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Enough with your London, Madrid and Paris of the world: this year, it’s time for lesser-known European capitals to step into the spotlight.
The administrative center and cultural heart of Lithuania, a small state in northeastern Europe, about the size of West Virginia, Vilnius In 2025 there were 1.5 million tourists. That may not sound like much, but it amounts to about 51.7% of the country’s entire population.
Moreover, that is an increase of 4.4% compared to the previous year.
Most visitors are deliberately come to Vilniusinstead of just passing through on the way to other Baltic states or Scandinavia, and a majority have good things to say about it:
Why tourists are obsessed with this small Baltic capital
According to the State Data Agency and a study published by Lithuania Travel, 77% of foreign visitors said Lithuania was their main travel destination. In other words, they went out of their way to visit, with a whopping 90% reporting an overall positive experience.
Needless to say, unless they come from the neighboring Baltic states for their annual sauna visit in Druskininkai, a majority will head straight to Vilnius.
Considering how beautiful it is, not to mention culturally rich and affordable, we can’t say we’re surprised.
Vilnius has one of the largest medieval centers in Europe, immaculately preserved with historic townhouses and café terraces leading down to narrow cobbled streets, ornate 15th-century churches with a Baroque façade and of course the must-have hilltop castle.
It’s one UNESCO World Heritage Site Covering 352 hectares, there are plenty of Ancient World wonders to discover:
Medieval treasures abound
The ceremonial heart of Vilnius must be Cathedral Squareflanked by a towering neoclassical cathedral and a free-standing bell tower.
The cathedral itself isn’t the most impressive you’ll ever see, if we’re being completely honest: it’s quite bare, devoid of the usual carvings and gold-clad altarpieces, if you know what we mean, but its quiet grandeur somehow just draws you in.
Right next to it, the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania is a surviving remnant of the largest state that medieval Europe has known: the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which would later be dissolved into at least four different countries.
If you only have time for one museum visit, make it this one. Lithuania has more or less retreated into anonymity on the European stage, at least as far as tourism is concerned, but there is no better place to gain insight into its glorious past as a European power than at the palace.
Occupying the hill behind the square, Gediminas Tower is the visually striking red fort you see in the photos. It is the last remaining part of the once imposing Vilnius Castle, and it is free to visit.
To get there you can either walk up the hill (10-15 minutes) or take the small funicular (about $3 one way and $5 return). The view from the castle is definitely something you don’t want to miss, especially at sunset and when it’s hot air balloon season.
Yeah, who needs Capadoccia? Vilnius hosts its own show of colorful striped balloons in the fall.
But wait. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Where Vilnius really comes alive
Town Hall Square is the main event here: a busy square lined with coffee shops and beautiful turn-of-the-century buildings, perfect for people-watching and having a coffee before heading out on your sightseeing adventure.
PiliesstraatCutting through the Old Town like a throbbing vein is the classic Vilnius postcard: paved with cobblestones and packed with shops and traditional eateries.
Speaking of which, local favorite Bernelių Užeiga tends to get the best word of mouth for traditional cepelinai (Lithuania’s signature zeppelin-shaped dumplings), and it’s right on Pilies.
Moreover, don’t miss the Church of St. Peter and Paulmaybe the most ornate in Vilnius. The interior is truly amazing, with more than 2,000 white plastered figures.
On the southern edge of the city is the Gate of dawn is a striking pale blue 16th-century gateway to the old town, topped by a small, sacred chapel with an icon of the Virgin Mary.
An artists’ republic in the heart of the old city
The coolest thing about Vilnius a mile away is not its historic churches, nor its centuries-old fortifications. Ever heard of the Republic of Užupis?
It’s a quirky, bohemian neighborhood in Vilnius’s Old Town and mockingly declared its independence from Lithuania in 1997, on April 1.
No one knows if they were serious or just taking the piss. Anyway, the 7,000-strong community has a high degree of local autonomy, its own drafted constitution, with some crazy, bizarre laws that govern daily life, such as:
- Everyone has the right to be happy
- Everyone has the right to be unhappy
- Everyone has the right to be lazy
- Everyone has the right to die
- People have the right not to have any rights
- A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in times of need
- A dog has the right to be a dog
If you’re looking for fun on a Friday night: a quirky street-side pub in Užupis Slinging 4 pints of draft beer is where you’re going.
Explore Lithuania beyond the capital
That’s where the real hidden gems are
Vilnius is also a great hub for exploring wider Lithuania.
About 27 kilometers outside the city, Trakai is a timeless Lithuanian village with chalet-style wooden lodgings and an iconic red-brick castle on an islet, set in a serene, mirror-like lake. It is easily one of the most picturesque scenes in Europe.
There are several bus lines and trains that connect Vilnius with the village. The journey takes about 40 minutes and tickets cost about $5, or the equivalent in euros, the local currency.
KaunasLithuania’s second largest city, is an equally feasible 1.5-hour train ride away. It’s a very different atmosphere than Trakai, with modernist architecture from the interwar periodlingering Soviet heritage and charming street-side cafes.
Druskininkai (some 2 hours’ drive) is home to the country’s much-loved Aqua Park, and an abundance of sanatorium-style spas offering mineral water treatments. In winter, the Snow Arena is also located here, a popular hotspot for indoor skiing.
For the nature lovers, Neris Regional Parkjust half an hour’s drive outside Vilnius, it is ideal for hiking, river views and forest exploration. It’s perfect if you fancy a nature escape to offset the urban atmosphere of the capital, without tackling a long day of travel.
Vilnius Is Super Safe
In addition to its incredible culture, Vilnius is one of the safest European capitals around.
No pickpockets in sight, at least not that we noticed, and certainly no terrorist threats. You see, Lithuania is sorting out its border situation a little different than most of its partners in the European Union.
The country is officially a level 1 destination, as governed by the United States Department of State.
In non-technical terms, this simply means that Americans are free to visit without taking extra precautions, and if you check the current safety status on our own Traveler Dashboard, informed by both US authorities and live traveler reports, it’s a perfectly stable 85:
We’re not saying you should let your full guard down, or leave your bag unattended on a restaurant patio, trusting that a strange, ill-intentioned passerby just won’t grab it, but we Are say this is far, far this is less likely to happen here than, for example, Barcelona or Paris.
Violent crime against tourists? Practically unheard of.
Compared to your average European city trip, Vilnius is essentially risk-free.
All things considered, it’s no surprise that Lithuania is all the rage right now.
