Welcome to Lithuania!

When figuring out where to adventure to this summer, I knew I wanted to return to Europe. However, I wanted to explore an area I hadn't visited in my 20s when I lived here. Looking at the map, I realized I knew nothing about the Baltics, and discovered it's reasonably priced, and there's some fascinating history in these (moderately recent) independent nations. Cue Mario voice: Here we go! 

I'm travelling to the popular hubs of Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia respectively) -- with a few days in Jurmala (a beach town near Riga) and a day and a half in Helsinki, Finland.

Welcome to Vilnius   

Since I arrived late at night from Dublin, I decided to use the European equivalent of Uber, Bolt, to get me to my little hostel. Super easy, even with the Lithuanian-English language barrier. Much thanks to my colleague Paul's sister for recommending I download it before I began traveling, as you need to validate it with a phone number!

My hostel (25 Hours Hostel) is a cute and quirky gem right at the entrance to Old Town, and my little private room is perfect for this 30-something to gain a bit more comfort without sacrificing socialization and a place to make food if I choose. I didn't end up socializing since my social meter was a bit low after Ireland, but it's nice to know that could be an option.

I started the next day with a walk to this "Instagrammable" cafe covered in roses called Augustas & Barbora. A Pink Latte (regular latte sweetened and colored with beetroot) and an avocado toast later, my mouth was agape at the price, but at least I got some cool pictures... I guess.

Pink when I turn out the light...

Old Town

With a full tummy, I headed to my free walking tour of Old Town. I think it's a great idea to try to do one of these first to get a better idea of which things you actually want to check out and which ones you can just say "great, got the photo, and now I'm good". Plus, all the history, local recommendations, and background info is just catnip to this modern history buff. Some facts I recall from the tour:

Many street signs have both Lithuanian languages listed and the language of the community that exists in that neighborhood - e.g., the Jewish quarter has Hebrew street signs written underneath the Lithuanian ones.

Literature Street, a grey wall with objects artistically embedded in it, honors writers, poets, and lyricists with ties to Lithuania. Some are a bit of a stretch, though. For example, they have a piece dedicated to Thomas Harris, the American writer who wrote Silence of the Lambs, just because he wrote that Hannibal Lecter was from Lithuania. 😅

They also really appreciate Frank Zappa, even though he doesn't have strong ties to Lithuania. He is honored on Literature Street and has his own statue (the first in the world) in New Town. My guide said it was because they appreciated his bohemian style and influence. 

Vilnius had a thriving Jewish community... prior to 1941. When the Nazis invaded, they created two ghettos during the occupation, and unfortunately, by the end of the war, only 2-3,000 Jewish people survived out of the original 58,000.

Art indiciating where the Jewish Ghetto was

Lithuanians are accepting of all religions and quite secular, despite the many grandiose churches I came across. To entice people to settle in Lithuania, the Duke or King offered that it didn't matter what your religion was; they would welcome you to their country (quite progressive at the time). All was good until the Crusades came and basically colonized Christianity on the pagan communities in Lithuania. They enticed people to get baptized by giving them a free linen shirt as a perk - even people in medieval times appreciated swag bags.

St. Anne's Gothic Style Cathedral

Pagan religious altars are still present, and we saw an altar dedicated to the God of Beer.

Pigeons love beer?

Cathedral Square

The walking tour ended in the area called Cathedral Square, aptly named due to the giant Catholic cathedral (Vilniaus arkikatedra) and Bell Tower adjacent to it. The cathedral was impressive and opulent inside, and I lucked out by arriving during an organ practice session, with the sounds echoing through the domed roof. As a side note, I also did not burst into flames as a non-believer.

Outside on the Cathedral Square grounds were two unique tiles. The first, called "the Miracle Tile," has the superstitious belief that if you stand on it facing the cathedral, make a wish, and then turn clockwise 360°, your wish will come true. I'll let you know if it worked. 

🤞🤞🤞

The next tile marked the beginning of the Baltic Way. In 1989, over 2 million people formed a human chain in Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn, protesting Soviet rule and their desire for independence. It must have been amazing to witness. In 1991, they became independent nations with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. 

The Baltic Way - Vilnius

The Republic of Užupis 

After a mid-afternoon reprieve, I headed to explore this bohemian art neighborhood. But they don't consider themselves a neighborhood; they consider themselves their own republic! 

Welcome to the Republic of Užupis. In 1997, they declared, "Hey, if Lithuania can declare its independence, so can we!" and set up their own country based on a "beermocracy" (quote from my tour guide) with a constitution, money, and even a border control where you can grab a passport stamp from Užupis. Some of their constitution rules are absolute gems, and I loved reading through them. Some of my favorites included:

1. Everyone has the right to be undistinguished and unknown.

2. A dog has the right to be a dog.

3. A cat is not obliged to love its owner but must help in time of need.

4. Everyone has the right to be in doubt, but this is not an obligation.

5. Everyone has the right to appreciate their unimportance.

6. No one has the right to have a design on eternity.

7. Everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their birthday.

They say that if you stand in front of the mirrored version of the constitution (written in multiple languages), you too are now a citizen of Užupis. 

Newest citizen

Since it's a bohemian culture bomb, there are tons of artists, writers, musicians, and free-thinkers residing in this area. There is thus street art at every turn - my kinda vibe. Some standouts included incredible wall murals, funky statues in the art incubator (such as "backpack-traveling Jesus"), and some hanging installations. There was also a metallic cat with the superstition that if you touch its ear, you'll have no fear!

Art found in Užupis 

Traditional Lithuanian Food.... all the Potatoes!

For dinner, I had looked into what might be a good vegetarian/pescatarian choice and came across a dish called Cepelinai. They are grated potato dumplings, stuffed with meat (or, in my case, cheese curd) and often served with a sour cream-style sauce. 

I found a restaurant (Bernelių Užeiga) that looked like a little medieval tavern, complete with servers in traditional costumes, which served the vegetarian cheese version. I sat at a large booth solo, which is interesting because I'm slightly less self-conscious about eating alone when I travel than in Toronto. 

Atmospheric, baby.

On the drink menu, I saw "Homemade Lithuanian Cranberry juice" and thought it would be similar to the watery, dark red cranberry juice we have at home. However, I was in for a surprise when it turned out to be more like a watered-down smoothie. It was actually something called kissel, made from water, cranberries, sugar, and... potato starch! I was basically slowly turning into a potato while relishing every delicious bite. 😉 

 

Po-tay-toes!

St. John's Bell Tower

I was moving more slowly the next day, and since my bus to Riga was arriving in the afternoon, I decided to have a chill breakfast (coffee and a muffin at the Baltic chain Caffinate), hang out in my common room, check out the Halès Turgus market, and do one more touristy thing: go up the St. John's Bell Tower at Vilnius University. Built in the 17th century but renovated now (thank you, little elevator), this structure takes you up to the highest vantage point in Old Town for €5.

At the entrance, there was a mini museum about famous lecturers and alumni from the university, as well as a working Foucault Pendulum (which demonstrates the Earth's rotation). Then you take the elevator up 45 meters to the observation platform. I opted to walk down the stairs but am always grateful for a lift up. The rain from yesterday was nowhere to be seen, and the views of Old Town were gorgeous. I loved that I was beginning to recognize some locations after only being here for a day. 

Bird's eye view of Vilnius

Vilnius was a great town, and I know there's a ton more to see beyond Old Town. But that, dear readers, just means I can come back another time. 

✌️ Out of Lithuania, I'm off to Latvia next.