Have you ever thought of visiting Vilnius for winter break? If you haven’t, I hope you change your mind after reading this article because the Lithuanian capital is just magical around Christmas!
It has markets, pretty decorations, comforting food, and the chances of snow are high! Read about my suggestions below.
1. Visit the Christmas market
Come to the Cathedral square, the main square of the city, to get some delicious crepes or corn dogs, have a festive drink and to buy Christmas gifts and souvenirs!
The market is not very big but it’s extremely festive, and the tree looks incredibly magical! We also attended a street concert there.
2. Count the decorated monuments
Many monuments in Vilnius are ready for Christmas!
Many of them got festive knitted accessories in white and red. Look for the Užupio Mermaid and Užupis Angel in the district of the same name, Gediminas sculpture on the Cathedral square, Lithuanian Ballad monument not far away too, the sculpture of Kristijonas Donelaitis close to the Vilnius University and many more.
3. Admire the decorations
Head to the old city of Vilnius without hesitation: it’ll be magnificently decorated with illumination, real Christmas trees and baubles!
Old city and especially the Pilies Street would be your destination number 1: the displays here are superb including the Vilnius Tourism Information Centre.
We spotted different facades of Katpedėlė Lithuanian restaurants too: one was dedicated to the farm life with sheep and the other featured the gingerbread men! But there are many other displays that can easily compete with these too: just see yourself below.
Come to the Gentle Shrimp oyster bar close by and see the most unusual christmas tree you’ve ever seen: it’s made out of oyster shell and is 3 metre high! Another must see spot is Senatorių Pasažas, or Senators’ Passage: this is a Christmas heaven with its glittering string of lights, massive Xmas tree and many food options.
Don’t miss The Radisson Collection Astorija hotel display too with a large silver crescent at the entrance. Finally, come to admire the Christmas train installation by the National Museum of Lithuania close to the funicular to the Gediminas tower!
4. Fell in love with the Presidential palace Christmas tree
The Presidential palace is the official residence of the Lithuanian president.
And it is another must see spot in December as it’s lavishly decorated for Christmas and you can find a magnificent Xmas Tree in its courtyard.
5. Ride the Christmas train
The Christmas train is a must if you’re in Vilnius in December! It makes a circular route around the historical Vilnius city centre (it takes about 30 min) and costs 6€ per person.
6. Have some comfort food
Lithuanian cuisine is famous not only for its pink soup (which is more appropriate for summer) but also for a selection of perfect winter dishes!
Thinks about potato dishes (Cepelinai giant potato dumplings and Kugilis potato pudding are the most known of them all), hearty soups, meats, cheeses and various hot herbal and fruit teas! Just ideal for winter, right?
7. Skate by the Town Hall
The Town Hall of Vilnius is a magnificent classical building by itself but in winter it is not only decorated for festivities but also there is an ice rink with beautiful illumination and light show in front of it! Come here to skate with friends or to watch professional skaters.
Besides that, there is a small Christmas market there too.
Where to stay in Vilnius?
We stayed at the Grand Hotel Vilnius, Curio Collection by Hilton, and we loved our stay a lot! Our room consisted of a few rooms, with a large bathroom and Diptyque skin care products.
The hotel opens up to the Cathedral square, and we had the best view over the Cathedral and the Christmas market you can imagine. The decorations referring to Alice in Wonderland were among the most stylish I’ve ever seen for Christmas.
The only space for improvement is their breakfast: the selection of foods wasn’t very big and the service was extremely slow: for instance, each morning we waited for up to 45 min to get our hot food and coffee.
You might also like my other blogs:
Tallinn, Estonia
Riga, Latvia
Jurmala, Latvia
Hope you liked my new blog,
Yours,
Anna xxx
