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Lithuania : Vilnius - November 2009

Country Code: Dial 0 for Lithuania

November in Vilnius is when temperatures plunge and the first snow is likely to fall. With the exception of the evening of 1 November, when Catholics head to cemeteries to light candles for departed relatives, the month sees the capital’s nightlife safely ensconced indoors until spring. Richard Schofield wraps up warm

Getting around

Vilnius International Airport

Bus: The no. 1 bus goes to the central train station every 10–15 minutes. Tickets bought onboard cost €0,40/LTL 1.40.
Train: A fast train leaves every hour from the airport between 6am and 9pm and takes 10 minutes to get to the central station.
Taxi: A taxi from the airport to the city centre takes about 15 minutes and should cost €11,60/LTL 40
Tourist information: The main tourist office is at 22 Vilniaus Gatve ( 0, vilniustourism. lt).

OLD TOWN

Vilnius’ medieval old town features twisting streets full of gothic, renaissance and baroque masterpieces. Bars, restaurants and cafés also abound.

Sleep soundly – Two friendly options are the magnificent Narutis (24 Pilies, , narutis.com, rooms from €170/LTL 586), overlooking the city’s finest street and where a room at the front is the only room to have, and the spartan Litinterp (7 Bernadinu, , litinterp.com, rooms from €23/LTL 80), which offers the best value around if you’re looking for simple bed and breakfast.

Culture vultures – A visit to Amatu Gildija (6 Pranciskonu) is more than recommended. A combined ceramics gallery and workshop, the convivial and almost totally blind ceramic artist Mindaugas Rutkauskas presides.

Must eat – Using the best ingredients, colourful chef Thom at Bunte Gans (11 Ausros Vartu, ) offers a varied menu of great German food.

Shop til you drop – Visit the Linen & Amber Studio (3 Stikliu) for the best of these two Lithuanian classics.

CITY CENTRE

Spread out over a large area encompassing part of the city north of the Neris river, the city centre offers the old town a good run for its money.

Culture vultures – Inside Vilnius’ former Museum of the Revolution, the National Art Gallery (22 Konstitucijos) currently features the large Cold War Modern: Design 1945-1970 exhibition, with work from a host of household names, including Pablo Picasso and film director Andrei Tarkovsky.

Must eat – Beside the cathedral, Zoe’s Bar & Grill (3 Odminiu, ) does what few Vilnius restaurants seem able to: provide consistently good food, served with a smile.

Must drink – Inside a gorgeous Imperialist Russian building, Suokalbis (6 Sirvydo) is the bar of the Lithuanian Writers’ Union. Expect great draught Pasvalio beer and regular clients including chess players and vodkafuelled artists dancing on the tables.

Dance the night away – Not found in the tourist guides are Bomond Tabero (16 Tilto), where middle-aged couples come at the weekend to drink champagne and dance in pairs to live cabaret, and Satta (16 Vilniaus), a magnet for the city’s dreadlocked clubbing community.

Shop til you drop – Ruta (5 Jaksto) is a 96-year-old Lithuanian favourite for sweets and chocolates.

UZUPIS

This district declared itself an independent republic on April Fools’ Day in 1997. It quietens down considerably as winter commences, but there are still one or two things to keep visitors pleasantly occupied.

Must drink – The Republic’s political headquarters, Uzupio Kavine (2 Uzupio) is a natural tourist draw, offering the chance to sink a beer with an ersatz president.

Dance the night away – A gallery in the daytime, Stopke (2a Uzupio) is a littleknown club featuring everything from live music to some of the city’s more interesting DJs.

SUBURBS

Vilnius’ outer limits are certainly worth further investigation.

Sleep soundly – The highly recommended Saules Namai (15 Saules, , saules-namai. com, rooms from €20/LTL 70) is a friendly, family-run B&B with a large, tempting fireplace in the living room.

Must eat – Have dinner in the revolving Pauksciu Takas ( ), 160m up the Television Tower, while trying to work out where the old town is with the aid of a telescope.

Shop til you drop – With the exception of Yiddish, Kalvariju Turgus (61 Kalvariju), a rambling outdoor market, is the last place to hear the original languages of the city still spoken. Haggle with old ladies over vintage Soviet cameras and locally produced honey.

Compiled by Richard Schofield