Find places in Lithuania

Must-Haves

• Vilnius Old Town (Senamiestis)
  One of the largest surviving medieval and baroque old towns in eastern Europe, a UNESCO site best walked slowly.
• Vilnius Cathedral and Bell Tower (Cathedral Square)
  The neoclassical heart of the city, with a free standing bell tower you can climb for views.
• Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania (Cathedral Square)
  The rebuilt royal palace, with excavated ruins, grand halls and the story of the medieval state.
• Gate of Dawn (Aušros Vartų gatvė)
  The last surviving city gate, with a chapel and revered icon that draws pilgrims from across the region.
• St Anne's Church (Maironio gatvė)
  A flamboyant Gothic church of moulded red brick that Napoleon is said to have admired.

Must-Haves

• Gediminas Castle Tower (Castle Hill)
  A short climb or funicular ride to the red brick tower and the best sunset view over the Old Town.

Fun for Everyone

• Užupis (Užupis)
  The self declared artists' republic across the river, with its tongue in cheek constitution on a wall.
• Vilnius TV Tower (Karoliniškės)
  A tall tower with a revolving viewing deck and a memorial to the January 1991 events.

Off the Beaten Path

• Europos Parkas (Joneikiškės)
  An open air sculpture park in the forest near the geographic centre of Europe.
• Geographical Centre of Europe (Purnuškės)
  A marker and lawn at the point French geographers named the centre of Europe.

Fun for Everyone

• Hill of Three Crosses (Kalnų Park)
  A forested hill with white crosses and a wide view over the city's spires and rooftops.
• Bernardine Garden (Old Town)
  A riverside park with fountains, a playground and lawns beneath Castle Hill.
• Vingis Park (Vingis)
  The largest park in the city, with river paths and space for concerts.

Off the Beaten Path

• Pavilniai Regional Park (Belmontas)
  Steep river valleys, the Puckoriai exposure and forest trails within the city limits.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Halės Market (Pylimo gatvė)
  A historic covered market with bread, cheese, smoked meats and a few lively food counters.

Fun for Everyone

• Kalvarijų Market (Žirmūnai)
  The city's biggest open market, good for berries, mushrooms and honey in season.
• Kaziukas Fair (Old Town)
  A huge folk craft fair each March, famous for woven palm verbos and gingerbread.

Must-Haves

• Vilnius Christmas Tree (Cathedral Square)
  Every December the square gets a striking themed tree and a festive market.

Fun for Everyone

• Vilnius Street Music Day (Citywide)
  Each May musicians of every level play on street corners across the city.
• Užupis Independence Day (Užupis)
  April Fools' Day celebrations, with passport stamps at the bridge and street parties.

Must-Haves

• Lokys (Stiklių gatvė)
  A long running cellar restaurant serving hearty Lithuanian dishes including game.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Etno Dvaras (Pilies gatvė)
  Traditional cepelinai, potato pancakes and beer in a folk styled setting at sensible cost.
• Būsi trečias (Totorių gatvė)
  A brewpub with simple Lithuanian food and its own beer.

Must-Haves

• Caffeine Roasters (Old Town)
  A local roasting chain with reliable flat whites and good seating.

Fun for Everyone

• Alaus Namai (Naujamiestis)
  A cosy basement pub with a long list of Lithuanian craft and farmhouse beers.
• Šnekutis (Užupis)
  A tiny beer bar pouring rare farmhouse ales from small Lithuanian breweries.
• Loftas (Naujamiestis)
  An industrial arts space hosting concerts, club nights and summer festivals.

Must-Haves

• Stikliai Hotel (Old Town)
  A classic boutique hotel in restored Old Town houses.

Fun for Everyone

• Radisson Collection Astorija Hotel (Didžioji gatvė)
  A grand historic hotel facing St Casimir's Church.

Must-Haves

• Kaunas Castle (Old Town)
  The oldest stone castle in Lithuania at the meeting of two rivers.
• Kaunas Town Hall (Rotušės aikštė)
  An elegant white building nicknamed the White Swan, at the centre of the old town.
• M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art (City centre)
  The home of the dreamlike paintings of Lithuania's great painter and composer.
• Ninth Fort (Kaunas outskirts)
  A tsarist fortress turned Nazi killing site, with a museum and a vast memorial.

Fun for Everyone

• Devils' Museum (Žaliakalnis)
  Thousands of devil figures from around the world, quirky and fun for all ages.

Must-Haves

• Laisvės alėja (City centre)
  The long pedestrian boulevard, lined with cafés and interwar buildings.

Fun for Everyone

• Žaliakalnis Funicular (Žaliakalnis)
  A creaky wooden funicular from the 1930s climbing the green hill.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kaunas modernism walk (Naujamiestis)
  Interwar buildings from the city's time as temporary capital, part of a UNESCO listing.
• Rumšiškės Open Air Museum (Rumšiškės)
  A large outdoor museum of rural wooden farmsteads from every region.

Fun for Everyone

• Santaka Park (Old Town)
  Where the Nemunas and Neris meet, a calm spot for a walk.
• Kaunas Lagoon Regional Park (Kaunas)
  Shoreline paths and forests along the reservoir.

Fun for Everyone

• Kaunas Jazz (City centre)
  A spring jazz festival held in halls and open air stages.

Must-Haves

• Hotel Daugirdas (Old Town)
  A boutique hotel in a historic building near the Town Hall.

Must-Haves

• Trakai Island Castle (Lake Galvė)
  A red brick island castle on Lake Galvė, reached by footbridge, with a history museum inside.
• Trakai Peninsula Castle (Trakai Old Town)
  Ruins of the older castle on the peninsula, with grassy walls for a picnic.

Off the Beaten Path

• Karaite Ethnographic Exhibition (Karaimų gatvė)
  A small museum about the Karaite community whose wooden houses face the street with three windows.
• Kenesa of Trakai (Karaimų gatvė)
  The Karaite prayer house, a rare survivor of this tiny Turkic community's heritage.
• Užutrakis Manor (Užutrakis)
  A neoclassical manor and park across the lake with lovely views back to the castle.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kybynlar (Karaimų gatvė)
  Karaite kibinai pastries and dishes in the old Karaite street.

Great for Date Night

• Senoji Kibininė (Karaimų gatvė)
  A lakeside spot for kibinai and soup with a view of the water.

Fun for Everyone

• Lake Galvė boat hire (Lake Galvė)
  Rent a pedal boat or rowing boat to see the castle from the water.
• Trakai Historical National Park (Trakai)
  Lakes, islands and woodland paths around the town, good for cycling.

Fun for Everyone

• Apvalaus Stalo Klubas (Lake Galvė)
  A lakeside restaurant and guesthouse looking straight at the castle.

Must-Haves

• Klaipėda Old Town (Senamiestis)
  Half timbered warehouses and cobbled lanes from the city's German past as Memel.
• Ännchen von Tharau statue (Theatre Square)
  A beloved statue in front of the theatre, tied to a famous folk song.

Fun for Everyone

• Lithuanian Sea Museum (Smiltynė)
  An aquarium and maritime museum in an old fortress, with seals and penguins.

Off the Beaten Path

• Klaipėda Castle Museum (Castle Port)
  Excavated remains of the castle with a small museum.
• Clock and Watch Museum (Liepų gatvė)
  A collection of timepieces in an elegant villa.

Fun for Everyone

• Smiltynė ferry (Old Ferry Terminal)
  A short ferry ride across the lagoon mouth to beaches and forest.

Must-Haves

• Sea Festival (Old Town and port)
  The biggest summer party on the coast, with tall ships, concerts and fireworks in July.

Fun for Everyone

• Melnragė beach (Melnragė)
  The nearest sandy beach, with a pier for sunset.

Off the Beaten Path

• Giruliai beach (Giruliai)
  Forest backed sand, quieter than Palanga.

Must-Haves

• Parnidis Dune (Nida)
  A great dune with a sundial and views over the lagoon to the Russian border.
• Hill of Witches (Juodkrantė)
  A forest path lined with wooden carvings of figures from Lithuanian folklore.

Off the Beaten Path

• Grey Dunes of Nagliai (Pervalka)
  Silent, shifting grey dunes and dead villages buried by sand.
• Juodkrantė cormorant colony (Juodkrantė)
  A forest of nests where grey herons and cormorants breed in spring.

Fun for Everyone

• Nida beach (Nida)
  A wide Baltic beach behind the dunes.

Must-Haves

• Thomas Mann Memorial Museum (Nida)
  The writer's summer house above the lagoon.

Off the Beaten Path

• Neringa History Museum (Nida)
  Fishing life on the spit, from kurėnas boats to weathervanes.

Fun for Everyone

• Fisherman's Ethnographic Homestead (Nida)
  An old fisherman's house with blue painted wood and a garden.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Smoked fish stalls (Nida harbour)
  Freshly smoked fish such as eel and bream eaten at the harbour.

Fun for Everyone

• Cycling the Curonian Spit (Nida to Juodkrantė)
  A forest cycle path linking the villages, easy for families.

Must-Haves

• Basanavičiaus gatvė (Palanga)
  The lively resort street leading to the pier.

Must-Haves

• Palanga Pier (Palanga)
  A long pier where crowds gather for sunset.

Fun for Everyone

• Palanga Botanical Park (Vytauto gatvė)
  A large park with Birutė Hill and its chapel.

Off the Beaten Path

• Seaside Cycle Route (Palanga to Šventoji)
  A coastal cycle path through pines.

Must-Haves

• Palanga Amber Museum (Botanical Park)
  Amber pieces with fossils inside, set in the Tiškevičiai palace.