centuries. Best view of vilnius. Can't find it? Look up! If you don't feel like looking up, though, you can climb up to it from the Cathedral Square. If you prefer not climbing, there is an elevator on the other side of the hill, facing the river.
Archcathedral Basilica. Original (wooden) cathedral built in 1251. In 1387 a gothic style cathedral was built. Now it is a classical style cathedral build by the project of Laurynas Stuoka-Gucevicius. The most beautiful part of the Cathedral, the baroque chapel of St. Casimir, was built in 1623–1636. The crypt shows a cross section of Vilnius through the ages, well worth seeing. You can also take a tour through the catacombs under the cathedral.
Outside the Cathedral, in the square, look for a particular tile on which there is written a word "Stebuklas" (means "miracle" in Lithuanian). Stand on it, make a wish and turn around three times. Your wish should come true :)
St. Ann's Church. One of the most beautiful churches in Vilnius and in Lithuania. Very small in size, but very beautiful example of gothic architecture. There is a legend that when during his conquests Napoleon came to Vilnius and saw this church he said he would like to take it on his palm and bring to France.
St. Peter's and Paul's Church. Another shockingly beautiful church. Not so special from the outside, but extremely beautiful inside, with all the interior overcrowded with baroque sculptural works. One of the main places to visit. It is actually a bit outside the old town, you may take a trolley #2 or #14 from the bus stop "Arkikatedra" in Cathedral Square and get out on the bus stop "Antakalnio ziedas", o take a ten-minute walk. When standing in the Cathedral square facing the river you have to take the street to the right and then just walk always straight, after a bit you should see the church.
The only statue in the world for honoring great musician
Lithuanian National Museum. Biggest and oldest source of national cultural heritage in the country, which systematically collects, stores, displays, and popularises the history of the state.
The Centre of Europe. 25 km to the North of Vilnius, in the village of Purnuskes, is the real centre of Europe, marked by The National Institute of Geography of France in 1989. (it has now somehow moved a little closer)
The overpriced European Park. The sculptures, which are the works of sculptors from more than 70 countries worldwide, are exhibited in the open area of 55 ha. Very bad mosquito problem when I went.
Old Arsenal Building
Artilery Bastion of Vilnius Defensive Wall
Three Crosses Hill is a memorable place because seven Franciscan monks were tortured here by the pagans.
, Water castle outside Vilnius
the cemeteries, interesting jewish cemetry in seskine (a little outside the centre) including the grave of some very important rabbi.
By the entrance to Vingis park is a war cemetry with russian, german, turkish soldiers from both wars.
Uzupis district, a bohemian area largely unrestored, an independant republic also.
on Gedimino prospekt (the main st), scary.Do
The main concert and sports events hall is Siemens arena, on the bus stop "Pramogu arena". You are in the basketball country, so don't miss the opportunity to see a basketball game in the real atmosphere.
There are always many extremely interesting modern art exhibitions on CAC (Contemporary Art Center), Vokieciu str. 2.
The fans of classical music should check the offers in the National Opera house, near the Green Bridge (Zaliasis tiltas).
Those who are interested in modern theatre, should go to at least one spectacle of Oskaras Korsunovas Theatre (OKT), www.okt.lt. It is one of the most original modern theatres in Europe, many times the winner of various festivals.Learn
Work
Average wage is around 500 Euros a month while unemployment is virtually nonexistent (according to the Department of Statistics of Lithuania registered unemployment rate in Lithuania was at a rate 2.9% of working-age population as for June 2006).Buy
Amber
Wool socks and hats.
Vilnius is one of the most stylish cities of Europe. Hugo Boss, ZARA, United Colors of Benetton and Escada have all opened and offer very nice quality garmats.Eat
Budget
, Didzioji g. 5, and other locations Pizza, pasta, salads. Medium pizza from 10 LTL to 25 LTL
Cili KAIMAS, same people as above but 'village' food. Try a zeppelin.Mid-range
(White Elephants) - cosy chilly non-smoking vegetarian-vegan cafe, world/reggea music, live concerts in the evenings, Vilniaus str. 41
Piti. Islandijos g.4, tel:852627560. Azerbaijani food. Eg the Spicy Piti dish with beef and potatos in a clay pot. Main courses ca. 20 LTL.Splurge
, Vokieciu str 22, tel: 852616573, fax:862312360, mailto:zemaiciusmukle@takal.lt, french inspired food with house specials such as roebuck with cherry sauce. Starters ca 30LTL, main courses 60LTL, extensive wine list starting at 80 LTL.Drink
(Broadway), Vokiečių St. / Mėsinių St. 4, cozy bar/nightclub.
Prospekto PUB, Gedimino pr. 2/1, fun place with non-trendy music, good drinks and a good atmosphere.
Cozy, Universiteto g. Double floored cozy bar it's a very good place to go if you want relaxing ambient or a good dj play in an extremely cozy environment. Also serves good food and Svyturys, of course.
Prie Universiteto, Universiteto g. right in front of Cozy, its entrance is marked with a big UK flag, but no, it's nor a english people frequented bar. Nice decoration and also serves good italian food for a good price.
, Vokiečių Str. 4, Cozy, friendly and allways welcome place to spend time until 4am. In the summer time there is also a terrace to enjoy warm evenings with a pint of beer, chatting with the friends.
Soleluna, Universiteto g. Starting point for Erasmus students parties! Small but with friendly people.
NATIONAL DRINKS
Most popular local beer is Svyturys (lighthouse), it is a world champion beer. Available in lots of different styles but "Ekstra" is probably the best. The other kinds of beer include Kalnapilis, Tauro, and Utenos.
Lithuanian vodka (Lithuanian "degtine") is of excellent quality. The brand 'Lithuanian Vodka' is quite popular. The gold is the premium version. Cranberry is also nice. Remember excessive vodka drinking can and does kill. Drink carefully.Sleep
Budget
Hostel-Viešbutis, šv. Stepono g. 11, tel: (+370-5) 216 02 54; 35 lt per person per night; TV and kitchen; location between the railway station and the old town.
, Saltoniskiu 56, tel. +370-5-2724013, mailto:hotel@victoria.lt; Nice, small, clean hotel; excellent location, only 7 minutes walk to the center; rooms starting from 30eur.Mid-range
, Pilies g. 10, tel:+370 52107777, mailto:hotel@atrium.lt, good location in the old town.Splurge
Raddison SAS Astoria. Situated opposite town square and near many upmarket shops and restraunts.
President Bush of the United States and Prince Charles have enjoyed the great service offered here.Private Saunas are offered in some rooms.Contact
Stay safe
Vilnius is a safe place but like anywhere you have to use common sense. Try and walk with a confident air and never look lost.
Around the train station is a particularly dangerous area. In the supermarket some drunk tried to pickpocket my girlfriend's phone. Lots of unsavoury types around.Cope
Internet. Abundant free hotspots all over the city, especially in restaurants (Cili Pizza i.e.)
Internet cafe and cheap international VOIP calls. Pilies street in the yard (opposite to the St. John's church).
New free WiFi hotspots on Gedimino street, Cathedral square and Town hall.Get out