The only guide to Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, you will ever need....
Maps Events Restaurants Cafés Nightlife Sightseeing Shopping Hotels
Vilnius December 2014 - April 2015
inyourpocket.com N°114 - €0.58 / 2Lt
Contents
E S S E N T I A L CITY
GUIDES
Arriving & Getting Around
5 11
Some simple differences worth knowing
History
13
A mind-boggling millennium
Culture & Events
15
Art, photography and the rest
Where to eat
68
Trakai
69
Lithuania’s ormer capital uncovered
Where to get off and how to stay afloat
City Basics
Jewish Vilnius
22
The capital’s kitchens in all their glory
Where to stay
71
Campsites and presidential suites or all
Mail & Phones
79
Keeping in touch
Shopping
80
Lifestyle Directory
86
Sport, Leisure & Health
90
Business Directory
92
Maps & Index Street index
93
Where to party in Vilnius
City centre map
94
What to see
City map
96
Country map
97
Nightlife
44 56
A ully comprehensive guide
© Vilnius Tourism & Convention Bureau www.vilnius-tourism.lt facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Foreword
Publisher
Vilnius In Your Pocket Bernardinų 9 - 4, Vilnius, Lithuania tel. (+370) 5 212 29 76, ax (+370) 5 212 29 82
[email protected],
[email protected], www.inyourpocket.com www.inyourpocket.com ISSN 1392-0057 ©UAB “VIYP” Printed by UAB “Lietuvos ryto”spaustuvė Published three times per year Print run 15,000 Editorial
Editor Craig Editor Craig Turp Contributors Howard Jarvis, Martin Kitson Design Vaida Design Vaida Kniūkštienė Researcher Vaida Researcher Vaida Kursevičiūtė Cover Photo © Photo © Arūnas Stankevičius Sales & Circulation
Publisher Vilnius Publisher Vilnius In Your Pocket General Manager Rūta Manager Rūta Klimavičiūtė Accounting VšĮ Accounting VšĮ “ACORDO” Sales Manager Tel. Manager Tel. (+370) 610 468 64.
This guidebook and all o our other Lithuanian guides are available or sale rom kiosks, tourist inormation centres, the Vilnius In Your Pocket office and other outlets throughout Vilnius and Lithuania as well as online at www.inyourpocket.com. Complimentary copies o Vilnius In Your Pocket are also available in many hotels. Copyright notice Text and photos copyright UAB VIYP 1992-201 5; some photos, LATGA-A; maps, cartographer. All rights reserved. No part o this publication may be reproduced in any orm, except brie extracts or the purpose o review, without written permission rom the publisher and copyright owner. The brand name In Your Pocket is used under license rom UAB In Your Pocket (Bernardinų 9-4,Vilnius, Lithuania tel. (+370) 5 212 29 7 6).
COVER STORY Vilnius, the winter picture-postcard version, with the rich colours o the Old Town given a white rame o snow. Photo by Arūnas Stankevičius.
ABOUT IYP
ESTONIA RUSSIA
LATVIA LITHUANIA
NORTHERN IRELAND
BELARUS
IRELAND NETHERLANDS
POLAND
GERMANY BELGIUM
UKRAINE CZECH REPUBLIC
AUSTRIA SWITZERLAND
HUNGARY
ROMANIA
GEORGIA
SLOVENIA CROATIA ITALY
BOSNIA SERBIA BULGARIA MONTENEGRO FYRMACEDONIA ALBANIA GREECE
DUTCH CARIBBEAN SOUTH AFRICA
Vilnius In
3
Arriving & Getting Around Around
There is no getting away rom the act that winter in Vilnius can be cold. Bitterly so. That does not or one minute however also mean that winter in Vilnius is bleak. Far rom it, in act. Indeed, having irst arrived in Vilnius many, many years ago in what was the middle o a particularly cold winter, we have to admit to having something o a sot spot or the city when it’s covered in snow. The already picture-postcard perect Old Town in particular never looks better than when given a cr isp, white rame, with the crunch o snow underoot providing the soundtrack or all sorts o winter escapades. And be honest: there is plenty to do in Vilnius at this time o year. The cellar restaurants, bars and pubs o the Old Town provide warm relie rom the chill outside, and many locals insist that the shorter the days, the longer the parties at night. O course, the biggest event o o the winter in Lithualitas , nia this year is the country waving goodbye to the litas, and adopting the euro. The big switch takes place/took place (delete according to when you are reading this) on January 1st, with both currencies in dual circulation or two weeks aterwards. I you are still holding litas ater that: don’t panic. You can change then inside a bank until the end o June. Whatever currency you are spending in Vilnius Vilnius this winter, enjoy the city.
4
December December 2014 - April 2015
Your Pocket
Not content with publishing more than 100 guides to cities across three continents, In Your Pocket is is currently preparing a new round o expansion or 2015. New cities due to be pocketed include Rotterdam in the Netherlands, while some old avourites, such as Budapest in Hungary and the Russian exclave o Kaliningrad will be getting a reboot. And there is a brand new digital platorm to look orward to. In order to make sure you keep up w ith all that’s new at In Your Pocket , like us on Facebook (acebook.com/inyourpocket) or ollow us on Twitter (twitter.com/ (twitter.com/ inyourpocket). vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Arriving in and getting around Vilnius are fairly simple affairs once you understand the basics. Accordingly, travelling further afield is relatively painless if you’re prepared to do your research beforehand and use some sign language when using buses and trains. Car rental is relatively cheap by Western standards.
ARRIVING IN VILNIUS The three main points o arrival in Vilnius offer very different experiences indeed, making your first ew minutes in the city anything rom a pleasure to a pain. Improvements Improvements are taking place all the time. Print copies o Vilnius In Your Pocket can can be bought rom kiosks inside the airport, bus and train stations or just €0.58. Alternatively, buy one online beore you leave by clicking here. I you’re coming into the city by public transport, see the latest inormation on our public transport pages, here.
BY BUS stotis) is located less than Vilnius’ bus station (autobusų ( autobusų stotis) 1km south o Old Town in a less than salubrious, albeit perectly sae area. Most acilities are located inside one large grey building and include kiosks and shops or snacks, maps, cigarettes and prepaid mobile phone cards, downstairs toilets (€0.29) and ATMs. For 24-hour currency exchange, use the Medicinos bank across the street and just to the right o the train station. A bagažinė or bagažinė or let luggage is located outside at the ar end o the platorms. Getting to town Get to Old Town in a ew minutes by turning let on exiting the station and walking down the hill (Sodų). Countless buses, minibuses and trolleybuses can be ound in the immediate area, all going off in different directions around the city and none o them offering a lot o help or people w ho don’t speak Lithuanian. Among the useul services going through the city centre are trolleybus Nº2 and bus Nº1G. Buy a ticket rom the driver or €1.01 and off you go. Taxis are parked up in a number o places. Be sure to negotiate a are beore you leave. Expect to pay €6 or even more or a short trip to Old Town. Calling one in advance is the best option. BY PLANE Vilnius International Airport (Tarptautini (Tarptautinis Vilniaus Oro Uostas) tas) is just 5km s outh o the city centre. Even i you’re landing rom a non-Schengen country, arrival ormalities are quick and relatively straightorward. Ater collecting your luggage enter through the electric sliding doors into the Arrivals Hall, an experience which is not unlike stepping into the ticket hall o 19th century provincial train station. There you’ll find a kiosk or snacks, maps, cigarettes and prepaid mobile phone cards, ATMs, currency exchange ofices and a small tourist inormation kiosk . Toilets are to the let, and car rental companies to the right. Getting to town A taxi to Old Town using one o the vehicles parked outside the arrivals terminal will cost about €15 or possibly considerably more depending on the cheek o the driver. Calling one in advance will cost a lot less. I you don’t know how to do it yours el ask the people facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
in the tourist inormation kiosk to order one or you. I you’re travelling to the city centre and want to save a small ortune, take public transport. Bus Nº88 goes to the Old Town, Nº1 goes to the train station and rapid bus Nº3G to Lukiškių Aikštė (Juozo Tumo-Vaižganto stop) and north over the river past the Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva. Lietuva. The bus stop is to the let o the taxi stand, and timetables are posted at the stop. Buy a ticket rom the driver or €1.01 and off you go. Alternatively, hop on a train and in less than 10 minutes be at the train station in the centre o the city. Buy a ticket on board or just €0.72. The airport train station can be ound along the road outside the main exit and on the let. Trains leave every hour or so rom around 0 6:00 until 21:30, with a journey time o just s even minutes.
BY TRAIN stotis) is airly large by local The train station (geležinkelio ( geležinkelio stotis) standards. Find kiosks and shops or snacks, maps, cigarettes and prepaid mobile phone cards scattered in and around the building, toilets downstairs or €0.29, ATM’s and a 24-hour Medicinos bank outside to the let or changing money. Getting to town Get to Old Town in a ew minutes by going straight ahead on exiting the station and walking down the hill (Sodų). The train station is just across the street rom the bus station. See By bus or bus or more inormation about getting to the centre by public transport.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT Served by a network o city-owned buses and trolleybuses, the capital’s public transport services begin at around 05:00 and continue through the day beore stopping not much later than 23:00. Vilnius does not yet have a nightbus service except on New Year’s Eve and on a couple o other special occassions. Getting about the city is cheap, and relatively easy once you have the hang o the basics. (Being able to buy tickets directly rom bus and trolleybus drivers helps). Note that public transport can be very crowded during peak hours, and that pickpockets are not uncommon on the busiest routes (especially those to and rom the bus station).
BUSES & TROLLEYBUSES All buses and trolleybuses in Vilnius are owned and operated by the Municipality. Paper tickets or single journeys are no longer available rom kiosks and can only be bought rom the driver, with the are currently priced at €1.01 or a single journey on one vehicle. Unless you plan on spending a lot o time using public transport whilst in Vilnius, this relatively simple system should be more than adequate although it’s worth mentioning the alternative, namely the Vilniečio Kortelė, an electronic ticket available or €1.16 rom kiosks around town. Technically a brilliant idea, the Vilniečio Kortelė is a bit conusing in reality due to the variety o credits its possible to add to it. The two most useul top-up options, available at kiosks around the city, are to top up with either journeys lasting or up December December 2014 - April 2015
5
Foreword
Arriving & Getting Around Around
There is no getting away rom the act that winter in Vilnius can be cold. Bitterly so. That does not or one minute however also mean that winter in Vilnius is bleak. Far rom it, in act. Indeed, having irst arrived in Vilnius many, many years ago in what was the middle o a particularly cold winter, we have to admit to having something o a sot spot or the city when it’s covered in snow. The already picture-postcard perect Old Town in particular never looks better than when given a cr isp, white rame, with the crunch o snow underoot providing the soundtrack or all sorts o winter escapades. And be honest: there is plenty to do in Vilnius at this time o year. The cellar restaurants, bars and pubs o the Old Town provide warm relie rom the chill outside, and many locals insist that the shorter the days, the longer the parties at night. O course, the biggest event o o the winter in Lithualitas , nia this year is the country waving goodbye to the litas, and adopting the euro. The big switch takes place/took place (delete according to when you are reading this) on January 1st, with both currencies in dual circulation or two weeks aterwards. I you are still holding litas ater that: don’t panic. You can change then inside a bank until the end o June. Whatever currency you are spending in Vilnius Vilnius this winter, enjoy the city.
Publisher
Vilnius In Your Pocket Bernardinų 9 - 4, Vilnius, Lithuania tel. (+370) 5 212 29 76, ax (+370) 5 212 29 82
[email protected],
[email protected], www.inyourpocket.com www.inyourpocket.com ISSN 1392-0057 ©UAB “VIYP” Printed by UAB “Lietuvos ryto”spaustuvė Published three times per year Print run 15,000 Editorial
Editor Craig Editor Craig Turp Contributors Howard Jarvis, Martin Kitson Design Vaida Design Vaida Kniūkštienė Researcher Vaida Researcher Vaida Kursevičiūtė Cover Photo © Photo © Arūnas Stankevičius Sales & Circulation
Publisher Vilnius Publisher Vilnius In Your Pocket General Manager Rūta Manager Rūta Klimavičiūtė Accounting VšĮ Accounting VšĮ “ACORDO” Sales Manager Tel. Manager Tel. (+370) 610 468 64.
This guidebook and all o our other Lithuanian guides are available or sale rom kiosks, tourist inormation centres, the Vilnius In Your Pocket office and other outlets throughout Vilnius and Lithuania as well as online at www.inyourpocket.com. Complimentary copies o Vilnius In Your Pocket are also available in many hotels. Copyright notice Text and photos copyright UAB VIYP 1992-201 5; some photos, LATGA-A; maps, cartographer. All rights reserved. No part o this publication may be reproduced in any orm, except brie extracts or the purpose o review, without written permission rom the publisher and copyright owner. The brand name In Your Pocket is used under license rom UAB In Your Pocket (Bernardinų 9-4,Vilnius, Lithuania tel. (+370) 5 212 29 7 6).
COVER STORY Vilnius, the winter picture-postcard version, with the rich colours o the Old Town given a white rame o snow. Photo by Arūnas Stankevičius.
ABOUT IYP
ESTONIA RUSSIA
LATVIA LITHUANIA
NORTHERN IRELAND
BELARUS
IRELAND NETHERLANDS
POLAND
GERMANY BELGIUM
UKRAINE CZECH REPUBLIC
AUSTRIA SWITZERLAND
HUNGARY
ROMANIA
GEORGIA
SLOVENIA CROATIA ITALY
BOSNIA SERBIA BULGARIA MONTENEGRO FYRMACEDONIA ALBANIA GREECE
DUTCH CARIBBEAN SOUTH AFRICA
4
Vilnius In
Your Pocket
Not content with publishing more than 100 guides to cities across three continents, In Your Pocket is is currently preparing a new round o expansion or 2015. New cities due to be pocketed include Rotterdam in the Netherlands, while some old avourites, such as Budapest in Hungary and the Russian exclave o Kaliningrad will be getting a reboot. And there is a brand new digital platorm to look orward to. In order to make sure you keep up w ith all that’s new at In Your Pocket , like us on Facebook (acebook.com/inyourpocket) or ollow us on Twitter (twitter.com/ (twitter.com/ inyourpocket). vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Arriving in and getting around Vilnius are fairly simple affairs once you understand the basics. Accordingly, travelling further afield is relatively painless if you’re prepared to do your research beforehand and use some sign language when using buses and trains. Car rental is relatively cheap by Western standards.
ARRIVING IN VILNIUS The three main points o arrival in Vilnius offer very different experiences indeed, making your first ew minutes in the city anything rom a pleasure to a pain. Improvements Improvements are taking place all the time. Print copies o Vilnius In Your Pocket can can be bought rom kiosks inside the airport, bus and train stations or just €0.58. Alternatively, buy one online beore you leave by clicking here. I you’re coming into the city by public transport, see the latest inormation on our public transport pages, here.
BY BUS stotis) is located less than Vilnius’ bus station (autobusų ( autobusų stotis) 1km south o Old Town in a less than salubrious, albeit perectly sae area. Most acilities are located inside one large grey building and include kiosks and shops or snacks, maps, cigarettes and prepaid mobile phone cards, downstairs toilets (€0.29) and ATMs. For 24-hour currency exchange, use the Medicinos bank across the street and just to the right o the train station. A bagažinė or bagažinė or let luggage is located outside at the ar end o the platorms. Getting to town Get to Old Town in a ew minutes by turning let on exiting the station and walking down the hill (Sodų). Countless buses, minibuses and trolleybuses can be ound in the immediate area, all going off in different directions around the city and none o them offering a lot o help or people w ho don’t speak Lithuanian. Among the useul services going through the city centre are trolleybus Nº2 and bus Nº1G. Buy a ticket rom the driver or €1.01 and off you go. Taxis are parked up in a number o places. Be sure to negotiate a are beore you leave. Expect to pay €6 or even more or a short trip to Old Town. Calling one in advance is the best option. BY PLANE Vilnius International Airport (Tarptautini (Tarptautinis Vilniaus Oro Uostas) tas) is just 5km s outh o the city centre. Even i you’re landing rom a non-Schengen country, arrival ormalities are quick and relatively straightorward. Ater collecting your luggage enter through the electric sliding doors into the Arrivals Hall, an experience which is not unlike stepping into the ticket hall o 19th century provincial train station. There you’ll find a kiosk or snacks, maps, cigarettes and prepaid mobile phone cards, ATMs, currency exchange ofices and a small tourist inormation kiosk . Toilets are to the let, and car rental companies to the right. Getting to town A taxi to Old Town using one o the vehicles parked outside the arrivals terminal will cost about €15 or possibly considerably more depending on the cheek o the driver. Calling one in advance will cost a lot less. I you don’t know how to do it yours el ask the people
From Vilnius Dep. Arr. 05:40 07:31 08:13 09:59 11:44 13:30 15:31 17:17 16:351 17:55 18:39 20:19 21:00 22:31 03:49 11:09 11:52 19:40 04:481 05:55 04:56 06:38 06:20 07:37 07:30 08:49 08:47 10:25 09:45 10:50 10:25 11:38 11:13 12:29 11:40 13:16 12:25 13:30 14:05 15:20 14:50 16:27 15:57 17:04 16:30 17:35 16:45 18:27 17:30 18:39 17:52 19:20 18:30 20:12 19:52 21:09 20:572 22:28 06:45 11:25 11:30 15:10 17:40 22:20 16:55 09:01 07:00 10:30 14:58 18:45 18:14 21:44 19:50 10:28 14:20 16:54 04:34 05:10 05:161 05:52 06:10 06:46 6
Vilnius In
City IGNALINA IGNALINA IGNALINA IGNALINA IGNALINA IGNALINA IGNALINA KALININGRAD KALININGRAD KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KLAIPĖDA KLAIPĖDA KLAIPĖDA MOSCOW MINSK MINSK MINSK ST. PETERSBURG ŠIAULIAI TRAKAI TRAKAI TRAKAI
Your Pocket
To Vilnius Dep. Arr. 04:21 06:00 05:10 06:33 09:16 11:01 12:47 14:32 16:34 18:20 18:56 20:34 20:241 21:48 13:44 18:45 16:56 22:28 04:563 06:30 05:33 07:20 06:231 07:38 07:05 08:45 08:09 09:23 09:06 10:40 10:55 12:42 12:08 13:20 13:40 15:15 14:40 15:49 15:30 17:12 16:32 17:38 17:05 18:16 17:20 19:05 17:55 19:11 18:41 19:50 19:07 20:48 19:44 20:56 20:19 21:45 21:28 22:44 06:50 11:37 12:15 15:55 17:05 21:57 18:55 08:00 11:10 12:57 19:50 21:20 08:40 10:10 19:40 08:06 17:22 20:00 05:25 06:05 06:071 06:47 07:12 07:52
BY TRAIN stotis) is airly large by local The train station (geležinkelio ( geležinkelio stotis) standards. Find kiosks and shops or snacks, maps, cigarettes and prepaid mobile phone cards scattered in and around the building, toilets downstairs or €0.29, ATM’s and a 24-hour Medicinos bank outside to the let or changing money. Getting to town Get to Old Town in a ew minutes by going straight ahead on exiting the station and walking down the hill (Sodų). The train station is just across the street rom the bus station. See By bus or bus or more inormation about getting to the centre by public transport.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT Served by a network o city-owned buses and trolleybuses, the capital’s public transport services begin at around 05:00 and continue through the day beore stopping not much later than 23:00. Vilnius does not yet have a nightbus service except on New Year’s Eve and on a couple o other special occassions. Getting about the city is cheap, and relatively easy once you have the hang o the basics. (Being able to buy tickets directly rom bus and trolleybus drivers helps). Note that public transport can be very crowded during peak hours, and that pickpockets are not uncommon on the busiest routes (especially those to and rom the bus station).
BUSES & TROLLEYBUSES All buses and trolleybuses in Vilnius are owned and operated by the Municipality. Paper tickets or single journeys are no longer available rom kiosks and can only be bought rom the driver, with the are currently priced at €1.01 or a single journey on one vehicle. Unless you plan on spending a lot o time using public transport whilst in Vilnius, this relatively simple system should be more than adequate although it’s worth mentioning the alternative, namely the Vilniečio Kortelė, an electronic ticket available or €1.16 rom kiosks around town. Technically a brilliant idea, the Vilniečio Kortelė is a bit conusing in reality due to the variety o credits its possible to add to it. The two most useul top-up options, available at kiosks around the city, are to top up with either journeys lasting or up
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Arriving & Getting Around Around TRAIN SCHEDULE
in the tourist inormation kiosk to order one or you. I you’re travelling to the city centre and want to save a small ortune, take public transport. Bus Nº88 goes to the Old Town, Nº1 goes to the train station and rapid bus Nº3G to Lukiškių Aikštė (Juozo Tumo-Vaižganto stop) and north over the river past the Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva. Lietuva. The bus stop is to the let o the taxi stand, and timetables are posted at the stop. Buy a ticket rom the driver or €1.01 and off you go. Alternatively, hop on a train and in less than 10 minutes be at the train station in the centre o the city. Buy a ticket on board or just €0.72. The airport train station can be ound along the road outside the main exit and on the let. Trains leave every hour or so rom around 0 6:00 until 21:30, with a journey time o just s even minutes.
December December 2014 - April 2015
5
Arriving & Getting Around Around 07:40 08:17 TRAKAI 08:37 09:17 13:30 14:06 TRAKAI 14:21 15:01 15:35 16:11 TRAKAI 16:45 17:25 18:20 18:57 TRAKAI 19:33 20:13 20:28 21:05 TRAKAI 21:30 22:10 1 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri. 2 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun. 3 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat. Not all services listed. Correct at the time o going to press and subject to change during the lietime o this guide. More inormation at www.litrail.lt Valid until March 28, 2015.
to 30 minutes at €0.64 a trip or up to 60 minutes or €0.93. These can then be used easily by holding the card against the yellow machine on all buses and trolleybuses which automatically take the are off the card. Alternatively, put any amount you choose on the card and select which length journey you you want want when using the the machine ne on board the the vehicle. Other options are available or tickets valid rom one to 270 days, although we recommend you get a local to help you i choosing one o these. You can find out all you need to know about schedules online at www.vilniustransport.lt and more about the Vilniečio Kortelė at www.vilniusticket.lt.
MINIBUSES The great will they/won’t they story story o 2013 in Vilnius has been the ongoing saga o the city’s private minibuses. Originally scrapped completely in July, the Municipality did a partial U-turn on the issue in September, and private minbuses reappeared on the city’s streets early in November. However, not everything is as it was beore. Whereas in the old days the private minibuses would stop wherever a passenger wanted, they are now limited to standard public transport stops. What’s more, not all o the private minibuses have been allowed to make a comeback: as we go to press, ourteen routes had been restored. Tickets or the minibuses can be bought on board rom the driver (€1.01), while the Vilniečio Kortelė is Kortelė is also accepted.
LONG-DISTANCE LONG-DIST ANCE BUSES All long-distance national and international buses leave stotis). Although rom Vilnius’ us’ main bus station (autobusų (autobusų stotis). tickets or many journeys can be bought directly rom the driver it’s worth getting one in advance at no extra cost. The ticket office or national bus ser vices is located inside the waiting room. International tickets can be bought rom several different outlets ound scattered around the building as well as rom a number o travel agencies in the city. Backpackers and other travellers on a budget rom Western Europe might be surprised to learn that bus travel in Lithuania is more expensive than using the train.
BUS STATION �AUTOBUSŲ STOTIS� QB-6, Sodų 22, tel. 1661, www.toks.lt. Open 04:00 - 24:00. Ticket office open 06:00 - 19:00, Fri 06:00 - 19:30. JA vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Lithuanian outfit o the large European ECOLINES The Lithuanian network provides all the usual transport services including cheap bus journeys in the region and urther afield. Other things include insurance, visas, tourism services and bus rental.QB-6, Geležinkelio 15, tel. (+370) 5 213 33 00, www. ecolines.net. Open 08:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 17:30. Also at Vytauto 23, Kaunas, tel. (+370) 37 20 20 22. A
LUX EXPRESSQB-6, Sodų 20b-1, tel. (+370) 5 233 66 66, www.luxexpress.eu. Open 08:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 19:00. Also at Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama). JA
TRAINS Vilnius’ main train station on (geležinkeli (geležinkelio stotis) stotis) handles services to a number o destinations within Lithuania as well as international trains to Belarus, Russia and Latvia. Most tickets can be bought rom a row o kiosks to the right o the main entrance. Tickets or international trains can also be purchased rom a small office inside and immediately to the let o the main entrance. The general rule is that tickets stop being sold 10 minutes beore a train is due to depart. With the exception o some international services, tickets can be bought on board trains rom the conductor or which a €1.45 commission is charged.
TAXIS Despite recent creeping taxi (taksi (taksi ) prices, travelling by taxi in Vilnius remains relatively cheap, especially i you order one in advance by telephone. In an attempt to stem the flow o moonlighters, all taxis in Lithuania are now instantly recognisable by their compulsory yellow number plates, although this should in no way lure anyone into believing this has changed the ree-market taksistas (taxi driver). Taxi drivers in spirit o the average taksistas (taxi Vilnius are no different to taxi drivers anywhere else, and will in general take any opportunity to relieve clients o more money than they need to. The standard rule is to make sure the meter is running and set to the correct tariff (generally 1 most o the time and 2 ater midnight) beore setting off. Arguments with taxi drivers are utile, and there are several stories floating around o drunken oreigners being assaulted when arguing about the are. Finally, be extremely cautious o hotels who offer deals with individual taxi companies as they’re usually set at extortionate rates. Prices listed below are or standard daytime journeys within the city limits.
TOURIST INFORMA INF ORMATION TION VILNIUS TOURIST INFORMATION �VILNIAUS TURIZMO INFORMACIJOS CENTRAS IR or groups groups KONFERENCIJŲ BIURAS� Tour bookings or and individuals, audio guides, Vilnius City Card, maps, tourist-related publications, cultural events (www. vilnius-events.lt), taxi and accommodation booking. English-, German-, Polish- and Russian-speaking staff. See their extensive website or more inormation.QB-2, Vilniaus 22/1, tel. (+370) 5 262 96 60, fax (+370) 5 262 81 69,
[email protected], www.vilnius-tourism.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Also at Didžioji 31 (Town Hall), tel. (+370) (+370) 5 262 64 70. Šventaragio 2 (Cathedral Square), Rodūnios Kelias 2 -1 (Vilnius International Airport), tel. (+370) 5 230 68 41. JAW TRAIN STATION �GELEŽINKELIO STOTIS� QB-6, Geležinkelio 16, tel. (+370) 700 551 11, www.litrail.lt. Ticket office open 24hrs. J
AIRPORT VILNIUS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT �TARPTAU� TINIS VILNIAUS ORO UOSTAS� Vilnius International Airport, situated approximately 5km south o the city centre, is small and relatively easy to use. A restaurant and bar can be ound above the main entrance or ond arewells and devilishly expensive cognac. A limited hotchpotch o Duty Free shops Free shops and caés are located the other side o customs control. Free wireless internet is available throughout the airport. To get there by bus (see Public transport or inormation on tickets), take Nº3G rom Lukiškių Aikštė (Juozo Tumo-Vaižganto Tumo-Vaižganto stop) stop) or Nº1 rom the train station, or use the shuttle train service that departs rom the train station every 30 minutes between 06:30 and 19:30. Buy a ticket on board the train or just €0.72. A taxi rom Old Town currently costs around €15 using a hotel-booked firm, although you can pay considerably less i you c an get a riendly local to order you one rom a cheaper company. By calling the right company in advance (try tel. (+370) 5 266 66 66) a recent visitor to the city managed to make the trip or just €5.QRodūnios Kelias 2, tel. (+370) 612 444 42, www.vno.lt. Open 24hrs.
SMART TAXI Call 1820 or (+370) 5 200 08 20 or a taxi. You can also use the website (at which you can pre-book car s) but it 1820/(+370) 5 2 00 is currently only in Lithuanian.Qtel. 1820/(+370) 08 20, www.smarttaxi.lt. €0.69/km. STANDART TAXIQtel. (+370) 5 240 00 04, www. standart-taksi.lt. €0.66/km. Cheap and efficient, public transport in Vilnius is generally reliable
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December December 2014 - April 2015
7
Arriving & Getting Around Around TRAIN SCHEDULE From Vilnius Dep. Arr. 05:40 07:31 08:13 09:59 11:44 13:30 15:31 17:17 16:351 17:55 18:39 20:19 21:00 22:31 03:49 11:09 11:52 19:40 04:481 05:55 04:56 06:38 06:20 07:37 07:30 08:49 08:47 10:25 09:45 10:50 10:25 11:38 11:13 12:29 11:40 13:16 12:25 13:30 14:05 15:20 14:50 16:27 15:57 17:04 16:30 17:35 16:45 18:27 17:30 18:39 17:52 19:20 18:30 20:12 19:52 21:09 20:572 22:28 06:45 11:25 11:30 15:10 17:40 22:20 16:55 09:01 07:00 10:30 14:58 18:45 18:14 21:44 19:50 10:28 14:20 16:54 04:34 05:10 05:161 05:52 06:10 06:46 6
Vilnius In
City IGNALINA IGNALINA IGNALINA IGNALINA IGNALINA IGNALINA IGNALINA KALININGRAD KALININGRAD KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KAUNAS KLAIPĖDA KLAIPĖDA KLAIPĖDA MOSCOW MINSK MINSK MINSK ST. PETERSBURG ŠIAULIAI TRAKAI TRAKAI TRAKAI
To Vilnius Dep. Arr. 04:21 06:00 05:10 06:33 09:16 11:01 12:47 14:32 16:34 18:20 18:56 20:34 20:241 21:48 13:44 18:45 16:56 22:28 04:563 06:30 05:33 07:20 06:231 07:38 07:05 08:45 08:09 09:23 09:06 10:40 10:55 12:42 12:08 13:20 13:40 15:15 14:40 15:49 15:30 17:12 16:32 17:38 17:05 18:16 17:20 19:05 17:55 19:11 18:41 19:50 19:07 20:48 19:44 20:56 20:19 21:45 21:28 22:44 06:50 11:37 12:15 15:55 17:05 21:57 18:55 08:00 11:10 12:57 19:50 21:20 08:40 10:10 19:40 08:06 17:22 20:00 05:25 06:05 06:071 06:47 07:12 07:52
Arriving & Getting Around Around 07:40 08:17 TRAKAI 08:37 09:17 13:30 14:06 TRAKAI 14:21 15:01 15:35 16:11 TRAKAI 16:45 17:25 18:20 18:57 TRAKAI 19:33 20:13 20:28 21:05 TRAKAI 21:30 22:10 1 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri. 2 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun. 3 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat. Not all services listed. Correct at the time o going to press and subject to change during the lietime o this guide. More inormation at www.litrail.lt Valid until March 28, 2015.
to 30 minutes at €0.64 a trip or up to 60 minutes or €0.93. These can then be used easily by holding the card against the yellow machine on all buses and trolleybuses which automatically take the are off the card. Alternatively, put any amount you choose on the card and select which length journey you you want want when using the the machine ne on board the the vehicle. Other options are available or tickets valid rom one to 270 days, although we recommend you get a local to help you i choosing one o these. You can find out all you need to know about schedules online at www.vilniustransport.lt and more about the Vilniečio Kortelė at www.vilniusticket.lt.
MINIBUSES The great will they/won’t they story story o 2013 in Vilnius has been the ongoing saga o the city’s private minibuses. Originally scrapped completely in July, the Municipality did a partial U-turn on the issue in September, and private minbuses reappeared on the city’s streets early in November. However, not everything is as it was beore. Whereas in the old days the private minibuses would stop wherever a passenger wanted, they are now limited to standard public transport stops. What’s more, not all o the private minibuses have been allowed to make a comeback: as we go to press, ourteen routes had been restored. Tickets or the minibuses can be bought on board rom the driver (€1.01), while the Vilniečio Kortelė is Kortelė is also accepted.
LONG-DISTANCE LONG-DIST ANCE BUSES All long-distance national and international buses leave stotis). Although rom Vilnius’ us’ main bus station (autobusų (autobusų stotis). tickets or many journeys can be bought directly rom the driver it’s worth getting one in advance at no extra cost. The ticket office or national bus ser vices is located inside the waiting room. International tickets can be bought rom several different outlets ound scattered around the building as well as rom a number o travel agencies in the city. Backpackers and other travellers on a budget rom Western Europe might be surprised to learn that bus travel in Lithuania is more expensive than using the train.
BUS STATION �AUTOBUSŲ STOTIS� QB-6, Sodų 22, tel. 1661, www.toks.lt. Open 04:00 - 24:00. Ticket office open 06:00 - 19:00, Fri 06:00 - 19:30. JA
Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Lithuanian outfit o the large European ECOLINES The Lithuanian network provides all the usual transport services including cheap bus journeys in the region and urther afield. Other things include insurance, visas, tourism services and bus rental.QB-6, Geležinkelio 15, tel. (+370) 5 213 33 00, www. ecolines.net. Open 08:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 17:30. Also at Vytauto 23, Kaunas, tel. (+370) 37 20 20 22. A
LUX EXPRESSQB-6, Sodų 20b-1, tel. (+370) 5 233 66 66, www.luxexpress.eu. Open 08:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 19:00. Also at Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama). JA
TRAINS Vilnius’ main train station on (geležinkeli (geležinkelio stotis) stotis) handles services to a number o destinations within Lithuania as well as international trains to Belarus, Russia and Latvia. Most tickets can be bought rom a row o kiosks to the right o the main entrance. Tickets or international trains can also be purchased rom a small office inside and immediately to the let o the main entrance. The general rule is that tickets stop being sold 10 minutes beore a train is due to depart. With the exception o some international services, tickets can be bought on board trains rom the conductor or which a €1.45 commission is charged.
TAXIS Despite recent creeping taxi (taksi (taksi ) prices, travelling by taxi in Vilnius remains relatively cheap, especially i you order one in advance by telephone. In an attempt to stem the flow o moonlighters, all taxis in Lithuania are now instantly recognisable by their compulsory yellow number plates, although this should in no way lure anyone into believing this has changed the ree-market taksistas (taxi driver). Taxi drivers in spirit o the average taksistas (taxi Vilnius are no different to taxi drivers anywhere else, and will in general take any opportunity to relieve clients o more money than they need to. The standard rule is to make sure the meter is running and set to the correct tariff (generally 1 most o the time and 2 ater midnight) beore setting off. Arguments with taxi drivers are utile, and there are several stories floating around o drunken oreigners being assaulted when arguing about the are. Finally, be extremely cautious o hotels who offer deals with individual taxi companies as they’re usually set at extortionate rates. Prices listed below are or standard daytime journeys within the city limits.
AIR BALTIC QRiga International Airport, tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92/(+371) 670 060 06 (for calls from abroad), www.airbaltic.com. Open 07:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 20:00. JA AIR LITUANICA QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) (+370) 700 40 4 44, fax (+370) 5 203 44 93, fly@airlituanica. com, www.airlituanica.com. Open 09:00 - 18:00. A AUSTRIAN AIRLINES QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92, www.austrian.com. Open 09:00 - 17:00.
LOCAL BUS SCHEDULE BIRŠTONAS 07:10, 09:30, 10:40, 12:35, 13:30, 14:40, 16:10, 18:10. DRUSKININKAI 07:20, 08:40, 09:35, 10:00, 11:00, 12:10, 13:00, 14:20, 15:20, 15:40, 16:15, 17:10, 18:20, 18:40, 20:30. KAUNAS 05:45, 06:20, 06:30, 07:00, 07:15, 07:30, 07:45, 08:10, 08:20, 08:30, 08:45, 09:00, 09:20, 09:30, 09:45, 10:05, 10:30, 10:45, 11:00, 11:30, 11:45, 12:10, 12:20, 12:35, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:35, 15:00, 15:10, 15:25, 16:05, 16:25, 16:45, 17:00, 17:25, 17:45, 18:00, 18:40, 19:00, 19:20, 19:45, 20:15, 21:10, 23:00. KLAIPĖDA 06:00, 06:40, 07:50, 08:50, 10:35, 11:35, 12:00, 12:40, 13:20, 14:50, 16:00, 16:45, 17:30, 18:30, 23:00. NIDA 06:40. PALANGA 06:00, 06:20, 08:50, 12:00, 13:20, 14:50, 16:45, 18:30, 23:00. PANEVĖŽYS 06:10, 06:30, 07:05, 07:50, 08:25, 09:00, 09:50, 10:20, 10:35, 11:10, 11:30, 12:00, 12:50, 13:40, 14:25, 14:50, 15:10, 15:50, 16:30, 17:00, 17:20, 17:40, 18:05, 19:20, 21:30. ŠIAULIAI 06:30, 07:50, 09:50, 11:10, 12:00, 13:00, 14:25, 15:20, 16:05, 17:40, 19:20. TRAKAI 07:10, 08:20, 08:55, 09:15, 09:30, 09:45, 10:40, 10:55, 12:10, 12:35, 13:10, 13:30, 14:00, 14:40, 15:00, 15:40, 16:10, 16:40, 17:00, 17:45, 18:10, 18:45, 20:00. Valid until April 30, 2015. Not all services listed. Correct at the time o going to press and subject to change during the lietime o this guide. The website at www.autobusubilietai.lt www.autobusubilietai.lt is the best resource or upto-date, accurate inormation about travelling by bus in Lithuania. 8
Vilnius In
Your Pocket
VILNIUS TOURIST INFORMATION �VILNIAUS TURIZMO INFORMACIJOS CENTRAS IR or groups groups KONFERENCIJŲ BIURAS� Tour bookings or and individuals, audio guides, Vilnius City Card, maps, tourist-related publications, cultural events (www. vilnius-events.lt), taxi and accommodation booking. English-, German-, Polish- and Russian-speaking staff. See their extensive website or more inormation.QB-2, Vilniaus 22/1, tel. (+370) 5 262 96 60, fax (+370) 5 262 81 69,
[email protected], www.vilnius-tourism.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Also at Didžioji 31 (Town Hall), tel. (+370) (+370) 5 262 64 70. Šventaragio 2 (Cathedral Square), Rodūnios Kelias 2 -1 (Vilnius International Airport), tel. (+370) 5 230 68 41. JAW TRAIN STATION �GELEŽINKELIO STOTIS� QB-6, Geležinkelio 16, tel. (+370) 700 551 11, www.litrail.lt. Ticket office open 24hrs. J
AIRPORT VILNIUS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT �TARPTAU� TINIS VILNIAUS ORO UOSTAS� Vilnius International Airport, situated approximately 5km south o the city centre, is small and relatively easy to use. A restaurant and bar can be ound above the main entrance or ond arewells and devilishly expensive cognac. A limited hotchpotch o Duty Free shops Free shops and caés are located the other side o customs control. Free wireless internet is available throughout the airport. To get there by bus (see Public transport or inormation on tickets), take Nº3G rom Lukiškių Aikštė (Juozo Tumo-Vaižganto Tumo-Vaižganto stop) stop) or Nº1 rom the train station, or use the shuttle train service that departs rom the train station every 30 minutes between 06:30 and 19:30. Buy a ticket on board the train or just €0.72. A taxi rom Old Town currently costs around €15 using a hotel-booked firm, although you can pay considerably less i you c an get a riendly local to order you one rom a cheaper company. By calling the right company in advance (try tel. (+370) 5 266 66 66) a recent visitor to the city managed to make the trip or just €5.QRodūnios Kelias 2, tel. (+370) 612 444 42, www.vno.lt. Open 24hrs.
SMART TAXI Call 1820 or (+370) 5 200 08 20 or a taxi. You can also use the website (at which you can pre-book car s) but it 1820/(+370) 5 2 00 is currently only in Lithuanian.Qtel. 1820/(+370) 08 20, www.smarttaxi.lt. €0.69/km. STANDART TAXIQtel. (+370) 5 240 00 04, www. standart-taksi.lt. €0.66/km. Cheap and efficient, public transport in Vilnius is generally reliable
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Arriving & Getting Around Around AIRLINES
TOURIST INFORMA INF ORMATION TION
December December 2014 - April 2015
7
Arriving & Getting Around Around AIRPORT TRANSFER
PARKING Street parking in Vilnius is divided into our colour-coded zones, namely blue, red, yellow and green. Colourcoded parking meters eat coins and regurgitate a little printed ticket. Times when payments are required are marked on blue signs using Roman numerals to represent days, and numbers to represent times. A sign displaying I-V 8-22 or example means you must pay to park on Monday (I) to Friday (V) rom 08:00 to 22:00. Signs can be hidden or placed miles away rom the parking space in question. Be careul. A pay-by-SMS system is also in operation, although in order to use it you must have a local SIM card. Buy a bar-coded windscreen sticker and register it in order to use this service i you’re planning on living in the city or staying or an extended period o time. Keep valuables hidden at all times, including radios i possible.
AVIAVILSAQC-5, Aušros Vartų 19a-1, tel. (+370) 5 230 22 00, www.aviavilsa.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J BRUSSELS AIRLINES QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92, www.brusselsairlines.com. ESTONIAN AIR QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 93 00/(+370) 647 000 48, vno@ticketing. lt, www.estonian-air.com. Open 03:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 03:00 - 17:00. FINNAIR QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 252 50 10, www.finnair.com. Open 08:00 - 18:00. LOT QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 273 90 00/(+370) 647 000 48,
[email protected], www.lot.com. Open 03:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 03:00 - 17:00. LUFTHANSA QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92, www.lufthansa.com. NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLEQRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92, www.norwegian.no. SAS SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 230 66 38/(+370) 5 232 92 92, www.flysas.com. TURKISH AIRLINES QRodūnios Kelias 2-3 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 219 07 25,
[email protected], www. turkishairlines.com. Open 09:00 - 18:00, Sun 11:00 15:00. Closed Sat. UTAIR QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92, www.utair.ru. WIZZAIR QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 252 50 10, www.wizzair.com. Open 08:00 - 18:00. vilnius.inyourpocket.com
BALTIC TRAVEL CARS A wide choice o quality cars and larger vehicles available or rent, plus transers, GPS rental and luxury limousines rom a leading local company who also specialise in general tourism and entertainment activities.QI. Simonaitytės 2A-25, tel. (+370) 671 988 88 (24hrs),
[email protected], www.baltictravelcars.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00. A LUXTRANSFER English-speaking drivers o very comortable cars will look ater you superbly rom arrivals hall to wherever it is in Lithuania you are going: home, hotel, office. The cars even have ree Wifi.Qtel. (+370) 610 240 42, info@luxtransfer. lt, www.luxtransfer.lt. Open 24hrs. A
For business or leisure, rent your car with Sixt.
CAR RENTAL Offices representing all o the major international car rental companies can be ound in Vilnius alongside a ew local businesses o varying standards. All types o vehicle are represented, represented, with many companies also offering chauffeur services. Most major driving international licences are accepted.
(Sixt has it all. Check sixt.lt for your best deal)
DRIVING Given that Vilnius is a relatively small city and that its main sights can be reached either on oot or by public transport, most visitors to the Lithuanian capital will have little cause to worry about driving. I you do ancy exploring the city (or the rest o the country) by car however, it is worth noting that despite its reputation as possessing the deadliest roads in the EU, driving in Lithuania is now ar saer than at any time in the country’s post-communist history. Indeed, over the past ten years the atality rate has allen by an impressive 10 per cent. The rate o atalities per head o population does, however, remain one o the EU’s highest, along with Poland and Greece. As a general rule however, driving in Lithuania presents no more hazards than you would expect to find in any other country in the region: the poor state o some roads will be the biggest challenge you are likely to ace. The basic rules o the Lithuanian roads are as ollows: seat belts are compulsory or all (both driver and passengers), and headlights must be used at all times o day or night. All vehicles must be fitted with a small fire-extinguisher and first aid kit, and you will need to have your driving license and vehicle registration papers with you at all times. At this time o year, all cars must also be equipped with winter tyres (an ice scraper and a brush should also orm part o your winter kit). I hiring a car, all o these things will be provided by the car rental company. The speed limit around town is 50kph unless otherwise indicated. Elsewhere you can drive at 90kph on main roads, 70kph on unpaved roads. Note that on the country’s highways the usual speed limit o 130kph is reduced to 100kph during the winter. facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
For reservations: www.sixt.lt or call +37 05239 5636
AVIS QD-2, B. Radvilaitės 5a, tel. (+370) 698 448 31, www.avis.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 16:00. Also at Rodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport). RIMAS 24hrs.
tel. (+370) 698 216 62,
[email protected]. Open
Q
SIXT QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 239 56 36, www.sixt.lt. Open 08:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Also at Sodų 14 (Panorama Hotel), Konstitucijos 20 (Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva). A
ROAD ASSISTANCE Accidentally get in an accident? No tools? No time? Have no ear. There are people out there who can help. Altas Assistance is one o the ew companies in Lithuania that offers roadside assistance to those in need. With years o experience in helping stranded and damaged vehicles, the company is staffed with a highly qualified team who offer mobility services throughout Lithuania or a modest ee (currently €10.14 or their service plus work inside the city and €21.72 or out o town assistance). Note that any accident or incident that requires an insurance claim must be reported to the police or your insurer won’t believe you.
ALTAS ASSISTANCEQtel. 1810, www.1810.lt. Open 24hrs. December December 2014 - April 2015
9
Arriving & Getting Around Around AIRLINES
AIR LITUANICA QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) (+370) 700 40 4 44, fax (+370) 5 203 44 93, fly@airlituanica. com, www.airlituanica.com. Open 09:00 - 18:00. A AUSTRIAN AIRLINES QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92, www.austrian.com. Open 09:00 - 17:00.
LOCAL BUS SCHEDULE BIRŠTONAS 07:10, 09:30, 10:40, 12:35, 13:30, 14:40, 16:10, 18:10. DRUSKININKAI 07:20, 08:40, 09:35, 10:00, 11:00, 12:10, 13:00, 14:20, 15:20, 15:40, 16:15, 17:10, 18:20, 18:40, 20:30. KAUNAS 05:45, 06:20, 06:30, 07:00, 07:15, 07:30, 07:45, 08:10, 08:20, 08:30, 08:45, 09:00, 09:20, 09:30, 09:45, 10:05, 10:30, 10:45, 11:00, 11:30, 11:45, 12:10, 12:20, 12:35, 13:00, 13:30, 14:00, 14:35, 15:00, 15:10, 15:25, 16:05, 16:25, 16:45, 17:00, 17:25, 17:45, 18:00, 18:40, 19:00, 19:20, 19:45, 20:15, 21:10, 23:00. KLAIPĖDA 06:00, 06:40, 07:50, 08:50, 10:35, 11:35, 12:00, 12:40, 13:20, 14:50, 16:00, 16:45, 17:30, 18:30, 23:00. NIDA 06:40. PALANGA 06:00, 06:20, 08:50, 12:00, 13:20, 14:50, 16:45, 18:30, 23:00. PANEVĖŽYS 06:10, 06:30, 07:05, 07:50, 08:25, 09:00, 09:50, 10:20, 10:35, 11:10, 11:30, 12:00, 12:50, 13:40, 14:25, 14:50, 15:10, 15:50, 16:30, 17:00, 17:20, 17:40, 18:05, 19:20, 21:30. ŠIAULIAI 06:30, 07:50, 09:50, 11:10, 12:00, 13:00, 14:25, 15:20, 16:05, 17:40, 19:20. TRAKAI 07:10, 08:20, 08:55, 09:15, 09:30, 09:45, 10:40, 10:55, 12:10, 12:35, 13:10, 13:30, 14:00, 14:40, 15:00, 15:40, 16:10, 16:40, 17:00, 17:45, 18:10, 18:45, 20:00. Valid until April 30, 2015. Not all services listed. Correct at the time o going to press and subject to change during the lietime o this guide. The website at www.autobusubilietai.lt www.autobusubilietai.lt is the best resource or upto-date, accurate inormation about travelling by bus in Lithuania. Vilnius In
AIRPORT TRANSFER
PARKING
AIR BALTIC QRiga International Airport, tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92/(+371) 670 060 06 (for calls from abroad), www.airbaltic.com. Open 07:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 20:00. JA
8
Arriving & Getting Around Around Street parking in Vilnius is divided into our colour-coded zones, namely blue, red, yellow and green. Colourcoded parking meters eat coins and regurgitate a little printed ticket. Times when payments are required are marked on blue signs using Roman numerals to represent days, and numbers to represent times. A sign displaying I-V 8-22 or example means you must pay to park on Monday (I) to Friday (V) rom 08:00 to 22:00. Signs can be hidden or placed miles away rom the parking space in question. Be careul. A pay-by-SMS system is also in operation, although in order to use it you must have a local SIM card. Buy a bar-coded windscreen sticker and register it in order to use this service i you’re planning on living in the city or staying or an extended period o time. Keep valuables hidden at all times, including radios i possible.
AVIAVILSAQC-5, Aušros Vartų 19a-1, tel. (+370) 5 230 22 00, www.aviavilsa.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J BRUSSELS AIRLINES QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92, www.brusselsairlines.com. ESTONIAN AIR QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 93 00/(+370) 647 000 48, vno@ticketing. lt, www.estonian-air.com. Open 03:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 03:00 - 17:00. FINNAIR QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 252 50 10, www.finnair.com. Open 08:00 - 18:00. LOT QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 273 90 00/(+370) 647 000 48,
[email protected], www.lot.com. Open 03:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 03:00 - 17:00. LUFTHANSA QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92, www.lufthansa.com. NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLEQRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92, www.norwegian.no. SAS SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 230 66 38/(+370) 5 232 92 92, www.flysas.com. TURKISH AIRLINES QRodūnios Kelias 2-3 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 219 07 25,
[email protected], www. turkishairlines.com. Open 09:00 - 18:00, Sun 11:00 15:00. Closed Sat. UTAIR QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 232 92 92, www.utair.ru. WIZZAIR QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 252 50 10, www.wizzair.com. Open 08:00 - 18:00.
Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
BALTIC TRAVEL CARS A wide choice o quality cars and larger vehicles available or rent, plus transers, GPS rental and luxury limousines rom a leading local company who also specialise in general tourism and entertainment activities.QI. Simonaitytės 2A-25, tel. (+370) 671 988 88 (24hrs),
[email protected], www.baltictravelcars.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00. A LUXTRANSFER English-speaking drivers o very comortable cars will look ater you superbly rom arrivals hall to wherever it is in Lithuania you are going: home, hotel, office. The cars even have ree Wifi.Qtel. (+370) 610 240 42, info@luxtransfer. lt, www.luxtransfer.lt. Open 24hrs. A
For business or leisure, rent your car with Sixt.
CAR RENTAL Offices representing all o the major international car rental companies can be ound in Vilnius alongside a ew local businesses o varying standards. All types o vehicle are represented, represented, with many companies also offering chauffeur services. Most major driving international licences are accepted.
(Sixt has it all. Check sixt.lt for your best deal)
DRIVING Given that Vilnius is a relatively small city and that its main sights can be reached either on oot or by public transport, most visitors to the Lithuanian capital will have little cause to worry about driving. I you do ancy exploring the city (or the rest o the country) by car however, it is worth noting that despite its reputation as possessing the deadliest roads in the EU, driving in Lithuania is now ar saer than at any time in the country’s post-communist history. Indeed, over the past ten years the atality rate has allen by an impressive 10 per cent. The rate o atalities per head o population does, however, remain one o the EU’s highest, along with Poland and Greece. As a general rule however, driving in Lithuania presents no more hazards than you would expect to find in any other country in the region: the poor state o some roads will be the biggest challenge you are likely to ace. The basic rules o the Lithuanian roads are as ollows: seat belts are compulsory or all (both driver and passengers), and headlights must be used at all times o day or night. All vehicles must be fitted with a small fire-extinguisher and first aid kit, and you will need to have your driving license and vehicle registration papers with you at all times. At this time o year, all cars must also be equipped with winter tyres (an ice scraper and a brush should also orm part o your winter kit). I hiring a car, all o these things will be provided by the car rental company. The speed limit around town is 50kph unless otherwise indicated. Elsewhere you can drive at 90kph on main roads, 70kph on unpaved roads. Note that on the country’s highways the usual speed limit o 130kph is reduced to 100kph during the winter.
For reservations: www.sixt.lt or call +37 05239 5636
AVIS QD-2, B. Radvilaitės 5a, tel. (+370) 698 448 31, www.avis.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 16:00. Also at Rodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport). RIMAS 24hrs.
tel. (+370) 698 216 62,
[email protected]. Open
Q
SIXT QRodūnios Kelias 2 (Airport), tel. (+370) 5 239 56 36, www.sixt.lt. Open 08:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Also at Sodų 14 (Panorama Hotel), Konstitucijos 20 (Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva). A
ROAD ASSISTANCE Accidentally get in an accident? No tools? No time? Have no ear. There are people out there who can help. Altas Assistance is one o the ew companies in Lithuania that offers roadside assistance to those in need. With years o experience in helping stranded and damaged vehicles, the company is staffed with a highly qualified team who offer mobility services throughout Lithuania or a modest ee (currently €10.14 or their service plus work inside the city and €21.72 or out o town assistance). Note that any accident or incident that requires an insurance claim must be reported to the police or your insurer won’t believe you.
ALTAS ASSISTANCEQtel. 1810, www.1810.lt. Open 24hrs.
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December December 2014 - April 2015
Arriving & Getting Around Around
Vilnius Basics
INTERNATIONAL BUS
ALCOHOL
SCHEDULE From Vilnius Dep. Arr. 14:301 06:40 14:45 07:15 22:30 15:00 14:303 16:45 14:303 05:45 10:00 17:15 16:10 23:05 22:30 05:05 14:306 02:30 14:45 03:15 22:30 10:40 17:00 09:30 06:30 10:50 08:00 12:15 10:00 14:30 12:30 17:00 14:15 18:15 16:10 20:30 18:30 22:25 22:30 02:30 20:158 11:50 12:30 06:15 14:15 06:15 16:10 10:20 18:30 11:20 14:3010 19:30 10:00 19:05 16:10 00:50 22:30 06:55 14:45 22:10 17:00 23:10 22:30 05:40 17:00 04:50
Destination BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN COLOGNE LONDON PARNU PARNU PARNU POZNAŃ POZNAŃ POZNAŃ PRAGUE RIGA RIGA RIGA RIGA RIGA RIGA RIGA RIGA ROME ST. PETERSBURG ST. PETERSBURG ST. PETERSBURG ST. PETERSBURG STUTTGART TALLINN TALLINN TALLINN WARSAW WARSAW WARSAW WROCLAW
To Vilnius Dep. Arr. 20:302 14:50 14:30 15:50 21:30 08:45 10:154 14:50 21:305 14:50 11:55 19:05 07:50 15:00 00:20 06:55 00:307 14:50 01:30 15:50 18:35 08:45 13:30 08:15 12:30 17:00 17:00 21:05 14:45 19:05 18:15 22:15 09:00 13:10 10:35 15:00 07:00 10:55 02:55 06:55 15:009 08:40 01:15 15:00 20:55 10:55 21:40 13:10 11:55 03:00 08:003 14:50 10:00 19:05 06:00 15:00 22:30 06:55 06:05 15:50 23:40 08:15 23:05 08:45 18:15 08:15
Days o the week (1=Monday) 1 1 - 3 4 - 6 - , 2 1 - 3 -5 6 -, 3 3 - - 3 - - 6 -, 4 1 - - -5 - -, 5 - - 4 - - 7, 6 1 - 3 4 - 6 -, 7 - 2 - 4 - 6 7, 8 - - - 4 5* - -, 9 1* - - - - 7, 10 1 - - 4 - - -. * additional 19.12.2014 – 05.01.2015 Correct at the time o going to press and subject to change during the lietime o this guide. Not all services listed. More inormation at www.eurolines.lt www.eurolines.lt Valid until April 30, 2015. 10 Vilnius In Your Pocket
9
Skyscraper city
TRAVEL AGENCIES Most o the ollowing companies provide services or onward travel or simply or taking a holiday. Some can also arrange visas or Russia and Belarus.
BALTIC TRAVEL SERVICE LUFTHANSA CITY CEN� TERQC-5, Subačiaus 2, tel. (+370) 5 212 02 20/1593, www.bts.lt. Open 08:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. JA BPC TRAVELQB-00, Konstitucijos 12, tel. (+370) 5 210 25 90, www.bpctravel.lt. Open 08:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. JA KRANTAS TRAVELQA-1, A. Vienuolio 6, tel. (+370) 5 231 33 14, www.krantas.lt. Open 08:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. JA SENAMIESČIO GIDASQC-5, Aušros Vartų 7, tel. (+370) 699 540 64/(+370) 5 261 55 58, www.vilniuscitytour. com. Open 09:30 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 15:00. JA THE BEAUTIFUL LAND OF NEVERMIND QD-3, Užupio 23-9, tel. (+370) 616 200 07, www.nevermind.lt. Open 09:00 - 22:00. JA VISIT LITHUANIA QB-2, L. Stuokos Gucevičiaus 1, tel. (+370) 5 262 52 41, www.visitlithuania.net. Open 08:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. JA
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS January 1 New Year’s Day & National Flag Day February 16 Independence Day March 11 Restoration o Independence Day April 5 (2015) Easter Sunday (Catholic) April 6 (2015) Easter Monday (Catholic) May 1 A day off or the workers! May 3 (2015) Mothers’Day June 7 (2015) Father’s Day June 24 Joninės, or Midsummer July 6 Crowning o King Mindaugas August 15 Žolinė (Assumption) November 1 All Saints’Day December 25, 26 Christmas (Catholic) vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Almost without exception Lithuanian beer ( alus) alus ) is light, crisp, cold, cheap and delicious. Many varieties exist and you’re recommended to test a ew beore settling on a regular brand. Among the more common varieties are the magnificent Švyturys rom Klaipėda, Utenos rom Utena and Kalnapilis rom Panevėžys. Perhaps surprisingly, Vilnius can’t claim its own brewery. I you want to drink beer made in the capital you’ll have to drink it in a microbrewery (see Nightlie). Be warned, Lithuanian beers tend to be stronger than their Western counterparts, making the orming o the alus) a challenge ater just a couple simplest words (such as alus) o the most lethal. In Old Town expect to pay somewhere in the region o €1.50-3 or hal a litre. Lithuanian vodka (degtinė) degtinė) is cheap, generally o good quality and is drunk with gusto at the mere rumour o the dropping o a hat. Among the more interesting spirits are starka, starka, a 15th-century Polish-Lithuanian concoction o dark, syrupy rye vodka ortified with apple leaves and lime blossom, and the local illicit firewater, samagonas, samagonas, available through the right connections. Take note that imported alcohol isn’t cheap. Don’t go alling into the trap o thinking that because the local stuff is giveaway everything else is too. Check prices beore a session to avoid an embarrassingly large bill at the end o the evening. At the time o writing it was illegal to buy alcohol in shops between 22:00 and 08:00 anywhere in Lithuania.
BORDERS Lithuania is bordered by the Baltic Sea, Belarus, Latvia, Poland and the peculiar Russian exclave born out o the ashes o WWII and the disintegration o the Soviet Union that is Kaliningrad. EU membership and Schengen agreements have as good as removed all border ormalities with Latvia and Poland, although getting in an out o Belarus and Kaliningrad remains a process wrapped up in red tape or holders o most passports. Visas or both can be obtained rom the Belarusian and Russian embassies in Vilnius, as well as rom a ew travel agencies. Note, however, that short-term visas or Kaliningrad are now available i you arrive in the exclave by air. For more inormation about getting in and out o Lithuania, see the website at www.pasienis.lt. www.pasienis.lt.
CRIME & SAFETY It is not an exaggeration to say that Lithuania is one o the saest countries to visit in Europe. While petty crime - mainly in the orm o pickpocketing - is as big a problem in this country as anywhere else in the world, violent crime is almost unheard o. Even late at night you will not usually be presented with any potential threats whilst walking around city centres, and this goes or single women as much as or large groups o lads. That said, you do need to keep your wits about you, and be sure that i you go looking or trouble you might well find it. Keep your valuables close to hand, particularly on busy buses and trolleybuses, and do not leave coats and handbags unattended in bars, pubs and clubs. facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
CUSTOMS Those arriving arriving rom other EU countries have no import restrictions placed upon them, although they will need to make it known i they’re arriving with more than €10,000 worth o cash. When arriving rom non-EU countries you’re entitled to bring in one litre o spirits or our litres o wine or sixteen litres o beer. I arriving by air you can bring 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g o tobacco, a figure that’s drastically reduced to 40 cigarettes, 20 cigarillos, 10 cigars or 50g o tobacco i arriving by any other means. You can’t bring meat, milk or dairy products rom outside the EU except under certain circumstances. You can’t arrive with live birds other than pets or non-commercial purposes. Dogs require vaccinations and passports (or other proo o vaccination). You can take home as much art as you wish tax ree unless it’s over 50 years old, in which case expect to pay 10-20 per cent duty. Take two photographs o the art piece and your passport to the Committee o Cultural Heritage, Šnipiškių 3, tel. +370 527 342 56. Many o the better antique shops in Vilnius can take care o all the paperwork or you. For more detailed inormation check www.cust.lt, and or inormation on animal related arrivals, check www.vet.lt.
DISABLED TRAVELLERS While things have greatly improved or the disabled over the past ew years, Lithuania is still a tough place to get around on anything other than two well unctioning legs. Even places that claim to be wheelchair riendly can oten be flanked by deep kerbs or stairs, or are located on cobbled streets. Outside the capital, you’ll be lucky to find any thought given to wheelchair accessibility at all. On the positive side, however, it is worth noting that newer trolleybuses in Vilnius have low entry platorms, spaces or wheelchairs and hearing loops.
DRIVING The basic rules o the Lithuanian Lithuanian roads are as ollows: ollows: seat belts are compulsory or all (both driver and passengers), and headlights must be used at all times o day or night. All vehicles must be fitted with a small fire-extinguisher and first aid kit, and you will need to have your driving license and vehicle registration papers with you at all times. The speed limit around town is 50kph unless otherwise indicated. Elsewhere you can drive at 90kph on main roads, 70kph on unpaved roads. Note that on the country’s highways the usual speed limit o 130kph is reduced to 100kph during the winter.
ELECTRICITY Lovely Lithuanian Lithuanian domestic electricity flows out the walls at 220V, AC 50Hz, and nearly all sockets are o the round twopin European variety. Some thinner Russian sockets still exist, although i you push hard enough you should get the plug in. Travellers rom non-socket-riendly societies should bring an appropriate adaptor, as they’re almost impossible to find in Lithuania. December 2014 - April 2015
11
Arriving & Getting Around Around
Vilnius Basics
INTERNATIONAL BUS
ALCOHOL
SCHEDULE From Vilnius Dep. Arr. 14:301 06:40 14:45 07:15 22:30 15:00 14:303 16:45 14:303 05:45 10:00 17:15 16:10 23:05 22:30 05:05 14:306 02:30 14:45 03:15 22:30 10:40 17:00 09:30 06:30 10:50 08:00 12:15 10:00 14:30 12:30 17:00 14:15 18:15 16:10 20:30 18:30 22:25 22:30 02:30 20:158 11:50 12:30 06:15 14:15 06:15 16:10 10:20 18:30 11:20 14:3010 19:30 10:00 19:05 16:10 00:50 22:30 06:55 14:45 22:10 17:00 23:10 22:30 05:40 17:00 04:50
Destination BERLIN BERLIN BERLIN COLOGNE LONDON PARNU PARNU PARNU POZNAŃ POZNAŃ POZNAŃ PRAGUE RIGA RIGA RIGA RIGA RIGA RIGA RIGA RIGA ROME ST. PETERSBURG ST. PETERSBURG ST. PETERSBURG ST. PETERSBURG STUTTGART TALLINN TALLINN TALLINN WARSAW WARSAW WARSAW WROCLAW
To Vilnius Dep. Arr. 20:302 14:50 14:30 15:50 21:30 08:45 10:154 14:50 21:305 14:50 11:55 19:05 07:50 15:00 00:20 06:55 00:307 14:50 01:30 15:50 18:35 08:45 13:30 08:15 12:30 17:00 17:00 21:05 14:45 19:05 18:15 22:15 09:00 13:10 10:35 15:00 07:00 10:55 02:55 06:55 15:009 08:40 01:15 15:00 20:55 10:55 21:40 13:10 11:55 03:00 08:003 14:50 10:00 19:05 06:00 15:00 22:30 06:55 06:05 15:50 23:40 08:15 23:05 08:45 18:15 08:15
Days o the week (1=Monday) 1 1 - 3 4 - 6 - , 2 1 - 3 -5 6 -, 3 3 - - 3 - - 6 -, 4 1 - - -5 - -, 5 - - 4 - - 7, 6 1 - 3 4 - 6 -, 7 - 2 - 4 - 6 7, 8 - - - 4 5* - -, 9 1* - - - - 7, 10 1 - - 4 - - -. * additional 19.12.2014 – 05.01.2015 Correct at the time o going to press and subject to change during the lietime o this guide. Not all services listed. More inormation at www.eurolines.lt www.eurolines.lt Valid until April 30, 2015.
Skyscraper city
TRAVEL AGENCIES Most o the ollowing companies provide services or onward travel or simply or taking a holiday. Some can also arrange visas or Russia and Belarus.
BALTIC TRAVEL SERVICE LUFTHANSA CITY CEN� TERQC-5, Subačiaus 2, tel. (+370) 5 212 02 20/1593, www.bts.lt. Open 08:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. JA BPC TRAVELQB-00, Konstitucijos 12, tel. (+370) 5 210 25 90, www.bpctravel.lt. Open 08:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. JA KRANTAS TRAVELQA-1, A. Vienuolio 6, tel. (+370) 5 231 33 14, www.krantas.lt. Open 08:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. JA SENAMIESČIO GIDASQC-5, Aušros Vartų 7, tel. (+370) 699 540 64/(+370) 5 261 55 58, www.vilniuscitytour. com. Open 09:30 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 15:00. JA THE BEAUTIFUL LAND OF NEVERMIND QD-3, Užupio 23-9, tel. (+370) 616 200 07, www.nevermind.lt. Open 09:00 - 22:00. JA VISIT LITHUANIA QB-2, L. Stuokos Gucevičiaus 1, tel. (+370) 5 262 52 41, www.visitlithuania.net. Open 08:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. JA
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS January 1 New Year’s Day & National Flag Day February 16 Independence Day March 11 Restoration o Independence Day April 5 (2015) Easter Sunday (Catholic) April 6 (2015) Easter Monday (Catholic) May 1 A day off or the workers! May 3 (2015) Mothers’Day June 7 (2015) Father’s Day June 24 Joninės, or Midsummer July 6 Crowning o King Mindaugas August 15 Žolinė (Assumption) November 1 All Saints’Day December 25, 26 Christmas (Catholic)
10 Vilnius In Your Pocket
Almost without exception Lithuanian beer ( alus) alus ) is light, crisp, cold, cheap and delicious. Many varieties exist and you’re recommended to test a ew beore settling on a regular brand. Among the more common varieties are the magnificent Švyturys rom Klaipėda, Utenos rom Utena and Kalnapilis rom Panevėžys. Perhaps surprisingly, Vilnius can’t claim its own brewery. I you want to drink beer made in the capital you’ll have to drink it in a microbrewery (see Nightlie). Be warned, Lithuanian beers tend to be stronger than their Western counterparts, making the orming o the alus) a challenge ater just a couple simplest words (such as alus) o the most lethal. In Old Town expect to pay somewhere in the region o €1.50-3 or hal a litre. Lithuanian vodka (degtinė) degtinė) is cheap, generally o good quality and is drunk with gusto at the mere rumour o the dropping o a hat. Among the more interesting spirits are starka, starka, a 15th-century Polish-Lithuanian concoction o dark, syrupy rye vodka ortified with apple leaves and lime blossom, and the local illicit firewater, samagonas, samagonas, available through the right connections. Take note that imported alcohol isn’t cheap. Don’t go alling into the trap o thinking that because the local stuff is giveaway everything else is too. Check prices beore a session to avoid an embarrassingly large bill at the end o the evening. At the time o writing it was illegal to buy alcohol in shops between 22:00 and 08:00 anywhere in Lithuania.
BORDERS Lithuania is bordered by the Baltic Sea, Belarus, Latvia, Poland and the peculiar Russian exclave born out o the ashes o WWII and the disintegration o the Soviet Union that is Kaliningrad. EU membership and Schengen agreements have as good as removed all border ormalities with Latvia and Poland, although getting in an out o Belarus and Kaliningrad remains a process wrapped up in red tape or holders o most passports. Visas or both can be obtained rom the Belarusian and Russian embassies in Vilnius, as well as rom a ew travel agencies. Note, however, that short-term visas or Kaliningrad are now available i you arrive in the exclave by air. For more inormation about getting in and out o Lithuania, see the website at www.pasienis.lt. www.pasienis.lt.
CRIME & SAFETY It is not an exaggeration to say that Lithuania is one o the saest countries to visit in Europe. While petty crime - mainly in the orm o pickpocketing - is as big a problem in this country as anywhere else in the world, violent crime is almost unheard o. Even late at night you will not usually be presented with any potential threats whilst walking around city centres, and this goes or single women as much as or large groups o lads. That said, you do need to keep your wits about you, and be sure that i you go looking or trouble you might well find it. Keep your valuables close to hand, particularly on busy buses and trolleybuses, and do not leave coats and handbags unattended in bars, pubs and clubs.
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Vilnius Basics The Lithuanian state arose and strengthened to counter the religious fervour of crusading German knights. Lithuania was the last European country to convert to Christianity, and has seen countless invasions and occupations over the centuries.
BASIC DAT DATA A (November 24, 2014)
LOCAL TIME Lithuania is in the Eastern European Time (EET) zone at GMT+2hrs. When it’s 12:00 in Vilnius it’s 05:00 in New York, 10:00 in London, 11:00 in Warsaw, 13:00 in Moscow and 19:00 in Tokyo. Eastern European Summer Time (EEST, GMT+3hrs) alls between the last Sundays o March and October respectively.
MONEY & COSTS The unit unit o curren currency cy in Lithuanian thuanian is - until January January 1st, 2015 2015 the litas (Lt), which comes in denominations denominations o 10Lt, 20Lt, 50Lt, 100Lt, 200Lt and 500Lt notes, 1Lt, 2Lt and 5Lt coins and a number o weightless, worthless and perectly useless useless centai/centų coins. The litas is pegged to the euro at the rate o 3.45Lt to €1. From January 1st onwards, however, Lithuania uses the euro. There There will be a transition transition period od o two weeks weeks during which which time both litas and euros can be used, although change will only be given in euros. Likewise, rom January 1st ATMs will only dispense euros. Most places o any note in Vilnius happily accept major credit cards, and ATMs are ubiquitous in urban areas, although i you’re planning a trip to the countryside make sure you take plenty o cash along. Lithuania is no longer the cheap country or oreigners it used to be, although it still offers great value to most visitors rom western Europe and North America.
SERVICE There are exceptions exceptions - and we take pride in exposing such places in our listings - but as a general rule private-sector service in Lithuania (particularly Vilnius) has improved beyond description during the 20-odd years we have been publishing Vilnius In Your Pocket . When we began, part o our raison d’etre was to highlight those ew places which offered decent service; now our role is the exact opposite. I you need to deal with public servants (and usually the average visitor does not) you might well still come across the odd surly survivor o a bygone age, but even here the trend is towards a new era o service with efficiency, i not always a smile.
SMOKING Lithuanians by and large like a cigarette (and compared to the UK cigarettes are very cheap) but that has not stopped the country adopting some airly tough anti-smoking legislation. Smoking is banned in almost all indoor spaces, including caes, bars, pubs and clubs except in careully separated, special smoking rooms: look or the smoking symbol in our listings. Smoking is also now banned in two outdoor spaces in Vilnius: Kudirka Square and Bernardinų Sodas, as well as at bus stops. Smoking here can leave you open to a fine o between €5.80 and €14.48. I the ban is successul in these areas, other parts o the capital could also be declared smoke-ree. 12 Vilnius In Your Pocket
DISABLED TRAVELLERS While things have greatly improved or the disabled over the past ew years, Lithuania is still a tough place to get around on anything other than two well unctioning legs. Even places that claim to be wheelchair riendly can oten be flanked by deep kerbs or stairs, or are located on cobbled streets. Outside the capital, you’ll be lucky to find any thought given to wheelchair accessibility at all. On the positive side, however, it is worth noting that newer trolleybuses in Vilnius have low entry platorms, spaces or wheelchairs and hearing loops.
DRIVING The basic rules o the Lithuanian Lithuanian roads are as ollows: ollows: seat belts are compulsory or all (both driver and passengers), and headlights must be used at all times o day or night. All vehicles must be fitted with a small fire-extinguisher and first aid kit, and you will need to have your driving license and vehicle registration papers with you at all times. The speed limit around town is 50kph unless otherwise indicated. Elsewhere you can drive at 90kph on main roads, 70kph on unpaved roads. Note that on the country’s highways the usual speed limit o 130kph is reduced to 100kph during the winter.
ELECTRICITY Lovely Lithuanian Lithuanian domestic electricity flows out the walls at 220V, AC 50Hz, and nearly all sockets are o the round twopin European variety. Some thinner Russian sockets still exist, although i you push hard enough you should get the plug in. Travellers rom non-socket-riendly societies should bring an appropriate adaptor, as they’re almost impossible to find in Lithuania. December 2014 - April 2015
11
History
EXCHANGE RA RATES TES €1=3.45Lt £1=4.36Lt US$1=2.78Lt
CUSTOMS Those arriving arriving rom other EU countries have no import restrictions placed upon them, although they will need to make it known i they’re arriving with more than €10,000 worth o cash. When arriving rom non-EU countries you’re entitled to bring in one litre o spirits or our litres o wine or sixteen litres o beer. I arriving by air you can bring 200 cigarettes, 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250g o tobacco, a figure that’s drastically reduced to 40 cigarettes, 20 cigarillos, 10 cigars or 50g o tobacco i arriving by any other means. You can’t bring meat, milk or dairy products rom outside the EU except under certain circumstances. You can’t arrive with live birds other than pets or non-commercial purposes. Dogs require vaccinations and passports (or other proo o vaccination). You can take home as much art as you wish tax ree unless it’s over 50 years old, in which case expect to pay 10-20 per cent duty. Take two photographs o the art piece and your passport to the Committee o Cultural Heritage, Šnipiškių 3, tel. +370 527 342 56. Many o the better antique shops in Vilnius can take care o all the paperwork or you. For more detailed inormation check www.cust.lt, and or inormation on animal related arrivals, check www.vet.lt.
Population Lithuania 2,925,164 Vilnius 530,405 Ethnic composition (Lithuania) Lithuanians 84.1% Poles 6.6% Russians 5.8% Belarusians 1.2% Ukrainians 0.5% Others 1.8% Territory 65,303km2 Roughly twice the size o Belgium,
7th-2nd centuries BC The first Baltic tribes establish
themselves on what’s now known as Lithuanian territory.
and the largest o the three Baltic nations. Fertile lowland, lowland, peppered with many lakes. North to south, the greatest distance is 276km, east to west is 373km Borders Baltic Sea 99km Belarus 502km Latvia 453km Poland 91km Russia (Kaliningrad) 227km Longest river Nemunas 937km (475km in Lithuania) Largest lake Drūkščiai 4,479ha Highest point Aukštasis 293.8m
11th century The word Lithuania is first used in written texts in AD 1009. At the same time, a wooden castle is built on Vilnius’Gediminas Hill (Gedimino Kalnas), leading to the construction o a diminutive settlement beneath it.
TOILETS tualetas? (where’s the Just utter the two magic words kur tualetas? toilet?) and away you go. Bars and hotels happily let you use their acilities, although some have started to enorce a small charge or non-patrons. With the exception o a ew non-tourist bars, all toilets are clean and are stocked with plenty o paper and soap. A ghastly relic rom days gone by that reuses to go away even in many o the swankiest establishments is the provision o a filthy bucket, kept next to the toilet, and used or the collection o spent paper.
VISAS Lithuania is a member o both the European Union and the Schengen border-ree travel area. Visitors Visitors rom the EU may stay in Lithuania or as long as they like, while visitors rom 30 or so other countries (including Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States) don’t require a visa to stay or up to 90 days within a six month period. A visa issued by or or any Schengen country is valid in Lithuania. For more inormation, inormation, including the ull-list o visa-ree countries, take a look at www. urm.lt.
14th century In 1323 Grand Duke Gediminas (circa 12751341) sends letters to various Germanic-speaking towns,
inviting their cratsmen and merchants to settle in Vilnius with the promise o religious reedom. Trying to ensure peace, in 1325 he orms a union with Poland by marrying his daughter Aldona to the Polish king’s son. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth comes into being with the 1387 Krėva Union, whereby Gediminas’ grandson Jogaila (circa 13481434) becomes a Polish king by marrying the Polish Princess Jadwiga (circa 1373-1399). Even with the increased security, the Teutonic Knights still manage to invade, resulting in the 1390 burning o the wood-constructed Vilnius. 15th century The Teutonic Teutonic Knights are eventually deeated on July 15, 1410 by joint Polish-Lithuanian Polish-Lithuanian armies led by Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas ( 1350-1430 ) at the Battle o Grunwald (Lithuanian, Žalgiris. German, Tannenberg), one o the greatest battles in medieval Europe. The country flourishes and by 1430 the borders extend rom the Baltic to the Black Sea. 16th century The Renaissance sees marked cultural ad-
CLIMATE
vances, notably the printing o the first Lithuanian book in
The climate inormation below only gives an average indication o what to expect. Winter temperatures oten plummet to below -20°C. Temperature, °C
Rainfall, mm
30
1547 , and the ounding o Vilnius University in 1579. The end o the Jogaila dynasty in 1572 results in the political
and cultural marginalisation o Lithuania. Polish becomes the state language. The Livonian Wars ( 1558-1582 ) with Russia and Sweden drain the Commonwealth’s resources.
100
20
75
10 50 0 25
-10 -20
13th century Žemaitians deeat the Livonian Knights at the Battle o Saulė in 1236 , establishing the settlement o Šiauliai. Ater uniting local chietains, on July 6, 1253 Mindaugas (circa 1203-1263 ) is crowned Lithuania’s one and only king. During his reign as the first Christian sovereign o the state, Vilnius Cathedral is built. However, the majority o the population remains pagan.
J
F
M A M
J
J
A A
S
O
N
D
0
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
18th century At the start o the 18th century both Swedish and Russian orces try to seize control o Vilnius. In 1795 Lithuania is incorporated into tsarist Russia. The 120-year Russian occupation is only interrupted by a short liberation by Napoleon’s army in 1812 on his ailed campaign to Moscow. During the Napoleonic army’s return through Vilnius nearly 40,000 o his soldiers die due to starvation and extreme cold. facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
19th century Vilnius University acts as a hotbed o dissent against the tsarist government, culminating in the 1831 Novem-
ber Uprising, which leads to the closing o the institution. Russification ensues with non-Orthodox churches orcibly closed, the Lithuanian language banned in 1864 and the country named the Northwest Region. The ban on the Latin script orces the smuggling in o books rom neighbouring East Prussia. Another uprising takes place in 1863 and General Muravyov (The Hangman) is sent rom Moscow to restore order, resulting in deaths by hanging or most o the leading activists. The repression is countered and defied by a revival o Lithuanian culture and tradition. In 1883 Jonas Basanavičius (1851-1927) publishes the first Lithuanian-language newspaper, Auszra (Aušra, or Dawn).
INDEPENDENCE & BEYOND 1988 June 1988 June 3 The Lithuanian reorm movement Sąjūdis is ounded by some 500 representatives ves o the intelligentsia, advocating openness, democracy and sovereignty. sovereignty. August 23 Some 250,000 people gather in Vilnius to mark the 49th anniversary o the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. October 7 The Lithuanian an flag is raised on Gediminas nas Castle. 1989 February 1989 February 16 Lithuanian Independence Day is officially commemorated. August 23 An estimated 2,000,000 Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians join hands in a human chain stretching the 650km between Vilnius and Tallinn to protest the 50th anniversary o the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. 1990 January 11-13 Mikhail Gorbachev’s visit to Vilnius
is ar rom pleasant as 300,000 pro-independence demonstrators turn out to ‘welcome’ ‘welcome’ him. March 4 Pro-independence Sąjūdis candidates receive an overall majority in the first ree elections in Lithuania since 1940. March 11 The Supreme Council (later to become Parliament, or Seimas) declares the restoration o Lithuanian independence and demands the withdrawal o Soviet orces. Dr. Vytautas Landsbergis is elected parliamentary chairman. April 17 Moscow imposes an economic blockade. 1991 January 1991 January 13 Soviet orces try unsuccessully to storm the parliamentary parliamentary building in Vilnius. A large crowd ensures the delegates are sae inside. However, during the Soviet bid to reclaim the media by storming the Television Tower, 14 people are killed. February 12 Iceland becomes the first country to recognise an independent Lithuania. July 31 Seven border guards and policemen are killed at the Medininkai border checkpoint by Soviet Special Forces. August 21 The Moscow Moscow putsch putsch colcollapses. Soviet troops leave the buildings they’ve occupied since January. Lenin’s statue is removed rom Vilnius’ Lukiškių Aikštė (Lukiškės Square). A photograph o the event appears on the cover o Issue N°1 o Vilnius In Your Pocket , published on May 1, 1992. August 29 Sweden becomes the first Western country to open an embassy in Vilnius. September 2 The USA recognises Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. September 17 All three Baltic countries are re-admitted into the UN. 1992 February 1992 February 8 Lithuanians participate under their own flag at the Winter Olympics or the first time since 1928 . December 2014 - April 2015
13
Vilnius Basics
History
EXCHANGE RA RATES TES €1=3.45Lt £1=4.36Lt US$1=2.78Lt
The Lithuanian state arose and strengthened to counter the religious fervour of crusading German knights. Lithuania was the last European country to convert to Christianity, and has seen countless invasions and occupations over the centuries.
BASIC DAT DATA A (November 24, 2014)
LOCAL TIME Lithuania is in the Eastern European Time (EET) zone at GMT+2hrs. When it’s 12:00 in Vilnius it’s 05:00 in New York, 10:00 in London, 11:00 in Warsaw, 13:00 in Moscow and 19:00 in Tokyo. Eastern European Summer Time (EEST, GMT+3hrs) alls between the last Sundays o March and October respectively.
MONEY & COSTS The unit unit o curren currency cy in Lithuanian thuanian is - until January January 1st, 2015 2015 the litas (Lt), which comes in denominations denominations o 10Lt, 20Lt, 50Lt, 100Lt, 200Lt and 500Lt notes, 1Lt, 2Lt and 5Lt coins and a number o weightless, worthless and perectly useless useless centai/centų coins. The litas is pegged to the euro at the rate o 3.45Lt to €1. From January 1st onwards, however, Lithuania uses the euro. There There will be a transition transition period od o two weeks weeks during which which time both litas and euros can be used, although change will only be given in euros. Likewise, rom January 1st ATMs will only dispense euros. Most places o any note in Vilnius happily accept major credit cards, and ATMs are ubiquitous in urban areas, although i you’re planning a trip to the countryside make sure you take plenty o cash along. Lithuania is no longer the cheap country or oreigners it used to be, although it still offers great value to most visitors rom western Europe and North America.
SERVICE There are exceptions exceptions - and we take pride in exposing such places in our listings - but as a general rule private-sector service in Lithuania (particularly Vilnius) has improved beyond description during the 20-odd years we have been publishing Vilnius In Your Pocket . When we began, part o our raison d’etre was to highlight those ew places which offered decent service; now our role is the exact opposite. I you need to deal with public servants (and usually the average visitor does not) you might well still come across the odd surly survivor o a bygone age, but even here the trend is towards a new era o service with efficiency, i not always a smile.
SMOKING Lithuanians by and large like a cigarette (and compared to the UK cigarettes are very cheap) but that has not stopped the country adopting some airly tough anti-smoking legislation. Smoking is banned in almost all indoor spaces, including caes, bars, pubs and clubs except in careully separated, special smoking rooms: look or the smoking symbol in our listings. Smoking is also now banned in two outdoor spaces in Vilnius: Kudirka Square and Bernardinų Sodas, as well as at bus stops. Smoking here can leave you open to a fine o between €5.80 and €14.48. I the ban is successul in these areas, other parts o the capital could also be declared smoke-ree.
Population Lithuania 2,925,164 Vilnius 530,405 Ethnic composition (Lithuania) Lithuanians 84.1% Poles 6.6% Russians 5.8% Belarusians 1.2% Ukrainians 0.5% Others 1.8% Territory 65,303km2 Roughly twice the size o Belgium,
7th-2nd centuries BC The first Baltic tribes establish
themselves on what’s now known as Lithuanian territory.
and the largest o the three Baltic nations. Fertile lowland, lowland, peppered with many lakes. North to south, the greatest distance is 276km, east to west is 373km Borders Baltic Sea 99km Belarus 502km Latvia 453km Poland 91km Russia (Kaliningrad) 227km Longest river Nemunas 937km (475km in Lithuania) Largest lake Drūkščiai 4,479ha Highest point Aukštasis 293.8m
11th century The word Lithuania is first used in written texts in AD 1009. At the same time, a wooden castle is built on Vilnius’Gediminas Hill (Gedimino Kalnas), leading to the construction o a diminutive settlement beneath it.
TOILETS tualetas? (where’s the Just utter the two magic words kur tualetas? toilet?) and away you go. Bars and hotels happily let you use their acilities, although some have started to enorce a small charge or non-patrons. With the exception o a ew non-tourist bars, all toilets are clean and are stocked with plenty o paper and soap. A ghastly relic rom days gone by that reuses to go away even in many o the swankiest establishments is the provision o a filthy bucket, kept next to the toilet, and used or the collection o spent paper.
VISAS Lithuania is a member o both the European Union and the Schengen border-ree travel area. Visitors Visitors rom the EU may stay in Lithuania or as long as they like, while visitors rom 30 or so other countries (including Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States) don’t require a visa to stay or up to 90 days within a six month period. A visa issued by or or any Schengen country is valid in Lithuania. For more inormation, inormation, including the ull-list o visa-ree countries, take a look at www. urm.lt.
14th century In 1323 Grand Duke Gediminas (circa 12751341) sends letters to various Germanic-speaking towns,
inviting their cratsmen and merchants to settle in Vilnius with the promise o religious reedom. Trying to ensure peace, in 1325 he orms a union with Poland by marrying his daughter Aldona to the Polish king’s son. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth comes into being with the 1387 Krėva Union, whereby Gediminas’ grandson Jogaila (circa 13481434) becomes a Polish king by marrying the Polish Princess Jadwiga (circa 1373-1399). Even with the increased security, the Teutonic Knights still manage to invade, resulting in the 1390 burning o the wood-constructed Vilnius. 15th century The Teutonic Teutonic Knights are eventually deeated on July 15, 1410 by joint Polish-Lithuanian Polish-Lithuanian armies led by Jogaila and Grand Duke Vytautas ( 1350-1430 ) at the Battle o Grunwald (Lithuanian, Žalgiris. German, Tannenberg), one o the greatest battles in medieval Europe. The country flourishes and by 1430 the borders extend rom the Baltic to the Black Sea. 16th century The Renaissance sees marked cultural ad-
CLIMATE
vances, notably the printing o the first Lithuanian book in
The climate inormation below only gives an average indication o what to expect. Winter temperatures oten plummet to below -20°C. Temperature, °C
Rainfall, mm
30
1547 , and the ounding o Vilnius University in 1579. The end o the Jogaila dynasty in 1572 results in the political
and cultural marginalisation o Lithuania. Polish becomes the state language. The Livonian Wars ( 1558-1582 ) with Russia and Sweden drain the Commonwealth’s resources.
100
20
75
10 50 0 25
-10 -20
13th century Žemaitians deeat the Livonian Knights at the Battle o Saulė in 1236 , establishing the settlement o Šiauliai. Ater uniting local chietains, on July 6, 1253 Mindaugas (circa 1203-1263 ) is crowned Lithuania’s one and only king. During his reign as the first Christian sovereign o the state, Vilnius Cathedral is built. However, the majority o the population remains pagan.
J
F
12 Vilnius In Your Pocket
M A M
J
J
A A
S
O
N
D
0
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
18th century At the start o the 18th century both Swedish and Russian orces try to seize control o Vilnius. In 1795 Lithuania is incorporated into tsarist Russia. The 120-year Russian occupation is only interrupted by a short liberation by Napoleon’s army in 1812 on his ailed campaign to Moscow. During the Napoleonic army’s return through Vilnius nearly 40,000 o his soldiers die due to starvation and extreme cold.
19th century Vilnius University acts as a hotbed o dissent against the tsarist government, culminating in the 1831 Novem-
ber Uprising, which leads to the closing o the institution. Russification ensues with non-Orthodox churches orcibly closed, the Lithuanian language banned in 1864 and the country named the Northwest Region. The ban on the Latin script orces the smuggling in o books rom neighbouring East Prussia. Another uprising takes place in 1863 and General Muravyov (The Hangman) is sent rom Moscow to restore order, resulting in deaths by hanging or most o the leading activists. The repression is countered and defied by a revival o Lithuanian culture and tradition. In 1883 Jonas Basanavičius (1851-1927) publishes the first Lithuanian-language newspaper, Auszra (Aušra, or Dawn).
INDEPENDENCE & BEYOND 1988 June 1988 June 3 The Lithuanian reorm movement Sąjūdis is ounded by some 500 representatives ves o the intelligentsia, advocating openness, democracy and sovereignty. sovereignty. August 23 Some 250,000 people gather in Vilnius to mark the 49th anniversary o the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. October 7 The Lithuanian an flag is raised on Gediminas nas Castle. 1989 February 1989 February 16 Lithuanian Independence Day is officially commemorated. August 23 An estimated 2,000,000 Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians join hands in a human chain stretching the 650km between Vilnius and Tallinn to protest the 50th anniversary o the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. 1990 January 11-13 Mikhail Gorbachev’s visit to Vilnius
is ar rom pleasant as 300,000 pro-independence demonstrators turn out to ‘welcome’ ‘welcome’ him. March 4 Pro-independence Sąjūdis candidates receive an overall majority in the first ree elections in Lithuania since 1940. March 11 The Supreme Council (later to become Parliament, or Seimas) declares the restoration o Lithuanian independence and demands the withdrawal o Soviet orces. Dr. Vytautas Landsbergis is elected parliamentary chairman. April 17 Moscow imposes an economic blockade. 1991 January 1991 January 13 Soviet orces try unsuccessully to storm the parliamentary parliamentary building in Vilnius. A large crowd ensures the delegates are sae inside. However, during the Soviet bid to reclaim the media by storming the Television Tower, 14 people are killed. February 12 Iceland becomes the first country to recognise an independent Lithuania. July 31 Seven border guards and policemen are killed at the Medininkai border checkpoint by Soviet Special Forces. August 21 The Moscow Moscow putsch putsch colcollapses. Soviet troops leave the buildings they’ve occupied since January. Lenin’s statue is removed rom Vilnius’ Lukiškių Aikštė (Lukiškės Square). A photograph o the event appears on the cover o Issue N°1 o Vilnius In Your Pocket , published on May 1, 1992. August 29 Sweden becomes the first Western country to open an embassy in Vilnius. September 2 The USA recognises Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. September 17 All three Baltic countries are re-admitted into the UN. 1992 February 1992 February 8 Lithuanians participate under their own flag at the Winter Olympics or the first time since 1928 .
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
History 20TH CENTURY During the WWI German occupation o 1915-1918 the Lithuanian Council proclaims independence on February 16, 1918 . As the Germans retreat, the Lithuanian state comes under attack by the Polish General Józe Piłsudski (1867-1935 ) who seizes control o Vilnius and areas south and north o it rom 1920-1939 . Poland maintains control o these areas by claiming they were a portion o the pre-war Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Kaunas becomes the interim capital o Lithuania until 1940 . During the inter-war period independent Lithuania prospers under the 14-year dictatorship (1926-1940 ) o the nationalist president Antanas Smetona (1874-1944 ). Lithuanian independence ends with the clandestine signing on August 23, 1939 o the Molotov-Ribbentrop Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Hitler and Stalin, who carve up Europe into portions to be controlled by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Lithuania is subject to both Soviet and Nazi occupation. Between 1941-1944 the Nazis and their Lithuanian henchmen organise the mass murder o over 200,000 Jews, 94% o the entire Litvak population. The return o the Red Army and the re-incorporation o Lithuania into the USSR on July 7, 1944 results in the deportation o some 250,000 Lithuanians to Siberia, a task they’d already begun in 1940 beore the Nazis arrived. Lithuanian partisans, dubbed the Forest Brothers (Miško Broliai), wage guerrilla warare until 1953. In an act o protest against the Soviet occupation, on May 14, 1972 19-year-old student Romas Kalanta sets fire to himsel in public in Kaunas, dying rom his wounds. 1993 June 25 Lithuania’s pre-war currency, the litas, is 1993 re-introduced. August 31 The last Russian soldier leaves Lithuania. September 4-8 Pope John Paul II visits. 1994 December 1994 December Vilnius’Old Town joins the list o Unesco World Heritage sites. 1998 January 1998 January 4 Valdas Adamkus is elected president. Adamkus, who fled Lithuania in 1944, was a senior official at
the Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago beore returning to Lithuania to run or president. December 21 Seimas abolishes the death penalty in response to international pressure rom the EU.
21ST CENTURY 2001 June 23-27 The Dalai Lama visits Lithuania, visiting
Culture & Events 2003 In the January 5 run-off election, president Valdas
Adamkus is voted out o office by the 46-year-old right wing underdog Rolandas Paksas. May 10-11 A staggering 91% o the 64% o the population who turned out to vote give a resounding Yes to EU membership.
to the euro in readiness or EU accession, into which the country is invited to join on October 9. November 22 Lithuaniaisinvited to become a member o Nato. George Bush visits Vilnius the ollowing day, becoming the first US president to visit the city. 14 Vilnius In Your Pocket
CHRISTMAS IN THE CAPITAL
2004 Jan-April Impeachment hearings take place as presi-
dent Rolandas Paksas is ound guilty o violating the Lithuanian constitution and his oath as president in his dealings with unsavoury Russian business partners. April 2 Lithuania becomes a ully-fledged member o Nato and the EU on May 1. June 27 A 77-year-old Valdas Adamkus is re-elected president. July Virgilijus Alekna, whose day job is protecting the president, wins a gold medal at the Athens Olympics in the discus. December 31 The Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant says arewell to the first o its two RBMK reactors. 2007 December 21 Lithuania joins the Schengen zone,
allowing borderless travel to and rom other Schengen countries. December 22 The Lithuanian Television and Radio Commission bans broadcasting o the Voice o Russia radio station. 2008 June Lithuania outlaws the public display o Nazi and
Soviet symbols. August While most public attention is on basketball, Edvinas Krungolcas and Andrejus Zadneprovskis Zadneprovskis win silver and bronze respectively in the modern pentathlon at the Beijing Olympics. The Lithuanian basketball team reach the semi-finals but eventually come home empty handed. 2009 Lithuania celebrates 1,000 years since its name was first mentioned in written texts. January 17 With 90Lt
million o mounting debts, the national airline, flyLAL, suspends all services. Dalia Grybauskaitė, the so-called Iron Lady, is inaugurated as Lithuania’s first emale president on July 12. 2010 Lithuania celebrates 20 years o independence rom the Soviet Union on March 11. In a sinister U-turn, on May 19 a court in Klaipėda approves approves the public display o swas-
tikas arguing that they represent Lithuania’s historical heritage, not Nazi Germany. Lithuania take bronze medal in the World Basketball Championship in Turkey ater deeating Serbia 99-88 on September 12 . 2011 Lithuania commemorates the centenary o the
death o the painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. The country hosts the EuroBasket 2011 competition in cities nationwide between August 31 and September 18. Lithuania is deeated 67-65 by FYR Macedonia in the quarter finals in Kaunas on September 15 .
various sites in Vilnius and Kaunas. 2002 February 2 The litas switches pegging rom the US dollar 2002
13
2013 Lithuania takes over the Presidency o the Council o the European Union or a six month period between July 1 and December 31 . 2014 May 2014 Dalia Grybauskaitė is re-elected president
o Lithuania. vilnius.inyourpocket.com
© Vilnius Tourism & Convention Bureau www.vilnius-tourism.lt
November 29 - January 11. The Old Town
Christmas in Vilnius this year will be bigger and better than ever. The city is pulling out all the stops to keep both locals and visitors occupied, with Cathedral Square very much serving as Vilnius Christmas Ground Zero. The city’s tree will be lit here on November 29th, and will remain in position until January 11th. Throughout December a Christmas Village will be open around the tree, perect or souvenirs and Christmas presents: most o the little wooden huts will be serving local ood and drink. Mulled wine will be omnipresent. The so-called Christmas Bus will once again be doing the rounds o Old Town - rom Old Town Square to Pilies, Gediminas and Parliament and back. I previous years are anything to go by, local kids will once again have to share the bus with large groups o British lads in ootball shirts. As is now traditional, the Vilnius Vilnius TV Tower will be decked out with lights, which will be switched on on Christmas Day. New Year’s Eve in Vilnius will once again be centred on the huge fireworks display in Cathedral Square. Get there early. Note that many o the venues we list in both our Restaurant and Nightlie sections will be hosting special New Year’s Eve parties: these usually include ood and drink but almost all will require you book in advance. I you are in town or New Year, make sure you do not leave making plans until the last moment: you could be let out on the street. For more inormation check www.kaledossostineje.lt. www.kaledossostineje.lt. December 27, Congress Hall The Queen Symphony
Yep, this is exactly what the title suggests: a ull symphony, perormed by the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, based on the music o Queen. Written by British composer Tolga Kashi and and first perormed in 2002, this rendition rendition also eatures the Kaunas State Choir, while Gintaras Rinkevičius conducts. Tickets at www.tiketa.lt. www.tiketa.lt. December 27, Pramogų Arena Blazing Christmas Ice 2014
A chance to see Lithuania’s most amous and most successul pair o ice skaters - Povilas Vanagas and Margarita Drobiazko - in action. They will be perorming all o their best-loved routines, as well as throwing up one or two surprises. Tickets at www.bilietai.lt.t. facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 28 The Christmas Race 2014
A tradition dating back to 1975, the Vilnius Christmas Race eatures hundreds o runners (many o whom dress in Santa Claus costumes) taking part in a race around the Old Town. It starts and inishes in Town Hall Square and takes in Rotušės aikštė, Vokiečių, Dominikonų, Šv.Ignoto, Benediktinų, Vilniaus, Gedimino, Totorių, S.Daukanto and Universiteto along the way. Without question the oddest and most un sight you will see in Vilnius this Christmas: the race starts at 10:00. I you want to take part yoursel, you can register at www.kaledinisbegimas.lt (sadly the site is in Lithuanian only). December 30, Congress Hall Festive concert Rock Ballads 3
A ollow-up to last year’s amazingly successul concert, in which some o Lithuania’s best-known rock singers team up with a ull orchestra (the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, no less) to belt out all your rock avourites, perormed like you’ve never heard them beore. Tickets at www.tiketa.lt.
OTHER EVENTS December11 – 31, St. Catherine‘s Church Christopher Christmas 2014
www.kristupoestivaliai.lt December 20, Siemens Arena Al Bano Bano - www.tiketa.lt December 26, Siemens Arena Peter Marvey: The Magician Without Limits
www.tiketa.lt December 28, Siemens Arena Suzi Quatro concert concert - www.tiketa.lt December 28 and 31, Congress Hall The Waltzes And Polkas of Johann Strauss
www.lvso.lt December 29, Congress Hall Genesis Suite Suite - www.lvso.lt December 31, Congress Hall Festive Concert: The Most Beautiful Opera Arias
www.lvso.lt December 31, Siemens Arena Frank Sinatra Tribute Show - www.tiketa.lt February 15, Siemens Arena Ed Sheeran concert - www.tiketa.lt March 19 – 21, Siemens Arena Cirque du Soleil – Quidam - www.tiketa.lt lt March 25, Congress Hall Celtic Legends. Irish Dance Live - www.tiketa.lt lt December 2014 - April 2015
15
History 20TH CENTURY During the WWI German occupation o 1915-1918 the Lithuanian Council proclaims independence on February 16, 1918 . As the Germans retreat, the Lithuanian state comes under attack by the Polish General Józe Piłsudski (1867-1935 ) who seizes control o Vilnius and areas south and north o it rom 1920-1939 . Poland maintains control o these areas by claiming they were a portion o the pre-war Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Kaunas becomes the interim capital o Lithuania until 1940 . During the inter-war period independent Lithuania prospers under the 14-year dictatorship (1926-1940 ) o the nationalist president Antanas Smetona (1874-1944 ). Lithuanian independence ends with the clandestine signing on August 23, 1939 o the Molotov-Ribbentrop Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Hitler and Stalin, who carve up Europe into portions to be controlled by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Lithuania is subject to both Soviet and Nazi occupation. Between 1941-1944 the Nazis and their Lithuanian henchmen organise the mass murder o over 200,000 Jews, 94% o the entire Litvak population. The return o the Red Army and the re-incorporation o Lithuania into the USSR on July 7, 1944 results in the deportation o some 250,000 Lithuanians to Siberia, a task they’d already begun in 1940 beore the Nazis arrived. Lithuanian partisans, dubbed the Forest Brothers (Miško Broliai), wage guerrilla warare until 1953. In an act o protest against the Soviet occupation, on May 14, 1972 19-year-old student Romas Kalanta sets fire to himsel in public in Kaunas, dying rom his wounds. 1993 June 25 Lithuania’s pre-war currency, the litas, is 1993 re-introduced. August 31 The last Russian soldier leaves Lithuania. September 4-8 Pope John Paul II visits. 1994 December 1994 December Vilnius’Old Town joins the list o Unesco World Heritage sites. 1998 January 1998 January 4 Valdas Adamkus is elected president. Adamkus, who fled Lithuania in 1944, was a senior official at
the Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago beore returning to Lithuania to run or president. December 21 Seimas abolishes the death penalty in response to international pressure rom the EU.
21ST CENTURY 2001 June 23-27 The Dalai Lama visits Lithuania, visiting
Culture & Events 2003 In the January 5 run-off election, president Valdas
Adamkus is voted out o office by the 46-year-old right wing underdog Rolandas Paksas. May 10-11 A staggering 91% o the 64% o the population who turned out to vote give a resounding Yes to EU membership. 2004 Jan-April Impeachment hearings take place as presi-
dent Rolandas Paksas is ound guilty o violating the Lithuanian constitution and his oath as president in his dealings with unsavoury Russian business partners. April 2 Lithuania becomes a ully-fledged member o Nato and the EU on May 1. June 27 A 77-year-old Valdas Adamkus is re-elected president. July Virgilijus Alekna, whose day job is protecting the president, wins a gold medal at the Athens Olympics in the discus. December 31 The Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant says arewell to the first o its two RBMK reactors. 2007 December 21 Lithuania joins the Schengen zone,
allowing borderless travel to and rom other Schengen countries. December 22 The Lithuanian Television and Radio Commission bans broadcasting o the Voice o Russia radio station. 2008 June Lithuania outlaws the public display o Nazi and
Soviet symbols. August While most public attention is on basketball, Edvinas Krungolcas and Andrejus Zadneprovskis Zadneprovskis win silver and bronze respectively in the modern pentathlon at the Beijing Olympics. The Lithuanian basketball team reach the semi-finals but eventually come home empty handed. 2009 Lithuania celebrates 1,000 years since its name was first mentioned in written texts. January 17 With 90Lt
million o mounting debts, the national airline, flyLAL, suspends all services. Dalia Grybauskaitė, the so-called Iron Lady, is inaugurated as Lithuania’s first emale president on July 12. 2010 Lithuania celebrates 20 years o independence rom the Soviet Union on March 11. In a sinister U-turn, on May 19 a court in Klaipėda approves approves the public display o swas-
tikas arguing that they represent Lithuania’s historical heritage, not Nazi Germany. Lithuania take bronze medal in the World Basketball Championship in Turkey ater deeating Serbia 99-88 on September 12 . 2011 Lithuania commemorates the centenary o the
death o the painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. The country hosts the EuroBasket 2011 competition in cities nationwide between August 31 and September 18. Lithuania is deeated 67-65 by FYR Macedonia in the quarter finals in Kaunas on September 15 .
various sites in Vilnius and Kaunas. 2002 February 2 The litas switches pegging rom the US dollar 2002
to the euro in readiness or EU accession, into which the country is invited to join on October 9. November 22 Lithuaniaisinvited to become a member o Nato. George Bush visits Vilnius the ollowing day, becoming the first US president to visit the city.
CHRISTMAS IN THE CAPITAL
2013 Lithuania takes over the Presidency o the Council o the European Union or a six month period between July 1 and December 31 . 2014 May 2014 Dalia Grybauskaitė is re-elected president
o Lithuania.
14 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
© Vilnius Tourism & Convention Bureau www.vilnius-tourism.lt
November 29 - January 11. The Old Town
Christmas in Vilnius this year will be bigger and better than ever. The city is pulling out all the stops to keep both locals and visitors occupied, with Cathedral Square very much serving as Vilnius Christmas Ground Zero. The city’s tree will be lit here on November 29th, and will remain in position until January 11th. Throughout December a Christmas Village will be open around the tree, perect or souvenirs and Christmas presents: most o the little wooden huts will be serving local ood and drink. Mulled wine will be omnipresent. The so-called Christmas Bus will once again be doing the rounds o Old Town - rom Old Town Square to Pilies, Gediminas and Parliament and back. I previous years are anything to go by, local kids will once again have to share the bus with large groups o British lads in ootball shirts. As is now traditional, the Vilnius Vilnius TV Tower will be decked out with lights, which will be switched on on Christmas Day. New Year’s Eve in Vilnius will once again be centred on the huge fireworks display in Cathedral Square. Get there early. Note that many o the venues we list in both our Restaurant and Nightlie sections will be hosting special New Year’s Eve parties: these usually include ood and drink but almost all will require you book in advance. I you are in town or New Year, make sure you do not leave making plans until the last moment: you could be let out on the street. For more inormation check www.kaledossostineje.lt. www.kaledossostineje.lt. December 27, Congress Hall The Queen Symphony
Yep, this is exactly what the title suggests: a ull symphony, perormed by the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, based on the music o Queen. Written by British composer Tolga Kashi and and first perormed in 2002, this rendition rendition also eatures the Kaunas State Choir, while Gintaras Rinkevičius conducts. Tickets at www.tiketa.lt. www.tiketa.lt. December 27, Pramogų Arena Blazing Christmas Ice 2014
A chance to see Lithuania’s most amous and most successul pair o ice skaters - Povilas Vanagas and Margarita Drobiazko - in action. They will be perorming all o their best-loved routines, as well as throwing up one or two surprises. Tickets at www.bilietai.lt.t. facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Culture & Events
It is perhaps the classic sour soup which is the staple o the Lithuanian diet. The most legendary soup is the bright pink šaltibarščiai, or cold beet soup, made with beetroot. Another version o the same soup is the raugintų burokėlių sriuba, made with shoulder o smoked ham and served warm. Those o you who don’t like beetroot should ear not, however, or mushroom soup (grybų (grybų sriuba) sriuba) is now almost as quintessentially Lithuanian (and just as ubiquitous). ubiquitous). When it comes to the meatier parts o the menu, Lithuania is not to be ound wanting, particularly i you like pork. This country seriously knows its stuff when it comes to making the most o a pig, with almost every part o the animal used in some kind o oodstuff. Trotters (troškintos (troškintos kojos) kojos) are one such local delicacy: they are braised or hours and served with bacon and sauerkraut. TraditionJanuary 23 – 25, Exhibition and Convention Centre Litexpo Adventur 2015
Lithuania’s now annual travel and tourism air, held up at Litexpo. This year’s event is dedicated to amily holidays, but also includes an entire hall dedicated to getting to know Lithuania. February 11 – 12, Exhibition and Convention Centre Litexpo Convene 2015
A huge Litexpo-hosted event dedicated to the conerence, meetings, events and incentives industry. The biggest event o its kind in the Baltics. For more inormation check www.convene.lt. February 17 Shrove Tuesday
Known around the world as Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday and in the vernacular as Pancake Day, the Lithuanian version o the estivities held on the day beore Ash Wednesday at the start o Lent is called Užgavėnės (literally, ‘beore ‘beore lent’), a distinctly pagan celebration marking something o a slightly preemptive return o the sun. In Vilnius on the day expect much rolicking and prancing about in costumes designed to belittle the country’s ethnic minorities, a traditional tradesmen’s air outside the Town Hall (see p.65) complete with ood, beer, hot wine and pancakes and the burning o Morė, the pagan Goddess o Death who’ll be dragged through the streets beore being set on fire whilst 16 Vilnius In Your Pocket
A tradition dating back to 1975, the Vilnius Christmas Race eatures hundreds o runners (many o whom dress in Santa Claus costumes) taking part in a race around the Old Town. It starts and inishes in Town Hall Square and takes in Rotušės aikštė, Vokiečių, Dominikonų, Šv.Ignoto, Benediktinų, Vilniaus, Gedimino, Totorių, S.Daukanto and Universiteto along the way. Without question the oddest and most un sight you will see in Vilnius this Christmas: the race starts at 10:00. I you want to take part yoursel, you can register at www.kaledinisbegimas.lt (sadly the site is in Lithuanian only). December 30, Congress Hall Festive concert Rock Ballads 3
A ollow-up to last year’s amazingly successul concert, in which some o Lithuania’s best-known rock singers team up with a ull orchestra (the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, no less) to belt out all your rock avourites, perormed like you’ve never heard them beore. Tickets at www.tiketa.lt.
OTHER EVENTS December11 – 31, St. Catherine‘s Church Christopher Christmas 2014
www.kristupoestivaliai.lt December 20, Siemens Arena Al Bano Bano - www.tiketa.lt December 26, Siemens Arena Peter Marvey: The Magician Without Limits
www.tiketa.lt December 28, Siemens Arena Suzi Quatro concert concert - www.tiketa.lt December 28 and 31, Congress Hall The Waltzes And Polkas of Johann Strauss
www.lvso.lt December 29, Congress Hall Genesis Suite Suite - www.lvso.lt December 31, Congress Hall Festive Concert: The Most Beautiful Opera Arias
www.lvso.lt December 31, Siemens Arena Frank Sinatra Tribute Show - www.tiketa.lt February 15, Siemens Arena Ed Sheeran concert - www.tiketa.lt March 19 – 21, Siemens Arena Cirque du Soleil – Quidam - www.tiketa.lt lt March 25, Congress Hall Celtic Legends. Irish Dance Live - www.tiketa.lt lt December 2014 - April 2015
15
Culture & Events March 19 – April 2, Vilnius Cinema Theatres Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasari Pavasariss 2015
LITHUANIAN FOOD It’s been written many times by many people in many places (including, i we’re honest, by our good selves in this very city guide) that nobody travels to Lithuania or the ood. While this is not entirely untrue, it is also a little unair. For while Lithuanian ood is not as immediately celebrated as certain other cuisines, this country’s ood is ar more adventurous than people give it credit or.
December 28 The Christmas Race 2014
ally, pigs are purchased by armers shortly ater harvest time and attened-up until just beore Christmas, sometimes into January. They are then slaughtered, with the tenderest cuts eaten and the rest o the ham and bacon smoked. Sausages are made, o which the most amous is the legendary Lithuanian smoked sausage, the skilandis. skilandis. Unusually or sausage in this part o the world the meat used to make skilandis is skilandis is very lean. Lesser cuts o meat are used to make a more coarse sausage, rūkytos dešrelės. Our own avourite way o eating pork in Lithuania however is to devour a huge, boiled, heavily-smoked knuckle (vir( virtas rūkytas kumpis). kumpis). Lamb (i you can find it) is also worth trying: not least lamb’s testicles, a surprisingly tasty treat. On the fish ront, herring (silkė (silkė)) is a big deal in Lithuania. Baked, ried or pickled you will oten see herring served as lydeka) - delian appetiser. When it comes to larger fish, pike ( lydeka) cious when simmered in beet juice - is the most common, although carp also makes the odd appearance on menus. Lithuania is a country rich in mushrooms. There are hundreds o edible varieties, and as a result they play a key part in local cuisine. Besides making soup, mushrooms are used to flavour inumerous dishes, be it with meat, fish or potatoes. two people dressed as Kanapinis and Lašininis have a fight. The irresistible i somewhat somewhat incomprehensible incomprehensible and controversial un continues into the night with much dancing, playing, pancake-eating pancake-eating and o course dr inking. Ask a local or more inormation. February 19 – 22, Exhibition and Convention Centre Litexpo Vilnius International Book Fair
Always worth a trip out to Litexpo this now well established annual event sees publishers and authors rom both home and abroad converge on the Lithuanian capital to sell their goods, meet the public and generally celebrate the printed word in all its many orms. Still in the planning stages at the time o going to press, keep an eye on www.litexpo.lt to see how things are progressing. March 6 - 8 Kaziukas Fair
Celebrating the Patron Saint o Lithuania St. Casimir, the annual Kaziukas Fair, quite possibly the oldest event o its kind in the country, comes to the Old Town again at the start o March. A large event eaturing everything rom traditional arts and crats to poetry readings to stalls selling abulous beer rom small Lithuanian microbreweries, this one is definitely worth at least a couple o visits. The dedicated website at www.kaziukomuge2014.lt promises to provide all the inormation necessary or those wishing to know exactly what’s taking place this year. vilnius.inyourpocket.com
The 20th Vilnius International Film estival arrives in town on March 19 or two weeks o screenings, discussions and film-related events. See www.kinopavasaris.lt or more inormation. March 27 – 28, Contemporary Art Centre Mados Infekcija 2015
The twice-a-year Mados Inekcija Inekcija started in 1999 as a small annual event and has grown to epic proportions. Showcasing the work o a plethora o young and upcoming designers, the estival eatures an array o classic catwalk shows and a number o other ashion-related events. Taking place inside the city’s Contemporary Arts Centre (see p.18), read all about it online at www.madosinekcija.lt.
ARTS & CRAFTS AMATŲ GILDIJA The ceramic artist Mindaugas Rutkauskas is almost completely blind yet manages to produce some great ceramics rom classic earthenware crockery to complete ceramic stoves. He shares this workshop with several other artists. QB-4, Pranciškonų 6, tel. (+370) 5 212 05 20/(+370) 645 380 44, www.amatugildija.lt. Open 13:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Also at S. Skapo 3 - 34. J JONAS BUGAILIŠKIS ART STUDIO A local mini-celebrity knocking out all manner o abulous wooden eccentricities based on a combination o traditional Lithuanian olk art and the contents o a very unique mind. The studio is now also home to Bugailiškis’ daughter, daughter, the painter Aistė Bugailiškytė-Kapočienė.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 17-10, tel. (+370) 652 366 13. By appointment only. J MENO NIŠA Art to hang on your body as opposed to your wall, this combined gallery and workshop presents some o the best examples o the work o Lithuanian goldsmiths.QA3, J. Basanavičiaus 1/13, tel. (+370) 5 231 38 11, www. menonisa.lt. Open 12:00 - 18:00, Sat 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J TAUTODAILININKO TAUTODAILININKO DIRBTUVĖ Folk artist Klaidas Navickas works as a lawyer during the day and creates some exquisite works o art using just a scalpel and piece o paper in his spare time. Known in Lithuanian as karpiniai , this old crat, which has been used to decorate homes during special celebrations or centuries, is available or sale, or with patience and a steady hand you can learn how to do it yoursel.QG-4, J. Basanavičiaus 29, tel. (+370) (+370) 687 90 6 50, ww w.klaidaspapercuts.lt. Open 17:00 - 20:00, Fri 16:00 - 19:00. Sat, Sun call in advance. J UŽUPIO GALERIJA A tiny gallery dealing in exclusive jewellery rom a range o Lithuanian artists. A combined workshop and gallery, you’ll usually find somebody working there, who’ll be only too facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
The Old Crats Workshops o The Fine Crats Association o Vilnius (see below). Photo by Virginija Rimkutė
pleased to explain what they’re up to. QD-3, Užupio 3-1, tel. (+370) 5 231 23 18, www.uzupioartgallery.com. www.uzupioartgallery.com. Open 11:00 11:00 - 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JA
THE OLD CRAFTS WORKSHOPS OF THE FINE CRAFTS ASSOCIATION OF VILNIUS �VILNIAUS DAILIŲJŲ AMATŲ ASOCIACIJOS SENŲJŲ AMATŲ DIRBTUVĖS� An extraordinary organisation dedicated to both preserving and promoting a wide range o traditional fine crats including practictioners such as jewellers, ceramicists, book-binders and leather workers. Operating out o studios and workshops spread around the city centre, the nice people who run the organisation arrange a ascinating array o things or visitors to see and do including lectures, tours, hands-on workshops and even a ew events or children. Visiting is a good opportunity to buy some unique and special gits and souvenirs. Their website has good inormation in English.QC-4, Savičiaus 10, tel. (+370) 5 212 51 69, www.vdaa.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon. JA UŽUPIO KALVYSTĖS GALERIJA � MUZIEJUS A small working gallery dedicated to the art o the blacksmith. Watch people at work, buy something as a unique git or souvenir or ask about their regular workshops.QX-3, Užupio 26, tel. (+370) 5 215 37 57, www.vilniauskalviai. lt. Open 10:30 - 18:30, Sat 10:30 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J December 2014 - April 2015
17
Culture & Events
Culture & Events March 19 – April 2, Vilnius Cinema Theatres Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasari Pavasariss 2015
LITHUANIAN FOOD It’s been written many times by many people in many places (including, i we’re honest, by our good selves in this very city guide) that nobody travels to Lithuania or the ood. While this is not entirely untrue, it is also a little unair. For while Lithuanian ood is not as immediately celebrated as certain other cuisines, this country’s ood is ar more adventurous than people give it credit or. It is perhaps the classic sour soup which is the staple o the Lithuanian diet. The most legendary soup is the bright pink šaltibarščiai, or cold beet soup, made with beetroot. Another version o the same soup is the raugintų burokėlių sriuba, made with shoulder o smoked ham and served warm. Those o you who don’t like beetroot should ear not, however, or mushroom soup (grybų (grybų sriuba) sriuba) is now almost as quintessentially Lithuanian (and just as ubiquitous). ubiquitous). When it comes to the meatier parts o the menu, Lithuania is not to be ound wanting, particularly i you like pork. This country seriously knows its stuff when it comes to making the most o a pig, with almost every part o the animal used in some kind o oodstuff. Trotters (troškintos (troškintos kojos) kojos) are one such local delicacy: they are braised or hours and served with bacon and sauerkraut. TraditionJanuary 23 – 25, Exhibition and Convention Centre Litexpo Adventur 2015
Lithuania’s now annual travel and tourism air, held up at Litexpo. This year’s event is dedicated to amily holidays, but also includes an entire hall dedicated to getting to know Lithuania. February 11 – 12, Exhibition and Convention Centre Litexpo Convene 2015
A huge Litexpo-hosted event dedicated to the conerence, meetings, events and incentives industry. The biggest event o its kind in the Baltics. For more inormation check www.convene.lt. February 17 Shrove Tuesday
Known around the world as Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday and in the vernacular as Pancake Day, the Lithuanian version o the estivities held on the day beore Ash Wednesday at the start o Lent is called Užgavėnės (literally, ‘beore ‘beore lent’), a distinctly pagan celebration marking something o a slightly preemptive return o the sun. In Vilnius on the day expect much rolicking and prancing about in costumes designed to belittle the country’s ethnic minorities, a traditional tradesmen’s air outside the Town Hall (see p.65) complete with ood, beer, hot wine and pancakes and the burning o Morė, the pagan Goddess o Death who’ll be dragged through the streets beore being set on fire whilst
ally, pigs are purchased by armers shortly ater harvest time and attened-up until just beore Christmas, sometimes into January. They are then slaughtered, with the tenderest cuts eaten and the rest o the ham and bacon smoked. Sausages are made, o which the most amous is the legendary Lithuanian smoked sausage, the skilandis. skilandis. Unusually or sausage in this part o the world the meat used to make skilandis is skilandis is very lean. Lesser cuts o meat are used to make a more coarse sausage, rūkytos dešrelės. Our own avourite way o eating pork in Lithuania however is to devour a huge, boiled, heavily-smoked knuckle (vir( virtas rūkytas kumpis). kumpis). Lamb (i you can find it) is also worth trying: not least lamb’s testicles, a surprisingly tasty treat. On the fish ront, herring (silkė (silkė)) is a big deal in Lithuania. Baked, ried or pickled you will oten see herring served as lydeka) - delian appetiser. When it comes to larger fish, pike ( lydeka) cious when simmered in beet juice - is the most common, although carp also makes the odd appearance on menus. Lithuania is a country rich in mushrooms. There are hundreds o edible varieties, and as a result they play a key part in local cuisine. Besides making soup, mushrooms are used to flavour inumerous dishes, be it with meat, fish or potatoes. two people dressed as Kanapinis and Lašininis have a fight. The irresistible i somewhat somewhat incomprehensible incomprehensible and controversial un continues into the night with much dancing, playing, pancake-eating pancake-eating and o course dr inking. Ask a local or more inormation. February 19 – 22, Exhibition and Convention Centre Litexpo Vilnius International Book Fair
Always worth a trip out to Litexpo this now well established annual event sees publishers and authors rom both home and abroad converge on the Lithuanian capital to sell their goods, meet the public and generally celebrate the printed word in all its many orms. Still in the planning stages at the time o going to press, keep an eye on www.litexpo.lt to see how things are progressing. March 6 - 8 Kaziukas Fair
Celebrating the Patron Saint o Lithuania St. Casimir, the annual Kaziukas Fair, quite possibly the oldest event o its kind in the country, comes to the Old Town again at the start o March. A large event eaturing everything rom traditional arts and crats to poetry readings to stalls selling abulous beer rom small Lithuanian microbreweries, this one is definitely worth at least a couple o visits. The dedicated website at www.kaziukomuge2014.lt promises to provide all the inormation necessary or those wishing to know exactly what’s taking place this year.
16 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
The 20th Vilnius International Film estival arrives in town on March 19 or two weeks o screenings, discussions and film-related events. See www.kinopavasaris.lt or more inormation. March 27 – 28, Contemporary Art Centre Mados Infekcija 2015
The twice-a-year Mados Inekcija Inekcija started in 1999 as a small annual event and has grown to epic proportions. Showcasing the work o a plethora o young and upcoming designers, the estival eatures an array o classic catwalk shows and a number o other ashion-related events. Taking place inside the city’s Contemporary Arts Centre (see p.18), read all about it online at www.madosinekcija.lt.
ARTS & CRAFTS AMATŲ GILDIJA The ceramic artist Mindaugas Rutkauskas is almost completely blind yet manages to produce some great ceramics rom classic earthenware crockery to complete ceramic stoves. He shares this workshop with several other artists. QB-4, Pranciškonų 6, tel. (+370) 5 212 05 20/(+370) 645 380 44, www.amatugildija.lt. Open 13:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Also at S. Skapo 3 - 34. J JONAS BUGAILIŠKIS ART STUDIO A local mini-celebrity knocking out all manner o abulous wooden eccentricities based on a combination o traditional Lithuanian olk art and the contents o a very unique mind. The studio is now also home to Bugailiškis’ daughter, daughter, the painter Aistė Bugailiškytė-Kapočienė.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 17-10, tel. (+370) 652 366 13. By appointment only. J MENO NIŠA Art to hang on your body as opposed to your wall, this combined gallery and workshop presents some o the best examples o the work o Lithuanian goldsmiths.QA3, J. Basanavičiaus 1/13, tel. (+370) 5 231 38 11, www. menonisa.lt. Open 12:00 - 18:00, Sat 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J TAUTODAILININKO TAUTODAILININKO DIRBTUVĖ Folk artist Klaidas Navickas works as a lawyer during the day and creates some exquisite works o art using just a scalpel and piece o paper in his spare time. Known in Lithuanian as karpiniai , this old crat, which has been used to decorate homes during special celebrations or centuries, is available or sale, or with patience and a steady hand you can learn how to do it yoursel.QG-4, J. Basanavičiaus 29, tel. (+370) (+370) 687 90 6 50, ww w.klaidaspapercuts.lt. Open 17:00 - 20:00, Fri 16:00 - 19:00. Sat, Sun call in advance. J UŽUPIO GALERIJA A tiny gallery dealing in exclusive jewellery rom a range o Lithuanian artists. A combined workshop and gallery, you’ll usually find somebody working there, who’ll be only too
FORUM CINEMAS VINGIS Mostly popular Hollywood films inside a dedicated multiplex close to the city centre. QG-4, Savanorių 7, tel. 1567, www.forumcinemas.lt. Box office open 10:30 - 22:00. Also at Ozo 25 (Akropolis). JA MULTIKINO Hollywood blockbusters inside a large shopping centre. QH-1, Ozo 18 (Ozas), tel. (+370) 5 219 53 78, www. multikino.lt. Box office open 10:00 - 22:00. A PASAKA A compact Old Town cinema specialising in predominantly independent and/or arthouse films rom a wide range o directors including Woody Allen and the interesting Lithuanian film maker Janina Lapinskaitė.QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 4/3, tel. (+370) 5 261 15 16, www.kinopasaka.lt. Box office open 16:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 22:30. Also an hour before the event. JW
SIEMENS ARENA The quintessential all-purpose arena staging everything rom international basketball matches to big name rock concerts.QH-1, Ozo 14, tel. 1588/(+370) 5 247 75 50, www.siemensarena.lt. Box office open 10:00 - 18:00. Fri, Sat, Sun open two hours before the event. A
art. Surplus to the 2,400 square metres o exhibition space, the Contemporary Arts Centre also organises conerences and lectures, eatures a superb reading room and hosts a rather good bar.QC-4, Vokiečių 2, tel. (+370) 5 212 19 45, www.cac.lt. Open 12:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. Admission €2.32/1.16. JU
ST. CATHERINE’S CHURCH �ŠV. KOTRYNOS BAŽNYČIA� A city-owned concert space inside a magnificent, converted 18th-century Baroque church. Concerts are varied and oten very good indeed.QB-3, Vilniaus 30, tel. (+370) 5 262 04 21, kotrynosbaznycia@ gmail.com, www.kultura.lt. J
TADAS The weird weird and occasi occasionall onally wonderul wonderul world o the the Lithuanian thuanian artist Tadas Gutauskas, this gallery is given over entirely to his painting, sculpture and other media. Bordering on the naïve and childlike, Gutauskas’ work is colourul to say the least and all o it is or sale.QB-0, Kalvarijų 1, tel. (+370) 685 555 25, www.gutauskai.lt. Open by appointment only. J
TEATRO ARENA The main venue or the OKT theatre company (see Theatres), this large place on the edge o town is also a concert venue among other things.QI-3, Olimpiečių 3, tel. (+370) 683 773 57, www.teatroarena.lt. J
SKALVIJA The best place in the city or arthouse and underground underground cinema and meeting people who like it in the attached caé-bar. QH-3, A. Goštauto 2, tel. (+370) 5 261 05 05, www.skalvija. lt. Box office open an hour before the event. JW
CONCERT HALLS
CULTURAL CUL TURAL CENTRES THE AMERICAN CENTER �AMERIKOS CENTRAS� The American Center provides a variety o books, DVDs and other resources on politics, economics, business, entrepreneurship, innovation, American history, literature and culture. It organises regular film evenings, presentations by lecturers rom the US and Lithuania, as well as other educational and cultural activities. The American Center is located at the US Embassy in Vilnius.QG-4, Akmenų 6, tel. (+370) 5 266 54 02,
[email protected], www.vilnius.usembassy.gov/irc.html. Open 10:00 14:00, Tue 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. JUW
LITHUANIAN NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC �LIETU� VOS NACIONALINĖ FILHARMONIJA� Featuring a concert hall and a smaller chamber hall, the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra was established in 1940. Concerts are perormed by a range o ensembles including the aorementioned orchestra as well as the Čiurlionis String Quartet and the chamber ensemble Musica Humana to name but a ew.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 5, tel. (+370) 5 266 52 33, www.nationalphilharmonic. eu. Box office open 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 12:00. Closed Mon. JA
GALLERIES
PIANO.LT Hidden away down an Old Town backstreet, this small concert hall arranges concerts o many types including classical and jazz.QB-4, Trakų 9/1 (entrance on Kėdainių), tel. (+370) 5 203 28 91, www.piano.lt. J
ACADEMY �AKADEMIJA� The gallery o the Vilnius Art Academy hosts all manner o contemporary shows by artists rom home and abroad and is always worth a look inside.QC-3, Pilies 44/2, tel. (+370) 5 261 20 94, www.vda.lt. Open 12:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. J
PRAMOGŲ ARENA A large ice-skating rink on the outskirts o the city that also hosts the occasional concert.QE-2, Ąžuolyno 9, tel. (+370) 5 242 44 44, www.pramoguarena.lt. Box office open 14:00 - 20:00. Sat, Sun 12:00 - 20:00.
CONTEMPORARY ART CENTRE �ŠIUOLAIKINIO MENO CENTRAS� Vilnius’ very own monstrous carbuncle on the ace o an old riend, this 1968 concrete masterpiece conceals one o the country’s leading galleries or both Lithuanian and international contemporary
18 Vilnius In Your Pocket
THE OLD CRAFTS WORKSHOPS OF THE FINE CRAFTS ASSOCIATION OF VILNIUS �VILNIAUS DAILIŲJŲ AMATŲ ASOCIACIJOS SENŲJŲ AMATŲ DIRBTUVĖS� An extraordinary organisation dedicated to both preserving and promoting a wide range o traditional fine crats including practictioners such as jewellers, ceramicists, book-binders and leather workers. Operating out o studios and workshops spread around the city centre, the nice people who run the organisation arrange a ascinating array o things or visitors to see and do including lectures, tours, hands-on workshops and even a ew events or children. Visiting is a good opportunity to buy some unique and special gits and souvenirs. Their website has good inormation in English.QC-4, Savičiaus 10, tel. (+370) 5 212 51 69, www.vdaa.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon. JA UŽUPIO KALVYSTĖS GALERIJA � MUZIEJUS A small working gallery dedicated to the art o the blacksmith. Watch people at work, buy something as a unique git or souvenir or ask about their regular workshops.QX-3, Užupio 26, tel. (+370) 5 215 37 57, www.vilniauskalviai. lt. Open 10:30 - 18:30, Sat 10:30 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J December 2014 - April 2015
17
Culture & Events
VILNIUS CONGRESS HALL �VILNIAUS KONGRESŲ RŪMAI� Home to the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, this city-centre venue eatures some fine acoustics and organises everything rom serious classical concerts to shows or children.QB-1, Vilniaus 6/16, tel. (+370) 5 261 88 28, www. lvso.lt. Box office open 12:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. JA
LITHUANIAN MUSIC & THEATRE ACADEMY �LIETU� place to VOS MUZIKOS IR TEATRO AKADEMIJA� The place come and see perormances by the cream o the country’s next generation o proessional musicians.QG-3, Gedimino 42, tel. (+370) 5 261 26 91, www.lmta.lt. J
pleased to explain what they’re up to. QD-3, Užupio 3-1, tel. (+370) 5 231 23 18, www.uzupioartgallery.com. www.uzupioartgallery.com. Open 11:00 11:00 - 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JA
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Culture & Events
CINEMAS
The Old Crats Workshops o The Fine Crats Association o Vilnius (see below). Photo by Virginija Rimkutė
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
TERRA RECOGNITA An interesting gallery representing the work o the contemporary and conceptual Lithuanian artist Saulius Vaitiekūnas. Much o his work is both un and thought provoking and is generally available or sale. QC-3, Stiklių 7, tel. (+370) 612 444 79, www.terrarecognita.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. J TITANIKAS A series o exhibition halls owned and curated by the neighbouring Vilnius Art Academy, exhibitions run the gamut rom student shows to serious work rom home and abroad in just about ever y conceivable medium.QD2, Maironio 3, tel. (+370) 5 210 01 36, www.vda.lt. Open 12:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J UŽUPIO MENO INKUBATORIUS �UŽUPIS ART IN� CUBATOR� A tumbledown house on the riverbank, brightly painted and with a ew works in the garden, this is Užupis’ unofficial Ministry o Culture as well as a lively gallery space, workshop and the only place in the city to buy official Užupis Republic memorabilia, souvenirs, local artwork, a copy o the Constitution and much more. Exhibitions include works rom a wide range o contributors including established local artists, school children and the occasional American proessor o mathematics. Follow the riverbank north rom Užupio Kavinė. QD-3, Užupio 2, tel. (+370) 611 226 75, www.umi.lt. Open 11:00 - 17:00, Sat 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. J VARTAI Arguably the best and most influential contemporary gallery in the country. Find works in all media by the top Lithuanian artists working in their fields. Vartai also organises exhibitions by artists rom abroad. Recommended.QB-3, Vilniaus 39 (Vilniaus Mokytojų Namai), tel. (+370) 5 212 29 49, www.galerijavartai.lt. Open 12:00 - 18:00, Sat 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/ inyourpocket facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
ZNAD WILII A Polish art gallery displaying and selling paintings, books and the Polish-language newspaper o the same name.QD-3, Išganytojo 2, tel. (+370) 5 212 30 20, www.znadwiliiwilno. lt. Open 12:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J
OPERA & BALLET LITHUANIAN NATIONAL OPERA & BALLET THE� ATRE �LIETUVOS NACIONALINIS OPEROS IR BALETO TEATRAS� A stunning construction opened in 1974 1974 and offering the whole range o works. Worth a look inside even i you don’t plan on attending anything.QA1, A. Vienuolio 1, tel. (+370) 5 262 07 27, www.opera. lt. Box office open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:30, Sun 10:00 - 15:00. JA
PHOTOGRAPHY PROSPEKTO GALERIJA Owned and run by the Lithuanian Photographers’ Union, Prospekto Galerija is a hit and miss affair but really worth the effort just in case. Exhibitions range rom the sublime to the awul, oten let down partially by the artists themselves themselves who submit badly presented work that’s oten lit with no thought to the work. There’s also a small shop where you can buy books and postcards eaturing the work o many amous and obscure Lithuanian art, news and documentary photographers past and present.QG-3, Gedimino 43, tel. (+370) 5 261 83 38, www.photography.lt. Open 12:00 18:00, Sat 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun.J
THEATRES Almost all perormances are in Lithuanian or Russian. Some theatres provide occasional simultaneous translation. Check to make sure beore booking tickets.
ARTS PRINTING HOUSE �MENŲ SPAUSTUVĖ� Housed inside a ormer tsarist-era printing house this intriguing centre eatures two theatre halls, a place to collect and spread ideas and rehearsal rooms or various perormers. Check the website or a ull list o their activities.QD-2, Šiltadaržio 6, tel. (+370) 5 204 08 32, www.menuspaustuve.lt. J DOMINO THEATRE �DOMINO TEATRAS� The brainc hild o a s mall collec tive o like-mi nded local thespians, this very Lithuanian aair puts on shows inside a cinema.QG-4, Savanorių 7 (Forum Cinemas Vingis), tel. (+370) 656 863 83, www.dominoteatras. lt. Box office op en 11:00 - 14:00, 15:00 - 19:00. GYTIS IVANAUSKAS THEATRE The brainch ild o the still relative ly young dancer, actor and choreographer Gytis Ivanauskas, this interesting experimental company are worth looking out or. Currently they’re without a home but perorm regularly around the
[email protected], www.giteatras.lt. December 2014 - April 2015
19
Culture & Events
CINEMAS FORUM CINEMAS VINGIS Mostly popular Hollywood films inside a dedicated multiplex close to the city centre. QG-4, Savanorių 7, tel. 1567, www.forumcinemas.lt. Box office open 10:30 - 22:00. Also at Ozo 25 (Akropolis). JA MULTIKINO Hollywood blockbusters inside a large shopping centre. QH-1, Ozo 18 (Ozas), tel. (+370) 5 219 53 78, www. multikino.lt. Box office open 10:00 - 22:00. A PASAKA A compact Old Town cinema specialising in predominantly independent and/or arthouse films rom a wide range o directors including Woody Allen and the interesting Lithuanian film maker Janina Lapinskaitė.QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 4/3, tel. (+370) 5 261 15 16, www.kinopasaka.lt. Box office open 16:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 22:30. Also an hour before the event. JW
Culture & Events SIEMENS ARENA The quintessential all-purpose arena staging everything rom international basketball matches to big name rock concerts.QH-1, Ozo 14, tel. 1588/(+370) 5 247 75 50, www.siemensarena.lt. Box office open 10:00 - 18:00. Fri, Sat, Sun open two hours before the event. A
art. Surplus to the 2,400 square metres o exhibition space, the Contemporary Arts Centre also organises conerences and lectures, eatures a superb reading room and hosts a rather good bar.QC-4, Vokiečių 2, tel. (+370) 5 212 19 45, www.cac.lt. Open 12:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. Admission €2.32/1.16. JU
ST. CATHERINE’S CHURCH �ŠV. KOTRYNOS BAŽNYČIA� A city-owned concert space inside a magnificent, converted 18th-century Baroque church. Concerts are varied and oten very good indeed.QB-3, Vilniaus 30, tel. (+370) 5 262 04 21, kotrynosbaznycia@ gmail.com, www.kultura.lt. J
TADAS The weird weird and occasi occasionall onally wonderul wonderul world o the the Lithuanian thuanian artist Tadas Gutauskas, this gallery is given over entirely to his painting, sculpture and other media. Bordering on the naïve and childlike, Gutauskas’ work is colourul to say the least and all o it is or sale.QB-0, Kalvarijų 1, tel. (+370) 685 555 25, www.gutauskai.lt. Open by appointment only. J
TEATRO ARENA The main venue or the OKT theatre company (see Theatres), this large place on the edge o town is also a concert venue among other things.QI-3, Olimpiečių 3, tel. (+370) 683 773 57, www.teatroarena.lt. J
SKALVIJA The best place in the city or arthouse and underground underground cinema and meeting people who like it in the attached caé-bar. QH-3, A. Goštauto 2, tel. (+370) 5 261 05 05, www.skalvija. lt. Box office open an hour before the event. JW
VILNIUS CONGRESS HALL �VILNIAUS KONGRESŲ RŪMAI� Home to the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, this city-centre venue eatures some fine acoustics and organises everything rom serious classical concerts to shows or children.QB-1, Vilniaus 6/16, tel. (+370) 5 261 88 28, www. lvso.lt. Box office open 12:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. JA
CONCERT HALLS
CULTURAL CUL TURAL CENTRES
LITHUANIAN MUSIC & THEATRE ACADEMY �LIETU� place to VOS MUZIKOS IR TEATRO AKADEMIJA� The place come and see perormances by the cream o the country’s next generation o proessional musicians.QG-3, Gedimino 42, tel. (+370) 5 261 26 91, www.lmta.lt. J
THE AMERICAN CENTER �AMERIKOS CENTRAS� The American Center provides a variety o books, DVDs and other resources on politics, economics, business, entrepreneurship, innovation, American history, literature and culture. It organises regular film evenings, presentations by lecturers rom the US and Lithuania, as well as other educational and cultural activities. The American Center is located at the US Embassy in Vilnius.QG-4, Akmenų 6, tel. (+370) 5 266 54 02,
[email protected], www.vilnius.usembassy.gov/irc.html. Open 10:00 14:00, Tue 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. JUW
LITHUANIAN NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC �LIETU� VOS NACIONALINĖ FILHARMONIJA� Featuring a concert hall and a smaller chamber hall, the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra was established in 1940. Concerts are perormed by a range o ensembles including the aorementioned orchestra as well as the Čiurlionis String Quartet and the chamber ensemble Musica Humana to name but a ew.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 5, tel. (+370) 5 266 52 33, www.nationalphilharmonic. eu. Box office open 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 12:00. Closed Mon. JA
GALLERIES
PIANO.LT Hidden away down an Old Town backstreet, this small concert hall arranges concerts o many types including classical and jazz.QB-4, Trakų 9/1 (entrance on Kėdainių), tel. (+370) 5 203 28 91, www.piano.lt. J
ACADEMY �AKADEMIJA� The gallery o the Vilnius Art Academy hosts all manner o contemporary shows by artists rom home and abroad and is always worth a look inside.QC-3, Pilies 44/2, tel. (+370) 5 261 20 94, www.vda.lt. Open 12:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. J
PRAMOGŲ ARENA A large ice-skating rink on the outskirts o the city that also hosts the occasional concert.QE-2, Ąžuolyno 9, tel. (+370) 5 242 44 44, www.pramoguarena.lt. Box office open 14:00 - 20:00. Sat, Sun 12:00 - 20:00.
CONTEMPORARY ART CENTRE �ŠIUOLAIKINIO MENO CENTRAS� Vilnius’ very own monstrous carbuncle on the ace o an old riend, this 1968 concrete masterpiece conceals one o the country’s leading galleries or both Lithuanian and international contemporary
18 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
TERRA RECOGNITA An interesting gallery representing the work o the contemporary and conceptual Lithuanian artist Saulius Vaitiekūnas. Much o his work is both un and thought provoking and is generally available or sale. QC-3, Stiklių 7, tel. (+370) 612 444 79, www.terrarecognita.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. J TITANIKAS A series o exhibition halls owned and curated by the neighbouring Vilnius Art Academy, exhibitions run the gamut rom student shows to serious work rom home and abroad in just about ever y conceivable medium.QD2, Maironio 3, tel. (+370) 5 210 01 36, www.vda.lt. Open 12:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J UŽUPIO MENO INKUBATORIUS �UŽUPIS ART IN� CUBATOR� A tumbledown house on the riverbank, brightly painted and with a ew works in the garden, this is Užupis’ unofficial Ministry o Culture as well as a lively gallery space, workshop and the only place in the city to buy official Užupis Republic memorabilia, souvenirs, local artwork, a copy o the Constitution and much more. Exhibitions include works rom a wide range o contributors including established local artists, school children and the occasional American proessor o mathematics. Follow the riverbank north rom Užupio Kavinė. QD-3, Užupio 2, tel. (+370) 611 226 75, www.umi.lt. Open 11:00 - 17:00, Sat 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. J VARTAI Arguably the best and most influential contemporary gallery in the country. Find works in all media by the top Lithuanian artists working in their fields. Vartai also organises exhibitions by artists rom abroad. Recommended.QB-3, Vilniaus 39 (Vilniaus Mokytojų Namai), tel. (+370) 5 212 29 49, www.galerijavartai.lt. Open 12:00 - 18:00, Sat 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/ inyourpocket
ZNAD WILII A Polish art gallery displaying and selling paintings, books and the Polish-language newspaper o the same name.QD-3, Išganytojo 2, tel. (+370) 5 212 30 20, www.znadwiliiwilno. lt. Open 12:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J
OPERA & BALLET LITHUANIAN NATIONAL OPERA & BALLET THE� ATRE �LIETUVOS NACIONALINIS OPEROS IR BALETO TEATRAS� A stunning construction opened in 1974 1974 and offering the whole range o works. Worth a look inside even i you don’t plan on attending anything.QA1, A. Vienuolio 1, tel. (+370) 5 262 07 27, www.opera. lt. Box office open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:30, Sun 10:00 - 15:00. JA
PHOTOGRAPHY PROSPEKTO GALERIJA Owned and run by the Lithuanian Photographers’ Union, Prospekto Galerija is a hit and miss affair but really worth the effort just in case. Exhibitions range rom the sublime to the awul, oten let down partially by the artists themselves themselves who submit badly presented work that’s oten lit with no thought to the work. There’s also a small shop where you can buy books and postcards eaturing the work o many amous and obscure Lithuanian art, news and documentary photographers past and present.QG-3, Gedimino 43, tel. (+370) 5 261 83 38, www.photography.lt. Open 12:00 18:00, Sat 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun.J
THEATRES Almost all perormances are in Lithuanian or Russian. Some theatres provide occasional simultaneous translation. Check to make sure beore booking tickets.
ARTS PRINTING HOUSE �MENŲ SPAUSTUVĖ� Housed inside a ormer tsarist-era printing house this intriguing centre eatures two theatre halls, a place to collect and spread ideas and rehearsal rooms or various perormers. Check the website or a ull list o their activities.QD-2, Šiltadaržio 6, tel. (+370) 5 204 08 32, www.menuspaustuve.lt. J DOMINO THEATRE �DOMINO TEATRAS� The brainc hild o a s mall collec tive o like-mi nded local thespians, this very Lithuanian aair puts on shows inside a cinema.QG-4, Savanorių 7 (Forum Cinemas Vingis), tel. (+370) 656 863 83, www.dominoteatras. lt. Box office op en 11:00 - 14:00, 15:00 - 19:00. GYTIS IVANAUSKAS THEATRE The brainch ild o the still relative ly young dancer, actor and choreographer Gytis Ivanauskas, this interesting experimental company are worth looking out or. Currently they’re without a home but perorm regularly around the
[email protected], www.giteatras.lt.
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
Culture & Events
OPERA & BALLET DECEMBER Opera
Culture & Events 7 11, 12
18:30 18:30
21 25 27
18:30 18:30 18:30
Alexander’s Feast G. Feast G. F. Handel. The Marriage of Figaro W. Figaro W. A. Mozart. La Juive J. Juive J. F. Halevy. Ernani G. Verdi. L’Elisir d’Amore G. d’Amore G. Donizetti.
18:30
The Bat J. Bat J. Strauss.
4, 5 13, 14 18 20 26
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
28
18:30
The Snow Queen S. Queen S. Prokofiev. Carmen ballet G. ballet G. Bizet. Čiurlionis G. Kuprevičius. Coppélia L. Coppélia L. Delibes. The Sleeping Beauty P. Tchaikovs ky. Tristan & Isolde R. Isolde R. Wagner.
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
The Barber of Seville G. Rossini. Carmen G. Carmen G. Bizet. Ernani G. Ernani G. Verdi. La Traviata G. Traviata G. Verdi.
18:30 18:30 18:30
The Bat J. Bat J. Strauss. The Merry Widow F. Widow F. Lehár. Wiener Blut J. Blut J. Strauss.
5
18:30
7, 14, 21, 28 7, 21, 21, 28 28 11 13, 18
12:00
Red Giselle P. Giselle P. Tchaikovsky, G. Bizet, A. Adam, A. Schnittke. The Nutcracker P. Nutcracker P. Tchaikovsky.
18:0 18:000 18:30 18:30
The Nutcracker P. Nutcracker P. Tchaikovsky. Tristan & Isolde R. Isolde R. Wagner. The Nutcracker P. Nutcracker P. Tchaikovsky.
1 8
12:00 12:00
19:00
New Year’s Gala Concert. LNOBT Concert. LNOBT Symphony Orchestra.
15 22
12:00 18:30
3, 4 10 17 19 Operetta
6 12, 23 27 Ballet
Concert
31
JANUARY Opera
9 15 21 24 28, 29 2 10 17
19 Ballet
For Children
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:00 18:30 18:30
Cornet O. Cornet O. Narbutaitė. Alexander’s Feast G. Feast G. F. Handel. La Traviata G. Traviata G. Verdi. Lohengrin R. Wagner. La Juive J. Juive J. F. Halevy. Eugene Onegin P. Tchaikovsky.
18:30
The Bat J. Bat J. Strauss.
7
18:30
12 18 20 26, 27
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
Red Giselle P. Giselle P. Tchaikovsky, G. Bizet, A. Adam, A. S chnittke. Čiurlionis G. Kuprevičius. The Blue Danube J. Danube J. Strauss. Giselle A. Giselle A. Adam. Carmen ballet Carmen ballet G. Bizet.
La Traviata G. Traviata G. Verdi. Alexander’s Feast G. Feast G. F. Handel. Ernani G. Verdi. L’Elisir d’Amore G. d’Amore G. Donizetti. The Barber of Seville G. Seville G. Rossini.
4 6 13 19 25 28
18:30 18:30 18:30
Wiener Blut J. Blut J. Strauss. The Merry Widow F. Widow F. Lehár. The Bat J. Bat J. Strauss.
Operetta
18:30
The Nutcracker P. Nutcracker P. Tchaikovsky.
12:00 18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
The Nutcracker P. Nutcracker P. Tchaikovsky. Tristan & Isolde R. Isolde R. Wagner. The Blue Danube J. Danube J. Strauss. La Bayadère L. Bayadère L. A. Minkus. Carmen ballet G. ballet G. Bizet.
For Children
21 Ballet
12:00
8
12:00
14
12:00
15
16:00
12:00
18
12:00
25
12:00
The Tiny Lingonberry Lingonberry J. Tamulionis. Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs B. Pawlowski. Cipollino K. Chachaturian.
19:00
German Requiem J. Requiem J. Brahms.
22 28
12:00 12:00
La Traviata G. Traviata G. Verdi.
29
12:00
Concert FEBRUARY Opera
6
18:30
20 Vilnius In Your Pocket
LĖLĖ PUPPET THEATRE �VILNIAUS TEATRAS LĖLĖ� This inspired inspired puppet puppet theatre theatre or or children children o all all ages has been been charming audiences in Vilnius since the company was ounded way back in 1958.QC-4, Arklių 5, tel. (+370) 5 262 86 78, www.teatraslele.lt. Box office open 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon. J LITHUANIAN NATIONAL DRAMA THEATRE �LIETUVOS NACIONALINIS DRAMOS TEATRAS� Pretty much what it says it is, the Lithuanian National Drama Theatrepromotes promotes theatre theatre rom home home and and abroad abroad and and stages it in two venues inside the same building. Look or the three muses guarding the main entrance.QB-2, Gedimino 4, tel. (+370) 618 757 80, www.teatras.lt. Box office open 10:00 14:00, 15:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 14:00, 15:00 - 19:00.J LITHUANIAN RUSSIAN DRAMA THEATRE �LIETUVOS RUSŲ DRAMOS TEATRAS� The only proessional theatre in the country staging works exclusively in the Russian language, this fine old building also hosts other events including part o the annual Vilnius Jazz Festival.QH-4, J. Basanavičiaus 13, tel. (+370) 5 262 05 52, www.rusudrama.lt. Box office open 10:45 - 18:30, Sun 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon. J APRIL Concert 5 18:30
Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs B. Pawlowski. The Tiny Lingonberry Lingonberry J. Tamulionis. Première. Zuikis Puikis Puikis S. Mickis. Chamber Hall. Première. Zuikis Puikis Puikis S. Mickis. Chamber Hall. Cipollino K. Chachaturian. Première. Zuikis Puikis Puikis S. Mickis. Chamber Hall. Cinderella S. Prokofev. vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Filarmon Filarmonica ica Della Della Scala Concert. Concert. Conductor Myung Whun Chung.
Opera
18:30 18:30 18:00 18:30 18:30
The Barber of Seville G. Seville G. Rossini. Cornet O. Cornet O. Narbutaitė. Lohengrin R. Wagner. Alexander’s Feast G. F. Handel. Eugene Onegin P. Onegin P. Tchaikovsky.
10, 11
18:30
17 21 23 30
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
Première. Première. Bolero+. Bolero+. A triptych o one-act ballets. Swan Lake P. Lake P. Tchaikovsky. Čiurlionis G. Kuprevičius. Kuprevičius. La Bayadère L. Bayadère L. A. Minkus. Barbora Radvilaitė Radvilaitė S. Vainiūnas, A. Malcys, H. M. Górecki and other composers.
15, 16 18 24 25 29 Ballet
For Children
1
4
13
Cinderella S. Cinderella S. Prokofev. Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs B. Pawlowski. Cinderella S. Cinderella S. Prokofev. Cipollino K. Cipollino K. Chachaturian.
MARCH
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
Ballet
3, 7, 8, 14 11 16 22, 23 30 31
Operetta
Opera
Operetta
19
For Children
11,18, 12:00 Zuikis Puikis S. Mickis. Chamber 25 Hall. 12, 19 12:00 Cinderella S. Cinderella S. Prokofev. 26 12:00 Cipollino K. Cipollino K. Chachaturian. Perormances take place at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (see p. 19). More ino at www.opera.lt
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/inyourpocket facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
St. Catherine’s Church
NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE �VALSTYBINIS JAUNIMO TEATRAS� Founded in 1966 the National Youth Theatre stages works o all kinds rom the classics to experimental to innovative reworkings o original stories.QC-4, Arklių 5, tel. (+370) 5 261 61 26, www.jaunimoteatras.lt. Box office open 11:00 14:00, 14:30 - 18:00. Closed Mon. JA OKT/VILNIUS CITY THEATRE �OKT/VILNIAUS MIESTO TE ATRAS� Dedicated to modern theatre and modern interpretations o the classics. See their website or when and where they’re perorming.QB-4, Ašmenos 8, tel. (+370) 5 212 20 99, www.okt.lt. J TEATRAS MENO FORTAS An Old Town theatre given over entirely to the visionary antics o the inamous Lithuanian theatrical director Eimuntas Nekrošius. Works include everything rom Shakespeare to original works. QD-2, Bernardinų 8/8, tel. (+370) 5 231 21 10, www. menofortas.lt. J VILNIUS OLD TOWN THEATRE �VILNIAUS SENAMIESČIO TE ATRAS� Founded during the final days o the collapse o the Soviet Union in 1989 the theatre specialises in recreating the public-spirited theatre o the 16th and 17th centuries. With a varied repertoire, the company perorms almost exclusively in public outdoor spaces.QA-5, Naugarduko 20, tel. (+370) 687 916 61, www.senamiescioteatras.lt. VILNIUS SMALL STATE STATE THEATRE �VALSTYBINIS VILNIAUS MAŽASIS TEATRAS� Only finding a permanent home in 2005, this interesting theatre company who stage a wide range o predominantly contemporary works are based inside a glorious building in the city centre. Worth a look around even i you’re not attending a perormance.QA-1, Gedimino 22, tel. (+370) 5 249 98 69, www.vmt.lt. Box office open 11:00 - 15:00, 16:00 - 18:30, Sun 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Mon. J December 2014 - April 2015
21
Culture & Events
OPERA & BALLET DECEMBER Opera
Culture & Events 7 11, 12
18:30 18:30
21 25 27
18:30 18:30 18:30
Alexander’s Feast G. Feast G. F. Handel. The Marriage of Figaro W. Figaro W. A. Mozart. La Juive J. Juive J. F. Halevy. Ernani G. Verdi. L’Elisir d’Amore G. d’Amore G. Donizetti.
18:30
The Bat J. Bat J. Strauss.
4, 5 13, 14 18 20 26
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
28
18:30
The Snow Queen S. Queen S. Prokofiev. Carmen ballet G. ballet G. Bizet. Čiurlionis G. Kuprevičius. Coppélia L. Coppélia L. Delibes. The Sleeping Beauty P. Tchaikovs ky. Tristan & Isolde R. Isolde R. Wagner.
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
The Barber of Seville G. Rossini. Carmen G. Carmen G. Bizet. Ernani G. Ernani G. Verdi. La Traviata G. Traviata G. Verdi.
18:30 18:30 18:30
The Bat J. Bat J. Strauss. The Merry Widow F. Widow F. Lehár. Wiener Blut J. Blut J. Strauss.
5
18:30
7, 14, 21, 28 7, 21, 21, 28 28 11 13, 18
12:00
Red Giselle P. Giselle P. Tchaikovsky, G. Bizet, A. Adam, A. Schnittke. The Nutcracker P. Nutcracker P. Tchaikovsky.
18:0 18:000 18:30 18:30
The Nutcracker P. Nutcracker P. Tchaikovsky. Tristan & Isolde R. Isolde R. Wagner. The Nutcracker P. Nutcracker P. Tchaikovsky.
1 8
12:00 12:00
19:00
New Year’s Gala Concert. LNOBT Concert. LNOBT Symphony Orchestra.
15 22
12:00 18:30
3, 4 10 17 19 Operetta
6 12, 23 27 Ballet
Concert
31
JANUARY Opera
9 15 21 24 28, 29
Ballet
For Children
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:00 18:30 18:30
Cornet O. Cornet O. Narbutaitė. Alexander’s Feast G. Feast G. F. Handel. La Traviata G. Traviata G. Verdi. Lohengrin R. Wagner. La Juive J. Juive J. F. Halevy. Eugene Onegin P. Tchaikovsky.
18:30
The Bat J. Bat J. Strauss.
7
18:30
12 18 20 26, 27
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
Red Giselle P. Giselle P. Tchaikovsky, G. Bizet, A. Adam, A. S chnittke. Čiurlionis G. Kuprevičius. The Blue Danube J. Danube J. Strauss. Giselle A. Giselle A. Adam. Carmen ballet Carmen ballet G. Bizet.
La Traviata G. Traviata G. Verdi. Alexander’s Feast G. Feast G. F. Handel. Ernani G. Verdi. L’Elisir d’Amore G. d’Amore G. Donizetti. The Barber of Seville G. Seville G. Rossini.
4 6 13 19 25 28
18:30 18:30 18:30
Wiener Blut J. Blut J. Strauss. The Merry Widow F. Widow F. Lehár. The Bat J. Bat J. Strauss.
Operetta
18:30
The Nutcracker P. Nutcracker P. Tchaikovsky.
12:00 18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
The Nutcracker P. Nutcracker P. Tchaikovsky. Tristan & Isolde R. Isolde R. Wagner. The Blue Danube J. Danube J. Strauss. La Bayadère L. Bayadère L. A. Minkus. Carmen ballet G. ballet G. Bizet.
For Children
21 Ballet
12:00
8
12:00
14
12:00
15
16:00
12:00
18
12:00
25
12:00
The Tiny Lingonberry Lingonberry J. Tamulionis. Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs B. Pawlowski. Cipollino K. Chachaturian.
19:00
German Requiem J. Requiem J. Brahms.
22 28
12:00 12:00
La Traviata G. Traviata G. Verdi.
29
12:00
Concert FEBRUARY Opera
6
18:30
LITHUANIAN NATIONAL DRAMA THEATRE �LIETUVOS NACIONALINIS DRAMOS TEATRAS� Pretty much what it says it is, the Lithuanian National Drama Theatrepromotes promotes theatre theatre rom home home and and abroad abroad and and stages it in two venues inside the same building. Look or the three muses guarding the main entrance.QB-2, Gedimino 4, tel. (+370) 618 757 80, www.teatras.lt. Box office open 10:00 14:00, 15:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 14:00, 15:00 - 19:00.J LITHUANIAN RUSSIAN DRAMA THEATRE �LIETUVOS RUSŲ DRAMOS TEATRAS� The only proessional theatre in the country staging works exclusively in the Russian language, this fine old building also hosts other events including part o the annual Vilnius Jazz Festival.QH-4, J. Basanavičiaus 13, tel. (+370) 5 262 05 52, www.rusudrama.lt. Box office open 10:45 - 18:30, Sun 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon. J APRIL Concert 5 18:30
Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs B. Pawlowski. The Tiny Lingonberry Lingonberry J. Tamulionis. Première. Zuikis Puikis Puikis S. Mickis. Chamber Hall. Première. Zuikis Puikis Puikis S. Mickis. Chamber Hall. Cipollino K. Chachaturian. Première. Zuikis Puikis Puikis S. Mickis. Chamber Hall. Cinderella S. Prokofev.
20 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Filarmon Filarmonica ica Della Della Scala Concert. Concert. Conductor Myung Whun Chung.
Opera
18:30 18:30 18:00 18:30 18:30
The Barber of Seville G. Seville G. Rossini. Cornet O. Cornet O. Narbutaitė. Lohengrin R. Wagner. Alexander’s Feast G. F. Handel. Eugene Onegin P. Onegin P. Tchaikovsky.
10, 11
18:30
17 21 23 30
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
Première. Première. Bolero+. Bolero+. A triptych o one-act ballets. Swan Lake P. Lake P. Tchaikovsky. Čiurlionis G. Kuprevičius. Kuprevičius. La Bayadère L. Bayadère L. A. Minkus. Barbora Radvilaitė Radvilaitė S. Vainiūnas, A. Malcys, H. M. Górecki and other composers.
15, 16 18 24 25 29 Ballet
For Children
1
4
13
Cinderella S. Cinderella S. Prokofev. Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs B. Pawlowski. Cinderella S. Cinderella S. Prokofev. Cipollino K. Cipollino K. Chachaturian.
MARCH
18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30 18:30
Ballet
3, 7, 8, 14 11 16 22, 23 30 31
19
Opera
Operetta
2 10 17
Operetta
LĖLĖ PUPPET THEATRE �VILNIAUS TEATRAS LĖLĖ� This inspired inspired puppet puppet theatre theatre or or children children o all all ages has been been charming audiences in Vilnius since the company was ounded way back in 1958.QC-4, Arklių 5, tel. (+370) 5 262 86 78, www.teatraslele.lt. Box office open 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon. J
For Children
11,18, 12:00 Zuikis Puikis S. Mickis. Chamber 25 Hall. 12, 19 12:00 Cinderella S. Cinderella S. Prokofev. 26 12:00 Cipollino K. Cipollino K. Chachaturian. Perormances take place at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (see p. 19). More ino at www.opera.lt
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/inyourpocket
St. Catherine’s Church
NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE �VALSTYBINIS JAUNIMO TEATRAS� Founded in 1966 the National Youth Theatre stages works o all kinds rom the classics to experimental to innovative reworkings o original stories.QC-4, Arklių 5, tel. (+370) 5 261 61 26, www.jaunimoteatras.lt. Box office open 11:00 14:00, 14:30 - 18:00. Closed Mon. JA OKT/VILNIUS CITY THEATRE �OKT/VILNIAUS MIESTO TE ATRAS� Dedicated to modern theatre and modern interpretations o the classics. See their website or when and where they’re perorming.QB-4, Ašmenos 8, tel. (+370) 5 212 20 99, www.okt.lt. J TEATRAS MENO FORTAS An Old Town theatre given over entirely to the visionary antics o the inamous Lithuanian theatrical director Eimuntas Nekrošius. Works include everything rom Shakespeare to original works. QD-2, Bernardinų 8/8, tel. (+370) 5 231 21 10, www. menofortas.lt. J VILNIUS OLD TOWN THEATRE �VILNIAUS SENAMIESČIO TE ATRAS� Founded during the final days o the collapse o the Soviet Union in 1989 the theatre specialises in recreating the public-spirited theatre o the 16th and 17th centuries. With a varied repertoire, the company perorms almost exclusively in public outdoor spaces.QA-5, Naugarduko 20, tel. (+370) 687 916 61, www.senamiescioteatras.lt. VILNIUS SMALL STATE STATE THEATRE �VALSTYBINIS VILNIAUS MAŽASIS TEATRAS� Only finding a permanent home in 2005, this interesting theatre company who stage a wide range o predominantly contemporary works are based inside a glorious building in the city centre. Worth a look around even i you’re not attending a perormance.QA-1, Gedimino 22, tel. (+370) 5 249 98 69, www.vmt.lt. Box office open 11:00 - 15:00, 16:00 - 18:30, Sun 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Mon. J
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
Where to eat With the exception of a handful of amusing and/or appalling disasters, eating out in Vilnius is both excellent and relatively affordable for all. The city’s restaurants and cafés literally cater to taste buds of every persuasion, offering everything from vast plates of potatobased local specialities to a surprisingly wide and generally palatable concoction of dishes from the kitchens of such far away places as India and Brazil. Although the bulk of restaurants worth visiting can be found within the city centre, the suburbs also offer a few treats, which we list when we feel that the plaudits is deserving. Tipping, if deserved, is up to the diner, with 10 per cent or a rounding up of the bill both being acceptable.
Where to eat
SYMBOL KEY P Air conditioning
A Credit cards accepted
T Child-riendly
U Facilities Facilities or the disabled
G Non-smoking
6 Pet-riendly
X Smoking place
J Old town location
E Live music
away S Take away
I Fireplace
W Wi-Fi
B Outside seating
V Home delivery
BELGIAN
EL GAUCHO SANO This cellar restaurant is prized by those in the know or its steaks, but there’s also plenty o other Argentinean specialities on offer or those who like to experiment, making El Gaucho Sano an Sano an ideal place to head or diners bored o the usual offerings around town. Last time round we went or the sirloin steak, which was ample in proportions, cooked to perection and extremely good value considering this is basically a hotel restaurant.QC-2, Pilies 10, tel. (+370) 5 210 77 73, www.atrium.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €17. PJASW
BELGAI Reopened ater renovation, Belgai is better than ever. The interior is a little more contemporary than beore, and we like it. The ood is as good as ever, and the portions just as you will remember them: enormous, especially the antastic pots o resh mussels: still the pick o the menu they serve them in at least 20 different, variously inventive, ways. The Belgian beer tasting menu is a treat that more than warrants the price.QB-5, Rūdninkų 15/46, tel. (+370) 612 147 11, www.belgai.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. €9. PTJA6W
ASIAN
BRAZILIAN
PEKINAS The closest Chinese restaurant to the Chinese embassy is a small affair with plenty o obligatory lanterns, riendly staff and a television and CD player vying or attention in authentic Chinese ashion. The slightly pricey menu is extensive and generally excellent, with plate warmers on hand to keep the large portions piping hot as they’re slowly devoured. Amidst the more mainstream offerings o bee, pork, chicken and vegetable dishes are a ew exotic treats including snails and even ostrich.QH-5, Algirdo 28/15, tel. (+370) 5 215 16 20, www.kinuvirtuve.lt. Open 11:00 22:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €9. PTAUVSW
GRILL BRAZIL A marvellous restaurant specialising in churrasco and churrasco and espeto corrido cuisine, corrido cuisine, which or the uninitiated is a Brazilian buffet extravaganza wherein diners help themselves to endless portions o salad and other dishes whilst a procession o waiters do the rounds armed with large skewers loaded with grilled meat which is cut at the table and dropped onto the plate. Unquestionably one o the best restaurants in the country, there’s also an accompanying set menu or the less adventurous.QF/G-2, Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama), tel. (+370) 671 886 65, www.grillbrazil.lt. Open 10:00 - 23:00. €8. AW
22 Vilnius In Your Pocket
For donations: Deutsche Bank Munich | Account no.: 746500800 Sort code: 70070010 IBAN: DE19 7007 0010 0746 5008 00 Bank ID Code: DEUTDEMMXXX | Reference: ‘Drying little tears’
CHINESE
ARGENTINEAN
SOYA The legendary national chain o o Čili restaurants is currently undergoing a major restructuring programme, one o the results being this new name in Asian cuisine. The brainchild o master che Yu Chen, Soya ocuses it s attention on quality ood rom China, Japan, Korea and Thailand, an ambitious endeavour that appears to be paying off. About as authentic as you’ll get or an Asian restaurant in this part o the world, perhaps the only major criticism to be levelled against them is the location, which is obscure to say the least. We were particularly impressed with the usion ood and the banana tempura.QJ-1, Žirmūnų 68a, tel. (+370) 5 277 41 11, www.soya.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. Also at A. Vienuolio 4, Vokiečių 8, Ozo 25 (Akropolis), Ukmergės 369 (BIG). €5. PAVSW
21
CANTONESE
DIDŽIOJI KINIJA Quite rankly there are too many Chinese restaurants in Vilnius, making decisions difficult considering they all more or less look the same as each other. I in doubt, you could do a lot worse than opting or Didžioji Kinija, Kinija, a long-established avourite in the city with a huge menu o dishes we’re slowly going through and that has yet to disappoint. The vegetable spring rolls are among the best we’ve ever eaten and the vegetarian options in general are more or less outstanding. A consistent winner in a city o losers, we’re still waiting to find a ault here and wonder i we ever will. Recommended.QA-00, Konstitucijos 12, tel. (+370) 5 263 63 63, www.kinuvirtuve.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €7. PTAVSW
FINE DINING IMPERIAL BY CALIFORNIA GOURMET The five-starRamada five-star Ramada Hotel & Suites Vilnius’ flagship flagship gourmet restaurant offers the ultimate in dining, rom the sophisticated décor through to the mouth-watering ood. Billed as the first gourmet restaurant in Lithuania, the ood here is taken very seriously indeed and gets most o its inspiration rom the melting pot o cuisines coming out o the United States. The menu is impressive and includes a wealth o classy dishes.QC-5, Subačiaus 2 (Ramada Hotel & Suites Vilnius), tel. (+370) 5 255 33 55, www.californiagourmet. lt. Open 18:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €30. PTJAUSW
LA PERGOLA White tablecloth gourmet dining in sumptuous surroundings inside the Grotthuss hotel, or, during the warmer months, on their lovely terrace just off a quiet street in the heart o Old Town. Town. The menu o internationa internationall dishes dishes includes includes plenty o options to keep everybody happy, and is accompanied by an equally admirable wine list.QB-5, Ligoninės 7, tel. (+370) 5 266 03 22, www.grotthusshotel.com. Open 17:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. €19. PTJAULW LA PROVENCE Deliciously expensive or a reason, La Provence has been packing them in since it first opened its doors way back in 2001. Exclusive, theatrical and a magnet or all manner o well-heeled VIPs, these people understand flavour like ew others, inusing it into a wide range o dishes rom octopus salad through seasonal seaood to a classic tiramisu made on the premises. Although meat and fish dominate, there are a couple o vegetarian main courses on offer to keep everyone satisfied. The wine menu is both perectly thought out and rightully ostentatious. Do yoursel a avour and learn the exchange rate beore ordering some o the our-figure bottles o champagne. Recommended.QB-4, Vokiečių 22, tel. (+370) 5 262 02 57, www.laprovence.lt. Open 18:00 - 24:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €22. PTJAS NARUTIS RESTAURANT Lush burgundy and orange abrics and glorious 18th-century rescoes, white tablecloths and staff with impeccable style, that’s what people have grown to expect in this top
NEW YUM CHA The first Cantonese Cantonese restaurant restaurant ever ever to open in Lithuania and i first impressions are anything to go by, it’s a keeper. We turned up on only their second day o business and already it was doing a decent trade: even without a proper menu and a ew other rough edges. The prawn wonton soup and mild spicy prawn with egg ried rice we ate was abulously tasty, and the service was impeccable or a new restaurant. Nice interior, by and large ree o the awul tat that oten spoils ethnic restaurants in this part o the world.QC/D-5, Subačiaus 6a, tel. (+370) 5 213 89 88. Mon - Thu 11:00 16:00, 18:00 - 22:00, Fri 11:00 - 16:00, 18:00 - 03:00, Sat 11:00 11:00 - 03:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €5.PJASW vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
23
Where to eat With the exception of a handful of amusing and/or appalling disasters, eating out in Vilnius is both excellent and relatively affordable for all. The city’s restaurants and cafés literally cater to taste buds of every persuasion, offering everything from vast plates of potatobased local specialities to a surprisingly wide and generally palatable concoction of dishes from the kitchens of such far away places as India and Brazil. Although the bulk of restaurants worth visiting can be found within the city centre, the suburbs also offer a few treats, which we list when we feel that the plaudits is deserving. Tipping, if deserved, is up to the diner, with 10 per cent or a rounding up of the bill both being acceptable.
Where to eat
SYMBOL KEY P Air conditioning
A Credit cards accepted
T Child-riendly
U Facilities Facilities or the disabled
G Non-smoking
6 Pet-riendly
X Smoking place
J Old town location
E Live music
away S Take away
I Fireplace
W Wi-Fi
B Outside seating
V Home delivery
CHINESE
ARGENTINEAN
BELGIAN
EL GAUCHO SANO This cellar restaurant is prized by those in the know or its steaks, but there’s also plenty o other Argentinean specialities on offer or those who like to experiment, making El Gaucho Sano an Sano an ideal place to head or diners bored o the usual offerings around town. Last time round we went or the sirloin steak, which was ample in proportions, cooked to perection and extremely good value considering this is basically a hotel restaurant.QC-2, Pilies 10, tel. (+370) 5 210 77 73, www.atrium.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €17. PJASW
BELGAI Reopened ater renovation, Belgai is better than ever. The interior is a little more contemporary than beore, and we like it. The ood is as good as ever, and the portions just as you will remember them: enormous, especially the antastic pots o resh mussels: still the pick o the menu they serve them in at least 20 different, variously inventive, ways. The Belgian beer tasting menu is a treat that more than warrants the price.QB-5, Rūdninkų 15/46, tel. (+370) 612 147 11, www.belgai.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. €9. PTJA6W
ASIAN
BRAZILIAN
PEKINAS The closest Chinese restaurant to the Chinese embassy is a small affair with plenty o obligatory lanterns, riendly staff and a television and CD player vying or attention in authentic Chinese ashion. The slightly pricey menu is extensive and generally excellent, with plate warmers on hand to keep the large portions piping hot as they’re slowly devoured. Amidst the more mainstream offerings o bee, pork, chicken and vegetable dishes are a ew exotic treats including snails and even ostrich.QH-5, Algirdo 28/15, tel. (+370) 5 215 16 20, www.kinuvirtuve.lt. Open 11:00 22:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €9. PTAUVSW
GRILL BRAZIL A marvellous restaurant specialising in churrasco and churrasco and espeto corrido cuisine, corrido cuisine, which or the uninitiated is a Brazilian buffet extravaganza wherein diners help themselves to endless portions o salad and other dishes whilst a procession o waiters do the rounds armed with large skewers loaded with grilled meat which is cut at the table and dropped onto the plate. Unquestionably one o the best restaurants in the country, there’s also an accompanying set menu or the less adventurous.QF/G-2, Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama), tel. (+370) 671 886 65, www.grillbrazil.lt. Open 10:00 - 23:00. €8. AW
SOYA The legendary national chain o o Čili restaurants is currently undergoing a major restructuring programme, one o the results being this new name in Asian cuisine. The brainchild o master che Yu Chen, Soya ocuses it s attention on quality ood rom China, Japan, Korea and Thailand, an ambitious endeavour that appears to be paying off. About as authentic as you’ll get or an Asian restaurant in this part o the world, perhaps the only major criticism to be levelled against them is the location, which is obscure to say the least. We were particularly impressed with the usion ood and the banana tempura.QJ-1, Žirmūnų 68a, tel. (+370) 5 277 41 11, www.soya.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. Also at A. Vienuolio 4, Vokiečių 8, Ozo 25 (Akropolis), Ukmergės 369 (BIG). €5. PAVSW
For donations: Deutsche Bank Munich | Account no.: 746500800 Sort code: 70070010 IBAN: DE19 7007 0010 0746 5008 00 Bank ID Code: DEUTDEMMXXX | Reference: ‘Drying little tears’
CANTONESE
DIDŽIOJI KINIJA Quite rankly there are too many Chinese restaurants in Vilnius, making decisions difficult considering they all more or less look the same as each other. I in doubt, you could do a lot worse than opting or Didžioji Kinija, Kinija, a long-established avourite in the city with a huge menu o dishes we’re slowly going through and that has yet to disappoint. The vegetable spring rolls are among the best we’ve ever eaten and the vegetarian options in general are more or less outstanding. A consistent winner in a city o losers, we’re still waiting to find a ault here and wonder i we ever will. Recommended.QA-00, Konstitucijos 12, tel. (+370) 5 263 63 63, www.kinuvirtuve.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €7. PTAVSW
FINE DINING IMPERIAL BY CALIFORNIA GOURMET The five-starRamada five-star Ramada Hotel & Suites Vilnius’ flagship flagship gourmet restaurant offers the ultimate in dining, rom the sophisticated décor through to the mouth-watering ood. Billed as the first gourmet restaurant in Lithuania, the ood here is taken very seriously indeed and gets most o its inspiration rom the melting pot o cuisines coming out o the United States. The menu is impressive and includes a wealth o classy dishes.QC-5, Subačiaus 2 (Ramada Hotel & Suites Vilnius), tel. (+370) 5 255 33 55, www.californiagourmet. lt. Open 18:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €30. PTJAUSW
LA PERGOLA White tablecloth gourmet dining in sumptuous surroundings inside the Grotthuss hotel, or, during the warmer months, on their lovely terrace just off a quiet street in the heart o Old Town. Town. The menu o internationa internationall dishes dishes includes includes plenty o options to keep everybody happy, and is accompanied by an equally admirable wine list.QB-5, Ligoninės 7, tel. (+370) 5 266 03 22, www.grotthusshotel.com. Open 17:00 - 23:00. Closed Sun. €19. PTJAULW LA PROVENCE Deliciously expensive or a reason, La Provence has been packing them in since it first opened its doors way back in 2001. Exclusive, theatrical and a magnet or all manner o well-heeled VIPs, these people understand flavour like ew others, inusing it into a wide range o dishes rom octopus salad through seasonal seaood to a classic tiramisu made on the premises. Although meat and fish dominate, there are a couple o vegetarian main courses on offer to keep everyone satisfied. The wine menu is both perectly thought out and rightully ostentatious. Do yoursel a avour and learn the exchange rate beore ordering some o the our-figure bottles o champagne. Recommended.QB-4, Vokiečių 22, tel. (+370) 5 262 02 57, www.laprovence.lt. Open 18:00 - 24:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €22. PTJAS NARUTIS RESTAURANT Lush burgundy and orange abrics and glorious 18th-century rescoes, white tablecloths and staff with impeccable style, that’s what people have grown to expect in this top
NEW YUM CHA The first Cantonese Cantonese restaurant restaurant ever ever to open in Lithuania and i first impressions are anything to go by, it’s a keeper. We turned up on only their second day o business and already it was doing a decent trade: even without a proper menu and a ew other rough edges. The prawn wonton soup and mild spicy prawn with egg ried rice we ate was abulously tasty, and the service was impeccable or a new restaurant. Nice interior, by and large ree o the awul tat that oten spoils ethnic restaurants in this part o the world.QC/D-5, Subačiaus 6a, tel. (+370) 5 213 89 88. Mon - Thu 11:00 16:00, 18:00 - 22:00, Fri 11:00 - 16:00, 18:00 - 03:00, Sat 11:00 11:00 - 03:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €5.PJASW
22 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Where to eat
December 2014 - April 2015
23
Where to eat CAFÉ MONTMARTRE Brushing aside the name, this otherwise unpretentious small restaurant on a spookily French-eeling corner o Old Town came up trumps when we needed a croque-monsieur in in a hurry and o the kind you’ll find in Paris or the same price. With a menu o other similar snacks as well as larger dishes both rom France and Italy, i everything’s as good as the aorementioned toasted slice o magnificence then this is definitely one to keep an eye out or. QC-4/5, Didžioji 40, tel. (+370) 612 892 69. Open 09:00 - 23:00, Fri 09:00 - 24:00, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 10:00 - 22:00. €9. JASW MARCHÉ DE PROVENCE This now well established Old Town restaurant specialises in not only the cuisine a ter which the place is named but also serves dishes rom a number o other European culinary destinations. The regularly changing bill o are is positively packed with good things including at the time o going to press sea snails, a great gazpacho and main dishes including venison, oven baked lamb and duck with orange. There’s also some super desserts and an excellent wine list to compliment everything. Their shop in the same building offers a range o quality ood rom home and abroad.QC-3, Pilies 27, tel. (+370) 686 777 07, www. marchedeprovence.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. Last kitchen order 22:30. €20. PJASW
notch Old Town hotel restaurant. There’s plenty o imitators Restoranas you get the real thing, hereabouts, but in Naručio Restoranas you meaning great service and great ood. The menu eatures an imaginative concoction o dishes rom around the world, inkybyn (a Lithuanian Karaite speciality) cluding one o the best kybyn (a in the country to a mouth-watering Chilean sea bass. Using resh ingredients to create works o art on every plate, this one really is hard to beat.QC-3, Pilies 24 (The Narutis Hotel Preferred Boutique), tel. (+370) 5 212 28 94, www.narutis. com. Open 11:00 - 23:00. €20. PTJASW
STIKLIAI A small but magnificent menu o wonderul dishes eaturing such classic avourites as black truffles and a proper sorbet, all served rom soup to nuts by impeccable staff in truly sumptuous surroundings. Whereas most hotel restaurants are best avoided, this one is more than an exception. Backpackers and stag parties might like to find somewhere else to eat. People with style who know a good thing when they see it and who like to impress might like to book a table.QC-3, Gaono 7 (Stikliai Hotel), tel. (+370) 5 264 95 80, www.stikliai.com. Op en 12:00 - 15:00, 18:00 - 23:00. Sat 12:00 - 23:30. €29. PTJAUW TELEGRAFAS One o the top five restaurants in all o Lithuania, perhaps even the entire Baltics. A superb menu - which changes requently - boasts a wide selection o both meat and fish (oten with a local twist), while treats such as the Lobster Thermidor and the tiger tiger prawns underline the the act that that they will pull out all the stops to be the very best. The dining 24 Vilnius In Your Pocket
room itsel is smart yet never stuffy, and the wine list is a sensation: what’s more there is wine or all pockets. Overall o course a meal here will cost a small ortune, but you will nevertheless leave eeling that you have had ull value or money. The name derives rom the act that during most o Soviet period this was the main telegraph office in Vilnius. A must.QC-2, Universiteto 14 (Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square), tel. (+370) 5 220 16 00, www.kempinski.com/ vilnius. Open 18:30 - 22:30. Breakfast menu served 07:00 - 10:30, Sat, Sun 07:00 - 11:30. Business lunch served Mon - Fri 12:00 - 15:00. €23. PTJAUW
FRENCH BALZAC Still impressively busy most times we walk past, our last outing to Balzac was was as good as the previous one, i not better. The staff remain riendly and helpul and the ood, i not exactly like the stuff made rom resh local ingredients you’d expect rom a roadside restaurant in the suburbs o Bordeaux, is more than good enough to keep visiting French visitors more than happy. The complimentary bread and spread provided while you wait is not only a welcome treat but worthy o a review in itsel, whilst the impressive menu continues to impress. Recommended is the classic onion soup ollowed by a hotchpotch o small dishes to share with riends. Note that the kitchen closes 1 hour beore they lock the doors.QC-4, Savičiaus 7, tel. (+370) 614 892 23, www.balzac.lt. Open 11:30 - 23:00, Fri 11:30 11:30 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, S un 12:00 - 22:00. €10. PTJASW vilnius.inyourpocket.com
SAINT GERMAIN Decorated inside to imitate French shambles chic and urther reinorced with plenty o good outdoor seating during the summer, Saint Germain is one o the city’s best French restaurants. Oten ull o smart locals and in-the-know visitors looking or superior lavours, the atmosphere is certainly one o the best in town, and the wine list equally admirable. What’s more, th e excellent ood (we loved the grilled scallops with asparagus) is more than aordable. Thoroughly recommended. Q C/D-3, Literatų 9, tel. (+370) 5 262 12 10, www. saintgermain.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00. Last kitchen order 22:30 (Sunday 22 :00). €17.JASW J ASW
FUN PAUKŠČIŲ TAKAS Unquestionably the highest restaurant in Vilnius, this revolving place at the top o the Television Tower offers amazing views (reason or which there is a cover charge to prevent people coming up just or the view). While the ood could never expect to live up to the setting it is perectly acceptable and not - as you might expect - priced outrageously. In act, it’s cheaper than many places that have ar less exotic views. The kitchen closes 1.5 hours beore they lock the doors. Trolleybus 16 rom the train station runs close by, an honest taxi will cost around €6.QSausio 13-osios 10 (Television Tower), tel. (+370) 5 252 53 36, www.tvbokstas.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 23:00. Box office open 11:00 - 21:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 22:00. €8. ASW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
RENÉ One o ew places in Vilnius you can get seriously good and - most importantly - r esh Belgian mussels. Note however that as they insist on only selling resh produce, some days they will not have any mussels: phone ahead i you have set your heart on mussels and ries. There is plenty o other decent ood to choose rom though, and the set ting is simple yet charming: being able to draw on the tables is always a draw or some. Good selection o Belgian beer. The s ervice rom the bowler-hatted waitresses can be a little hit and miss.QC-4, M. Antokolskio 13, tel. (+370) 5 212 68 58. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €8. PTA6US UŽUPIO KAVINĖ This place is the h eadquarters o the organisation behind the Republic of Užupis, Užupis , the tiny ‘breakaway’ republic on the let bank o the Vilnia. Like Užupis itsel this venue attract s a mix o offbeat and curious types, as well as artists and musicians. The ood and drink on offer is good, not least the Irish lamb soup (unlikely to be ound on any other menu in Vilnius). The milkshakes are probably Republic of Užupis’ Užupis’ finest exports.QD-3, Užupio 2, tel. (+370) 5 212 21 38, www.uzupiokavine.lt. Open 10:00 - 23:00. €6. JASW
inyourpocket.com December 2014 - April 2015
25
Where to eat
Where to eat CAFÉ MONTMARTRE Brushing aside the name, this otherwise unpretentious small restaurant on a spookily French-eeling corner o Old Town came up trumps when we needed a croque-monsieur in in a hurry and o the kind you’ll find in Paris or the same price. With a menu o other similar snacks as well as larger dishes both rom France and Italy, i everything’s as good as the aorementioned toasted slice o magnificence then this is definitely one to keep an eye out or. QC-4/5, Didžioji 40, tel. (+370) 612 892 69. Open 09:00 - 23:00, Fri 09:00 - 24:00, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 10:00 - 22:00. €9. JASW MARCHÉ DE PROVENCE This now well established Old Town restaurant specialises in not only the cuisine a ter which the place is named but also serves dishes rom a number o other European culinary destinations. The regularly changing bill o are is positively packed with good things including at the time o going to press sea snails, a great gazpacho and main dishes including venison, oven baked lamb and duck with orange. There’s also some super desserts and an excellent wine list to compliment everything. Their shop in the same building offers a range o quality ood rom home and abroad.QC-3, Pilies 27, tel. (+370) 686 777 07, www. marchedeprovence.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. Last kitchen order 22:30. €20. PJASW
notch Old Town hotel restaurant. There’s plenty o imitators Restoranas you get the real thing, hereabouts, but in Naručio Restoranas you meaning great service and great ood. The menu eatures an imaginative concoction o dishes rom around the world, inkybyn (a Lithuanian Karaite speciality) cluding one o the best kybyn (a in the country to a mouth-watering Chilean sea bass. Using resh ingredients to create works o art on every plate, this one really is hard to beat.QC-3, Pilies 24 (The Narutis Hotel Preferred Boutique), tel. (+370) 5 212 28 94, www.narutis. com. Open 11:00 - 23:00. €20. PTJASW
STIKLIAI A small but magnificent menu o wonderul dishes eaturing such classic avourites as black truffles and a proper sorbet, all served rom soup to nuts by impeccable staff in truly sumptuous surroundings. Whereas most hotel restaurants are best avoided, this one is more than an exception. Backpackers and stag parties might like to find somewhere else to eat. People with style who know a good thing when they see it and who like to impress might like to book a table.QC-3, Gaono 7 (Stikliai Hotel), tel. (+370) 5 264 95 80, www.stikliai.com. Op en 12:00 - 15:00, 18:00 - 23:00. Sat 12:00 - 23:30. €29. PTJAUW TELEGRAFAS One o the top five restaurants in all o Lithuania, perhaps even the entire Baltics. A superb menu - which changes requently - boasts a wide selection o both meat and fish (oten with a local twist), while treats such as the Lobster Thermidor and the tiger tiger prawns underline the the act that that they will pull out all the stops to be the very best. The dining
room itsel is smart yet never stuffy, and the wine list is a sensation: what’s more there is wine or all pockets. Overall o course a meal here will cost a small ortune, but you will nevertheless leave eeling that you have had ull value or money. The name derives rom the act that during most o Soviet period this was the main telegraph office in Vilnius. A must.QC-2, Universiteto 14 (Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square), tel. (+370) 5 220 16 00, www.kempinski.com/ vilnius. Open 18:30 - 22:30. Breakfast menu served 07:00 - 10:30, Sat, Sun 07:00 - 11:30. Business lunch served Mon - Fri 12:00 - 15:00. €23. PTJAUW
FRENCH BALZAC Still impressively busy most times we walk past, our last outing to Balzac was was as good as the previous one, i not better. The staff remain riendly and helpul and the ood, i not exactly like the stuff made rom resh local ingredients you’d expect rom a roadside restaurant in the suburbs o Bordeaux, is more than good enough to keep visiting French visitors more than happy. The complimentary bread and spread provided while you wait is not only a welcome treat but worthy o a review in itsel, whilst the impressive menu continues to impress. Recommended is the classic onion soup ollowed by a hotchpotch o small dishes to share with riends. Note that the kitchen closes 1 hour beore they lock the doors.QC-4, Savičiaus 7, tel. (+370) 614 892 23, www.balzac.lt. Open 11:30 - 23:00, Fri 11:30 11:30 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, S un 12:00 - 22:00. €10. PTJASW
24 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
SAINT GERMAIN Decorated inside to imitate French shambles chic and urther reinorced with plenty o good outdoor seating during the summer, Saint Germain is one o the city’s best French restaurants. Oten ull o smart locals and in-the-know visitors looking or superior lavours, the atmosphere is certainly one o the best in town, and the wine list equally admirable. What’s more, th e excellent ood (we loved the grilled scallops with asparagus) is more than aordable. Thoroughly recommended. Q C/D-3, Literatų 9, tel. (+370) 5 262 12 10, www. saintgermain.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00. Last kitchen order 22:30 (Sunday 22 :00). €17.JASW J ASW
FUN PAUKŠČIŲ TAKAS Unquestionably the highest restaurant in Vilnius, this revolving place at the top o the Television Tower offers amazing views (reason or which there is a cover charge to prevent people coming up just or the view). While the ood could never expect to live up to the setting it is perectly acceptable and not - as you might expect - priced outrageously. In act, it’s cheaper than many places that have ar less exotic views. The kitchen closes 1.5 hours beore they lock the doors. Trolleybus 16 rom the train station runs close by, an honest taxi will cost around €6.QSausio 13-osios 10 (Television Tower), tel. (+370) 5 252 53 36, www.tvbokstas.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 23:00. Box office open 11:00 - 21:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 22:00. €8. ASW
RENÉ One o ew places in Vilnius you can get seriously good and - most importantly - r esh Belgian mussels. Note however that as they insist on only selling resh produce, some days they will not have any mussels: phone ahead i you have set your heart on mussels and ries. There is plenty o other decent ood to choose rom though, and the set ting is simple yet charming: being able to draw on the tables is always a draw or some. Good selection o Belgian beer. The s ervice rom the bowler-hatted waitresses can be a little hit and miss.QC-4, M. Antokolskio 13, tel. (+370) 5 212 68 58. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €8. PTA6US UŽUPIO KAVINĖ This place is the h eadquarters o the organisation behind the Republic of Užupis, Užupis , the tiny ‘breakaway’ republic on the let bank o the Vilnia. Like Užupis itsel this venue attract s a mix o offbeat and curious types, as well as artists and musicians. The ood and drink on offer is good, not least the Irish lamb soup (unlikely to be ound on any other menu in Vilnius). The milkshakes are probably Republic of Užupis’ Užupis’ finest exports.QD-3, Užupio 2, tel. (+370) 5 212 21 38, www.uzupiokavine.lt. Open 10:00 - 23:00. €6. JASW
inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
Where to eat
Where to eat tive, good value ood on oer includes schnitzels, bratwurst, bangers and mash, lamb, boar, bee steaks, resh ish and the house special dish o goose with ried potatoes and a host o other vegetables. There’s live music during the weekends and an extensive range o drinks including Riesling, Riesling, Grauer Burgunder and the recommended German beer Zoller-Ho f rom Schwabia.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 11, tel. (+370) 5 212 83 12, www.buntegans.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €10. TJAESW
GOURMET BURGERS
FISH ŽUVINĖ From the same stable as the people with the same name in Palanga, this classy little number serves a select range o predominantly locally caught fish accompanied with all manner o ancy additions. The style is very much upscale, the ood is impressive and the location inside the historical Town Hall is more or less unbeatable.QC-4, Didžioji 31, tel. (+370) 682 191 72, www.zuvine.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Sun 11:00 22:00. €15. PTJASW
FUSION COCO RESTOBAR A huge padded mirror over the door marks the spot where Coco Restobar can can be located. Inside is a well though-out affair populated with a mostly young and intelligent crowd who when they’re not drinking and ogling the DJs take advantage o a cracking little changing menu o great experimental ood with a distinctive Asian twist.QB-2, Labdarių 8, tel. (+370) 5 212 29 09. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri 11:00 - 05:00, Sat 12:00 - 05:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. €5. PJASW INDIE BAR The eye-catching slogan “burgers, beer, rock & rum” doesn’t quite to Indie justice. The ab burgers are made 26 Vilnius In Your Pocket
25
to order - medium rare was perect or us - and come in styles like Tex-Mex or with Red Leicester cheese. Rum is poured into a lemongrass-inflected Caribbean soup and there are 17 rum varieties to imbibe as well as cocktails and draught beers.QA-4, Pylimo 23, tel. (+370) 608 424 20. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 03:00. €4. PJAEW
BOOM! BURGERS Very centrally located - it’s on the other side o the street to the Cathedral - you in act need to look careully to ind the entrance o Boom, as it hardly stands out. Once in, you will ind a bright place serving gourmet burgers which are cooked to order: we asked or a medium cooked hamburger with onion rings and it was exactly as we wanted. The Caes ar salad would have been better with chicken (which can be ordered separately) but they had run out o it. The cheesecake comes with ice-cream, a pinch o salt and a drop o olive oil and is one o the best we’ve tasted. Decent music and riendly service.QB/C-2, Gedimino 1, tel. (+370) 652 145 34. Open 11:30 - 22:00, Fri 11:30 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €6. PTJASW
BAKERIES CHAČAPURI A small bakery with a handul o tables offering mostly takeaway Georgian breads o various kinds, generally baked to order and consequently oten taking a while to arrive. Not advisable or those in a hurry, but outstandingly recommended or those who aren’t. There’s usually somebody there who speaks English to help decode the mysteries o Georgian baking. Recommended is the dish ater which the place is named, chačapuri , aka khachapuri , a smashing little bread bun-type thing filled with cheese. QB-6, Sod ų 9, tel. (+370) 5 240 58 51, www.khachapuri. lt. Open 11:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun. JAS PINAVIJA Pandering to those looking or a more healthy liestyle this combined bakery and caé specialises in a wide range o treats made rom natural ingredients. Offering both the choice o eating in or taking away, the menu is impressive and eatures everything rom classic Lithuanian and international savoury pastries to a mind-boggling array o cakes and desserts. There’s also a good choice o drinks on offer and an excellent area or children at the back, all located in a convenient central location. QA-2, Vilniaus 21, tel. (+370) 676 444 22. Open 09:30 - 20:30, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 19:30. PTJASW
GEORGIAN TIFLISI DUKANI Featuring pleasant décor, an equally agreeable staff and some real magic taking place in the kitchen, Tiflisi Dukani’s menu eatures enough Caucasian cuisine to keep mouths watering or months to come. Because this is a real Georgian restaurant owned and run by people who know their business, the staff are on hand to advise as to what dishes to order. Highly recommended are any o the Georgian soups and the magnificent grilled meats. An extensive wine menu and plenty o classic desserts finishes everything off perectly.QA-4, Naugarduko 12, tel. (+370) 656 228 05. Open 11:30 - 22:00, Fri 11:30 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €7. PTAVESW
GERMAN BUNTE GANS Bunte Gans churns out excellent German cuisine and other dishes in this Old Town avourite. The imaginavilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
27
Where to eat
Where to eat tive, good value ood on oer includes schnitzels, bratwurst, bangers and mash, lamb, boar, bee steaks, resh ish and the house special dish o goose with ried potatoes and a host o other vegetables. There’s live music during the weekends and an extensive range o drinks including Riesling, Riesling, Grauer Burgunder and the recommended German beer Zoller-Ho f rom Schwabia.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 11, tel. (+370) 5 212 83 12, www.buntegans.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €10. TJAESW
GOURMET BURGERS
FISH ŽUVINĖ From the same stable as the people with the same name in Palanga, this classy little number serves a select range o predominantly locally caught fish accompanied with all manner o ancy additions. The style is very much upscale, the ood is impressive and the location inside the historical Town Hall is more or less unbeatable.QC-4, Didžioji 31, tel. (+370) 682 191 72, www.zuvine.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Sun 11:00 22:00. €15. PTJASW
FUSION COCO RESTOBAR A huge padded mirror over the door marks the spot where Coco Restobar can can be located. Inside is a well though-out affair populated with a mostly young and intelligent crowd who when they’re not drinking and ogling the DJs take advantage o a cracking little changing menu o great experimental ood with a distinctive Asian twist.QB-2, Labdarių 8, tel. (+370) 5 212 29 09. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri 11:00 - 05:00, Sat 12:00 - 05:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. €5. PJASW INDIE BAR The eye-catching slogan “burgers, beer, rock & rum” doesn’t quite to Indie justice. The ab burgers are made
to order - medium rare was perect or us - and come in styles like Tex-Mex or with Red Leicester cheese. Rum is poured into a lemongrass-inflected Caribbean soup and there are 17 rum varieties to imbibe as well as cocktails and draught beers.QA-4, Pylimo 23, tel. (+370) 608 424 20. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 03:00. €4. PJAEW
BOOM! BURGERS Very centrally located - it’s on the other side o the street to the Cathedral - you in act need to look careully to ind the entrance o Boom, as it hardly stands out. Once in, you will ind a bright place serving gourmet burgers which are cooked to order: we asked or a medium cooked hamburger with onion rings and it was exactly as we wanted. The Caes ar salad would have been better with chicken (which can be ordered separately) but they had run out o it. The cheesecake comes with ice-cream, a pinch o salt and a drop o olive oil and is one o the best we’ve tasted. Decent music and riendly service.QB/C-2, Gedimino 1, tel. (+370) 652 145 34. Open 11:30 - 22:00, Fri 11:30 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €6. PTJASW
BAKERIES CHAČAPURI A small bakery with a handul o tables offering mostly takeaway Georgian breads o various kinds, generally baked to order and consequently oten taking a while to arrive. Not advisable or those in a hurry, but outstandingly recommended or those who aren’t. There’s usually somebody there who speaks English to help decode the mysteries o Georgian baking. Recommended is the dish ater which the place is named, chačapuri , aka khachapuri , a smashing little bread bun-type thing filled with cheese. QB-6, Sod ų 9, tel. (+370) 5 240 58 51, www.khachapuri. lt. Open 11:00 - 20:00. Closed Sun. JAS PINAVIJA Pandering to those looking or a more healthy liestyle this combined bakery and caé specialises in a wide range o treats made rom natural ingredients. Offering both the choice o eating in or taking away, the menu is impressive and eatures everything rom classic Lithuanian and international savoury pastries to a mind-boggling array o cakes and desserts. There’s also a good choice o drinks on offer and an excellent area or children at the back, all located in a convenient central location. QA-2, Vilniaus 21, tel. (+370) 676 444 22. Open 09:30 - 20:30, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 19:30. PTJASW
GEORGIAN TIFLISI DUKANI Featuring pleasant décor, an equally agreeable staff and some real magic taking place in the kitchen, Tiflisi Dukani’s menu eatures enough Caucasian cuisine to keep mouths watering or months to come. Because this is a real Georgian restaurant owned and run by people who know their business, the staff are on hand to advise as to what dishes to order. Highly recommended are any o the Georgian soups and the magnificent grilled meats. An extensive wine menu and plenty o classic desserts finishes everything off perectly.QA-4, Naugarduko 12, tel. (+370) 656 228 05. Open 11:30 - 22:00, Fri 11:30 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €7. PTAVESW
GERMAN BUNTE GANS Bunte Gans churns out excellent German cuisine and other dishes in this Old Town avourite. The imagina-
26 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Where to eat
December 2014 - April 2015
27
Where to eat CARRÉ Featuring several cubby holes in which to hide as well as an exceptionally long bar, Carré unctions on several levels as a restaurant, bar and place to relax and drink coffee. The ambitious menu tips its hat to just about every cuisine known to humanity plus there’s an extremely well stocked bar. Popular with a young and moderately sophisticated crowd, the place attracts punters with the added bonus o the occasional DJ, plus there’s a large terrace out the back open during the warmer part o the year.QB-1, Gedimino 9, tel. (+370) 687 901 59. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Fri 11:00 - 01:00, Sat 12:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €7. PTJAUSW
GRILL
INDIAN
PANAMA FOOD GARDEN Take a step away rom the bustle o the old town and head across the river to this excellent restaurant set inside an old wooden house in the leay residential district o Žvėrynas. The pedigree o the owners is good having already created the popular Meat Lovers Pub although in contrast to that venture this is a little more upmarket with a smart but relaxed atmosphere. There are two main reasons to jump in a taxi and pop over here - the ood and the garden. You’ll find the changing menu chalked up on a board rom which we chose duck in an onion gravy and a beautiully prepared tuna, both o which were delicious. The place to enjoy it is in the peaceul garden, one o the best dining spaces in the city.QF-3, Vykinto 17a, tel. (+370) 650 828 29. Open 11:30 - 24:00. €12. TJA6ESW
SUE’S INDIAN RAJA The best restaurant restaurant in Vilni Vilnius us conti continues nues to impress impress with with a abuabulously pungent menu o dishes, all made rom hand-picked and hand-mixed spices by a crack team o Indian ches overseen by the uniquely charming Wing Commander Rajinder Chaudhary. Our last outing saw us putting away a mild pork korma and a consistently outstanding and nicely spicy butter chicken ater demolishing way too many onion bhajis or our own good. The service remains excellent, the location is unbeatable and the bill at the end o it may be a little shocking or local prices but i you compare it to what you’d be expected to pay or an average Indian on any British high street then it simply doesn’t compare. Magic, and thoroughly recommended.QB-2, Odminių 3, tel. (+370) 5 266 18 88, www. suesindianraja.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Mon 12:00 - 24:00. €10. PTJAVSW
THE SMOKE HOUSE A steakhouse which tries hard to g et things right, although it has to be said that in our experience that is not always the case. Our medium steak was more well done than anything, although we have to admit that the bee itsel was abulous: a superb cut o meat. T he marinated vegetables it came with were good too, and the staff were very understanding. The place itsel is simple but nice, and all in all you can do a lot worse in this town i you crave a meaty east.QB-4, Vokiečių 18a, tel. +370) 5 212 17 17. Open 12:00 - 23:00, Fri 12:00 - 02:00, Sat 13:00 - 02:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. €10. JA6SW NEW THE TOWN CONTEMPORARY GRILL & BAR A less expensive yet no less high-quality version o Boff, brought to you by the same people. Expect fine contemporary dining including one o the best gourmet burgers Vilnius has to offer and a fine line up o steaks (all local produce, by the way). There are also a couple o vegetarian options (try the spinach pie) and the desserts are great.QA-1, Gedimino 26, tel. +370) 5 203 12 28. Open 11:30 - 22:00, Sat 12:30 - 22:00. Closed Sun. €12. PTJASW
vilnius.inyourpocket.com 28 Vilnius In Your Pocket
COZY Friendly welcomes rom bar staff who remember your name is something o a rarity in Lithuania, making Cozy worth a visit or that reason alone. I you’re only staying or a short while though there’s still plenty o reason to visit rom an imaginative menu o pub grub that offers more than one dish or vegetarians (the risotto is a current hit) to the legendary in-house troika, a sweet-tasting, sweet-tasting, three-layered cocktail traditionally drunk by a select handul o regulars who always have a taxi number ready when it’s time to wobble out the door. The current exhibition o large black and white photographs photographs o everyday lie in the bizarre Russian-speaking town o Visaginas finishes everything off very nicely indeed. Recommended.QC-3, Dominikonų 10, tel. (+370) 5 261 11 37, www.cozy.lt. www.cozy.lt. Open 09:00 - 02:00, Fri 09:00 - 04:00, Sat 10:00 - 04:00, Sun 10:00 - 02:00. €7.PJASW
INTERNATIONAL 1DUBLIS Where to start? Food as perormance art in which the diner (that being you) is the star. There are two sittings, one at 18:00 and another at 20:00, both o which have set menus that change each evening. The ches (led by Deivydas Praspaliauskas) make a point o visiting every table and will happily talk about the dish they’ve just prepared. The setting is cool: a mix o modern and industrial that does not overpower the ood. Service is top notch, and as or the price, while it is not cheap ood this good seldom is: you will walk away eeling as though it was worth every penny. We did.QH-5, V. Šopeno 10, tel. (+370) 674 419 22, www.1dublis.com. Open 18:00 - 23:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. €19. PJAW BISTRO 18 18 specialises priA combined restaurant and wine shop, Bistro 18 specialises marily in dishes rom the world o European seasonal cuisine including French onion soup, risotto, pasta and scores o meatheavy dishes such as bee and rabbit. There’s pudding too, and the aorementioned wine shop stocks a huge selection o booze. There’s little sympathy or vegetarians here, but i you’re into classy dining on one o Vilnius’ poshest streets this might just be the place ace or or you. you.QC-3, Stiklių 18, tel. (+370) 677 720 91, www.bistro18.lt. Open 11:30 - 22:30, Fri 11:30 - 23:00, Sat 13:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 21:00. €15.PTJA6S vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
29
Where to eat
Where to eat CARRÉ Featuring several cubby holes in which to hide as well as an exceptionally long bar, Carré unctions on several levels as a restaurant, bar and place to relax and drink coffee. The ambitious menu tips its hat to just about every cuisine known to humanity plus there’s an extremely well stocked bar. Popular with a young and moderately sophisticated crowd, the place attracts punters with the added bonus o the occasional DJ, plus there’s a large terrace out the back open during the warmer part o the year.QB-1, Gedimino 9, tel. (+370) 687 901 59. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Fri 11:00 - 01:00, Sat 12:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €7. PTJAUSW
GRILL
INDIAN
PANAMA FOOD GARDEN Take a step away rom the bustle o the old town and head across the river to this excellent restaurant set inside an old wooden house in the leay residential district o Žvėrynas. The pedigree o the owners is good having already created the popular Meat Lovers Pub although in contrast to that venture this is a little more upmarket with a smart but relaxed atmosphere. There are two main reasons to jump in a taxi and pop over here - the ood and the garden. You’ll find the changing menu chalked up on a board rom which we chose duck in an onion gravy and a beautiully prepared tuna, both o which were delicious. The place to enjoy it is in the peaceul garden, one o the best dining spaces in the city.QF-3, Vykinto 17a, tel. (+370) 650 828 29. Open 11:30 - 24:00. €12. TJA6ESW
SUE’S INDIAN RAJA The best restaurant restaurant in Vilni Vilnius us conti continues nues to impress impress with with a abuabulously pungent menu o dishes, all made rom hand-picked and hand-mixed spices by a crack team o Indian ches overseen by the uniquely charming Wing Commander Rajinder Chaudhary. Our last outing saw us putting away a mild pork korma and a consistently outstanding and nicely spicy butter chicken ater demolishing way too many onion bhajis or our own good. The service remains excellent, the location is unbeatable and the bill at the end o it may be a little shocking or local prices but i you compare it to what you’d be expected to pay or an average Indian on any British high street then it simply doesn’t compare. Magic, and thoroughly recommended.QB-2, Odminių 3, tel. (+370) 5 266 18 88, www. suesindianraja.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Mon 12:00 - 24:00. €10. PTJAVSW
THE SMOKE HOUSE A steakhouse which tries hard to g et things right, although it has to be said that in our experience that is not always the case. Our medium steak was more well done than anything, although we have to admit that the bee itsel was abulous: a superb cut o meat. T he marinated vegetables it came with were good too, and the staff were very understanding. The place itsel is simple but nice, and all in all you can do a lot worse in this town i you crave a meaty east.QB-4, Vokiečių 18a, tel. +370) 5 212 17 17. Open 12:00 - 23:00, Fri 12:00 - 02:00, Sat 13:00 - 02:00, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. €10. JA6SW NEW THE TOWN CONTEMPORARY GRILL & BAR A less expensive yet no less high-quality version o Boff, brought to you by the same people. Expect fine contemporary dining including one o the best gourmet burgers Vilnius has to offer and a fine line up o steaks (all local produce, by the way). There are also a couple o vegetarian options (try the spinach pie) and the desserts are great.QA-1, Gedimino 26, tel. +370) 5 203 12 28. Open 11:30 - 22:00, Sat 12:30 - 22:00. Closed Sun. €12. PTJASW
vilnius.inyourpocket.com 28 Vilnius In Your Pocket
COZY Friendly welcomes rom bar staff who remember your name is something o a rarity in Lithuania, making Cozy worth a visit or that reason alone. I you’re only staying or a short while though there’s still plenty o reason to visit rom an imaginative menu o pub grub that offers more than one dish or vegetarians (the risotto is a current hit) to the legendary in-house troika, a sweet-tasting, sweet-tasting, three-layered cocktail traditionally drunk by a select handul o regulars who always have a taxi number ready when it’s time to wobble out the door. The current exhibition o large black and white photographs photographs o everyday lie in the bizarre Russian-speaking town o Visaginas finishes everything off very nicely indeed. Recommended.QC-3, Dominikonų 10, tel. (+370) 5 261 11 37, www.cozy.lt. www.cozy.lt. Open 09:00 - 02:00, Fri 09:00 - 04:00, Sat 10:00 - 04:00, Sun 10:00 - 02:00. €7.PJASW
INTERNATIONAL 1DUBLIS Where to start? Food as perormance art in which the diner (that being you) is the star. There are two sittings, one at 18:00 and another at 20:00, both o which have set menus that change each evening. The ches (led by Deivydas Praspaliauskas) make a point o visiting every table and will happily talk about the dish they’ve just prepared. The setting is cool: a mix o modern and industrial that does not overpower the ood. Service is top notch, and as or the price, while it is not cheap ood this good seldom is: you will walk away eeling as though it was worth every penny. We did.QH-5, V. Šopeno 10, tel. (+370) 674 419 22, www.1dublis.com. Open 18:00 - 23:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. €19. PJAW BISTRO 18 18 specialises priA combined restaurant and wine shop, Bistro 18 specialises marily in dishes rom the world o European seasonal cuisine including French onion soup, risotto, pasta and scores o meatheavy dishes such as bee and rabbit. There’s pudding too, and the aorementioned wine shop stocks a huge selection o booze. There’s little sympathy or vegetarians here, but i you’re into classy dining on one o Vilnius’ poshest streets this might just be the place ace or or you. you.QC-3, Stiklių 18, tel. (+370) 677 720 91, www.bistro18.lt. Open 11:30 - 22:30, Fri 11:30 - 23:00, Sat 13:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 21:00. €15.PTJA6S vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Where to eat NEW DINE Boasting two very different dining rooms (one dark, one light) this magic new place is brought to you by the same team behind the legendary Time. The menu is short yet
CAFÉS AJ ŠOKOLADAS A local cae offering coffee with a street garden on the pretty Pilies street close to the cathedral. The main pull here though are the delicious chocolates made daily in Trakai and delivered ivered resh to the capital, capital, which are sold sold by the gramme, so you can be as picky as you like. Make sure to take a snoop out back where there is a mock parlour made entirely out o chocolate - a dream room or a kid like Augustus Gloop rom Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.QC-2, Pilies 8, tel. (+370) 655 955 55, www. ajsokoladas.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00. Also at Gedimino 46, Vokiečių 6, Gedimino 9. PTJA LINO SAMĖNO KAVINĖ What used to be che Linas Samėnas‘ flagship restaurant was recently turned into a cae serving some choice ood alongside the coffee. You can expect homemade pizza, quiche, soup, salads, burgers and a wide choice o desserts including tiramisu, chocolate mousse, unorgettable chocolate truffles, biscuits, cakes and a lot more. It is all very good. Wash it down with resh ruit juice, milk and ice cream cocktails.QD5, Subačiaus 16/23, tel. (+370) 669 755 15. Open 08:00 - 19:00, Sat 12:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. J6 ŠVIEŽIA KAVA One o the country’s top coffee house chains, Šviežia Kava’s Kava’s Gedimino 9 outlet is housed inside a bookshop no less, making or the perect environment to drink quality espresso and the like amidst a wealth o literature. Keep an eye out or their other branches. QB-1, Gedimino 9, tel. (+370) 5 260 96 53, www. svieziakava.lt. Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:00 18:00. Also at Gedimino 35, Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama), Ozo 18 (Ozas), Savanorių 22, J. Balčikonio 3. PJAUSW
TIME OUT EAT & PLAY While there’s not a great deal to eat, there’s certainly plenty to play. As the alarming sound o machine guns attests, the dark basement is a “play zone” with beanbags set around three screens ready or PS4 games like the latest versions o Call o Duty, Killzone, Need or Speed, FIFA and other controller-gripping delights. I you’ve never played beore, they’ll show you how. Prepackaged sandwiches, salads and muffins are the “eats”. Sensibly there’s no alcohol on sale. Instead, try some tasty cranberry-and-lemon tea.QA-3, Klaipėdos 3, tel. (+370) (+370) 626 006 57. Open 10:00 - 23:00. PJAW 30 Vilnius In Your Pocket
December 2014 - April 2015
29
Where to eat beautiully put together and changes daily, so individual recommendations are pointless. For what it’s worth, on our visit we ate a pumpkin soup with goat cheese which tasted as colourul as it looked, as well as a delicious tagliatelle with goose meatballs. Whatever is on the menu when you go, expect tasty, inventive ood presented gorgeously but without pretension. Prices are affordable and given the quality, a bargain. The wine list is a gem.QG-3, Gedimino 35, tel. (+370) 672 232 72. Mon - Fri 11:30 - 15:00, 17:30 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 22:00. Closed Sun. €12. PJASW
DRUSKOS NAMAI We didn’t include Druskos Namai in our last issue as they were in the process o moving to a new location. Now that we have seen the new place or ourselves we are happy to once again sing its praises, or this really is one o the best restaurants in the land. Everything (or almost everything) is locally sourced, seasonal, and prepared with some style. The menu changes daily so individual recommendations recommendations are pointless: rest assured however that should you dine here you will find plenty which is innovative and extremely tasty. You usually need a reservation at the weekend.QC-4, Savičiaus 6, tel. (+370) 5 215 30 04, www.druskosnamai. lt. Open 12:00 - 22:00. €13.PTJAVSW ESSE A bustling restaurant in the city centre, find well-trained staff errying a cavalcade o good-looking international dishes with a leaning towards European cuisine to a wide range o clientèle rom local business proessionals to tourists. Among the avourite are on offer are the mussels in a wine and cream sauce, plus there’s also over 100 wines to choose rom either rom the menu or at unbeatable prices rom the attached shop. For those who can’t stand to be away rom the office or too long, also find ree wireless internet.QG-3, Gedimino 50/2, tel. (+370) 686 004 88, www.esse.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. €10. PTJAESW
offer puree or kids as young as six months. The place itsel is bright and colourul, and i you haven’t got any kids to bring here we recommend borrowing some.QB-4, Vokiečių 6, tel. (+370) 5 261 06 20, www.kukumuku.lt. Open 12:00 - 21:00, Fri 12:00 - 22:00, Sat 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 21:00. €6. PTJA6UESW
MEDININKAI One o Vilnius’ oldest and most well respected restaurants serves up sumptuous international ood in a white tablecloth atmosphere in a choice o several halls as well as outside in a lovely 16th-century courtyard during the summer. The menu eatures all manner o good things, rom resh seaood to pasta to some fine grilled meat, all overseen by an award-winning che who maintains high standards throughout. Part o the Royale hotel, diners can also take advantage o classy Europa Royale hotel, the adjoining hotel bar beore or ater their meal.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 8, tel. (+370) 600 864 91, www.medininkai.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €12. TJASW MOON GARDEN In one word: perect. In a lot more words, this is a stunning restaurant decked out in a rather delightul mix o exposed brickwork, ironwork and white leather. Everything about the place oozes class, rom the napkins to the superb service and the ood, which is why you will come. The menu is deliciously brie, and changes regularly. We ate some terrific bee with tomatoes, lentils, leeks and apple puree, and or dessert the equally impressive passion ruit mousse. The homemade bread is seriously good and the wine list as good as anywhere in the city. Prices high but so is value or money.QC-5, Bazilijonų 10, tel. (+370) 5 219 99 49, www.moongardenhotel.com. Open 18:00 22:00. Closed Sun. €10. TJA6W
KITCHEN An angular experience with plenty o creamy shades and exposed wooden eatures, this simple offering not only keeps the décor to a minimum but also doesn’t get carried away with the menu. The recommended dishes on offer include a recently eaten plate o miniature fishcakes that despite their laughable size tasted superb. There’s an extensive wine list too. A good choice or those wanting to impress without breaking the bank.QC-4, Didžioji 11, tel. (+370) 688 805 58. Open 11:30 - 24:00. €8. PTJASW
NERINGA A ormer nomenklatura avourite and still pulling in the cream o the city’s slightly older sophisticates, this positively mammoth restaurant eatures two dining halls separated by a bar with a ountain in it. O particular interest are the original 1959 murals, protected by the State along with much o the rest o the interior. The international ood on offer is good, honest are, although not likely to win any awards. The desserts are particularly fine, making this marvellous institution a good place to visit regardless o whether you’re ater a ull meal or not.QA-1, Gedimino 23, tel. (+370) 5 261 40 58, www.restoranasneringa.lt. Open 07:00 - 23:00, Thu, Fri 07:00 - 24:00, Sat 08:00 24:00, Sun 08:00 - 22:00. €7. PTJAUESW
KUKUMUKU A little bit o heaven or parents, KukuMuku is a split-level venue with dining and a kids’ theatre upstairs (there’s children’s theatre every Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and a playground, Lego and games room downstairs. On each table (i you are lucky enough to get one) you will find a box, inside o which is your menu, pencils or coloring, and some games. The ood is good - both or kids and or adults - and they have a range o dishes or kids with allergies. They even
PRIE KATEDROS Two recent visits to Prie Katedros have Katedros have both been entirely positive, not least in part to the totally superb beer they brew on the premises o which the honey variety tastes like no other beer we’ve tasted and leaves one delight ully wobbly ater just a couple. The ood is also magnificent, with the soups worthy o a massive round o applause on their own. The beer snacks are excellent too, plus there’s ree wireless internet and a spooky-looking hologram to
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
greet you at the bottom o the stairs.QB-2, Gedimino 5, tel. (+370) 605 775 55, www.priekatedros.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 01:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €9. PTJASW
QPOLO The lie-sized black horse masquerading as a standard lamp goes some way to explaining the ethos behind Qpolo, Qpolo, an unpronounceable restaurant whose combined surrealist elements add rather than subtract to the overall charm o the place. Tucked away in a small courtyard and eaturing a peaceul summer courtyard (in the right season), the menu is simple but good, eaturing everything rom soup in the largest soup bowls we’ve ever seen to wok-ried noodles to one o the best burgers in town that miraculously manages to fill your stomach without emptying your wallet. Trendy it may be, but there’s no crime in that, especially when the ood is this good.QA-4, Basanavičiaus 4, tel. (+370) 5 260 32 39. Open 11:00 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 04:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. €5. JA6SW RIVERSIDE Consistently great ood and service courtesy o this exemplary in-house hotel restaurant, the well-chosen international menu may not be the cheapest in the city but is worth the trip over the river to sample rom it. As well as serving one o the best buffet breakasts in town, there’s also an excellent buffet lunch and plenty o dishes rom the menu until late. The outdoor summer terrace, opposite the increasingly popular area by the river, is a fine place to visit, even i only or a drink.QA-00, Konstitucijos 20 (Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva), tel. (+370) 5 231 48 21, www.riverside. lt. Open 06:30 - 23:00. €13. PTAULSW NEW SIDRO NAMAI Very good indeed. The first cider restaurant in Lithuania, which serves some rather good ood alongside what is very much its raison d’etre: cider. They stock no ewer than 15 crat ciders rom the UK, and one rom Spain. You can buy them to go at the little shop attached. QA-3/4, Pylimo 22d, tel. (+370) 610 293 04. Open 12:00 - 2 3:00, Sat 13:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 21:00. €10. PTJAUSW SOLE RESPUBLIKA This popular Užupis venue is now better than ever. It knows its history too: on the ceilings are paintings o Napoleon’s army and tributes to the Lithuanian Uhlans who served in it. Decorated with loads o colourul touches (not least the green tiled floor) it is brilliant in summer but equally good when it gets colder: sitting at one o the windows looking out on the Užupis Angel is a treat. The ood is good and highly creative (we ate a superb cheesecake with raspberry sauce) and there is a great lunchtime deal (which runs until 16:00). Good steak, great salads and service charming, much like the place itsel. Go there.QD-3, Užupio 10, tel. (+370) 687 310 59, www.solerespublika. lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00. €8. PTJA6W December 2014 - April 2015
31
Where to eat NEW DINE Boasting two very different dining rooms (one dark, one light) this magic new place is brought to you by the same team behind the legendary Time. The menu is short yet
CAFÉS AJ ŠOKOLADAS A local cae offering coffee with a street garden on the pretty Pilies street close to the cathedral. The main pull here though are the delicious chocolates made daily in Trakai and delivered ivered resh to the capital, capital, which are sold sold by the gramme, so you can be as picky as you like. Make sure to take a snoop out back where there is a mock parlour made entirely out o chocolate - a dream room or a kid like Augustus Gloop rom Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.QC-2, Pilies 8, tel. (+370) 655 955 55, www. ajsokoladas.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00. Also at Gedimino 46, Vokiečių 6, Gedimino 9. PTJA LINO SAMĖNO KAVINĖ What used to be che Linas Samėnas‘ flagship restaurant was recently turned into a cae serving some choice ood alongside the coffee. You can expect homemade pizza, quiche, soup, salads, burgers and a wide choice o desserts including tiramisu, chocolate mousse, unorgettable chocolate truffles, biscuits, cakes and a lot more. It is all very good. Wash it down with resh ruit juice, milk and ice cream cocktails.QD5, Subačiaus 16/23, tel. (+370) 669 755 15. Open 08:00 - 19:00, Sat 12:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. J6 ŠVIEŽIA KAVA One o the country’s top coffee house chains, Šviežia Kava’s Kava’s Gedimino 9 outlet is housed inside a bookshop no less, making or the perect environment to drink quality espresso and the like amidst a wealth o literature. Keep an eye out or their other branches. QB-1, Gedimino 9, tel. (+370) 5 260 96 53, www. svieziakava.lt. Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:00 18:00. Also at Gedimino 35, Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama), Ozo 18 (Ozas), Savanorių 22, J. Balčikonio 3. PJAUSW
TIME OUT EAT & PLAY While there’s not a great deal to eat, there’s certainly plenty to play. As the alarming sound o machine guns attests, the dark basement is a “play zone” with beanbags set around three screens ready or PS4 games like the latest versions o Call o Duty, Killzone, Need or Speed, FIFA and other controller-gripping delights. I you’ve never played beore, they’ll show you how. Prepackaged sandwiches, salads and muffins are the “eats”. Sensibly there’s no alcohol on sale. Instead, try some tasty cranberry-and-lemon tea.QA-3, Klaipėdos 3, tel. (+370) (+370) 626 006 57. Open 10:00 - 23:00. PJAW 30 Vilnius In Your Pocket
Where to eat beautiully put together and changes daily, so individual recommendations are pointless. For what it’s worth, on our visit we ate a pumpkin soup with goat cheese which tasted as colourul as it looked, as well as a delicious tagliatelle with goose meatballs. Whatever is on the menu when you go, expect tasty, inventive ood presented gorgeously but without pretension. Prices are affordable and given the quality, a bargain. The wine list is a gem.QG-3, Gedimino 35, tel. (+370) 672 232 72. Mon - Fri 11:30 - 15:00, 17:30 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 22:00. Closed Sun. €12. PJASW
DRUSKOS NAMAI We didn’t include Druskos Namai in our last issue as they were in the process o moving to a new location. Now that we have seen the new place or ourselves we are happy to once again sing its praises, or this really is one o the best restaurants in the land. Everything (or almost everything) is locally sourced, seasonal, and prepared with some style. The menu changes daily so individual recommendations recommendations are pointless: rest assured however that should you dine here you will find plenty which is innovative and extremely tasty. You usually need a reservation at the weekend.QC-4, Savičiaus 6, tel. (+370) 5 215 30 04, www.druskosnamai. lt. Open 12:00 - 22:00. €13.PTJAVSW ESSE A bustling restaurant in the city centre, find well-trained staff errying a cavalcade o good-looking international dishes with a leaning towards European cuisine to a wide range o clientèle rom local business proessionals to tourists. Among the avourite are on offer are the mussels in a wine and cream sauce, plus there’s also over 100 wines to choose rom either rom the menu or at unbeatable prices rom the attached shop. For those who can’t stand to be away rom the office or too long, also find ree wireless internet.QG-3, Gedimino 50/2, tel. (+370) 686 004 88, www.esse.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. €10. PTJAESW
offer puree or kids as young as six months. The place itsel is bright and colourul, and i you haven’t got any kids to bring here we recommend borrowing some.QB-4, Vokiečių 6, tel. (+370) 5 261 06 20, www.kukumuku.lt. Open 12:00 - 21:00, Fri 12:00 - 22:00, Sat 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 21:00. €6. PTJA6UESW
MEDININKAI One o Vilnius’ oldest and most well respected restaurants serves up sumptuous international ood in a white tablecloth atmosphere in a choice o several halls as well as outside in a lovely 16th-century courtyard during the summer. The menu eatures all manner o good things, rom resh seaood to pasta to some fine grilled meat, all overseen by an award-winning che who maintains high standards throughout. Part o the Royale hotel, diners can also take advantage o classy Europa Royale hotel, the adjoining hotel bar beore or ater their meal.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 8, tel. (+370) 600 864 91, www.medininkai.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €12. TJASW MOON GARDEN In one word: perect. In a lot more words, this is a stunning restaurant decked out in a rather delightul mix o exposed brickwork, ironwork and white leather. Everything about the place oozes class, rom the napkins to the superb service and the ood, which is why you will come. The menu is deliciously brie, and changes regularly. We ate some terrific bee with tomatoes, lentils, leeks and apple puree, and or dessert the equally impressive passion ruit mousse. The homemade bread is seriously good and the wine list as good as anywhere in the city. Prices high but so is value or money.QC-5, Bazilijonų 10, tel. (+370) 5 219 99 49, www.moongardenhotel.com. Open 18:00 22:00. Closed Sun. €10. TJA6W
KITCHEN An angular experience with plenty o creamy shades and exposed wooden eatures, this simple offering not only keeps the décor to a minimum but also doesn’t get carried away with the menu. The recommended dishes on offer include a recently eaten plate o miniature fishcakes that despite their laughable size tasted superb. There’s an extensive wine list too. A good choice or those wanting to impress without breaking the bank.QC-4, Didžioji 11, tel. (+370) 688 805 58. Open 11:30 - 24:00. €8. PTJASW
NERINGA A ormer nomenklatura avourite and still pulling in the cream o the city’s slightly older sophisticates, this positively mammoth restaurant eatures two dining halls separated by a bar with a ountain in it. O particular interest are the original 1959 murals, protected by the State along with much o the rest o the interior. The international ood on offer is good, honest are, although not likely to win any awards. The desserts are particularly fine, making this marvellous institution a good place to visit regardless o whether you’re ater a ull meal or not.QA-1, Gedimino 23, tel. (+370) 5 261 40 58, www.restoranasneringa.lt. Open 07:00 - 23:00, Thu, Fri 07:00 - 24:00, Sat 08:00 24:00, Sun 08:00 - 22:00. €7. PTJAUESW
KUKUMUKU A little bit o heaven or parents, KukuMuku is a split-level venue with dining and a kids’ theatre upstairs (there’s children’s theatre every Friday, Saturday and Sunday) and a playground, Lego and games room downstairs. On each table (i you are lucky enough to get one) you will find a box, inside o which is your menu, pencils or coloring, and some games. The ood is good - both or kids and or adults - and they have a range o dishes or kids with allergies. They even
PRIE KATEDROS Two recent visits to Prie Katedros have Katedros have both been entirely positive, not least in part to the totally superb beer they brew on the premises o which the honey variety tastes like no other beer we’ve tasted and leaves one delight ully wobbly ater just a couple. The ood is also magnificent, with the soups worthy o a massive round o applause on their own. The beer snacks are excellent too, plus there’s ree wireless internet and a spooky-looking hologram to
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
greet you at the bottom o the stairs.QB-2, Gedimino 5, tel. (+370) 605 775 55, www.priekatedros.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 01:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €9. PTJASW
QPOLO The lie-sized black horse masquerading as a standard lamp goes some way to explaining the ethos behind Qpolo, Qpolo, an unpronounceable restaurant whose combined surrealist elements add rather than subtract to the overall charm o the place. Tucked away in a small courtyard and eaturing a peaceul summer courtyard (in the right season), the menu is simple but good, eaturing everything rom soup in the largest soup bowls we’ve ever seen to wok-ried noodles to one o the best burgers in town that miraculously manages to fill your stomach without emptying your wallet. Trendy it may be, but there’s no crime in that, especially when the ood is this good.QA-4, Basanavičiaus 4, tel. (+370) 5 260 32 39. Open 11:00 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 04:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. €5. JA6SW RIVERSIDE Consistently great ood and service courtesy o this exemplary in-house hotel restaurant, the well-chosen international menu may not be the cheapest in the city but is worth the trip over the river to sample rom it. As well as serving one o the best buffet breakasts in town, there’s also an excellent buffet lunch and plenty o dishes rom the menu until late. The outdoor summer terrace, opposite the increasingly popular area by the river, is a fine place to visit, even i only or a drink.QA-00, Konstitucijos 20 (Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva), tel. (+370) 5 231 48 21, www.riverside. lt. Open 06:30 - 23:00. €13. PTAULSW NEW SIDRO NAMAI Very good indeed. The first cider restaurant in Lithuania, which serves some rather good ood alongside what is very much its raison d’etre: cider. They stock no ewer than 15 crat ciders rom the UK, and one rom Spain. You can buy them to go at the little shop attached. QA-3/4, Pylimo 22d, tel. (+370) 610 293 04. Open 12:00 - 2 3:00, Sat 13:00 - 23:00, Sun 13:00 - 21:00. €10. PTJAUSW SOLE RESPUBLIKA This popular Užupis venue is now better than ever. It knows its history too: on the ceilings are paintings o Napoleon’s army and tributes to the Lithuanian Uhlans who served in it. Decorated with loads o colourul touches (not least the green tiled floor) it is brilliant in summer but equally good when it gets colder: sitting at one o the windows looking out on the Užupis Angel is a treat. The ood is good and highly creative (we ate a superb cheesecake with raspberry sauce) and there is a great lunchtime deal (which runs until 16:00). Good steak, great salads and service charming, much like the place itsel. Go there.QD-3, Užupio 10, tel. (+370) 687 310 59, www.solerespublika. lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00. €8. PTJA6W December 2014 - April 2015
Where to eat SONNETS That rare treat a hotel restaurant worth eating in, the Shakespeare’s in-house nosh-pit excels where others barely get off the ground. Sumptuous and elegant, ever ything here is polished to near perection. A diverse menu tempts diners with all manner o delicacies rom classic Lithuanian dishes to ostrich with chestnuts. All overseen by riendly and efficient staff, the price tag may be a little heavy but is worth every penny.QD-2, Bernardinų 8/8 (Shakespeare hotel), tel. (+370) 5 266 58 85, www. shakespeare.lt. Open 06:30 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 07:30 24:00. €12. PTJALSW SOUL&PEPPER Seriously good contemporary restaurant. From the exposed brickwork and minimalist tables you know rom the minute you walk in you are dealing with a place that wants the ood to shine. The menu is Meditterannean, with some o the best pasta (all made resh on the premises) in the city. Offers a huge range o imported cheeses and other treats, all o which can be bought to take home in the restaurant’s superb little deli. Add in some smooth sounds (oten live jazz) and you will see why it has become such a hit.QB-1, Gedimino 9, tel. (+370) 699 922 93. Open 10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00. €10. PTJAUESW STUDIO 9 Knowing Lithuania as well as we do, we thought this place was almost certainly going to go off the boil soon ater opening but it just keeps getting better. Arguably one o the best places in the city to eat and drink or many a year, Studio 9 wouldn’t look or eel out o place 1,000km urther west. Featuring their tremendous burger alongside a handsome menu o other excellent and unpretentious dishes, eating here is one option, but it’s also an excellent bar that serves good draught Guinness and a DJ venue. Surplus to the riendly service are a handul o intelligent touches such as hooks or jackets under the aorementioned bar and plenty o oam on the important parts o the ceiling to stop the music bouncing around uncontrollably. Find it not inside the main building but via a separate entrance to the let. QB-1, Gedimino 9, tel. (+370) 698 529 99. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 04:00. €7. PJAESW NEW SWEET ROOT We were impressed on our visit here. As the name suggests, many o the dishes here eature local root vegetables, which are used in a variety o ways in combination with meat and fish to create inventive dishes. The portions are deliberately small, allowing you to choose a number o them in order to taste a variety o different flavours: you will want to when you see the menu. Best o all we liked the unique desserts: Caramelised quail egg yolks with pine syrup and sour milk cream. Bet you have never seen that on a Vilnius menu beore! Spartan interior only serves to highlight the adventurousness o the ood.QX-3, Užupio 22, tel. (+370) 685 607 67. Open 18:00 - 23:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €11. TJAW 32 Vilnius In Your Pocket
31
Where to eat TIME We tend to steer clear o hotel restaurants in general but we made a rare exception in the case o this recommended eatery. Bright and swishy in an entirely unpretentious way, find riendly staff on hand to serve dishes rom a small but very good daily menu o international dishes alongside an inspired buffet. We opted or a simple vegetable soup which not only looked good but that let the kind o glowing eeling one only gets rom quality cuisine. The accompanying French bread was perect and crispy and came with a great little bowl o flavoured butter. Perhaps not the best location in town but worth a visit i you’re interested in ood made with imagination, a quality sadly lacking in most Vilnius restaurants. Recommended. Note that on Sundays they serve a good brunch rom 12:30 - 16:30. €21.72.QA-6, Mindaugo 27 (Comfort Hotel Lt), tel. (+370) 612 022 47. Open 07:00 - 22:00, Fri 07:00 - 23:00, Sat 08:00 - 23:00, Sun 08:00 - 16:30. Breakfast menu served 07:00 - 10:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 11:00. €11. PTA6UW VANILLE LOUNGE One o the top restaurant/lounges in the city, Vanille Lounge stands out rom the crowd in what is Vilnius’s busiest nightlie and restaurant district because o its amazing menu and the high quality o the superior French bistro ood. There is a seriously good drinks menu too, eaturing at least a ew treats you will not find on too many other bar menus in this town. There is a fixed-price lunch available until 15:30, while in the evening the place becomes a night spot as much as a restaurant. There’s even a cigar room i that’s your thing. Fresh flowers on the bar are a superb touch.QA-2, Vilniaus 29, tel. (+370) 603 615 32. Open 11:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 04:00, Sun 11:00 - 24:00. €10. PJAXW VERANDA Another Žvėrynas classic, Veranda is a great place to eat in, to have too many beers with a riend in or to take a ussy elderly relative to. The international and Lithuanian ood is surprisingly good plus there’s a superb selection o booze including Guinness, Guinness, Leffe and draught Bernard . There’s live music several evenings a week, and out the back is a large garden complete with barbecue or splendidly lazy Sunday summer aternoons.QF-2, Kęstučio 39, tel. (+370) 5 273 01 07. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 01:00. €7. TAESW ZOE’S BAR & GRILL A long-standing Vilnius avourite that more oten than not gets included on a list o recommended places to visit when we’re asked by newcomers to the city or a good place to eat, Zoe’s eat, Zoe’s manages to consistently get everything right rom its enviable location to the eclectic menu o classic ood. Featuring everything rom their recommended BLT to their excellently priced Thai dishes, this year se es the place expanding their outside seating even urther and bringing with it one or two gimmicks to keep visiting and easily bored children amused. Throwing in a ew mod ern twists such as DJs at the weekend, Zoe’s is more or less vilnius.inyourpocket.com
perect or a simple snack to a ull blown spread or large groups. Note that at the time o going to press the kitchen was closing an hour earlier than the bar with the exception o Sundays. Also rents out mopeds: rom an hour to a whole week. Vroom!QB-2, Odminių 3, tel. (+370) 5 212 33 31, www.zoesbargrill.com. Open 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €10. PTJAES
ITALIAN DA ANTONIO An old avourite with several embassies in town, Da Antonio is everything an Italian restaurant should be. Classy without any unnecessary rills and with superb people-watching windows at the ront, native Italian che Manredo Molteni oversees a menu including resh fish soup, grilled bee fillet and a wealth o great pasta dishes or meat eaters and vegetarians alike. There’s a great choice o Italian wines to compliment compliment plus some truly gut-busting desserts or those who can cram a little more in.QA-2, Vilniaus 23, tel. (+370) 5 262 01 09, w ww.antonio.lt. Open 11:00 11:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €17. PTJASW
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/ inyourpocket facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
FIORENTINO A good choice o Tuscan dishes with accompanying Tuscan wi ne, all overseen by an Italian rom the re gion with the kind o passion sadly almost never seen in the city. Inside it’s all plain white interiors and specials chalked on the blackboard, whilst the warmer months add a magnificent 16th-century 16th-century Renaissance courtyard into the bargain. Tuscany is o course considered the birthplace o the Renaissance, so it’s rather fitting that the restaurant should be here. Brilliant stuff.QC-3, Universiteto 4, tel. (+370) 5 212 09 25, ww w.fiorentino.lt. Open 11:30 - 22:00, Fri 11:30 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €7. TJAW MAMA‘S CAFÉ A rather striking place: bright, light (complete with a roo which is partly glass) and starkly modernist in design Mama’s Cae offers simple i relatively good ood in a rather different environment to much o Old Town. The ambience is r elaxed and welcoming, and the best eature is the lovely courtyard, perect at this time o year. Service is good although the staff were - on our visit - a little rushed off their eet with a private party. Nevertheless it’s a good lunchtime choice (and note that they have a set lunch menu on weekdays). Oh, one more thing: take note o the staff recommendations, they know what they’re talking about.QC-5, Arklių 18, tel. (+370) (+370) 640 612 44. Open 11:00 - 22:00. Closed Sun. €6. PTJA6US December 2014 - April 2015
33
Where to eat SONNETS That rare treat a hotel restaurant worth eating in, the Shakespeare’s in-house nosh-pit excels where others barely get off the ground. Sumptuous and elegant, ever ything here is polished to near perection. A diverse menu tempts diners with all manner o delicacies rom classic Lithuanian dishes to ostrich with chestnuts. All overseen by riendly and efficient staff, the price tag may be a little heavy but is worth every penny.QD-2, Bernardinų 8/8 (Shakespeare hotel), tel. (+370) 5 266 58 85, www. shakespeare.lt. Open 06:30 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 07:30 24:00. €12. PTJALSW SOUL&PEPPER Seriously good contemporary restaurant. From the exposed brickwork and minimalist tables you know rom the minute you walk in you are dealing with a place that wants the ood to shine. The menu is Meditterannean, with some o the best pasta (all made resh on the premises) in the city. Offers a huge range o imported cheeses and other treats, all o which can be bought to take home in the restaurant’s superb little deli. Add in some smooth sounds (oten live jazz) and you will see why it has become such a hit.QB-1, Gedimino 9, tel. (+370) 699 922 93. Open 10:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00. €10. PTJAUESW STUDIO 9 Knowing Lithuania as well as we do, we thought this place was almost certainly going to go off the boil soon ater opening but it just keeps getting better. Arguably one o the best places in the city to eat and drink or many a year, Studio 9 wouldn’t look or eel out o place 1,000km urther west. Featuring their tremendous burger alongside a handsome menu o other excellent and unpretentious dishes, eating here is one option, but it’s also an excellent bar that serves good draught Guinness and a DJ venue. Surplus to the riendly service are a handul o intelligent touches such as hooks or jackets under the aorementioned bar and plenty o oam on the important parts o the ceiling to stop the music bouncing around uncontrollably. Find it not inside the main building but via a separate entrance to the let. QB-1, Gedimino 9, tel. (+370) 698 529 99. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 04:00. €7. PJAESW NEW SWEET ROOT We were impressed on our visit here. As the name suggests, many o the dishes here eature local root vegetables, which are used in a variety o ways in combination with meat and fish to create inventive dishes. The portions are deliberately small, allowing you to choose a number o them in order to taste a variety o different flavours: you will want to when you see the menu. Best o all we liked the unique desserts: Caramelised quail egg yolks with pine syrup and sour milk cream. Bet you have never seen that on a Vilnius menu beore! Spartan interior only serves to highlight the adventurousness o the ood.QX-3, Užupio 22, tel. (+370) 685 607 67. Open 18:00 - 23:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €11. TJAW
Where to eat TIME We tend to steer clear o hotel restaurants in general but we made a rare exception in the case o this recommended eatery. Bright and swishy in an entirely unpretentious way, find riendly staff on hand to serve dishes rom a small but very good daily menu o international dishes alongside an inspired buffet. We opted or a simple vegetable soup which not only looked good but that let the kind o glowing eeling one only gets rom quality cuisine. The accompanying French bread was perect and crispy and came with a great little bowl o flavoured butter. Perhaps not the best location in town but worth a visit i you’re interested in ood made with imagination, a quality sadly lacking in most Vilnius restaurants. Recommended. Note that on Sundays they serve a good brunch rom 12:30 - 16:30. €21.72.QA-6, Mindaugo 27 (Comfort Hotel Lt), tel. (+370) 612 022 47. Open 07:00 - 22:00, Fri 07:00 - 23:00, Sat 08:00 - 23:00, Sun 08:00 - 16:30. Breakfast menu served 07:00 - 10:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 11:00. €11. PTA6UW VANILLE LOUNGE One o the top restaurant/lounges in the city, Vanille Lounge stands out rom the crowd in what is Vilnius’s busiest nightlie and restaurant district because o its amazing menu and the high quality o the superior French bistro ood. There is a seriously good drinks menu too, eaturing at least a ew treats you will not find on too many other bar menus in this town. There is a fixed-price lunch available until 15:30, while in the evening the place becomes a night spot as much as a restaurant. There’s even a cigar room i that’s your thing. Fresh flowers on the bar are a superb touch.QA-2, Vilniaus 29, tel. (+370) 603 615 32. Open 11:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 04:00, Sun 11:00 - 24:00. €10. PJAXW VERANDA Another Žvėrynas classic, Veranda is a great place to eat in, to have too many beers with a riend in or to take a ussy elderly relative to. The international and Lithuanian ood is surprisingly good plus there’s a superb selection o booze including Guinness, Guinness, Leffe and draught Bernard . There’s live music several evenings a week, and out the back is a large garden complete with barbecue or splendidly lazy Sunday summer aternoons.QF-2, Kęstučio 39, tel. (+370) 5 273 01 07. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 01:00. €7. TAESW ZOE’S BAR & GRILL A long-standing Vilnius avourite that more oten than not gets included on a list o recommended places to visit when we’re asked by newcomers to the city or a good place to eat, Zoe’s eat, Zoe’s manages to consistently get everything right rom its enviable location to the eclectic menu o classic ood. Featuring everything rom their recommended BLT to their excellently priced Thai dishes, this year se es the place expanding their outside seating even urther and bringing with it one or two gimmicks to keep visiting and easily bored children amused. Throwing in a ew mod ern twists such as DJs at the weekend, Zoe’s is more or less
32 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
perect or a simple snack to a ull blown spread or large groups. Note that at the time o going to press the kitchen was closing an hour earlier than the bar with the exception o Sundays. Also rents out mopeds: rom an hour to a whole week. Vroom!QB-2, Odminių 3, tel. (+370) 5 212 33 31, www.zoesbargrill.com. Open 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €10. PTJAES
ITALIAN DA ANTONIO An old avourite with several embassies in town, Da Antonio is everything an Italian restaurant should be. Classy without any unnecessary rills and with superb people-watching windows at the ront, native Italian che Manredo Molteni oversees a menu including resh fish soup, grilled bee fillet and a wealth o great pasta dishes or meat eaters and vegetarians alike. There’s a great choice o Italian wines to compliment compliment plus some truly gut-busting desserts or those who can cram a little more in.QA-2, Vilniaus 23, tel. (+370) 5 262 01 09, w ww.antonio.lt. Open 11:00 11:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €17. PTJASW
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/ inyourpocket facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
FIORENTINO A good choice o Tuscan dishes with accompanying Tuscan wi ne, all overseen by an Italian rom the re gion with the kind o passion sadly almost never seen in the city. Inside it’s all plain white interiors and specials chalked on the blackboard, whilst the warmer months add a magnificent 16th-century 16th-century Renaissance courtyard into the bargain. Tuscany is o course considered the birthplace o the Renaissance, so it’s rather fitting that the restaurant should be here. Brilliant stuff.QC-3, Universiteto 4, tel. (+370) 5 212 09 25, ww w.fiorentino.lt. Open 11:30 - 22:00, Fri 11:30 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €7. TJAW MAMA‘S CAFÉ A rather striking place: bright, light (complete with a roo which is partly glass) and starkly modernist in design Mama’s Cae offers simple i relatively good ood in a rather different environment to much o Old Town. The ambience is r elaxed and welcoming, and the best eature is the lovely courtyard, perect at this time o year. Service is good although the staff were - on our visit - a little rushed off their eet with a private party. Nevertheless it’s a good lunchtime choice (and note that they have a set lunch menu on weekdays). Oh, one more thing: take note o the staff recommendations, they know what they’re talking about.QC-5, Arklių 18, tel. (+370) (+370) 640 612 44. Open 11:00 - 22:00. Closed Sun. €6. PTJA6US December 2014 - April 2015
Where to eat
Where to eat OSTERIA DA LUCA Not your typical Italian restaurant, Osteria da Luca Luca opts or a more nouvelle cuisine approach to its cooking and does it well. Situated inside a fine Old Town building with a snazzy dining area at ground level and an atmospheric cellar, there’s also the option during the summer on its small outdoor terrace opposite the fine Franciscan Church.QB4, Trakų 11/2, tel. (+370) 679 594 20. Open 11:00 - 24:0 0, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. €7. PASW ST. VALENTINO An unbeatable location and years o terrific service mark St. Valentino out Valentino out as one o Vilnius’ most beloved and respected restaurants. Certainly, the city’s business community continues to avour the place over any other, and it is easy to see why. The oten adventurous Italian ood is a cut above the norm (try the duck liver ravioli), and the cosy, clever interior layout affords discretion and privacy or those who require it. More than recommended.QB-3, Vilniaus 47/18, tel. (+370) 652 657 77, www.stvalentino. lt. Open 07:30 - 23:00, Thu, Fri 07:30 - 24:00, Sat 09:00 24:00, Sun 10:00 - 23:00. €10. PTJASW TRATTORIA DA FLAVIO The exuberant exuberant owner owner Flavio has turned turned this hotel hotel restaurant restaurant into a very Italian affair serving excellent ood. We elt like kings with the great staff ussing over every detail: they really want to make you eel welcome. The menu changes several times per week and is written on a board in Italian: the staff will translate and explain it to you in detail. We ate involtini alla messinese with tomatoes and oregano, and it was delicious. The tiramisu was just as it should (unlike many others in Lithuania).QB-5, Ligoninės 5, tel. (+370) 5 262 48 46. Open 18:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €11. TJA6SW VAPIANO Redolent o a millionaire’s greenhouse, it’s all stone, marble and oak with a particular emphasis on flora and natural light in here, the perect environment in act or quality Italian ood in the city. Featuring open kitchens making pasta, salads and pizza, the ood is made using resh ingredients and comes in ample portions. We’ve eaten here our times now and can’t complain at all. A super place to eat in an area crying out or this kind o quality. Note that the kitchen closes 30 minutes beore they lock the doors. (+370) 5 238 34 89, QA-00, Konstitucijos 7a (Europa), tel. (+370) www.vapiano.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €6. PTASW
ICE-CREAM SOPRANO Our last outing here involved entertaining a couple o under-sevens who demolished so much cake and ice cream they had to be hosed down beore leaving. The treats on offer really are exceptionally good at any time o year. QC-2, Pilies 3, tel. (+370) 5 212 60 42, www. soprano.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00. PJASW 34 Vilnius In Your Pocket
33
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
FRESHEST SALAD, PASTA AND PIZZA IN TOWN!
PAS TA Z ZA & PI Z
Vapiano, SC Europa
f rom
50 L TL 14, 5
VAPIANO VILNIUS WWW.VAPIANO.LT FREE WIFI
R 4,2 0 EU 4,
JAPANESE LABUKI With suave surroundings and a ch oice o rooms including a main area with large windows overlooking the Town Hall, Labuki offers a wealth o dishes to please all tastes and budgets. The good-looking sushi sets are well priced and flavoured, the tempura is terrific and the solitary noodle dish with bee is absolutely out o this world. The Korean che also makes a mean soup and the classic Or iental desserts are very good indeed. There are resh flowers on the tables, the service is riendly and there’s also a good value business lunch menu. People who preer to eat with a knie and ork are strongly advised to ask or them when ordering their ood.QC-4, Didžioji 28, tel. (+370) 5 261 11 88, www.labuki.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €10. PJA VSW
MIYAKO Miyako provides the ull Japanese experience without shoving it down your throat. What you should shove down your throat are selections rom the sushi and sashimi menus, all prepared in the ront bar area, and all very good indeed or Vilnius.QA-00, Konstitucijos 7a (Europa), tel. (+370) 618 521 12, www.miyako.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00. €7. PTASW
KOREAN TASTE � JHK AND DD’S PLACE Given that Vilnius has never had a decent Korean restaurant it is easy to see why this place is so popular. The welcome you get rom the amazing staff is overwhelming, and prepares you well or the ood, which is equally impressive. Let the staff recommend you something: we went or the saewoobulgogi seaood barbeque: not cheap but well worth the price. Make sure you try the Sujeonggwa: gwa: traditional Korean punch made with cinnamon (and much else) served in a teapot or bargain €2.60.QC-4, Vokiečių 2, tel. (+370) 659 269 09, www.koreantaste.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 24:00. €12. PT JASW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
VEGETARIAN VEGET ARIAN
BALTI DRAMBLIAI One o the oldest vegetarian restaurants in Vilnius is still going strong, more than 13 years ater first opening its cellar doors. The menus offer a decent range o veggie ood rom around the world, including shiva puri, potato parata, ried eggplant with rice and salad and some splendid Tibetan dumplings stuffed with paneer. It’s all decent i not special and has the bonus o being relatively cheap. Wash it all down with Ayurvedic teas or a banana lassi .QB-3, Vilniaus 41, tel. (+370) 5 262 08 75. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Mon, Tue 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €4. PJA NAMAI Vegetarian amily restaurant. Namai means Home in Lithuanian, and this small restaurant looks just that: a homely kitchen complete with a dining room. Intimate, there aren’t that many tables (and one o those is a small one with little seats or children). The menu is a brie affair which changes daily. A good lunchtime offer consists o soup and a main course (and the soup comes with Namai’s wonderul home-made bread). Very good.QC/D-5, Subačiaus 6, tel. (+370) 607 843 99. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Tue 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €6. TJA6S
December 2014 - April 2015
35
Where to eat
Where to eat OSTERIA DA LUCA Not your typical Italian restaurant, Osteria da Luca Luca opts or a more nouvelle cuisine approach to its cooking and does it well. Situated inside a fine Old Town building with a snazzy dining area at ground level and an atmospheric cellar, there’s also the option during the summer on its small outdoor terrace opposite the fine Franciscan Church.QB4, Trakų 11/2, tel. (+370) 679 594 20. Open 11:00 - 24:0 0, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. €7. PASW ST. VALENTINO An unbeatable location and years o terrific service mark St. Valentino out Valentino out as one o Vilnius’ most beloved and respected restaurants. Certainly, the city’s business community continues to avour the place over any other, and it is easy to see why. The oten adventurous Italian ood is a cut above the norm (try the duck liver ravioli), and the cosy, clever interior layout affords discretion and privacy or those who require it. More than recommended.QB-3, Vilniaus 47/18, tel. (+370) 652 657 77, www.stvalentino. lt. Open 07:30 - 23:00, Thu, Fri 07:30 - 24:00, Sat 09:00 24:00, Sun 10:00 - 23:00. €10. PTJASW TRATTORIA DA FLAVIO The exuberant exuberant owner owner Flavio has turned turned this hotel hotel restaurant restaurant into a very Italian affair serving excellent ood. We elt like kings with the great staff ussing over every detail: they really want to make you eel welcome. The menu changes several times per week and is written on a board in Italian: the staff will translate and explain it to you in detail. We ate involtini alla messinese with tomatoes and oregano, and it was delicious. The tiramisu was just as it should (unlike many others in Lithuania).QB-5, Ligoninės 5, tel. (+370) 5 262 48 46. Open 18:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €11. TJA6SW VAPIANO Redolent o a millionaire’s greenhouse, it’s all stone, marble and oak with a particular emphasis on flora and natural light in here, the perect environment in act or quality Italian ood in the city. Featuring open kitchens making pasta, salads and pizza, the ood is made using resh ingredients and comes in ample portions. We’ve eaten here our times now and can’t complain at all. A super place to eat in an area crying out or this kind o quality. Note that the kitchen closes 30 minutes beore they lock the doors. (+370) 5 238 34 89, QA-00, Konstitucijos 7a (Europa), tel. (+370) www.vapiano.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €6. PTASW
ICE-CREAM SOPRANO Our last outing here involved entertaining a couple o under-sevens who demolished so much cake and ice cream they had to be hosed down beore leaving. The treats on offer really are exceptionally good at any time o year. QC-2, Pilies 3, tel. (+370) 5 212 60 42, www. soprano.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00. PJASW 34 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
FRESHEST SALAD, PASTA AND PIZZA IN TOWN!
PAS TA Z ZA & PI Z
Vapiano, SC Europa
f rom
50 L TL 14, 5
VAPIANO VILNIUS WWW.VAPIANO.LT FREE WIFI
R 4,2 0 EU 4,
JAPANESE LABUKI With suave surroundings and a ch oice o rooms including a main area with large windows overlooking the Town Hall, Labuki offers a wealth o dishes to please all tastes and budgets. The good-looking sushi sets are well priced and flavoured, the tempura is terrific and the solitary noodle dish with bee is absolutely out o this world. The Korean che also makes a mean soup and the classic Or iental desserts are very good indeed. There are resh flowers on the tables, the service is riendly and there’s also a good value business lunch menu. People who preer to eat with a knie and ork are strongly advised to ask or them when ordering their ood.QC-4, Didžioji 28, tel. (+370) 5 261 11 88, www.labuki.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €10. PJA VSW
MIYAKO Miyako provides the ull Japanese experience without shoving it down your throat. What you should shove down your throat are selections rom the sushi and sashimi menus, all prepared in the ront bar area, and all very good indeed or Vilnius.QA-00, Konstitucijos 7a (Europa), tel. (+370) 618 521 12, www.miyako.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00. €7. PTASW
KOREAN TASTE � JHK AND DD’S PLACE Given that Vilnius has never had a decent Korean restaurant it is easy to see why this place is so popular. The welcome you get rom the amazing staff is overwhelming, and prepares you well or the ood, which is equally impressive. Let the staff recommend you something: we went or the saewoobulgogi seaood barbeque: not cheap but well worth the price. Make sure you try the Sujeonggwa: gwa: traditional Korean punch made with cinnamon (and much else) served in a teapot or bargain €2.60.QC-4, Vokiečių 2, tel. (+370) 659 269 09, www.koreantaste.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 24:00. €12. PT JASW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Where to eat
VEGETARIAN VEGET ARIAN
BALTI DRAMBLIAI One o the oldest vegetarian restaurants in Vilnius is still going strong, more than 13 years ater first opening its cellar doors. The menus offer a decent range o veggie ood rom around the world, including shiva puri, potato parata, ried eggplant with rice and salad and some splendid Tibetan dumplings stuffed with paneer. It’s all decent i not special and has the bonus o being relatively cheap. Wash it all down with Ayurvedic teas or a banana lassi .QB-3, Vilniaus 41, tel. (+370) 5 262 08 75. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Mon, Tue 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €4. PJA NAMAI Vegetarian amily restaurant. Namai means Home in Lithuanian, and this small restaurant looks just that: a homely kitchen complete with a dining room. Intimate, there aren’t that many tables (and one o those is a small one with little seats or children). The menu is a brie affair which changes daily. A good lunchtime offer consists o soup and a main course (and the soup comes with Namai’s wonderul home-made bread). Very good.QC/D-5, Subačiaus 6, tel. (+370) 607 843 99. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Tue 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €6. TJA6S
December 2014 - April 2015
35
Where to eat GRAF ZEPPELIN One o the city’s more clever anomalies, bask in antiquity and ill yoursel up with what’s claimed to be the largest cepelinai in the capital. The good value menu is made up o a range o Lithuanian and German dishes, most notably the aorementioned blimps which now eature as the Lithuanian national dish. All in all a great place or a ull blown, gut-busting meal and an equally enjoyable atmosphere when they’re busy.QC-4, Savičiaus 9, tel. (+370) 674 629 49, www. grafzeppelin.lt. Open 11:45 - 23:00, Sun 14:00 18:00. €8. PJASW LOKYS One o Vilnius’ best known restaurants, Lokys (The Bear) opened its doors to rouble-paying customers way back in 1972 in the Gothic cellars o an Old Town building dating back to the late 15th century and has been serving socalled traditional hunters’ dishes amidst a slightly tonguein-cheek backdrop ever since. The limited menu ocuses on unusual dishes including quail, venison and even beaver, with a couple o vegetarian options to keep everybody happy. Live music happens rom time to time, plus you can rent the entire place or the ull blown medieval experience.QC-4, Stiklių 8, tel. (+370) 5 262 90 46, www.lokys. lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €13. JAW
LITHUANIAN There are essentially two ty pes o Lithuanian restaurant in Lithuania. The first and most obvious variety eatures pigtailed waitresses in national dress serving plates o potatoes and beetroot soup in an atmosphere reminiscent o an old barn. The second is less easy to pin down, and is perhaps best described as a restaurant or caé serving predominantly but not exclusively Lithuanian avourites in an atmosphere you won’t find anywhere other than in Lithuania. Rather than insult the best intentions o the good restaurant owners o Vilnius and call the ormer o the two Folk restaurants, we choose to list both types o restaurant together.
FOREST Traditional with a twist, Forest is one o those places which is determined to prove that Lithuanian cuisine can be progressive. Simple yet innovative, expect superb grilled meats and some o the best salads in the city alongside specials such as gnocchi and pacheri. It’s all prepared resh on the premises using the finest seasonal ingredients, and is served in a bright, contemporary setting. Well worth your time and money.QB-4, Vokiečių 8, tel. (+370) 698 167 28, www.restoranasforest.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. Also at Žirmūnų 2, Savanorių 1. €7. PTJAUSW FORTO DVARAS This per ectly located restaurant on the busiest street in Old Town provides consistently good ood at affordable prices. Complete with colour photographs to help you choose, the menu is packed with classic dishes including the marvellous kepta duona, duona, a good choice when waiting or a main dish, soup served in a loa o bread and some simple but recommended desserts. We recently had the borsch with meat ollowed by some truly outstanding potato pancakes with bacon and mushroom sauce o which both can also be ordered or vegetarians. The service is riendly and efficient.QC-2, Pilies 16, tel. (+370) 656 136 88, www.fortodvaras.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00. €5.
Šaltibarščiai 36 Vilnius In Your Pocket
TJASW vilnius.inyourpocket.com
MYKOLO 4 Holy Miko’s has changed its name to Restoranas-Bistro Mykolo 4, and it is not just the name which is changed either. Having become known as a restaurant which served a bit o everything, the place now concentrates on developing and showcasing Lithuanian cuisine (although the wine list, thankully, remains an international one). Seasonal, resh, local ingredients are used, and the menu changes regularly.QC-3, Šv. Mykolo 4, tel. (+370) 688 222 10, www.mykolo4.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 21:00. €10. PTJASW
čiop čiop Recipe books are all well and good up to a point, but you can’t beat expert knowledge rom an experienced che in the heat o a real kitchen. Enter Čiop Čiop, Čiop , a company specialising in teaching modern Lithuanian cuisine in several languages and using local produce. Recipes are diverse and eature everything rom caramelised beetroot to glazed duck with wild berry sauce, sour cream with kastinys. Courses run rom thyme and hazelnuts to kastinys. between two and our hours depending on how many dishes you want to learn about and subsequently cook and either take place on Čiop Čiop’s premises or they can come to you. QC-1, Žvejų 2, tel. (+370) 663 666 67,
[email protected], www. ciopciop.lt. PTJW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
37
Where to eat
Where to eat GRAF ZEPPELIN One o the city’s more clever anomalies, bask in antiquity and ill yoursel up with what’s claimed to be the largest cepelinai in the capital. The good value menu is made up o a range o Lithuanian and German dishes, most notably the aorementioned blimps which now eature as the Lithuanian national dish. All in all a great place or a ull blown, gut-busting meal and an equally enjoyable atmosphere when they’re busy.QC-4, Savičiaus 9, tel. (+370) 674 629 49, www. grafzeppelin.lt. Open 11:45 - 23:00, Sun 14:00 18:00. €8. PJASW LOKYS One o Vilnius’ best known restaurants, Lokys (The Bear) opened its doors to rouble-paying customers way back in 1972 in the Gothic cellars o an Old Town building dating back to the late 15th century and has been serving socalled traditional hunters’ dishes amidst a slightly tonguein-cheek backdrop ever since. The limited menu ocuses on unusual dishes including quail, venison and even beaver, with a couple o vegetarian options to keep everybody happy. Live music happens rom time to time, plus you can rent the entire place or the ull blown medieval experience.QC-4, Stiklių 8, tel. (+370) 5 262 90 46, www.lokys. lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €13. JAW
LITHUANIAN There are essentially two ty pes o Lithuanian restaurant in Lithuania. The first and most obvious variety eatures pigtailed waitresses in national dress serving plates o potatoes and beetroot soup in an atmosphere reminiscent o an old barn. The second is less easy to pin down, and is perhaps best described as a restaurant or caé serving predominantly but not exclusively Lithuanian avourites in an atmosphere you won’t find anywhere other than in Lithuania. Rather than insult the best intentions o the good restaurant owners o Vilnius and call the ormer o the two Folk restaurants, we choose to list both types o restaurant together.
FOREST Traditional with a twist, Forest is one o those places which is determined to prove that Lithuanian cuisine can be progressive. Simple yet innovative, expect superb grilled meats and some o the best salads in the city alongside specials such as gnocchi and pacheri. It’s all prepared resh on the premises using the finest seasonal ingredients, and is served in a bright, contemporary setting. Well worth your time and money.QB-4, Vokiečių 8, tel. (+370) 698 167 28, www.restoranasforest.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. Also at Žirmūnų 2, Savanorių 1. €7. PTJAUSW FORTO DVARAS This per ectly located restaurant on the busiest street in Old Town provides consistently good ood at affordable prices. Complete with colour photographs to help you choose, the menu is packed with classic dishes including the marvellous kepta duona, duona, a good choice when waiting or a main dish, soup served in a loa o bread and some simple but recommended desserts. We recently had the borsch with meat ollowed by some truly outstanding potato pancakes with bacon and mushroom sauce o which both can also be ordered or vegetarians. The service is riendly and efficient.QC-2, Pilies 16, tel. (+370) 656 136 88, www.fortodvaras.lt. Open 11:00 - 24:00. €5.
Šaltibarščiai
TJASW
36 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
MYKOLO 4 Holy Miko’s has changed its name to Restoranas-Bistro Mykolo 4, and it is not just the name which is changed either. Having become known as a restaurant which served a bit o everything, the place now concentrates on developing and showcasing Lithuanian cuisine (although the wine list, thankully, remains an international one). Seasonal, resh, local ingredients are used, and the menu changes regularly.QC-3, Šv. Mykolo 4, tel. (+370) 688 222 10, www.mykolo4.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 21:00. €10. PTJASW
čiop čiop Recipe books are all well and good up to a point, but you can’t beat expert knowledge rom an experienced che in the heat o a real kitchen. Enter Čiop Čiop, Čiop , a company specialising in teaching modern Lithuanian cuisine in several languages and using local produce. Recipes are diverse and eature everything rom caramelised beetroot to glazed duck with wild berry sauce, sour cream with kastinys. Courses run rom thyme and hazelnuts to kastinys. between two and our hours depending on how many dishes you want to learn about and subsequently cook and either take place on Čiop Čiop’s premises or they can come to you. QC-1, Žvejų 2, tel. (+370) 663 666 67,
[email protected], www. ciopciop.lt. PTJW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
Where to eat
Where to eat
YUCATAN Simple yet good, Yucatan does what it does - Mexican ood - very well indeed. In a sunken location we ate the toasted bee taco and with marinated shrimps as a starter. Both took a while to arrive, but while the bee could have been slightly tenderer, everything tasted great. The riendly waitress who took our order was patient and courteous, and went out o her way to find us some white wine which we were initially told was not available.QA-2, Pylimo 2/6, tel. (+370) 676 392 34. Open 16:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 05:00. Closed Sun. €6. J6ESW
MIDDLE ASIAN SENOJI TROBELĖ This intimate, olk-themed restaurant is unquestionably one o the best examples o i ts kind in the country. We like the place, especially on a sunny day when it’s possible to eat and drink on their fine terrace. The ood is classic unpretentious local cuisine, tastes good and is equally superb value or money. I you’d like to take a little piece o the place home (and believe us, you will), their unique crockery is available or sale.QG-5, Naugarduko 36, tel. (+370) 609 990 02, www.senojitrobele.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €7. TAULSW
LOCAL SEASONAL FOOD
Pancho may Pancho may not have any Mexicans working in the open kitchen but that doesn’t stop them rom being enthusiastic and actually not too bad at cooking. Probably the best thing about the place though, like the bar next door, is that everything’s been thrown together in a jumble-sale ashion that quite simply adds a touch o class to a city with jus t too many sterile restaurants. Try the breakast tortillas i you’re eeling brave and don’t do what we did and turn up on a Tuesday evening assuming there’d be a table. Reserve in advance to avoid disappointment.QB-5, Visų Šventųjų 5, tel. (+370) 673 890 02. Open 16:00 - 22:00, Sat 13:00 22:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €11. TJA6S
MAGHRIB Be prepared or yet another welcome addition to Vilnius’ currently blossoming restaurant scene, now in a new location on Užupio. This small and decidedly riendly little restaurant serves a good choice o authentic Moroccan are rom spicy soups to couscous to an excellent sweet and pungent lamb dish cooked and served in a traditional tajine. tajine. In keeping with the local need to stare at something whilst eating there’s a large television on the wall, usually playing a slide show o images o Morocco. The mint tea is also a real winner, served as it should be in a glass and made rom green tea leaves and resh mint. Recommended.QX-3, Užupio 22-3, tel. (+370) 698 056 67. Open 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. €9. PTJA6SW
MEXICAN
38 Vilnius In Your Pocket
KINZA A ten minute or so walk rom the Old Town, Kinza is a relaxed kind o place serving a wide variety o very good ood rom all over Asia and the Middle East. We ate chalop and an Uzbek lamb pila with tomato and onion salad that was just about perect. The venue itsel is brilliantly designed, split between one main dining area and various other smaller break-out rooms all with a dierent purpose (drinks, smoking hookah pipes, private dining in small groups etc). It’s good.QA-4/5, Naugarduko 14, tel. (+370) 611 444 14. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €6. PTJASW
MOROCCAN
LA STORIA Just perect. A tiny yet cosy restaurant with just seven or so tables. Duties are shared between the two owners: Maria runs around serving, Arūnas cooks. We ate chanterelles with potatoes and cream sauce, and probably the best ever panna cotta with strawberries we’ve eaten. The menu changes every ew days, with the emphasis always on only the very reshest, natural ingredients. Highly recommended.QC-4, Savičiaus 6, tel. (+370) 616 806 80. Open 12:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €13. TJA6ES
SOFA DE PANCHO We like what’s currently going on in this par t o town. Development may be slow, but it’s always interesting. Sofa de
37
Cepelinai vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
NEW NORDIC CUISINE NEW NAKED BITE OF CONTEMPORARY CUISINE Contemporary Nordic cuisine, where the emphasis is always on making the best use o only the reshest, local ingredients. Housed in an Old Town building characterized by an arched ceiling the place itsel is small, yet has an air o exclusivity: this is an exceptional restaurant. Offers a good value three-course lunch and an amazing five course dinner. Having brought the dish to your table, the riendly young waiters explain what it is! Boasts 17 kinds o grappa.QB/C-3/4, Žydų 2/12, tel. (+370) 623 134 55. Open 11:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. Lunch €6.37 and 7.82. Dinner €24.62. PJAW
FAST FOOD MCDONALD’S Oten ull to overflowing with lovestruck Lithuanian teenagers, middle-aged English staggers dressed as rabbits and the inevitable huddle o people who’d never be seen dead in the place but that can oten be ound there, everything in this city centre branch tastes like it does in every other McDonald’s on the planet. The number one spot in town to make an anti-political statement whilst sitting at one o the little tables by the window and watching the hordes drit by.QA-1, Gedimino 15, tel. (+370) 685 421 78, www.mcd.lt. Open 07:00 - 03:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 07:00 - 05:00, Sun 07:00 - 01:00 (main restaurant). Open 00:00 - 05:00, 06:00 - 00:00 (small window). Also at Seinų 3, Kareivių 13, Ukmergės 173, Ozo 25 (Akropolis). €4. PTJASW SUBWAY Subway became an instant hit in Vilnius when it first opened in the summer o 2014, and it’s easy to see why. Magnificent, well-priced sandwiches and much else, all put together in no time at all by riendly staff. Stays open until very late: handy i you get hungry ater leaving a club.QB/C-4, Vokiečių 7, tel. (+370) 212 35 56. Open 10:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 05:00, Sun 11:00 - 01:00. €3. PJA6US December 2014 - April 2015
39
Where to eat
Where to eat
YUCATAN Simple yet good, Yucatan does what it does - Mexican ood - very well indeed. In a sunken location we ate the toasted bee taco and with marinated shrimps as a starter. Both took a while to arrive, but while the bee could have been slightly tenderer, everything tasted great. The riendly waitress who took our order was patient and courteous, and went out o her way to find us some white wine which we were initially told was not available.QA-2, Pylimo 2/6, tel. (+370) 676 392 34. Open 16:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 05:00. Closed Sun. €6. J6ESW
MIDDLE ASIAN SENOJI TROBELĖ This intimate, olk-themed restaurant is unquestionably one o the best examples o i ts kind in the country. We like the place, especially on a sunny day when it’s possible to eat and drink on their fine terrace. The ood is classic unpretentious local cuisine, tastes good and is equally superb value or money. I you’d like to take a little piece o the place home (and believe us, you will), their unique crockery is available or sale.QG-5, Naugarduko 36, tel. (+370) 609 990 02, www.senojitrobele.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €7. TAULSW
LOCAL SEASONAL FOOD
Pancho may Pancho may not have any Mexicans working in the open kitchen but that doesn’t stop them rom being enthusiastic and actually not too bad at cooking. Probably the best thing about the place though, like the bar next door, is that everything’s been thrown together in a jumble-sale ashion that quite simply adds a touch o class to a city with jus t too many sterile restaurants. Try the breakast tortillas i you’re eeling brave and don’t do what we did and turn up on a Tuesday evening assuming there’d be a table. Reserve in advance to avoid disappointment.QB-5, Visų Šventųjų 5, tel. (+370) 673 890 02. Open 16:00 - 22:00, Sat 13:00 22:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €11. TJA6S
MOROCCAN
LA STORIA Just perect. A tiny yet cosy restaurant with just seven or so tables. Duties are shared between the two owners: Maria runs around serving, Arūnas cooks. We ate chanterelles with potatoes and cream sauce, and probably the best ever panna cotta with strawberries we’ve eaten. The menu changes every ew days, with the emphasis always on only the very reshest, natural ingredients. Highly recommended.QC-4, Savičiaus 6, tel. (+370) 616 806 80. Open 12:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon, Sun. €13. TJA6ES
MAGHRIB Be prepared or yet another welcome addition to Vilnius’ currently blossoming restaurant scene, now in a new location on Užupio. This small and decidedly riendly little restaurant serves a good choice o authentic Moroccan are rom spicy soups to couscous to an excellent sweet and pungent lamb dish cooked and served in a traditional tajine. tajine. In keeping with the local need to stare at something whilst eating there’s a large television on the wall, usually playing a slide show o images o Morocco. The mint tea is also a real winner, served as it should be in a glass and made rom green tea leaves and resh mint. Recommended.QX-3, Užupio 22-3, tel. (+370) 698 056 67. Open 12:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. Closed Mon. €9. PTJA6SW
MEXICAN SOFA DE PANCHO We like what’s currently going on in this par t o town. Development may be slow, but it’s always interesting. Sofa de
KINZA A ten minute or so walk rom the Old Town, Kinza is a relaxed kind o place serving a wide variety o very good ood rom all over Asia and the Middle East. We ate chalop and an Uzbek lamb pila with tomato and onion salad that was just about perect. The venue itsel is brilliantly designed, split between one main dining area and various other smaller break-out rooms all with a dierent purpose (drinks, smoking hookah pipes, private dining in small groups etc). It’s good.QA-4/5, Naugarduko 14, tel. (+370) 611 444 14. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. €6. PTJASW
Cepelinai
38 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
NEW NORDIC CUISINE NEW NAKED BITE OF CONTEMPORARY CUISINE Contemporary Nordic cuisine, where the emphasis is always on making the best use o only the reshest, local ingredients. Housed in an Old Town building characterized by an arched ceiling the place itsel is small, yet has an air o exclusivity: this is an exceptional restaurant. Offers a good value three-course lunch and an amazing five course dinner. Having brought the dish to your table, the riendly young waiters explain what it is! Boasts 17 kinds o grappa.QB/C-3/4, Žydų 2/12, tel. (+370) 623 134 55. Open 11:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. Lunch €6.37 and 7.82. Dinner €24.62. PJAW
FAST FOOD MCDONALD’S Oten ull to overflowing with lovestruck Lithuanian teenagers, middle-aged English staggers dressed as rabbits and the inevitable huddle o people who’d never be seen dead in the place but that can oten be ound there, everything in this city centre branch tastes like it does in every other McDonald’s on the planet. The number one spot in town to make an anti-political statement whilst sitting at one o the little tables by the window and watching the hordes drit by.QA-1, Gedimino 15, tel. (+370) 685 421 78, www.mcd.lt. Open 07:00 - 03:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 07:00 - 05:00, Sun 07:00 - 01:00 (main restaurant). Open 00:00 - 05:00, 06:00 - 00:00 (small window). Also at Seinų 3, Kareivių 13, Ukmergės 173, Ozo 25 (Akropolis). €4. PTJASW SUBWAY Subway became an instant hit in Vilnius when it first opened in the summer o 2014, and it’s easy to see why. Magnificent, well-priced sandwiches and much else, all put together in no time at all by riendly staff. Stays open until very late: handy i you get hungry ater leaving a club.QB/C-4, Vokiečių 7, tel. (+370) 212 35 56. Open 10:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 05:00, Sun 11:00 - 01:00. €3. PJA6US
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
Where to eat
Where to eat
PANCAKES LA CREPE As the name suggests, La Crepe’s tour de orce is the humble, French-style pancake, which it does very well indeed and, unlike at many other pancake places in town, it does to order. The perec t accompaniment to coffee and thereore one o the best sources o uel or visitors covering Vilnius on oot, the range o fillings is admirable, rom sweet to savoury to vegetarian. Also on the menu or those who require more than a mouthul o egg and jam is a selection o more substantial Lithuanian and international dishes. Their summertime La Crepe Terrasse, on top o the city’s VCUP shopping centre just north o the river, comes with terrific views o the capital alongside a regular series o themed evening events including film screenings and jazz concerts.QA-1, Gedimino 13, tel. (+370) 616 465 49, www.lacrepe.lt. Open 09:00 - 24:00, Fri 09:00 - 01:00, Sat 10:00 - 01:00, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. Also at Konstitucijos 16 (VCUP). €5. PJASW
PIZZA Quite possibly the most popular ood eaten in Lithuanian restaurants today, you can’t swing a cat in the capital without hitting a 30cm margherita or quattro formaggi . As in many countries in the region, pizzas in Lithuania are eaten with rightening amounts o tomato ketchup and little regard or the eelings o the Italians who’d in general much rather go hungry than have to endure a local pica local pica..
BASILICO Sat on a corner next to a bus stop and an abandoned cinema Basilico is easily overlooked, which is a shame because they currently serve the best pizza in Vilnius. Using proper mozzarella and baked in a wood oven, these reasonably priced masterpieces are best eaten with resh basil which is provided by a plant dumped on the table by one o the waitresses ater you order. Popular with amilies and busy during the week, as i the pizza isn’t temptation enough they even make their own pasta. Very recommended indeed.QA-4, Pylimo 21, tel. (+370) (+370) 650 516 80, w ww.basilico-pica.lt. Open 11:00 24:00, Mon, Sun 11:00 - 22:00, Tue, Wed 11:00 - 23:00. Also at A. Goštauto 40c. €9. PTJA6SW ČILI PICA Domination o the local market means either an element o bad business practice or the ability to get things right, which in the case o this long-standing chain o pizza restaurants the latter most definitely applies. True, an Italian may not be overly impressed with the pizzas but there’s plenty else on the menu which, in the case o the grilled meat dishes is usually very good indeed and affordable or all but the most budget-conscious travellers. We’ve recently been experimenting experimenting with their small breakast menu and have been impressed with the excellent value omelettes and the ried eggs with toast and salad. It’s also worth mentioning that the service is never bad, and can at times be exceptionally excellent.QA-1, Gedimino 23, tel. (+370) 5 261 90 71, www.cili.
HOME DELIVERY Too lazy or hungover hungover to go out and get something something to eat? The ollowing all all provide home home delivery services. Delivery Delivery charges range rom ree to €6 depending on venue and total cost o order. Venue
Tel.
CANCAN PIZZA
(+370) (+370) 659 659 887 77 www.ca www.canca ncan.l n.lt
ČILI
1822
Website
www.1822.lt
(+370) 5 263 263 63 63 63 www.kinuvirtuve.l kinuvirtuve.lt DIDŽIOJI KINIJA (+370)
Open
(+370) (+370) 686 686 884 88
MANO GURU
(+370) (+370) 5 212 212 01 26 26 www.manoguru.l manoguru.lt
MIYAKO
(+370) (+370) 618 618 521 12 www.su www.sushi shi.lt .lt
SUBMARINE
(+370) (+370) 5 233 33 33 23 www.submarinas. submarinas.ltlt
SUE’S INDIAN RAJA
(+370) 5 266 18 88 www.suesi suesindianraja.l ndianraja.lt 11:00 - 23:00
TIFLISI DUKANI
(+370) (+370) 656 656 228 05 www.ti www.tiflis flisi.l i.lt
www.le www.lekst kste.l e.lt
Cuisine
10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:00 Open 10:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00. 11:00 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00 11:00 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00. 10:00 - 22:30, Sun 11:00 22:30
LABUKI
40 Vilnius In Your Pocket
39
Pizza Chinese, Sushi, Lithuanian,Pizza, Chinese Japanese, Korean Salad, international Japanese Pizza, international Indian
11:30 - 21:00, Fri 11:30 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 Georgian - 21:00 vilnius.inyourpocket.com
lt. Open 08:00 - 03:00, Fri 08:00 - 06:00, Sat 10:00 06:00, Sun 11:00 - 03:00. Also at Didžioji 5. €4. PT JAVSW
JURGIS IR DRAKONAS Jurgis is the local name or George, and the dragon is the shapely pizza oven. A very popular place, just like its previous incarnation, expect it to be very busy all day long, and as they do not take reservations you may need to wait. We say the wait is well worth it, as the short menu o (mostly) pizzas, plus a ew other things is very good. This is one o the best places to have a pizza in Vilnius, given that just about everything including the flour - is brought rom Italy.QA-3/4, Pylimo 22d, tel. (+370) 600 779 77, www.jurgisirdrakonas.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00. €7. PTJASW PIZZA HUT EXPRESS Under new management and a much better experience all round, Lithuania’s adventures into the world o pizza ranchising are finally worth talking about with a positive spin. The slice o deep-pan pizza we recently gobbled down hit the spot exactly.QH-1, Ozo 18 (Ozas), tel. (+370) 5 259 61 28. Open 10:00 - 22:00. €4. PTAUSW
RAW RAW42 Located in a little triangle o Vilnius currently making something o a name or itsel, the ood stretches beyond sandwiches and they even offer short courses in making ood. Very trendy and very welcome, note that none o the ood is cooked at a temperature higher that +42°C.QB-5, Rūdninkų 12, tel. (+370) 659 685 45. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Thu, Fri 11:00 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €5. JASW RAW RAW Good healthy ood made rom unprocessed ingredients with almost nothing on the menu cooked, the selection o dishes on offer is airly extensive, including everything rom vitamin-packed salads to pasta dishes made rom vegetables. Also a good selection o reshly squeezed ruit juices.QC-2, Totorių 3, tel. (+370) 699 520 22, www.rawraw.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00. €5. PTJASW
POMODORO Ater numerous visits to several Pomodoro restaurants it’s still almost impossible to ault them. For the price, the pizza and pasta are up there with the best, whilst the s teak continues to amaze and impress. Service is attentive, and the early morning pancakes continue to be a fine way to start the day.QA-2, Vilniaus 15, tel. (+370) 5 269 00 22, www.pomodoro.lt. Open 08:00 - 23:00, Fri 08:00 - 24:00, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 11:00 - 23:00. Also at P. Lukšio 32. €7. PTJAUSW UŽUPIO PICERIJA Parked in a street just around the corner rom the Užupis Angel, this tip-top pizza joint is either bustling and busy or dead as a door nail. Whatever state it’s ound in, the pizza they serve is decent enough i not exactly gourmet. Eschew the other meals and stick to the house ood and you’ll be just fine. Service is o course amusing, and the outdoor seating during the warmer part o the year is exceedingly pleasant.QD-3, Paupio 3, tel. (+370) 5 215 36 66. Open 08:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 23:00. €5. JASW JASW
RUSSIAN ČAGINO Named ater the one-time owner o the building this restaurant finds itsel, this hit-and-miss Russian affair offers classics such as chicken with smoked plums and blini in in a splendid, 19th-century cellar. Although it may not be the best Russian restaurant in the world, it’s practically the only one in Vilnius these days. Weekends can be exceptionally good un, with live music, lots o vodka and large groups o diners getting beautiully sloshed.QA-3, J. Basanavičiaus 11, tel. (+370) 5 261 55 55, www.cagin.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €7. PJAES facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
SALAD MANO GURU Opened way back in August 2004 and still going strong, Guru offers a mind-boggling the recommended Mano Guru array o substantial salads plus desserts and sot drinks in something o a boutique setting. Popular particularly with women watching their weight, other people are encouraged to visit not least because o the idea behind the place. Begun on the initiative o local legend and resurrected mayor o Vilnius Artūras Zuokas, over hal o the staff working here are recovering drug addic ts involved in what’s probably the most enlightened project in the city, and one that’s well worth supporting.QB-2, Vilniaus 22/1, tel. (+370) 5 212 01 26, www.manoguru.lt. Open 07:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 20:00. €4. TJAVSW December 2014 - April 2015
41
Where to eat
Where to eat
PANCAKES LA CREPE As the name suggests, La Crepe’s tour de orce is the humble, French-style pancake, which it does very well indeed and, unlike at many other pancake places in town, it does to order. The perec t accompaniment to coffee and thereore one o the best sources o uel or visitors covering Vilnius on oot, the range o fillings is admirable, rom sweet to savoury to vegetarian. Also on the menu or those who require more than a mouthul o egg and jam is a selection o more substantial Lithuanian and international dishes. Their summertime La Crepe Terrasse, on top o the city’s VCUP shopping centre just north o the river, comes with terrific views o the capital alongside a regular series o themed evening events including film screenings and jazz concerts.QA-1, Gedimino 13, tel. (+370) 616 465 49, www.lacrepe.lt. Open 09:00 - 24:00, Fri 09:00 - 01:00, Sat 10:00 - 01:00, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. Also at Konstitucijos 16 (VCUP). €5. PJASW
PIZZA Quite possibly the most popular ood eaten in Lithuanian restaurants today, you can’t swing a cat in the capital without hitting a 30cm margherita or quattro formaggi . As in many countries in the region, pizzas in Lithuania are eaten with rightening amounts o tomato ketchup and little regard or the eelings o the Italians who’d in general much rather go hungry than have to endure a local pica local pica..
BASILICO Sat on a corner next to a bus stop and an abandoned cinema Basilico is easily overlooked, which is a shame because they currently serve the best pizza in Vilnius. Using proper mozzarella and baked in a wood oven, these reasonably priced masterpieces are best eaten with resh basil which is provided by a plant dumped on the table by one o the waitresses ater you order. Popular with amilies and busy during the week, as i the pizza isn’t temptation enough they even make their own pasta. Very recommended indeed.QA-4, Pylimo 21, tel. (+370) (+370) 650 516 80, w ww.basilico-pica.lt. Open 11:00 24:00, Mon, Sun 11:00 - 22:00, Tue, Wed 11:00 - 23:00. Also at A. Goštauto 40c. €9. PTJA6SW ČILI PICA Domination o the local market means either an element o bad business practice or the ability to get things right, which in the case o this long-standing chain o pizza restaurants the latter most definitely applies. True, an Italian may not be overly impressed with the pizzas but there’s plenty else on the menu which, in the case o the grilled meat dishes is usually very good indeed and affordable or all but the most budget-conscious travellers. We’ve recently been experimenting experimenting with their small breakast menu and have been impressed with the excellent value omelettes and the ried eggs with toast and salad. It’s also worth mentioning that the service is never bad, and can at times be exceptionally excellent.QA-1, Gedimino 23, tel. (+370) 5 261 90 71, www.cili.
HOME DELIVERY Too lazy or hungover hungover to go out and get something something to eat? The ollowing all all provide home home delivery services. Delivery Delivery charges range rom ree to €6 depending on venue and total cost o order. Venue
Tel.
Website
CANCAN PIZZA
(+370) (+370) 659 659 887 77 www.ca www.canca ncan.l n.lt
ČILI
1822
Open
www.1822.lt
(+370) 5 263 263 63 63 63 www.kinuvirtuve.l kinuvirtuve.lt DIDŽIOJI KINIJA (+370)
10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 23:00 Open 10:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00. 11:00 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00 11:00 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00. 10:00 - 22:30, Sun 11:00 22:30
LABUKI
(+370) (+370) 686 686 884 88
MANO GURU
(+370) (+370) 5 212 212 01 26 26 www.manoguru.l manoguru.lt
MIYAKO
(+370) (+370) 618 618 521 12 www.su www.sushi shi.lt .lt
SUBMARINE
(+370) (+370) 5 233 33 33 23 www.submarinas. submarinas.ltlt
SUE’S INDIAN RAJA
(+370) 5 266 18 88 www.suesi suesindianraja.l ndianraja.lt 11:00 - 23:00
TIFLISI DUKANI
(+370) (+370) 656 656 228 05 www.ti www.tiflis flisi.l i.lt
www.le www.lekst kste.l e.lt
Cuisine
Pizza Chinese, Sushi, Lithuanian,Pizza, Chinese Japanese, Korean Salad, international Japanese Pizza, international Indian
11:30 - 21:00, Fri 11:30 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 Georgian - 21:00
40 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
lt. Open 08:00 - 03:00, Fri 08:00 - 06:00, Sat 10:00 06:00, Sun 11:00 - 03:00. Also at Didžioji 5. €4. PT JAVSW
JURGIS IR DRAKONAS Jurgis is the local name or George, and the dragon is the shapely pizza oven. A very popular place, just like its previous incarnation, expect it to be very busy all day long, and as they do not take reservations you may need to wait. We say the wait is well worth it, as the short menu o (mostly) pizzas, plus a ew other things is very good. This is one o the best places to have a pizza in Vilnius, given that just about everything including the flour - is brought rom Italy.QA-3/4, Pylimo 22d, tel. (+370) 600 779 77, www.jurgisirdrakonas.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00. €7. PTJASW PIZZA HUT EXPRESS Under new management and a much better experience all round, Lithuania’s adventures into the world o pizza ranchising are finally worth talking about with a positive spin. The slice o deep-pan pizza we recently gobbled down hit the spot exactly.QH-1, Ozo 18 (Ozas), tel. (+370) 5 259 61 28. Open 10:00 - 22:00. €4. PTAUSW
RAW RAW42 Located in a little triangle o Vilnius currently making something o a name or itsel, the ood stretches beyond sandwiches and they even offer short courses in making ood. Very trendy and very welcome, note that none o the ood is cooked at a temperature higher that +42°C.QB-5, Rūdninkų 12, tel. (+370) 659 685 45. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Thu, Fri 11:00 - 22:00, Sat 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €5. JASW RAW RAW Good healthy ood made rom unprocessed ingredients with almost nothing on the menu cooked, the selection o dishes on offer is airly extensive, including everything rom vitamin-packed salads to pasta dishes made rom vegetables. Also a good selection o reshly squeezed ruit juices.QC-2, Totorių 3, tel. (+370) 699 520 22, www.rawraw.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00. €5. PTJASW
POMODORO Ater numerous visits to several Pomodoro restaurants it’s still almost impossible to ault them. For the price, the pizza and pasta are up there with the best, whilst the s teak continues to amaze and impress. Service is attentive, and the early morning pancakes continue to be a fine way to start the day.QA-2, Vilniaus 15, tel. (+370) 5 269 00 22, www.pomodoro.lt. Open 08:00 - 23:00, Fri 08:00 - 24:00, Sat 10:00 - 24:00, Sun 11:00 - 23:00. Also at P. Lukšio 32. €7. PTJAUSW UŽUPIO PICERIJA Parked in a street just around the corner rom the Užupis Angel, this tip-top pizza joint is either bustling and busy or dead as a door nail. Whatever state it’s ound in, the pizza they serve is decent enough i not exactly gourmet. Eschew the other meals and stick to the house ood and you’ll be just fine. Service is o course amusing, and the outdoor seating during the warmer part o the year is exceedingly pleasant.QD-3, Paupio 3, tel. (+370) 5 215 36 66. Open 08:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 23:00. €5. JASW JASW
RUSSIAN ČAGINO Named ater the one-time owner o the building this restaurant finds itsel, this hit-and-miss Russian affair offers classics such as chicken with smoked plums and blini in in a splendid, 19th-century cellar. Although it may not be the best Russian restaurant in the world, it’s practically the only one in Vilnius these days. Weekends can be exceptionally good un, with live music, lots o vodka and large groups o diners getting beautiully sloshed.QA-3, J. Basanavičiaus 11, tel. (+370) 5 261 55 55, www.cagin.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €7. PJAES facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Where to eat
SALAD MANO GURU Opened way back in August 2004 and still going strong, Guru offers a mind-boggling the recommended Mano Guru array o substantial salads plus desserts and sot drinks in something o a boutique setting. Popular particularly with women watching their weight, other people are encouraged to visit not least because o the idea behind the place. Begun on the initiative o local legend and resurrected mayor o Vilnius Artūras Zuokas, over hal o the staff working here are recovering drug addic ts involved in what’s probably the most enlightened project in the city, and one that’s well worth supporting.QB-2, Vilniaus 22/1, tel. (+370) 5 212 01 26, www.manoguru.lt. Open 07:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 20:00. €4. TJAVSW December 2014 - April 2015
41
Where to eat lobster as an add-on to your steak. Unveiled in 2014, we ound the saint with a ew teething problems as a couple o items on the menu were not available. But with a peaceul courtyard sheltered rom the road and the elements, and some amazing sauces giving urther flavour to the meat, we expect St. Hubertus to blossom. QB-4, Vokiečių 24, tel. (+370) 5 261 65 73/(+370) 686 047 08, w ww.st-hubertus.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €15. JAXW
SUSHI STEAK BÖFF STEAK HOUSE VILNIUS It would be really good news i Böff actually delivers on a regular basis what it promises, namely the best s teaks in the country in pleasant surroundings. To be air they’ve got off to a good start since opening a while back in a modern setting with a ew nods to the past just north o river. Let’s hope the good news continues. As or the ood itsel, the steaks are very good indeed, plus there’s burgers and fish and a range o good soups to start plus a handul o desserts and drinks to wash it all down with. Although the location could be a lot better, it’s actually not that ar to reach over the bridge i you’re in the area around the National Museum, or, even closer, the excellent Lithuanian Energy and Technology Museum.QC-1,
Olimpiečių 1, tel. (+370) 663 509 69, www.boff.lt. Open 11:30 - 22:00, Sat 12:30 - 22:00. Closed Sun. € 29. PTJASW
HAZIENDA STEAKHOUSE A magnificent steak house, widely regarded as the best in Lithuania, a title it has held or more than a decade and a hal. All o the raw material is sourced locally rom the finest bee arms, where cattle graze on Lithuania’s best grasslands. The restaurant can boast to know the provenance o every single steak they serve, right down to knowing what the cattle were ed. The setting - at the charming Mabre hotel - is not to be overlooked either. Magnificent.QD-3, Maironio 13 (Mabre Hotel), tel. (+370) 5 212 13 89, www.mabre.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €17. PTJAW MARKUS IR KO Serving various bits o cow to those who can afford it or as long as many care to remember, Markus ir Ko is Ko is an institution that ails to go away. Once amed or cooking the best steak in the capital, this slightly casual yet definitely upscale restaurant has long since been eclipsed by others but still knocks out by almost everybody’s account a damn fine steak.QC-3, M. Antokolskio 11, tel. (+370) 5 262 31 85, www.markusirko.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €17. PTJAESW
TAPAS NIÑO The cracking little medieval cellar space under Cozy now operates in the guise o a lounge-like tapas bar. The delicacies in question more or less measure up to the real thing, the English-speaking staff are rightully nice and, i you’re the type o person who doesn’t agree with ancy ood, it’s possible to spend hours down there soaking up nothing more than the atmosphere and lots and lots o alcohol. The attached restaurant-bar upstairs is pretty good too.QB-3, Dominikonų 10, tel. (+370) 5 261 11 37. Open 18:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 18:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. €4. PJASW
UKRAINIAN
MEAT LOVERS PUB Cooking meat to perection, we had a steak that couldn’t be argued with, a soup that was up there with soups costing five times as much and some pork that was absolutely the best meat we’ve eaten in Vilnius or months. The service is decent, and all things considered there are ew places offering better value in Vilnius right now. QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 14, tel. (+370) 652 512 33, www. meatloverspub.lt. Open 11:30 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €7. PTA6SW ST. HUBERTUS Name your game! The patron saint o hunters delivers on (almost) everything rom boar to pigeon, the classic-cut steaks rom porterhouse to tomahawk, the starters rom Baltic herring to ceviche. Order a hal42 Vilnius In Your Pocket
SUSHI EXPRESS Boasts the most impressively adventurous sushi menu in Vilnius as well as the most skillul sushi ches in the city: add in some suitably contemporary design and you have a winner. For the indecisive the set menus are good value, and there are non-sushi bites too. There are two o these places in Vilnius, and though neither is in the Old Town i you crave decent sushi in this town then both are well worth seeking out and thoroughly recommended. Q G-3, J. Jasinskio 16a, tel. (+370) 699 693 43, www. sushiexpress.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sat 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:0 0. Also at Konstitucijos 20, Verkių 29. €4. PASW
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
LELEKO Don’t be put off by the olk art motis covering the walls nor or that matter by the staff in olk costumes because i it’s Ukrainian ood cooked well, which it is here, then the Disneyland stuff doesn’t matter. Up at the ar western end o Gedimino just around the corner rom the main street, the walk is worth every bit o effort. There’s something about Ukrainian ood that, despite it mostly being the same as the rest o the traditional ood ound in this part o the world, stands head and shoulders above the rest. Start with a cracking bowl o borsch and let the riendly staff take you through the rest o the menu. Good value and definitely recommended.QG-3, Gedimino 49/2, tel. (+370) 633 304 37. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €5. TJASW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
43
Where to eat
Where to eat lobster as an add-on to your steak. Unveiled in 2014, we ound the saint with a ew teething problems as a couple o items on the menu were not available. But with a peaceul courtyard sheltered rom the road and the elements, and some amazing sauces giving urther flavour to the meat, we expect St. Hubertus to blossom. QB-4, Vokiečių 24, tel. (+370) 5 261 65 73/(+370) 686 047 08, w ww.st-hubertus.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €15. JAXW
SUSHI STEAK BÖFF STEAK HOUSE VILNIUS It would be really good news i Böff actually delivers on a regular basis what it promises, namely the best s teaks in the country in pleasant surroundings. To be air they’ve got off to a good start since opening a while back in a modern setting with a ew nods to the past just north o river. Let’s hope the good news continues. As or the ood itsel, the steaks are very good indeed, plus there’s burgers and fish and a range o good soups to start plus a handul o desserts and drinks to wash it all down with. Although the location could be a lot better, it’s actually not that ar to reach over the bridge i you’re in the area around the National Museum, or, even closer, the excellent Lithuanian Energy and Technology Museum.QC-1,
Olimpiečių 1, tel. (+370) 663 509 69, www.boff.lt. Open 11:30 - 22:00, Sat 12:30 - 22:00. Closed Sun. € 29. PTJASW
HAZIENDA STEAKHOUSE A magnificent steak house, widely regarded as the best in Lithuania, a title it has held or more than a decade and a hal. All o the raw material is sourced locally rom the finest bee arms, where cattle graze on Lithuania’s best grasslands. The restaurant can boast to know the provenance o every single steak they serve, right down to knowing what the cattle were ed. The setting - at the charming Mabre hotel - is not to be overlooked either. Magnificent.QD-3, Maironio 13 (Mabre Hotel), tel. (+370) 5 212 13 89, www.mabre.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €17. PTJAW MARKUS IR KO Serving various bits o cow to those who can afford it or as long as many care to remember, Markus ir Ko is Ko is an institution that ails to go away. Once amed or cooking the best steak in the capital, this slightly casual yet definitely upscale restaurant has long since been eclipsed by others but still knocks out by almost everybody’s account a damn fine steak.QC-3, M. Antokolskio 11, tel. (+370) 5 262 31 85, www.markusirko.lt. Open 12:00 - 24:00. €17. PTJAESW
TAPAS NIÑO The cracking little medieval cellar space under Cozy now operates in the guise o a lounge-like tapas bar. The delicacies in question more or less measure up to the real thing, the English-speaking staff are rightully nice and, i you’re the type o person who doesn’t agree with ancy ood, it’s possible to spend hours down there soaking up nothing more than the atmosphere and lots and lots o alcohol. The attached restaurant-bar upstairs is pretty good too.QB-3, Dominikonų 10, tel. (+370) 5 261 11 37. Open 18:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 18:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. €4. PJASW
UKRAINIAN
MEAT LOVERS PUB Cooking meat to perection, we had a steak that couldn’t be argued with, a soup that was up there with soups costing five times as much and some pork that was absolutely the best meat we’ve eaten in Vilnius or months. The service is decent, and all things considered there are ew places offering better value in Vilnius right now. QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 14, tel. (+370) 652 512 33, www. meatloverspub.lt. Open 11:30 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 21:00. €7. PTA6SW ST. HUBERTUS Name your game! The patron saint o hunters delivers on (almost) everything rom boar to pigeon, the classic-cut steaks rom porterhouse to tomahawk, the starters rom Baltic herring to ceviche. Order a hal42 Vilnius In Your Pocket
SUSHI EXPRESS Boasts the most impressively adventurous sushi menu in Vilnius as well as the most skillul sushi ches in the city: add in some suitably contemporary design and you have a winner. For the indecisive the set menus are good value, and there are non-sushi bites too. There are two o these places in Vilnius, and though neither is in the Old Town i you crave decent sushi in this town then both are well worth seeking out and thoroughly recommended. Q G-3, J. Jasinskio 16a, tel. (+370) 699 693 43, www. sushiexpress.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sat 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 20:0 0. Also at Konstitucijos 20, Verkių 29. €4. PASW
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
LELEKO Don’t be put off by the olk art motis covering the walls nor or that matter by the staff in olk costumes because i it’s Ukrainian ood cooked well, which it is here, then the Disneyland stuff doesn’t matter. Up at the ar western end o Gedimino just around the corner rom the main street, the walk is worth every bit o effort. There’s something about Ukrainian ood that, despite it mostly being the same as the rest o the traditional ood ound in this part o the world, stands head and shoulders above the rest. Start with a cracking bowl o borsch and let the riendly staff take you through the rest o the menu. Good value and definitely recommended.QG-3, Gedimino 49/2, tel. (+370) 633 304 37. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Sat 12:00 - 23:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. €5. TJASW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Nightlife The Lithuanian capital’s disparate nightlife options run the breadth of all things imaginable for any taste and budget, from quiet cafés full of serious-looking men huddled over a game of chess to steamy underground caverns dedicated to the time-honoured pursuit of getting ordinarily level-headed businessmen so horribly drunk that they willingly empty the contents of their bank account inside a stripper’s knickers. Now that the city’s wine-drinking crowd have been given their own places to imbibe, Vilnius’ nightlife entrepreneurs are turning their attention to the subject of beer, namely with the regular opening of a new place selling brown frothy drinks made in small microbreweries around the country. The best are of course listed here. Clubs remain almost exclusively mainstream, whilst the city’s gay and lesbian scene is almost as far underground as a Soviet nuclear test site. Note that face control is currently on the rise in Vilnius: if yours doesn’t fit, forget it. Wearing a decent pair of shoes usually helps. Leave your trainers at home and have fun!
BARS ALAUS STUDIJA Exactly why it took just over a thousand years or somebody to open a really outstanding bar in Vilnius is anyone’s guess, but open it they finally did. True, the location could be more central, but when it’s as good as this there’s no particular need to complain. Selling only oreign beers alongside a ew stronger options and decorated with letover technology rom the recently expired Lithuanian Film Studios, the Murphy’s is Murphy’s is reresh-
43
Nightlife ingly affordable and goes down a treat. A menu o bar snacks is also available, plus there’s hot nachos and nuts. A taxi rom Old Town shouldn’t cost more than €3. Highly recommended. QI-1, S. Žukausko 20, tel. (+370) 685 608 85. Open 11:00 01:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 14:00 - 02:00, Sun 14:00 - 23:00. PAW
ARTISTAI Hidden in a picturesque little side street inside a rather lovely courtyard, this very Vilnius-type place was once known as Amerika, and has since changed practically nothing except its name. Treading the fine line between bar, restaurant and nightclub, Artistai attracts a mixed crowd o mostly riendly locals, serves cheap ood and beer and has regular live music events to supplement the otherwise orthodox disco nights.QC-4, Šv. Kazimiero 3, tel. (+370) 5 212 12 68, www.artistai.lt. Open 11:00 02:00, Mon 11:00 - 24:00, Fri 11:00 - 05:00, Sat 12:00 05:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. JAESW BIX Started by the legendary rock band rom Šiauliai o the same name, the scruffy bar on two floors that is Bix is airly tame during the week but can get busy and ull o testosterone-filled men in leather jackets during the weekend. The two pool tables upstairs are a disaster, but but quite good un ater a ew beers.QC-4, Etmonų 6, tel. (+370) 5 262 77 91, www.bix.lt. Open 11:00 - 02:00, Mon, Tue 11:00 - 24:00, Fri 11:00 - 05:00, Sat 12:00 - 04:00, Sun 12:00 24:00. JAEW
BLUSYNĖ One o the more quirky venues in the city, a bit o a draw or arty types but a place which always has a warm welcome or just about anyone. Puts on events rom time to time, including the odd concert, reading or exhibition. Add in decent ood and drink at decent prices and you have a place more than worth your time.QC-4, Savičiaus 5, tel. (+370) 699 627 51. Open 17:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 14:00 - 24:00. Closed Mon. PJAW CALIFORNIA TAPAS & WINE Growing rom strength to strength, i t’s a breath o resh air to see a restaurant in Lithuania improve over time rather than the usual opposite. Aiming to introduce tapas to the local population among other things, this Spanish-themed restaurant-bar on two floors provides a bit o everything, rom a first-floor caé complete with open kitchen serving dishes including Basque fish soup to grilled meat to a labyrinth o rooms downstairs or long evenings o eating and drinking. QC-5, Subačiaus 2, tel. (+370) 652 655 51, www.california.lt. Open 11:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 05:00. PJASW CRAZY BULL Crazy Bull is a sports’ bar brought to you by the good people behind Salento. Salento. Besides loads o live spor t on the many televisions (including one genuinely enormous screen) you can also bet right in the bar. The ood is a cut above standard sports’ bar are: there are (very good) burgers and ribs as you might expect, but you can also grab mussels, big salads and a ew other treats well worth trying. Usually packed when there is a big game on, it is less busy at other times.QC-4, Didžioji 28, tel. (+370) 676 820 15. Open 17:00 - 04:00, Fri 17:00 - 06:00, Sat 13:00 - 06:00, Sun 13:00 - 04:00. PJAEW NEW DĖVĖTI More ultra-casual spots like this are opening up in shady corners across the city, and we welcome every one. Taps pouring crat beers rom northern Lithuania adorn the bar. I it’s a cocktail you’re ater, don’t expect the perect mojito. They’ll ask your preerences and make up a heady mixture on the spot. The bar is hammered together rom blocks o wood. Under each table are paper towels and buckets in case o spillages. A hip non-attitude crowd chats to bouncy alt-jazz sounds. I you’re lucky, ood may be on offer, such as “yummy pork” or alael. Opening time depends on how drunk the bartenders were the previous evening.QB-5, Sodų 3, tel. (+370) 672 036 75. Open 11:30 - 01:00. JA6EW DIRTY DUCK There is much about this place that will have you coming back or more than one visit. It is a contemporary pub and bistro with a vaguely industrial eel serving a huge range o good beer, a seriously decent selection o whiskies (including a ew rom more exotic locations) and great ood. Indeed, the ood is a cut above what you would expect
44 Vilnius In Your Pocket
December 2014 - April 2015
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
rom a pub and can be placed firmly in the ‘top bistro’ c ategory. The pork rib with apple sauce we ate was superb, and the lunchtime deal (available until 15:00) is very good value. Service is good too.QC-4, Didžioji 28, tel. (+370) 5 231 26 41, www.dirtyduck.eu. Open 11:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 06:00. PJAW
FORTAS Despite its rather small beer collection, Fortas can do no wrong. Perched up on top o the hill above Old Town, this always busy spot plays host to everyone rom shady-looking Russian-speakers without any hair to immaculately turned out Japanese tourists. It would be unair to not to also mention the ood, which is consistently marvellous. Top banana.QH-4, Algirdo 17, tel. (+370) 652 011 38, www.fortas.eu. Open 08:00 - 24:00, Sat 11:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. PAW GLORY BAR BY STIKLIAI The newest venue by the legendary Stikliai Hotel Hotel and Restaurant owners is this very upmarket club which has its eye firmly set on attracting the city’s most happening people. There is strict ace-control (primarily designed to keep out teenyboppers) and you will need to be well-dressed to make it in. Even the DJs wear designer-labels: it is that kind o place and Vilnius is all the better or it. This is where the smart-set comes to party and eel superior: i you manage to make it in and join them no doubt you will too. QC-5, Aušros Vartų 5, tel. (+370) (+370) 618 064 08. Open 18:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon, Sun. PJAEW December 2014 - April 2015
45
Nightlife The Lithuanian capital’s disparate nightlife options run the breadth of all things imaginable for any taste and budget, from quiet cafés full of serious-looking men huddled over a game of chess to steamy underground caverns dedicated to the time-honoured pursuit of getting ordinarily level-headed businessmen so horribly drunk that they willingly empty the contents of their bank account inside a stripper’s knickers. Now that the city’s wine-drinking crowd have been given their own places to imbibe, Vilnius’ nightlife entrepreneurs are turning their attention to the subject of beer, namely with the regular opening of a new place selling brown frothy drinks made in small microbreweries around the country. The best are of course listed here. Clubs remain almost exclusively mainstream, whilst the city’s gay and lesbian scene is almost as far underground as a Soviet nuclear test site. Note that face control is currently on the rise in Vilnius: if yours doesn’t fit, forget it. Wearing a decent pair of shoes usually helps. Leave your trainers at home and have fun!
BARS ALAUS STUDIJA Exactly why it took just over a thousand years or somebody to open a really outstanding bar in Vilnius is anyone’s guess, but open it they finally did. True, the location could be more central, but when it’s as good as this there’s no particular need to complain. Selling only oreign beers alongside a ew stronger options and decorated with letover technology rom the recently expired Lithuanian Film Studios, the Murphy’s is Murphy’s is reresh-
Nightlife ingly affordable and goes down a treat. A menu o bar snacks is also available, plus there’s hot nachos and nuts. A taxi rom Old Town shouldn’t cost more than €3. Highly recommended. QI-1, S. Žukausko 20, tel. (+370) 685 608 85. Open 11:00 01:00, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 14:00 - 02:00, Sun 14:00 - 23:00. PAW
ARTISTAI Hidden in a picturesque little side street inside a rather lovely courtyard, this very Vilnius-type place was once known as Amerika, and has since changed practically nothing except its name. Treading the fine line between bar, restaurant and nightclub, Artistai attracts a mixed crowd o mostly riendly locals, serves cheap ood and beer and has regular live music events to supplement the otherwise orthodox disco nights.QC-4, Šv. Kazimiero 3, tel. (+370) 5 212 12 68, www.artistai.lt. Open 11:00 02:00, Mon 11:00 - 24:00, Fri 11:00 - 05:00, Sat 12:00 05:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. JAESW BIX Started by the legendary rock band rom Šiauliai o the same name, the scruffy bar on two floors that is Bix is airly tame during the week but can get busy and ull o testosterone-filled men in leather jackets during the weekend. The two pool tables upstairs are a disaster, but but quite good un ater a ew beers.QC-4, Etmonų 6, tel. (+370) 5 262 77 91, www.bix.lt. Open 11:00 - 02:00, Mon, Tue 11:00 - 24:00, Fri 11:00 - 05:00, Sat 12:00 - 04:00, Sun 12:00 24:00. JAEW
BLUSYNĖ One o the more quirky venues in the city, a bit o a draw or arty types but a place which always has a warm welcome or just about anyone. Puts on events rom time to time, including the odd concert, reading or exhibition. Add in decent ood and drink at decent prices and you have a place more than worth your time.QC-4, Savičiaus 5, tel. (+370) 699 627 51. Open 17:00 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 14:00 - 24:00. Closed Mon. PJAW CALIFORNIA TAPAS & WINE Growing rom strength to strength, i t’s a breath o resh air to see a restaurant in Lithuania improve over time rather than the usual opposite. Aiming to introduce tapas to the local population among other things, this Spanish-themed restaurant-bar on two floors provides a bit o everything, rom a first-floor caé complete with open kitchen serving dishes including Basque fish soup to grilled meat to a labyrinth o rooms downstairs or long evenings o eating and drinking. QC-5, Subačiaus 2, tel. (+370) 652 655 51, www.california.lt. Open 11:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 05:00. PJASW CRAZY BULL Crazy Bull is a sports’ bar brought to you by the good people behind Salento. Salento. Besides loads o live spor t on the many televisions (including one genuinely enormous screen) you can also bet right in the bar. The ood is a cut above standard sports’ bar are: there are (very good) burgers and ribs as you might expect, but you can also grab mussels, big salads and a ew other treats well worth trying. Usually packed when there is a big game on, it is less busy at other times.QC-4, Didžioji 28, tel. (+370) 676 820 15. Open 17:00 - 04:00, Fri 17:00 - 06:00, Sat 13:00 - 06:00, Sun 13:00 - 04:00. PJAEW NEW DĖVĖTI More ultra-casual spots like this are opening up in shady corners across the city, and we welcome every one. Taps pouring crat beers rom northern Lithuania adorn the bar. I it’s a cocktail you’re ater, don’t expect the perect mojito. They’ll ask your preerences and make up a heady mixture on the spot. The bar is hammered together rom blocks o wood. Under each table are paper towels and buckets in case o spillages. A hip non-attitude crowd chats to bouncy alt-jazz sounds. I you’re lucky, ood may be on offer, such as “yummy pork” or alael. Opening time depends on how drunk the bartenders were the previous evening.QB-5, Sodų 3, tel. (+370) 672 036 75. Open 11:30 - 01:00. JA6EW DIRTY DUCK There is much about this place that will have you coming back or more than one visit. It is a contemporary pub and bistro with a vaguely industrial eel serving a huge range o good beer, a seriously decent selection o whiskies (including a ew rom more exotic locations) and great ood. Indeed, the ood is a cut above what you would expect
44 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Nightlife
KAS KAS Another addition to a street already overflowing with übertrendy places to hang out, Kas Kas models Kas models itsel at least in part on the excellent Studio 9 although it doesn’t quite hit the mark. The place has been decorated quite well and the staff are quite riendly. The drinks on offer are also quite good. On the absolutely positive side, i you do choose to visit and were quite impressed like we were, there’s plenty o other options hereabouts.QA-2, Islandijos 4, tel. (+370) 630 171 21. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri 11:00 - 05:00, Sat 12:00 - 05:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00.JAEW
ALYNAS You will have to go a long way to find a better selection o beer than this place offers. Part o a wider chain o beer shops, the main central location is a top venue or serious connoisseurs o beer. Serving a number o superior brews rom microbreweries all around the country, this is very much the thinking-man’s Vilnius boozer. Get in.QA-2, Jogailos 6, tel. (+370) 650 687 52, www.alynas.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Thu 12:00 24:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 02:00. PJAW ŠNEKUTIS Some o this is live, meaning it only lasts a ew days, not unlike the hangover that goes with the superb 12 per cent Stačias rom Panevėžys. A couple o large ones o these and you might find yoursel rolling down the mysterious staircase by the toilet. Should this happen, don’t be surprised to find yoursel fished out by the barman, a personable gentleman with a theatrical moustache. Highly recommended, and extremely popular, meaning it’s not uncommon to find yoursel sharing a bench with a strange Lithuanian man eating unidentified animal parts rom a bowl. Rare or Lithuania, Šnekutis doesn’t have table service. Order at the bar. QB-5, Šv. Stepono 8, tel. (+370) 650 470 58. Open 11:00 - 23:30. Also at Polocko 7a, Šv. Mikalojaus 15. PJAS 46 Vilnius In Your Pocket
FORTAS Despite its rather small beer collection, Fortas can do no wrong. Perched up on top o the hill above Old Town, this always busy spot plays host to everyone rom shady-looking Russian-speakers without any hair to immaculately turned out Japanese tourists. It would be unair to not to also mention the ood, which is consistently marvellous. Top banana.QH-4, Algirdo 17, tel. (+370) 652 011 38, www.fortas.eu. Open 08:00 - 24:00, Sat 11:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. PAW GLORY BAR BY STIKLIAI The newest venue by the legendary Stikliai Hotel Hotel and Restaurant owners is this very upmarket club which has its eye firmly set on attracting the city’s most happening people. There is strict ace-control (primarily designed to keep out teenyboppers) and you will need to be well-dressed to make it in. Even the DJs wear designer-labels: it is that kind o place and Vilnius is all the better or it. This is where the smart-set comes to party and eel superior: i you manage to make it in and join them no doubt you will too. QC-5, Aušros Vartų 5, tel. (+370) (+370) 618 064 08. Open 18:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon, Sun. PJAEW December 2014 - April 2015
45
Nightlife GRINGO The first rum bar in Vilnius, which has riendly bar staff who certainly make a change rom many others in the area, and the cold beers on offer are both well chosen and priced (Gringo currently serves one o the best pints o Guinness in the region). Also find the added incentives o ree wireless internet and table ootball, as well as real ootball (including the Premier League) and rugby on the TV. QA-2, Vilniaus 31/1, tel. (+370) (+370) 654 905 41. Open 16:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 15:00 - 04:00. JAW
MICROBREWERIES
rom a pub and can be placed firmly in the ‘top bistro’ c ategory. The pork rib with apple sauce we ate was superb, and the lunchtime deal (available until 15:00) is very good value. Service is good too.QC-4, Didžioji 28, tel. (+370) 5 231 26 41, www.dirtyduck.eu. Open 11:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 06:00. PJAW
KING & MOUSE Following on rom the success o their similar Kaunas venture, the owners o this relatively new place located on what many believe to be Vilnius’ shortest street have opened an intriguing venue or those who simply can’t get enough whisky. Featuring over 300 types rom around the world as well as other offerings and plenty o decent ood to accompany it, everything is located inside three dierent rooms including two bar spaces and a urther one that also contains a shop. Surplus to the usual improvised drinking sessions are a range o tasting events and suchlike or the connoisseur.QA-4, Trakų 2/Miesto Sienos, tel. (+370) 657 454 78. Open 17:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 05:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JAW LA BIRRA A hit and miss affair, useully located between Old Town and the city’s main central street, La Birra’s worth Birra’s worth a mention not least because it shows international soccer games and has a good selection o local and international beers. Not surprisingly, it can get a little lively in here, especially when there’s basketball on the screens, but it’s definitely worth popping by i you’re out on the prowl. Check their Facebook page or sports fixtures.QA-2, Vilniaus 29, tel. (+370) 604 455 08. Open 17:00 - 03:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 05:00. PAW LEIČIAI The next logical step in the evolution o the specialist Lithuanian beer bar, Leičiai also doubles as a restaurant serving classic traditional local ood. As well as a space or drinking the range o superb Lithuanian beers on offer rom small microbreweries around the country, this pleasant watering hole also eatures two dining halls, one with an open kitchen and a small beer garden out the back.QC4, Stiklių 4, tel. (+370) 5 260 90 87. Open 11:00 - 24:00. PJASW vilnius.inyourpocket.com
LIVERPOOL INDIE/ROCK BAR There is something going on at this place virtually every night o the week, and it almost always involves live music, provided in the main by a wide variety o new artists, or whom Liverpool is something o a showcase. Indeed, this really is the best place or young rock and indie artists in the city. It looks good too: modern and contemporary it is nevertheless sticks to classic rock aesthetics and has very quickly become a venue which is a real avourite o the city’s live music buffs. Add in great service, good use o technology (customers can have a say on the bar’s playlist via an app) and you have a top venue well worth trying out.QG-3, Gynėjų 14, tel. (+370) 646 529 50, www. indierockbar.com. Open 16:00 - 24:00, Thu 16:00 01:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon. Entrance free or €2 - 5. JAEW MAŽASIS PUB’AS This riendly old place has been around in one way or another or years and currently provides liquid sustenance to a crowd o mostly young un-seekers who come or the affordable Old Town beer prices and the live sport on the television. Far rom being one to add to an evening’s itinerary, it does at least serve as a decent reuge or planning the rest o the evening over a beer when you can’t get through the doors in Cozy across the street.QB/C-3, Dominikonų 9, tel. (+370) 678 833 63. Open Mon, Tue 11:00 - 24:00, Wed 11:00 - 01:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri 11:00 - 03:00, S at 13:00 - 03:00, Sun 13:00 - 24:00. PAW PIANO MAN Consistently busy during the weekend when propping up the bar is generally the only option let or people arriving ater 21:00, the mixed and predominantly chirpy crowd at Piano Man provides a buzz lacking in many o its competitors. The bar stocks a good range o drinks including draught Guinness Guinness and Hoegaarden, Hoegaarden, there’s table ootball in the corner and rom time to time there’s also the added bonus o live music. An excellent choice indeed or anyone looking or a place to add to their pub crawl or or staying the course and spending the entire evening here.QA-2, Islandijos 1/31, tel. (+370) 630 099 49. Open 17:00 - 02:00, Mon, Sun 17:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 04:00. PJAW NEW REPUBLIC NO. 4 Three o these English-style pubs are already huge in Kaunas. This is their big move to the capital. The big draw: 20 beers on tap and 30 bottled, plus countless whiskies. Sit around a handmade oak bar or on plush leather seating surrounded by English paraphernalia and ootball scarves, and munch on spicy nachos, juicy steaks, burgers, Caesar salads and the like. Try the delicious bee salad with balsamic sauce. Best Lithuanian beer: the hard-tofind Nežinomas krantas krantas (Unknown Coast) with its taste like strong red wine.QA/B-2, Vilniaus 27, tel. (+370) 614 448 44. Open 11:00 - 02:00, Fri 11:00 - 06:00, Sat 12:00 06:00, Sun 12:00 - 02:00. PJAW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
47
Nightlife
Nightlife GRINGO The first rum bar in Vilnius, which has riendly bar staff who certainly make a change rom many others in the area, and the cold beers on offer are both well chosen and priced (Gringo currently serves one o the best pints o Guinness in the region). Also find the added incentives o ree wireless internet and table ootball, as well as real ootball (including the Premier League) and rugby on the TV. QA-2, Vilniaus 31/1, tel. (+370) (+370) 654 905 41. Open 16:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 15:00 - 04:00. JAW KAS KAS Another addition to a street already overflowing with übertrendy places to hang out, Kas Kas models Kas models itsel at least in part on the excellent Studio 9 although it doesn’t quite hit the mark. The place has been decorated quite well and the staff are quite riendly. The drinks on offer are also quite good. On the absolutely positive side, i you do choose to visit and were quite impressed like we were, there’s plenty o other options hereabouts.QA-2, Islandijos 4, tel. (+370) 630 171 21. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri 11:00 - 05:00, Sat 12:00 - 05:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00.JAEW
MICROBREWERIES ALYNAS You will have to go a long way to find a better selection o beer than this place offers. Part o a wider chain o beer shops, the main central location is a top venue or serious connoisseurs o beer. Serving a number o superior brews rom microbreweries all around the country, this is very much the thinking-man’s Vilnius boozer. Get in.QA-2, Jogailos 6, tel. (+370) 650 687 52, www.alynas.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Thu 12:00 24:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 02:00. PJAW ŠNEKUTIS Some o this is live, meaning it only lasts a ew days, not unlike the hangover that goes with the superb 12 per cent Stačias rom Panevėžys. A couple o large ones o these and you might find yoursel rolling down the mysterious staircase by the toilet. Should this happen, don’t be surprised to find yoursel fished out by the barman, a personable gentleman with a theatrical moustache. Highly recommended, and extremely popular, meaning it’s not uncommon to find yoursel sharing a bench with a strange Lithuanian man eating unidentified animal parts rom a bowl. Rare or Lithuania, Šnekutis doesn’t have table service. Order at the bar. QB-5, Šv. Stepono 8, tel. (+370) 650 470 58. Open 11:00 - 23:30. Also at Polocko 7a, Šv. Mikalojaus 15. PJAS
KING & MOUSE Following on rom the success o their similar Kaunas venture, the owners o this relatively new place located on what many believe to be Vilnius’ shortest street have opened an intriguing venue or those who simply can’t get enough whisky. Featuring over 300 types rom around the world as well as other offerings and plenty o decent ood to accompany it, everything is located inside three dierent rooms including two bar spaces and a urther one that also contains a shop. Surplus to the usual improvised drinking sessions are a range o tasting events and suchlike or the connoisseur.QA-4, Trakų 2/Miesto Sienos, tel. (+370) 657 454 78. Open 17:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 05:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JAW LA BIRRA A hit and miss affair, useully located between Old Town and the city’s main central street, La Birra’s worth Birra’s worth a mention not least because it shows international soccer games and has a good selection o local and international beers. Not surprisingly, it can get a little lively in here, especially when there’s basketball on the screens, but it’s definitely worth popping by i you’re out on the prowl. Check their Facebook page or sports fixtures.QA-2, Vilniaus 29, tel. (+370) 604 455 08. Open 17:00 - 03:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 05:00. PAW LEIČIAI The next logical step in the evolution o the specialist Lithuanian beer bar, Leičiai also doubles as a restaurant serving classic traditional local ood. As well as a space or drinking the range o superb Lithuanian beers on offer rom small microbreweries around the country, this pleasant watering hole also eatures two dining halls, one with an open kitchen and a small beer garden out the back.QC4, Stiklių 4, tel. (+370) 5 260 90 87. Open 11:00 - 24:00. PJASW
46 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
LIVERPOOL INDIE/ROCK BAR There is something going on at this place virtually every night o the week, and it almost always involves live music, provided in the main by a wide variety o new artists, or whom Liverpool is something o a showcase. Indeed, this really is the best place or young rock and indie artists in the city. It looks good too: modern and contemporary it is nevertheless sticks to classic rock aesthetics and has very quickly become a venue which is a real avourite o the city’s live music buffs. Add in great service, good use o technology (customers can have a say on the bar’s playlist via an app) and you have a top venue well worth trying out.QG-3, Gynėjų 14, tel. (+370) 646 529 50, www. indierockbar.com. Open 16:00 - 24:00, Thu 16:00 01:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon. Entrance free or €2 - 5. JAEW MAŽASIS PUB’AS This riendly old place has been around in one way or another or years and currently provides liquid sustenance to a crowd o mostly young un-seekers who come or the affordable Old Town beer prices and the live sport on the television. Far rom being one to add to an evening’s itinerary, it does at least serve as a decent reuge or planning the rest o the evening over a beer when you can’t get through the doors in Cozy across the street.QB/C-3, Dominikonų 9, tel. (+370) 678 833 63. Open Mon, Tue 11:00 - 24:00, Wed 11:00 - 01:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri 11:00 - 03:00, S at 13:00 - 03:00, Sun 13:00 - 24:00. PAW PIANO MAN Consistently busy during the weekend when propping up the bar is generally the only option let or people arriving ater 21:00, the mixed and predominantly chirpy crowd at Piano Man provides a buzz lacking in many o its competitors. The bar stocks a good range o drinks including draught Guinness Guinness and Hoegaarden, Hoegaarden, there’s table ootball in the corner and rom time to time there’s also the added bonus o live music. An excellent choice indeed or anyone looking or a place to add to their pub crawl or or staying the course and spending the entire evening here.QA-2, Islandijos 1/31, tel. (+370) 630 099 49. Open 17:00 - 02:00, Mon, Sun 17:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 04:00. PJAW NEW REPUBLIC NO. 4 Three o these English-style pubs are already huge in Kaunas. This is their big move to the capital. The big draw: 20 beers on tap and 30 bottled, plus countless whiskies. Sit around a handmade oak bar or on plush leather seating surrounded by English paraphernalia and ootball scarves, and munch on spicy nachos, juicy steaks, burgers, Caesar salads and the like. Try the delicious bee salad with balsamic sauce. Best Lithuanian beer: the hard-tofind Nežinomas krantas krantas (Unknown Coast) with its taste like strong red wine.QA/B-2, Vilniaus 27, tel. (+370) 614 448 44. Open 11:00 - 02:00, Fri 11:00 - 06:00, Sat 12:00 06:00, Sun 12:00 - 02:00. PJAW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Nightlife SARKOZY A combined shop and bar specialising in products d erived rom the humble apple, in particular some truly exceptional cider rom Normandy, Sarkozy represents precisely what Vilnius is in dire n eed o, namely venues that eschew the sae and mundane themes the capital’s drinking establishments usually go or. Already popular with the city’s moneyed intellectual crowd as well as other characters who simply like their cider, they also s ell a lot o other stuff or the kitchen including juice, cheese and tea, all o them o course made with apples.QA-2, Vilniaus 22, tel. (+370) 620 653 33. Open 16:00 - 23:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 16:00 24:00. Closed Sun. PJAW SKYBAR Churning out scores o excellent cocktails and still providing not one but two extraordinary views rom the 22nd floor, a trip to Vilnius without a trip to SkyBar isn’t really a trip at all. Rewarding at any time o the evening, the best times to drop by are as the sun is setting or late at the weekend when the place takes on a distinctively clubby eel. The aorementioned views, which get snapped up quickly by visitors who head to the tables by the windows immediately on entering, include not only the best panorama o Old Town there is but, less popular but an extraordinary contrast all the same, a view to the vast concrete sleeping districts that house the majority o the city’s residents. Highly recommended.QA00, Konstitucijos 20 (Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva, 22nd floor), tel. (+370) 5 231 48 23. Open 17:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 02:30. PAULXW ŠPUNKA Why aren’t there more bars like this in Vilnius? Small, scruffy, riendly, affordable and packed with a stunning selection o outstanding local and oreign beer on tap and in bottles, there should be a Špunka on every street. Get absolutely sloshed, meet some eccentric locals and ask or one o their wooden boards o meat and cheese when you get peckish. Well worth a visit.QD-3, Užupio 9, tel. (+370) 652 323 61, www.spunka.lt. Open 15:00 - 22:00, Mon 17:00 - 22:00. JAW SWEET&SOUR Oh yes, we liked this place rom the moment we walked in. It has a proper bar with proper bar stools or a start (always a winner in our book) and boasts a couple o most skilled cocktail wizards in the city. The Old Fashioned they they serve here is perhaps the best in Vilnius, and it’s made all the better by being able to drink it while sitting in one o the sumptuous leather armchairs. There is a menu o fine single malts too, and loads o appetizers to nibble on. Very nice indeed.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 19, tel. (+370) 682 277 74. Open 16:00 - 24:00, Thu 16:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 03:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JA THE GLOBE An unexpected gem hidden away upstairs to the let past reception, The Globe has been providing good alcohol and the chance o something decent to eat courtesy o 48 Vilnius In Your Pocket
December 2014 - April 2015
47
Nightlife riendly staff or years. Somewhat resembling a slightly stuffy gentlemen’s club, the complete absence o excitement here makes it the ideal spot or a relaxed business drink or any other kind o discreet encounter or that matter.QD-2, Bernardinų 8/8 (Shakespeare Boutique Hotel), tel. (+370) 5 266 58 85, www.shakespeare.lt. Open 06:30 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 07:30 - 24:00. PTJASW
UNIVERSITETO PUB One o those places which more deserves its Vilnius Legend status, old Lithuanian hands may not immediately recognise the old Universiteto rom days gone by, but rest-assured it’s still the good time central venue it always was. The crowd these days is younger and a bit more local than the one which made this an expat hangout or a good many years but with good bar ood, plenty o theme nights and parties you are almost always guaranteed a decent night out here.QB/C-3, Dominikonų 9, tel. (+370) 678 833 63. Open 22:00 - 03:00, Tue 22:00 - 04:00, Wed 22:00 - 05:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 22:00 - 06:00. Entrance free. PJAW
V 4 VILNIUS Modern industrial minimalist chic in the heart o the city. With plenty o different seating areas (some on soas, some on bar stools, some at more conventional tables) there is a something or everyone. The ood is good, and while the lunch menu is a bit dearer than other places nearby it’s still reasonable and worth every extra penny. Great service rom a bunch o happy young waitresses all dressed smartly in black. Add in lounge-style music and you have a winner. QA-2, Vilniaus 16, tel. (+370) 652 156 16. Open 10:00 - 24:00, Thu 10:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 04:00. PJAW
CLUBS Due to the universal law stating that it’s impossible to be in all places at all times, the club reviews in this guide are written to provide a general overview o what’s to be expected i you visit them. As any serious clubber already knows, nights change with alarming regularity, good promoters come and go and expected crowds ail to turn up. The pitiully ew brave clubs in Vilnius who dare to break away rom the mainstream all have at least a well-maintained website i not a Facebook page or two to compliment, o which Vilnius In Your Pocket at least always provides the ormer to help give readers even more inormation. Finally, the good news about clubbing in Vilnius is that entrance prices are relatively low and the city is remarkably small. I you do happen to stumble on a nonevent, relocating to another club is both quick and affordable.
BRODVĖJUS Still, ater we-know-not-how-many-years the deault ‘where shall we go now’ option or many, Brodvėjus boasts two levels o mayhem and un. In general terms, downstairs is or dancing while upstairs is or drinking (especially i you want to sit down). The music remains much as it has or over a decade: a mix o just about everything. There are vilnius.inyourpocket.com
live bands some evenings too. Leave your pretensions at the door and you will love it.QB-4, Mėsinių 4, tel. (+370) 652 577 90, www.brodvejus.lt. Open 20:00 - 05:00, Tue 20:00 - 03:00, Wed 18:00 - 03:00, Thu 20:00 - 04:00, Sun 21:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon. Entrance free on weekdays. On weekends from €2 - 8. PJAEW
EXIT VILNIUS Remember when the best club in the country (indeed, one o the best in Europe in our book) was in Kaunas? That was Exit. This is a welcome return or Lithuania’s top nightspot, now in the capital and once again attracting a beautiul crowd o serious party people looking or a seriously good time. Expect top DJs rom all over the world to be spinning the tunes behind the decks, amazing lights and special eects, gorgeous dancers and just about the most hedonistic time you can have in this city. Bring it on! QG-4, J. Jasinskio 16a, tel. (+370) 698 591 16. Open 23:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. Entrance free or €9. PJA MENŲ FABRIKAS LOFTAS An independent, non-profit cultural centre based inside a abulous old actory providing creative opportunities, outlets and events or the community including parties, ashion shows, educational seminars, film screenings and much more. Also known as Loftas (The Lot), or more details about all their events - including those held on their new summer terrace, LRT OPUS, see their homepage (menuabrikas.lt - available in English).QG-5, Švitrigailos 29, www.menufabrikas.lt. Working hours depend on repertoire. Entrance (Loftas) free - €56. JW MOJO LOUNGE VILNIUS The opening night night at this place place was one o the best best parties Vilnius has seen or many a year, and by the looks o things the standard has remained high in the weeks which have passed. A gorgeous place - decked out in style without ever going over-the-top - it hosts loads o regular parties, live events and attracts a varied, affluent crowd: it’s the kind o place where you do not have to worry about eeling too old or too young. Top music, and the service is good too (it doesn’t take all night to get a drink). A winner. QC-4, Vokiečių 2, tel. (+370) 657 665 00, www.mojolounge.lt. Open 23:00 - 05:00, Thu 23:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. Entrance free or €3 - 6. PJAEX NERINGA CAFÉ�BAR A peculiar, retro-style cellar club unctioning as a nice place or ood during the day and something altogether different during the weekend. Thursday nights are currently celebrated with live jazz, whils t Friday and Saturday evenings attract a crowd o mostly middle-aged, manbagwielding gentlemen and their peroxide-bleached wives splashing out on pickled herring and cheap champagne and reliving their youth on the little dance floor to the abulous hits o yesteryear. Priceless.QA-1, Gedimino 23, tel. (+370) 5 231 39 79, www.cafe-bar.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 03:00, Sat 17:00 - 03:00. Closed Sun. Entrance (Fri, Sat from 22:00) €3. JAW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
49
Nightlife SARKOZY A combined shop and bar specialising in products d erived rom the humble apple, in particular some truly exceptional cider rom Normandy, Sarkozy represents precisely what Vilnius is in dire n eed o, namely venues that eschew the sae and mundane themes the capital’s drinking establishments usually go or. Already popular with the city’s moneyed intellectual crowd as well as other characters who simply like their cider, they also s ell a lot o other stuff or the kitchen including juice, cheese and tea, all o them o course made with apples.QA-2, Vilniaus 22, tel. (+370) 620 653 33. Open 16:00 - 23:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 16:00 24:00. Closed Sun. PJAW SKYBAR Churning out scores o excellent cocktails and still providing not one but two extraordinary views rom the 22nd floor, a trip to Vilnius without a trip to SkyBar isn’t really a trip at all. Rewarding at any time o the evening, the best times to drop by are as the sun is setting or late at the weekend when the place takes on a distinctively clubby eel. The aorementioned views, which get snapped up quickly by visitors who head to the tables by the windows immediately on entering, include not only the best panorama o Old Town there is but, less popular but an extraordinary contrast all the same, a view to the vast concrete sleeping districts that house the majority o the city’s residents. Highly recommended.QA00, Konstitucijos 20 (Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva, 22nd floor), tel. (+370) 5 231 48 23. Open 17:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 02:30. PAULXW ŠPUNKA Why aren’t there more bars like this in Vilnius? Small, scruffy, riendly, affordable and packed with a stunning selection o outstanding local and oreign beer on tap and in bottles, there should be a Špunka on every street. Get absolutely sloshed, meet some eccentric locals and ask or one o their wooden boards o meat and cheese when you get peckish. Well worth a visit.QD-3, Užupio 9, tel. (+370) 652 323 61, www.spunka.lt. Open 15:00 - 22:00, Mon 17:00 - 22:00. JAW SWEET&SOUR Oh yes, we liked this place rom the moment we walked in. It has a proper bar with proper bar stools or a start (always a winner in our book) and boasts a couple o most skilled cocktail wizards in the city. The Old Fashioned they they serve here is perhaps the best in Vilnius, and it’s made all the better by being able to drink it while sitting in one o the sumptuous leather armchairs. There is a menu o fine single malts too, and loads o appetizers to nibble on. Very nice indeed.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 19, tel. (+370) 682 277 74. Open 16:00 - 24:00, Thu 16:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 03:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JA THE GLOBE An unexpected gem hidden away upstairs to the let past reception, The Globe has been providing good alcohol and the chance o something decent to eat courtesy o
Nightlife riendly staff or years. Somewhat resembling a slightly stuffy gentlemen’s club, the complete absence o excitement here makes it the ideal spot or a relaxed business drink or any other kind o discreet encounter or that matter.QD-2, Bernardinų 8/8 (Shakespeare Boutique Hotel), tel. (+370) 5 266 58 85, www.shakespeare.lt. Open 06:30 - 24:00, Sat, Sun 07:30 - 24:00. PTJASW
UNIVERSITETO PUB One o those places which more deserves its Vilnius Legend status, old Lithuanian hands may not immediately recognise the old Universiteto rom days gone by, but rest-assured it’s still the good time central venue it always was. The crowd these days is younger and a bit more local than the one which made this an expat hangout or a good many years but with good bar ood, plenty o theme nights and parties you are almost always guaranteed a decent night out here.QB/C-3, Dominikonų 9, tel. (+370) 678 833 63. Open 22:00 - 03:00, Tue 22:00 - 04:00, Wed 22:00 - 05:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 22:00 - 06:00. Entrance free. PJAW
V 4 VILNIUS Modern industrial minimalist chic in the heart o the city. With plenty o different seating areas (some on soas, some on bar stools, some at more conventional tables) there is a something or everyone. The ood is good, and while the lunch menu is a bit dearer than other places nearby it’s still reasonable and worth every extra penny. Great service rom a bunch o happy young waitresses all dressed smartly in black. Add in lounge-style music and you have a winner. QA-2, Vilniaus 16, tel. (+370) 652 156 16. Open 10:00 - 24:00, Thu 10:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 04:00. PJAW
CLUBS Due to the universal law stating that it’s impossible to be in all places at all times, the club reviews in this guide are written to provide a general overview o what’s to be expected i you visit them. As any serious clubber already knows, nights change with alarming regularity, good promoters come and go and expected crowds ail to turn up. The pitiully ew brave clubs in Vilnius who dare to break away rom the mainstream all have at least a well-maintained website i not a Facebook page or two to compliment, o which Vilnius In Your Pocket at least always provides the ormer to help give readers even more inormation. Finally, the good news about clubbing in Vilnius is that entrance prices are relatively low and the city is remarkably small. I you do happen to stumble on a nonevent, relocating to another club is both quick and affordable.
BRODVĖJUS Still, ater we-know-not-how-many-years the deault ‘where shall we go now’ option or many, Brodvėjus boasts two levels o mayhem and un. In general terms, downstairs is or dancing while upstairs is or drinking (especially i you want to sit down). The music remains much as it has or over a decade: a mix o just about everything. There are
48 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
live bands some evenings too. Leave your pretensions at the door and you will love it.QB-4, Mėsinių 4, tel. (+370) 652 577 90, www.brodvejus.lt. Open 20:00 - 05:00, Tue 20:00 - 03:00, Wed 18:00 - 03:00, Thu 20:00 - 04:00, Sun 21:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon. Entrance free on weekdays. On weekends from €2 - 8. PJAEW
EXIT VILNIUS Remember when the best club in the country (indeed, one o the best in Europe in our book) was in Kaunas? That was Exit. This is a welcome return or Lithuania’s top nightspot, now in the capital and once again attracting a beautiul crowd o serious party people looking or a seriously good time. Expect top DJs rom all over the world to be spinning the tunes behind the decks, amazing lights and special eects, gorgeous dancers and just about the most hedonistic time you can have in this city. Bring it on! QG-4, J. Jasinskio 16a, tel. (+370) 698 591 16. Open 23:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. Entrance free or €9. PJA MENŲ FABRIKAS LOFTAS An independent, non-profit cultural centre based inside a abulous old actory providing creative opportunities, outlets and events or the community including parties, ashion shows, educational seminars, film screenings and much more. Also known as Loftas (The Lot), or more details about all their events - including those held on their new summer terrace, LRT OPUS, see their homepage (menuabrikas.lt - available in English).QG-5, Švitrigailos 29, www.menufabrikas.lt. Working hours depend on repertoire. Entrance (Loftas) free - €56. JW MOJO LOUNGE VILNIUS The opening night night at this place place was one o the best best parties Vilnius has seen or many a year, and by the looks o things the standard has remained high in the weeks which have passed. A gorgeous place - decked out in style without ever going over-the-top - it hosts loads o regular parties, live events and attracts a varied, affluent crowd: it’s the kind o place where you do not have to worry about eeling too old or too young. Top music, and the service is good too (it doesn’t take all night to get a drink). A winner. QC-4, Vokiečių 2, tel. (+370) 657 665 00, www.mojolounge.lt. Open 23:00 - 05:00, Thu 23:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. Entrance free or €3 - 6. PJAEX NERINGA CAFÉ�BAR A peculiar, retro-style cellar club unctioning as a nice place or ood during the day and something altogether different during the weekend. Thursday nights are currently celebrated with live jazz, whils t Friday and Saturday evenings attract a crowd o mostly middle-aged, manbagwielding gentlemen and their peroxide-bleached wives splashing out on pickled herring and cheap champagne and reliving their youth on the little dance floor to the abulous hits o yesteryear. Priceless.QA-1, Gedimino 23, tel. (+370) 5 231 39 79, www.cafe-bar.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00, Fri 11:00 - 03:00, Sat 17:00 - 03:00. Closed Sun. Entrance (Fri, Sat from 22:00) €3. JAW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Nightlife
December 2014 - April 2015
49
Nightlife a corridor. Pass the bouncer at the door, leave your coats with the leggy blonde by the wardrobe and enter a tight, squeaky clean interior adorned with expensive vases and ramed snaps o movie stars. Come early i you want one o the soas, which back onto the glittering Stikliai Restaurant, separated by windowed partitions. Sip a Hennessey Miami, nibble breadsticks wrapped with Parma ham and partake o oie gras or scallops with black truffles.QC-3, Gaono 7, tel. (+370) 615 223 17. Open 18:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon, Sun. PJAEW
MOJITO NIGHTS Mojito Nights is the cocktail bar ormerly known as Mojito Naktys. Naktys. The new menu is better than ever, and the place looks great: a saucy cocoon o vaulted cellar rooms oten filled to bursting with a cocktail-uelled young and rather cool crowd attracted not just by the drinks but also by the regular line up o good DJs who make sure the sounds are as up-to-the-minute up-to-the-minute as possible. Prices good or the location. QC-4, Didžioji 33/2, tel. (+370) 687 700 77. Open 23:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. JAXW
PABO LATINO Featuring three halls and two bars o sheer class, Pabo Latino is tino is an oasis o Latin culture in a country where human warmth is ar rom overwhelming. A tough but air door policy keeps the low lie out, meaning what you get inside is a well behaved bunch o good-looking people out or a un evening in pleasant albeit sometimes renetic surroundings. The music is both live and courtesy o DJs, the cocktail menu is massive and i you don’t know how to dance Latin style, they even organise lessons or anyone willing to give it a go.QA-4, Trakų 3/2, tel. (+370) 5 262 10 45, www.pabolatino.lt. Open Thu 21:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 21:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. Entrance free or €4.5 - 9. PJAEX
NEW ONE TWO What sets this lively nightspot apart are the prizewinning bartenders who use the priciest ingredients in their classic cocktails. Get your G&T made with exclusive Tanqueray Rangpur gin and Fentimans tonic, or example, and slouch in the spacious lounge while the DJ spins tunes with his back to a library o books. Understandably, it’s moneyed
COCKTAILS ALCHEMIKAS It’s about time a cocktail bar came along that was more about the art o cocktails than the pretence o the cocktail bar sensation. Specialising in both classic and modern mixed drinks, it’s worth paying them a visit just to have a peep at the extraordinary interior, and i you do choose to stick around, expect to be bankrupt by the end o the evening thanks to the addictive allure o their magnificent mixology. Note that this is one o the smallest bars in Vilnius, so serious cocktail lovers should come on Wednesday or Thursday, as Friday can be very ull. Recommended.QA-2, Islandijos 1, tel. (+370) 612 998 00. Open Tue, Wed, Thu 19:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JA
SALENTO DISCOPUB Nights o oam in which the ladies get all wet and lathery, cheap offers on cocktails, deckchairs, large television screens and a predominantly young crowd are the things to expect inside this heaving Old Town avourite. The brainchild o Italian Piero, the idea is to bring an Italian and Spanish pub-disco eel to the Lithuanian capital. Each night promises a different theme, with music ocusing on pop and old avourites. Magic.QC-4, Didžioji 28, tel. (+370) 676 820 15, www.salentodiscopub.com. Open 22:00 - 06:00. Entrance free - €5. PJAEW
COCKTAIL’INĖ Seriously creative cocktails based on a number o themes, rom highly experimental molecular cocktails to coffee and more traditional drinks - all mixed with precision. To get the best out o this place perhaps try one o the tastings, with each tasting allowing you to sample a number o cocktails or the one price.QB-0, A. Juozapavičiaus 4, tel. (+370) 615 242 58, www.kokteiline.eu. Open 11:00 - 17:00, Thu, Fri 11:00 24:00, Sat 18:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. PJAW
www.inyourpocket.com
NEW DREAM BAR Imaginative minds at the elegant Stikliai Hotel have created a money-spinning nightspot out o little more than
50 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
51
Nightlife
Nightlife a corridor. Pass the bouncer at the door, leave your coats with the leggy blonde by the wardrobe and enter a tight, squeaky clean interior adorned with expensive vases and ramed snaps o movie stars. Come early i you want one o the soas, which back onto the glittering Stikliai Restaurant, separated by windowed partitions. Sip a Hennessey Miami, nibble breadsticks wrapped with Parma ham and partake o oie gras or scallops with black truffles.QC-3, Gaono 7, tel. (+370) 615 223 17. Open 18:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon, Sun. PJAEW
MOJITO NIGHTS Mojito Nights is the cocktail bar ormerly known as Mojito Naktys. Naktys. The new menu is better than ever, and the place looks great: a saucy cocoon o vaulted cellar rooms oten filled to bursting with a cocktail-uelled young and rather cool crowd attracted not just by the drinks but also by the regular line up o good DJs who make sure the sounds are as up-to-the-minute up-to-the-minute as possible. Prices good or the location. QC-4, Didžioji 33/2, tel. (+370) 687 700 77. Open 23:00 - 06:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. JAXW
PABO LATINO Featuring three halls and two bars o sheer class, Pabo Latino is tino is an oasis o Latin culture in a country where human warmth is ar rom overwhelming. A tough but air door policy keeps the low lie out, meaning what you get inside is a well behaved bunch o good-looking people out or a un evening in pleasant albeit sometimes renetic surroundings. The music is both live and courtesy o DJs, the cocktail menu is massive and i you don’t know how to dance Latin style, they even organise lessons or anyone willing to give it a go.QA-4, Trakų 3/2, tel. (+370) 5 262 10 45, www.pabolatino.lt. Open Thu 21:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 21:00 - 05:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Sun. Entrance free or €4.5 - 9. PJAEX
NEW ONE TWO What sets this lively nightspot apart are the prizewinning bartenders who use the priciest ingredients in their classic cocktails. Get your G&T made with exclusive Tanqueray Rangpur gin and Fentimans tonic, or example, and slouch in the spacious lounge while the DJ spins tunes with his back to a library o books. Understandably, it’s moneyed
COCKTAILS ALCHEMIKAS It’s about time a cocktail bar came along that was more about the art o cocktails than the pretence o the cocktail bar sensation. Specialising in both classic and modern mixed drinks, it’s worth paying them a visit just to have a peep at the extraordinary interior, and i you do choose to stick around, expect to be bankrupt by the end o the evening thanks to the addictive allure o their magnificent mixology. Note that this is one o the smallest bars in Vilnius, so serious cocktail lovers should come on Wednesday or Thursday, as Friday can be very ull. Recommended.QA-2, Islandijos 1, tel. (+370) 612 998 00. Open Tue, Wed, Thu 19:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JA
SALENTO DISCOPUB Nights o oam in which the ladies get all wet and lathery, cheap offers on cocktails, deckchairs, large television screens and a predominantly young crowd are the things to expect inside this heaving Old Town avourite. The brainchild o Italian Piero, the idea is to bring an Italian and Spanish pub-disco eel to the Lithuanian capital. Each night promises a different theme, with music ocusing on pop and old avourites. Magic.QC-4, Didžioji 28, tel. (+370) 676 820 15, www.salentodiscopub.com. Open 22:00 - 06:00. Entrance free - €5. PJAEW
COCKTAIL’INĖ Seriously creative cocktails based on a number o themes, rom highly experimental molecular cocktails to coffee and more traditional drinks - all mixed with precision. To get the best out o this place perhaps try one o the tastings, with each tasting allowing you to sample a number o cocktails or the one price.QB-0, A. Juozapavičiaus 4, tel. (+370) 615 242 58, www.kokteiline.eu. Open 11:00 - 17:00, Thu, Fri 11:00 24:00, Sat 18:00 - 24:00. Closed Sun. PJAW
www.inyourpocket.com
NEW DREAM BAR Imaginative minds at the elegant Stikliai Hotel have created a money-spinning nightspot out o little more than
50 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
Nightlife
proessionals who populate this club rather than students. Late evenings exude a mysterious and sexy sophistication as parties spill into a neighbouring room with a giant white rabbit.QA-1, Stulginskio 2, tel. (+370) 695 168 05. Open 22:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. PJAEW
PANTERA Cocktails and more at a top venue brought to you by the same people as uber-club Exit. The crowd which makes it in is young, trendy and rather attractive, while the place itsel is much the same: it looks abulous, and is packed with comy black leather soas ripe or chilling on with your expertly made drink. Watching some o the bar staff in action is a night out itsel, while the waitresses are rather etching in their pretty black dresses. You will like it the moment you walk in.QA-2, A. Smetonos 5, tel. (+370) 657 614 45. Open 23:00 05:00. Closed M on, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. Entrance free. PJA
PAPARAZZI Still going strong ater all these years, Paparazzi has made a ew minor changes since it first opened its doors such as moving a ew metres to the right and introducing an extremely popular weekly pub quiz, but the place more or less remains the same as it ever was. Frequented by a mostly young, 20-something crowd out or a good time in a riendly environment, the cocktails remain the reason why so many s till visit although there’s plenty o other good things behind the bar to keep everybody happy. I you’re thinking o dropping by late at night ater too many drinks somewhere else, or i you didn’t bother to get changed ater hiking in the countryside all day, don’t be surprised to be turned away. The door policy may be tough but it does ensure a good night out or all who make it in.QB-2, Totorių 1/10, tel. (+370) 5 212 01 35, www.paparazzi.lt. Open 17:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 06:00. PJAW SALIONAS For a subdued, downbeat, alternative version o your mainstream big-budget cocktail bars, look no urther than Salionas. Breathing lie back into the elaborate Writers Union, once inamous or its crazy insatiable 52 Vilnius In Your Pocket
51
Nightlife
scribes, it’s now ar less intense. Leather urniture adds a touch o sophistication, while the atmospherically lit courtyard is relaxing in warmer weather.QB-1/2, K. Sirvydo 6, tel. (+370) 655 557 06. Open 19:00 - 02:0 0, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JAW
WINE IN VINO Catching on to the current craze or wine bars in the city early on, they’ve obviously got a real appreciation or wine o which they stock a air amount. Perhaps best enjoyed on a Friday or Saturday night, this is one o the best places in town to mingle with the cream o the city’s C-list celebrities.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 7, tel. (+370) 5 212 12 10, www.invino.lt. Open 16:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 04:00. PJASW LA BOHÈME Good or either ood or drink, the grandiose medieval interior is perect or group celebrations and the wine list is both thoughtul and extensive. All in all a most suitable venue or everyone, rom passing lads on the pull to a coach-load o grandmothers.QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 4/3, tel. (+370) 5 212 10 87. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri 11:00 - 03:00, Sat 12:00 - 03:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. JASW
LIVE EVENTS TAMSTA A brave attempt by the people who run the excellent music shop downstairs to bring live bands o many persuasions to a hal-starved audience. Music ranges rom jazz to art-rock to old ashioned rock and roll, there’s a long bar to keep everyone ed and watered, plus once a month they organise a so-called Open Mic Day where outsiders can come and improvise along with other like-minded musicians.QD-5, A. Strazdelio 1, tel. (+370) 5 212 44 98, www.tamstaclub.lt. Open 19:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 02:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. Entrance free or €2 - 12. JAEW vilnius.inyourpocket.com
MIMOZA/VINCHENSO A little bit o everything here inside one o the latest sensations to appear on the scene. Crowded much o the time, it’s both a classy wine bar complete with shop as well as an Asian restaurant serving the usual collection o dishes including butterfish sashimi , tou soup, a range o tasting dishes and a couple o vegetarian options. Get here early i you want a seat and rub shoulders with some o the capital’s prettier specimens. On top o everything else, they’re attempting to woo even more customers by booking some decent DJs.QA-2, Islandi jos 1/33, tel. (+370) 652 935 87. Open 15:00 - 01:00, Thu 15:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 15:00 - 04:00. PJASW NOTRE VIE Yet another wine bar, this one is small and intimate with riendly staff and a good selection o booze and snacks. Although nothing to get too excited about, it is at least the real thing unlike so many o the others in Vilnius.QB/C-3, Stiklių 10, tel. (+370) 614 245 21. Open 13:00 - 24:00, Mon 17:00 - 24:00, Sun 15:00 - 22:00. PJASW TAPPO D’ORO We immediately took a liking to this highly unpretentious bar on one o the Old Town’s main streets. There’s no obvious signage, just messy stickers on the windows. Inside you’re greeted by a ramed b/w photo o Thom Yorke, posters taped on walls and a jumble o rickety urniture. Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags stand on one side. Drinks include Newcastle Brown, Amstel, Murphy’s and inormal cocktails like “white Italian” (Sambuca, white wine, other ingredients). Not much to eat besides pork rinds.QB-4, Vokiečių 8, tel. (+370) 616 747 54. Open 17:00 - 04:00. JAW WINE&FIRE I we tell you that this is the latest venture rom the people behind La Provence and Marché de Provence - both dining legends in Vilnius - then you will already have enough reason to come and give this place a try. It’s a classy wine bar - also serving upmarket nibbles - where you can sit yoursel at one o the sturdy workbenchstyle tables and sip one o more than 400 excellent facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
wines.QC-3, Pilies 25a, tel. (+370) 615 999 09. Open 11:00 - 02:00, Tue, Wed 11:00 - 24:00. Closed Mon, Sun. PJAESW
CABARET NEW YORK Opened in 2004 in the style o an old-ashioned musical theatre, New York’s finally York’s finally ound its eet as more o a live music club than anything else. Set among authentic theatrical décor, evenings here include everything rom the occasional cabaret act to all sorts o music shows to the theatre’s long-running play, Urvinis Žmogus Žmogus (Deending the Caveman). See their website or more inormation.QH-2, Kalvarijų 85, tel. (+370) 610 107 62, www.newyorkclub. lt. Opening hours depend on repertoire. Entrance €6 20. PAE
LGBT Attitudes towards minority groups in Lithuania are slowly changing or the better, with a handul o brave individuals spearheading campaigns or equal rights armed with both courage and a irm understanding o Lithuanian law. One such person is the gay young Lithuanian ilm director Romas Zabarauskas, who in 2012 along with a number o local LGBT activists launched a campaign encouraging restaurants and bars in Vilnius to display an LGBT Friendly sticker (pictured) on their doors. An overwhelming success, this s ummer the pro ject intensi ied wit h the publicati on o a map o Vilnius marked with the venues that have so ar signed up to the sticker campaign. Available or ree at an increasing number o places around town including restaurants, bars, hotels and tourist inormation centres, the previously unthinkable maps oer visitors to the city, regardless o their sexual orientation, a simple way o knowing where Vilnius’ liberal-minded residents choose to go out and enjoy themselves. Published in July, the irst map was given away in a symbolic gesture o solidarity to Stuart Milk, the nephew o the iconic gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk (1930-1978), who in a rather neat closing o the circle was o Lithuanian origin. December 2014 - April 2015
53
Nightlife
proessionals who populate this club rather than students. Late evenings exude a mysterious and sexy sophistication as parties spill into a neighbouring room with a giant white rabbit.QA-1, Stulginskio 2, tel. (+370) 695 168 05. Open 22:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. PJAEW
PANTERA Cocktails and more at a top venue brought to you by the same people as uber-club Exit. The crowd which makes it in is young, trendy and rather attractive, while the place itsel is much the same: it looks abulous, and is packed with comy black leather soas ripe or chilling on with your expertly made drink. Watching some o the bar staff in action is a night out itsel, while the waitresses are rather etching in their pretty black dresses. You will like it the moment you walk in.QA-2, A. Smetonos 5, tel. (+370) 657 614 45. Open 23:00 05:00. Closed M on, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. Entrance free. PJA
PAPARAZZI Still going strong ater all these years, Paparazzi has made a ew minor changes since it first opened its doors such as moving a ew metres to the right and introducing an extremely popular weekly pub quiz, but the place more or less remains the same as it ever was. Frequented by a mostly young, 20-something crowd out or a good time in a riendly environment, the cocktails remain the reason why so many s till visit although there’s plenty o other good things behind the bar to keep everybody happy. I you’re thinking o dropping by late at night ater too many drinks somewhere else, or i you didn’t bother to get changed ater hiking in the countryside all day, don’t be surprised to be turned away. The door policy may be tough but it does ensure a good night out or all who make it in.QB-2, Totorių 1/10, tel. (+370) 5 212 01 35, www.paparazzi.lt. Open 17:00 - 03:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 06:00. PJAW SALIONAS For a subdued, downbeat, alternative version o your mainstream big-budget cocktail bars, look no urther than Salionas. Breathing lie back into the elaborate Writers Union, once inamous or its crazy insatiable
Nightlife
scribes, it’s now ar less intense. Leather urniture adds a touch o sophistication, while the atmospherically lit courtyard is relaxing in warmer weather.QB-1/2, K. Sirvydo 6, tel. (+370) 655 557 06. Open 19:00 - 02:0 0, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JAW
WINE IN VINO Catching on to the current craze or wine bars in the city early on, they’ve obviously got a real appreciation or wine o which they stock a air amount. Perhaps best enjoyed on a Friday or Saturday night, this is one o the best places in town to mingle with the cream o the city’s C-list celebrities.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 7, tel. (+370) 5 212 12 10, www.invino.lt. Open 16:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 04:00. PJASW LA BOHÈME Good or either ood or drink, the grandiose medieval interior is perect or group celebrations and the wine list is both thoughtul and extensive. All in all a most suitable venue or everyone, rom passing lads on the pull to a coach-load o grandmothers.QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 4/3, tel. (+370) 5 212 10 87. Open 11:00 - 24:00, Thu 11:00 - 02:00, Fri 11:00 - 03:00, Sat 12:00 - 03:00, Sun 12:00 - 24:00. JASW
LIVE EVENTS TAMSTA A brave attempt by the people who run the excellent music shop downstairs to bring live bands o many persuasions to a hal-starved audience. Music ranges rom jazz to art-rock to old ashioned rock and roll, there’s a long bar to keep everyone ed and watered, plus once a month they organise a so-called Open Mic Day where outsiders can come and improvise along with other like-minded musicians.QD-5, A. Strazdelio 1, tel. (+370) 5 212 44 98, www.tamstaclub.lt. Open 19:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 19:00 - 02:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. Entrance free or €2 - 12. JAEW
52 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
MIMOZA/VINCHENSO A little bit o everything here inside one o the latest sensations to appear on the scene. Crowded much o the time, it’s both a classy wine bar complete with shop as well as an Asian restaurant serving the usual collection o dishes including butterfish sashimi , tou soup, a range o tasting dishes and a couple o vegetarian options. Get here early i you want a seat and rub shoulders with some o the capital’s prettier specimens. On top o everything else, they’re attempting to woo even more customers by booking some decent DJs.QA-2, Islandi jos 1/33, tel. (+370) 652 935 87. Open 15:00 - 01:00, Thu 15:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 15:00 - 04:00. PJASW NOTRE VIE Yet another wine bar, this one is small and intimate with riendly staff and a good selection o booze and snacks. Although nothing to get too excited about, it is at least the real thing unlike so many o the others in Vilnius.QB/C-3, Stiklių 10, tel. (+370) 614 245 21. Open 13:00 - 24:00, Mon 17:00 - 24:00, Sun 15:00 - 22:00. PJASW TAPPO D’ORO We immediately took a liking to this highly unpretentious bar on one o the Old Town’s main streets. There’s no obvious signage, just messy stickers on the windows. Inside you’re greeted by a ramed b/w photo o Thom Yorke, posters taped on walls and a jumble o rickety urniture. Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags stand on one side. Drinks include Newcastle Brown, Amstel, Murphy’s and inormal cocktails like “white Italian” (Sambuca, white wine, other ingredients). Not much to eat besides pork rinds.QB-4, Vokiečių 8, tel. (+370) 616 747 54. Open 17:00 - 04:00. JAW WINE&FIRE I we tell you that this is the latest venture rom the people behind La Provence and Marché de Provence - both dining legends in Vilnius - then you will already have enough reason to come and give this place a try. It’s a classy wine bar - also serving upmarket nibbles - where you can sit yoursel at one o the sturdy workbenchstyle tables and sip one o more than 400 excellent facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Nightlife
wines.QC-3, Pilies 25a, tel. (+370) 615 999 09. Open 11:00 - 02:00, Tue, Wed 11:00 - 24:00. Closed Mon, Sun. PJAESW
CABARET NEW YORK Opened in 2004 in the style o an old-ashioned musical theatre, New York’s finally York’s finally ound its eet as more o a live music club than anything else. Set among authentic theatrical décor, evenings here include everything rom the occasional cabaret act to all sorts o music shows to the theatre’s long-running play, Urvinis Žmogus Žmogus (Deending the Caveman). See their website or more inormation.QH-2, Kalvarijų 85, tel. (+370) 610 107 62, www.newyorkclub. lt. Opening hours depend on repertoire. Entrance €6 20. PAE
LGBT Attitudes towards minority groups in Lithuania are slowly changing or the better, with a handul o brave individuals spearheading campaigns or equal rights armed with both courage and a irm understanding o Lithuanian law. One such person is the gay young Lithuanian ilm director Romas Zabarauskas, who in 2012 along with a number o local LGBT activists launched a campaign encouraging restaurants and bars in Vilnius to display an LGBT Friendly sticker (pictured) on their doors. An overwhelming success, this s ummer the pro ject intensi ied wit h the publicati on o a map o Vilnius marked with the venues that have so ar signed up to the sticker campaign. Available or ree at an increasing number o places around town including restaurants, bars, hotels and tourist inormation centres, the previously unthinkable maps oer visitors to the city, regardless o their sexual orientation, a simple way o knowing where Vilnius’ liberal-minded residents choose to go out and enjoy themselves. Published in July, the irst map was given away in a symbolic gesture o solidarity to Stuart Milk, the nephew o the iconic gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk (1930-1978), who in a rather neat closing o the circle was o Lithuanian origin. December 2014 - April 2015
53
Nightlife DOLLS Dollicious! This is an absolutely antastic place to indulge in the truly titillating. Outstanding dancers, some o the best in town, are willing to wiggle and jiggle their scantily clad flesh beore you, above you and possibly even beneath you or a price. Catch a ree limousine ride to the club rom Old Town to visit the Barbie o your dreams. QA-00, Konstitucijos 18, tel. (+370) 5 272 84 82, www.oldtown.lt. Open 20:00 - 05:00. Closed Sun. Entrance €20. PA OLD TOWN STRIP CLUB Expect a thumping, throbbing, erotically charged escapade. These ladies don’t mess around when it’s show time. Well actually they mess around with a lot o toys. The hardcore Eros on display here is unparalleled in this city, but the very best part might just be the deliciously innocent waitresses who somehow manage to keep all their clothes on.QC-4, Rūdninkų 14, tel. (+370) 5 212 13 49, www.oldtown.lt. Open 20 :00 – 06 :00. Closed Sun. Entrance €20. PJA PARADISE This per ect combination o gentlemen’s leisure and entertainment provides a range o services and acilities rom saucy dancing to whirlpools. What more could a man with a credit card need? They don’t call it Paradise or nothing.QA-2, Vilniaus 29, tel. (+370) 630 111 12, www. paradiseclub.lt. Open 22:00 - 06:00. Entrance €29. PJAW
SOHO One main space or drinking and chatting and another or dance-orientated activities both sub-divided even urther and decorated in a somewhat eclectic yet rather etching style. I you want to grab someone’s attention punters here can send SMS messages to be displayed on a large screen.QG-4, Švitrigailos 7/16, tel. (+370) 699 395 67, www.sohoclub.lt. Open 22:00 - 07:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. Entrance free - €6. PAW
CASINOS According to Lithuanian law, all visitors to casinos need to take an internationally recognised orm o picture ID (preerably a passport) with them and register beore being allowed inside.
NESĖ CASINO QA-2, Pamėnkalnio 7/8 (Pramogų Bankas), tel. (+370) 700 555 55, www.nese.lt. Open 24hrs. PJW
ADULT ADUL T ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT Vilnius In Your Pocket doesn’t mention what one’s expected to pay or alcohol and ‘other services’in the places listed in the Adult entertainment section o this guide. Although by no means expensive relatively speaking, strip clubs here aren’t exactly cheap. The memorable story o a visiting businessman rom a country that shall remain nameless suffering an attack o serial private dancing and then not being able to pay his bill is one o many similar tales, and is worth remembering, remembering, especially i, as in the case o this gentleman, it’s someone rom your embassy that has to get up in the middle o the night and sort it out. So, please, beore you indulge too much, make sure you know exactly what you’re getting yourselves into.
www.inyourpocket.com Šv. Kazimiero gatvė 54 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
55
Nightlife
Nightlife DOLLS Dollicious! This is an absolutely antastic place to indulge in the truly titillating. Outstanding dancers, some o the best in town, are willing to wiggle and jiggle their scantily clad flesh beore you, above you and possibly even beneath you or a price. Catch a ree limousine ride to the club rom Old Town to visit the Barbie o your dreams. QA-00, Konstitucijos 18, tel. (+370) 5 272 84 82, www.oldtown.lt. Open 20:00 - 05:00. Closed Sun. Entrance €20. PA OLD TOWN STRIP CLUB Expect a thumping, throbbing, erotically charged escapade. These ladies don’t mess around when it’s show time. Well actually they mess around with a lot o toys. The hardcore Eros on display here is unparalleled in this city, but the very best part might just be the deliciously innocent waitresses who somehow manage to keep all their clothes on.QC-4, Rūdninkų 14, tel. (+370) 5 212 13 49, www.oldtown.lt. Open 20 :00 – 06 :00. Closed Sun. Entrance €20. PJA PARADISE This per ect combination o gentlemen’s leisure and entertainment provides a range o services and acilities rom saucy dancing to whirlpools. What more could a man with a credit card need? They don’t call it Paradise or nothing.QA-2, Vilniaus 29, tel. (+370) 630 111 12, www. paradiseclub.lt. Open 22:00 - 06:00. Entrance €29. PJAW
SOHO One main space or drinking and chatting and another or dance-orientated activities both sub-divided even urther and decorated in a somewhat eclectic yet rather etching style. I you want to grab someone’s attention punters here can send SMS messages to be displayed on a large screen.QG-4, Švitrigailos 7/16, tel. (+370) 699 395 67, www.sohoclub.lt. Open 22:00 - 07:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun. Entrance free - €6. PAW
CASINOS According to Lithuanian law, all visitors to casinos need to take an internationally recognised orm o picture ID (preerably a passport) with them and register beore being allowed inside.
NESĖ CASINO QA-2, Pamėnkalnio 7/8 (Pramogų Bankas), tel. (+370) 700 555 55, www.nese.lt. Open 24hrs. PJW
ADULT ADUL T ENTERTAINMENT ENTERTAINMENT Vilnius In Your Pocket doesn’t mention what one’s expected to pay or alcohol and ‘other services’in the places listed in the Adult entertainment section o this guide. Although by no means expensive relatively speaking, strip clubs here aren’t exactly cheap. The memorable story o a visiting businessman rom a country that shall remain nameless suffering an attack o serial private dancing and then not being able to pay his bill is one o many similar tales, and is worth remembering, remembering, especially i, as in the case o this gentleman, it’s someone rom your embassy that has to get up in the middle o the night and sort it out. So, please, beore you indulge too much, make sure you know exactly what you’re getting yourselves into.
www.inyourpocket.com Šv. Kazimiero gatvė 54 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
What to see The Lithuanian capital’s first period of growth took place immediately south of today’s Cathedral Square, eventually becoming the toothsome jumble of Baroque, Gothic, Neoclassical and Renaissance architecture now known as Old Town. Although most people flock to the city to visit this undeniable gem, there are plenty of other things to see when in town, from the very Lithuanian eccentricities encountered over the imaginary border in the self-styled Republic of Užupis to the few remaining relics of a once thriving Jewish community to the occasional Soviet-era masterpiece. Fill the buildings with a reasonably interesting collection of museums and galleries, put some decent parks in the spaces in-between and you’ll find it hard to not find a reason to visit.
ESSENTIAL VILNIUS DAWN GATE �AUŠROS VARTAI� Completed in 1522, the Dawn Gate (or Sharp Gate ( Ostra Brama) Brama) as it’s known to the Poles) is the only remaining gate rom the city’s original deensive walls. As was common at the time, an image o the Virgin Mary was placed above all gates to protect the city, and the story o the Dawn Gate starts rom this simple historic act. The current image, known as The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy , was painted on eight pieces o oak in around 1630 by an unknown artist, was embellished with gold and silver about 40 years ater that, was housed inside a purpose-built chapel above the gate in 1706 and is believed to have magic healing powers. Interestingly, the Dawn Gate is revered by both the Catholic and Orthodox aiths and is such an important part o the city’s cultural heritage that it remained open throughout the Soviet occupation. Watch closely as people walking underneath say a silent prayer. The chapel is open to the public and is accessed via a small door on the let as you’re walking up the hill.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 12, tel. (+370) (+370) 5 212 35 13. Open 06:00 - 19:00. Mass 07:30 (Latin), 09:00, 10:00 (Polish), 17:30 17:30 (Polish), 18:30, Sun 09:00 (Polish), 09:30, 11:00, 13:00 (Polish), 17:30 (Polish), 18:30.J GEDIMINAS CASTLE & MUSEUM �GEDIMINO PILIS IR MUZIEJUS� Dating rom the 13th century the castle was rebuilt in 1419 by Grand Duke Vytautas ollowing the great fire o Vilnius. In 1610 it was used as a prison or the ruling classes, and during the 1655-1661 Russian occupation the towers and deensive walls were almost completely destroyed, with serious albeit only partial restoration work beginning (presumably by the Poles) as late as 1930. Inside the tower itsel find models o the castle as it was in the 14th and 18th centuries plus other miscellaneous bits and pieces concerned with the building’s history and knights in dented armour. The view on a good day is recommended. The walk to the the top is a bit bit o a struggle or or many, although there are benches thoughtully provided along the way. Alternatively, use the unicular-type train (tickets €1.5/1) which runs up and down the hill’s northern slope. Find it hidden in a courtyard immediately west o the Applied Art Museum on Arsenalo.QC-1, Castle Hill, tel. (+370) 5 261 74 53. Open 10:00 - 17:00. Admission €2.03/1.01.J 56 Vilnius In Your Pocket
December 2014 - April 2015
55
What to see
CATHEDRAL CATHEDRAL� BASILICA OF ST. STANISLAUS & ST. LADISLAUS �VILNIAUS ŠV. STANISLOVO IR ŠV. VLADIS� LOVO ARKI� KATEDRA BA� ZILIKA� The most important Catholic building in Lithuania, Vilnius Cathedral as it’s more usually known was first built in 1251 by a newly converted Grand Duke Mindaugas on the site o a supposed pagan temple. Returned to pagan use a ter Mindaugas’ death in 1263, the church was given back to the Catholic Church on the country’s official conversion to Christianity in 1387, 1387, although the building that now stands in its place has little to do with the original structure. The current building dates to around 1419, with countless modifications and additions made ater that. Its present NeoClassical orm is largely down to the work o the Lithuania’s first true architect, Laurynas Stuoka Gucevičius (Pol. Wawrzyniec Gucewicz, 1753-1798), 1753-1798), who was also responsible or a number o other notable buildings in the city including the Town Hall. The rather plain nave betrays eleven chapels, among them the must-see High Baroque Chapel o St. Casimir (1458-1484), Lithuania’s patron saint. Built in 1636 to house his remains, the chapel is one o the country’s national treasures. The three statues o Sts. Stanislaus, Stanislaus, Helena and Casimir Casimir on the roo, supposedly representing Poland, Russia and Lithuania, are 1997 copies o the 18th-century originals which were taken down and lost by the Soviets in 1950, the year the building was confiscated rom the Catholics. Spending several years as an art gallery and even mooted as a car repair workshop at one time, the Cathedral was returned to the Catholic Church on October 22, 1988 during the eventul Sąjūdis Congress and was re-consecrated on February 5, 1989. The 57-metre ree-standing bell tower, a popular contemporary meeting place, was originally part o one o the gates in the ci ty’s deensive wall and has been added to several times over the centuries which gives it its peculiar shape. It received six new bells in 2002, baptised by Cardinal Audrys Bačkis in a special ceremony.QC-2, Katedros 1, tel. (+370) 5 261 11 27, www.katedra.lt. Open 07:00 - 19:00. Mass 08:00, 17:30, 18:30, Sun 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:15, 12:30, 17:30, 18:30 (Latin). J vilnius.inyourpocket.com
GENOCIDE VICTIMS’ MUSEUM �GENOCIDO AUKŲ outside reads reads that between between 1940 1940 and MUZIEJUS� The sign outside 1991 this building housed the representative institutions o the NKVD and KGB, and, accordingly, the exhibits inside relate almost exclusively to the period o oppression and the socalled genocide o the Lithuanian people by the Communist regime. Understandably a must-see part o any trip to Vilnius or people wishing to understand this oten bleak and violent period in the country’s history, what the sign ails to point out is that between 1941 and 1944 the building was controlled by the Gestapo, whose role in the systematic murder o the vast majority o the city’s Jewish population with the willing participation o many ethnic Lithuanians is, somewhat bizarrely, almost completely overlooked, although the recent addition o a room dedicated to just this issue is a welcome addition. Controversy aside, as a testament to the suffering endured by the ethnic Lithuanians, especially under the lunacy o Stalin, the place is a must-see or any visitor to Vilnius.QG-4, Aukų 2a, tel. (+370) 5 249 62 64, www.genocid.lt/muziejus. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission €1.74/0.87. €1.74/0.87. J ST. ANNE’S CHURCH �ŠV. ONOS BAŽNYČIA� Unquestionably one o the city’s most amous landmarks and quite rightly so, the history o St. Anne’s starts with the alleged construction in the 14th century o a wooden house o worship on this spot in honour o Ona, the wie o Vytautas the Great. The first historical records o a church here date rom 1394, although the current Gothic masterpiece is believed to have been built between 1495 and 1500 to a design by the Bohemian architect Benedikt Rejt (1453-1534), most amous or designing parts o Prague Castle. Unlike other historical churches in Vilnius, St. Anne’s has managed to escape the ravages o time almost unscathed and is arguably the least changed o them all. Composed o 33 different styles o brick assembled into a delicate and intricate whole, the effect is simply quite stunning. It’s been said the açade incorporates the Pillars o Gediminas, one o the country’s earliest symbols, although this is hardly clear rom looking at it. The interior is surprisingly ree o ostentation, although this is hardly needed due to the spectacular design o the structure. The ree-standing bell tower has nothing to do with the original design, being built only in 1873. A visiting Emperor Napoleon in 1812 amously i somewhat apocryphally noted he’d like to take the building back to Paris in the palm o his hand.QD-3, Maironio 8, www.onosbaznycia. lt. Open 17:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon (October 1 - April 30). Open 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon (May 1 - September 30). Mass 18:00, Sun 09:00, 11:00. 11:00. J
MUSEUMS & GALLERIES APPLIED ARTS MUSEUM �TAIKOMOSIOS DAILĖS MUZIEJUS� Housed inside what was the ar northeast corner o the city’s original deensive walls, o which some including an original gate can still be seen inside, this worthy inclusion into the city’s national treasures is stuffed ull o good things to see, among them little models o how the city once looked, urniture, paintings and much more besides. Among facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
VILNIUS VILN IUS CA CATHED THEDRAL RAL BELF BELFRY RY Closed or more than a decade, the Belry o Vilnius Cathedral finally reopened to visitors earlier this summer. One o the city’s defining monuments, the tower, which originally ormed part o the city’s 13th century deensive wall, became a belry in the 16th century. 57 metres tall it was remodelled and given its current look in the 19th century. Besides offering views rom the top, the tower also hosts an exhibition o bells and documents the building’s reconstruction.QC-2, Katedros 2, tel. (+370) 600 120 80, www.bpmuziejus. lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun. Admission €4.34/2.32. J the permanent exhibits find three unmissable collections o sacred Lithuanian art including examples rom both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches dating back as ar as the 15th century. Temporary exhibitions also take place throughout the year.QD-1, Arsenalo 3a, tel. (+370) 5 262 80 80, www.ldm.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Sun 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon. Admission €1.74/0.87. J
LITHUANIAN RADIO & TELEVISION MUSEUM �LIETUVOS RADIJO IR TELEVIZIJOS MUZIEJUS� A little gem o a corridor lined with several large, glass-ronted displays showcasing the history o radio and television in Lithuania rom its inception through to the modern day. Among the old radio sets, costumes and photographs o stars you won’t recognise is a abulous selection o things dedicated to the tragic events o January 13, 1991, including the telephone used by Lithuanian television bosses to communicate with the KGB and a video camera complete with a smashed lens, courtesy o an unknown Russian soldier who shot it with his rifle.QF-5, Konarskio 49 (inside the LRT building), tel. (+370) 5 236 32 14, www.lrtc.lt. Open by appointment only. Admission free. LITHUANIAN RAILWAY MUSEUM �LIETUVOS GELEŽINKELIŲ MUZIEJUS� Recently moving to much larger premises inside the train station itsel, the Lithuanian Railway Museum may not be to everybody’s taste, but is still worth a visit i you’re in the area, or or that matter i you’ve got a while to wait or your train. Made up o three main exhibition halls the museum charts the history o the railways in Lithuania, looks at some o the technical aspects o trains and the tracks they run on, is bursting with old railway-related paraphernalia and also has a couple o models that children can play with. Find it to the right o the main entrance to the station.QB-6, Geležinkelio 16 (Train Station), tel. (+370) 5 269 37 41, www.litrail.lt. Open 09:00 - 17:00, Sat 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Admission €1.16/0.58. J December 2014 - April 2015
57
What to see The Lithuanian capital’s first period of growth took place immediately south of today’s Cathedral Square, eventually becoming the toothsome jumble of Baroque, Gothic, Neoclassical and Renaissance architecture now known as Old Town. Although most people flock to the city to visit this undeniable gem, there are plenty of other things to see when in town, from the very Lithuanian eccentricities encountered over the imaginary border in the self-styled Republic of Užupis to the few remaining relics of a once thriving Jewish community to the occasional Soviet-era masterpiece. Fill the buildings with a reasonably interesting collection of museums and galleries, put some decent parks in the spaces in-between and you’ll find it hard to not find a reason to visit.
ESSENTIAL VILNIUS DAWN GATE �AUŠROS VARTAI� Completed in 1522, the Dawn Gate (or Sharp Gate ( Ostra Brama) Brama) as it’s known to the Poles) is the only remaining gate rom the city’s original deensive walls. As was common at the time, an image o the Virgin Mary was placed above all gates to protect the city, and the story o the Dawn Gate starts rom this simple historic act. The current image, known as The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy , was painted on eight pieces o oak in around 1630 by an unknown artist, was embellished with gold and silver about 40 years ater that, was housed inside a purpose-built chapel above the gate in 1706 and is believed to have magic healing powers. Interestingly, the Dawn Gate is revered by both the Catholic and Orthodox aiths and is such an important part o the city’s cultural heritage that it remained open throughout the Soviet occupation. Watch closely as people walking underneath say a silent prayer. The chapel is open to the public and is accessed via a small door on the let as you’re walking up the hill.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 12, tel. (+370) (+370) 5 212 35 13. Open 06:00 - 19:00. Mass 07:30 (Latin), 09:00, 10:00 (Polish), 17:30 17:30 (Polish), 18:30, Sun 09:00 (Polish), 09:30, 11:00, 13:00 (Polish), 17:30 (Polish), 18:30.J GEDIMINAS CASTLE & MUSEUM �GEDIMINO PILIS IR MUZIEJUS� Dating rom the 13th century the castle was rebuilt in 1419 by Grand Duke Vytautas ollowing the great fire o Vilnius. In 1610 it was used as a prison or the ruling classes, and during the 1655-1661 Russian occupation the towers and deensive walls were almost completely destroyed, with serious albeit only partial restoration work beginning (presumably by the Poles) as late as 1930. Inside the tower itsel find models o the castle as it was in the 14th and 18th centuries plus other miscellaneous bits and pieces concerned with the building’s history and knights in dented armour. The view on a good day is recommended. The walk to the the top is a bit bit o a struggle or or many, although there are benches thoughtully provided along the way. Alternatively, use the unicular-type train (tickets €1.5/1) which runs up and down the hill’s northern slope. Find it hidden in a courtyard immediately west o the Applied Art Museum on Arsenalo.QC-1, Castle Hill, tel. (+370) 5 261 74 53. Open 10:00 - 17:00. Admission €2.03/1.01.J 56 Vilnius In Your Pocket
What to see
CATHEDRAL CATHEDRAL� BASILICA OF ST. STANISLAUS & ST. LADISLAUS �VILNIAUS ŠV. STANISLOVO IR ŠV. VLADIS� LOVO ARKI� KATEDRA BA� ZILIKA� The most important Catholic building in Lithuania, Vilnius Cathedral as it’s more usually known was first built in 1251 by a newly converted Grand Duke Mindaugas on the site o a supposed pagan temple. Returned to pagan use a ter Mindaugas’ death in 1263, the church was given back to the Catholic Church on the country’s official conversion to Christianity in 1387, 1387, although the building that now stands in its place has little to do with the original structure. The current building dates to around 1419, with countless modifications and additions made ater that. Its present NeoClassical orm is largely down to the work o the Lithuania’s first true architect, Laurynas Stuoka Gucevičius (Pol. Wawrzyniec Gucewicz, 1753-1798), 1753-1798), who was also responsible or a number o other notable buildings in the city including the Town Hall. The rather plain nave betrays eleven chapels, among them the must-see High Baroque Chapel o St. Casimir (1458-1484), Lithuania’s patron saint. Built in 1636 to house his remains, the chapel is one o the country’s national treasures. The three statues o Sts. Stanislaus, Stanislaus, Helena and Casimir Casimir on the roo, supposedly representing Poland, Russia and Lithuania, are 1997 copies o the 18th-century originals which were taken down and lost by the Soviets in 1950, the year the building was confiscated rom the Catholics. Spending several years as an art gallery and even mooted as a car repair workshop at one time, the Cathedral was returned to the Catholic Church on October 22, 1988 during the eventul Sąjūdis Congress and was re-consecrated on February 5, 1989. The 57-metre ree-standing bell tower, a popular contemporary meeting place, was originally part o one o the gates in the ci ty’s deensive wall and has been added to several times over the centuries which gives it its peculiar shape. It received six new bells in 2002, baptised by Cardinal Audrys Bačkis in a special ceremony.QC-2, Katedros 1, tel. (+370) 5 261 11 27, www.katedra.lt. Open 07:00 - 19:00. Mass 08:00, 17:30, 18:30, Sun 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 11:15, 12:30, 17:30, 18:30 (Latin). J vilnius.inyourpocket.com
GENOCIDE VICTIMS’ MUSEUM �GENOCIDO AUKŲ outside reads reads that between between 1940 1940 and MUZIEJUS� The sign outside 1991 this building housed the representative institutions o the NKVD and KGB, and, accordingly, the exhibits inside relate almost exclusively to the period o oppression and the socalled genocide o the Lithuanian people by the Communist regime. Understandably a must-see part o any trip to Vilnius or people wishing to understand this oten bleak and violent period in the country’s history, what the sign ails to point out is that between 1941 and 1944 the building was controlled by the Gestapo, whose role in the systematic murder o the vast majority o the city’s Jewish population with the willing participation o many ethnic Lithuanians is, somewhat bizarrely, almost completely overlooked, although the recent addition o a room dedicated to just this issue is a welcome addition. Controversy aside, as a testament to the suffering endured by the ethnic Lithuanians, especially under the lunacy o Stalin, the place is a must-see or any visitor to Vilnius.QG-4, Aukų 2a, tel. (+370) 5 249 62 64, www.genocid.lt/muziejus. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission €1.74/0.87. €1.74/0.87. J ST. ANNE’S CHURCH �ŠV. ONOS BAŽNYČIA� Unquestionably one o the city’s most amous landmarks and quite rightly so, the history o St. Anne’s starts with the alleged construction in the 14th century o a wooden house o worship on this spot in honour o Ona, the wie o Vytautas the Great. The first historical records o a church here date rom 1394, although the current Gothic masterpiece is believed to have been built between 1495 and 1500 to a design by the Bohemian architect Benedikt Rejt (1453-1534), most amous or designing parts o Prague Castle. Unlike other historical churches in Vilnius, St. Anne’s has managed to escape the ravages o time almost unscathed and is arguably the least changed o them all. Composed o 33 different styles o brick assembled into a delicate and intricate whole, the effect is simply quite stunning. It’s been said the açade incorporates the Pillars o Gediminas, one o the country’s earliest symbols, although this is hardly clear rom looking at it. The interior is surprisingly ree o ostentation, although this is hardly needed due to the spectacular design o the structure. The ree-standing bell tower has nothing to do with the original design, being built only in 1873. A visiting Emperor Napoleon in 1812 amously i somewhat apocryphally noted he’d like to take the building back to Paris in the palm o his hand.QD-3, Maironio 8, www.onosbaznycia. lt. Open 17:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon (October 1 - April 30). Open 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon (May 1 - September 30). Mass 18:00, Sun 09:00, 11:00. 11:00. J
MUSEUMS & GALLERIES APPLIED ARTS MUSEUM �TAIKOMOSIOS DAILĖS MUZIEJUS� Housed inside what was the ar northeast corner o the city’s original deensive walls, o which some including an original gate can still be seen inside, this worthy inclusion into the city’s national treasures is stuffed ull o good things to see, among them little models o how the city once looked, urniture, paintings and much more besides. Among facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
What to see LITHUANIAN THEATRE, MUSIC & CINEMA MU� SEUM �LIETUVOS TEATRO, MUZIKOS IR KINO MUZIEJUS� Originating in 1926 as a theatre museum and slowly collecting departments and exhibits over the decades until it became what it is today, this mildly interesting cultural diversion inside a glorious 18thcentury ormer palace and theatre charts the Lithuanian history o the three arts . Among several badly ventilated rooms ull o harmoniums, 19th-century theatre posters and recordings o amous Lithuanian opera singers are one or two gems including several displays given over to the lie o the actress Unė Babickaitė (aka. Une Baye or Bye, 1897-1961), who received a modicum o cinematic success in the United States in the 1920s. The museum also eatures several temporary exhibitions o painting and photography. I you can prevent the old ladies who guard the place rom pestering you every couple o minutes you might just find you enjoy this place. Entrance is around the back o the building.QB-3, Vilniaus 41, tel. (+370) 5 262 24 06, www.ltmkm.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Wed 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Admission €2.03/1.45. J MONEY MUSEUM �PINIGŲ MUZIEJUS� Featuring five small rooms on two floors celebrating the history o world and Lithuanian money, despite the inclusion o lots o ancy interactive bits and bobs and plenty o inormation in English, this relatively new museum’s best attribute is the act that it’s ree to enter. I money’s your hobby then there’s no doubt it’s worth a visit. I it isn’t, then it probably isn’t.QB-2, Totorių 2/8, tel. (+370) 5 268 03 34. Open 09:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Admission free. J NATIONAL ART GALLERY �NACIONALINĖ DAI� LĖS GALERIJA� Found inside a renovated and enlarged building that once housed the Museum o the Revolution o the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, this bold endeavour showcases the work o a multitude o artists o Lithuanian origin rom the 20th and 21st century.The museum is organised to highlight particular styles, eras and political attitudes to art in Lithuania under the numerous regimes o the past century and also stages temporary exhibitions that are well worth visiting.QG-3, Konstitucijos 22, tel. (+370) 5 219 59 60, www.ndg.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Thu 12:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission €1.74/0.87. JAW NATIONAL MUSEUM �LIETUVOS NACIONALINIS MUZIEJUS� Lithuania’s oldest museum, parts o the collection inside this intriguing history lesson date back to the 13th century. On permanent display are religious and secular items highlighting the cultural and ethnographic lie o the nation, including recreations o traditional homesteads, clothing, paintings and much more. Also to be ound are some o the things unearthed in the mass grave o Napoleonic soldiers nearby in 2001. The museum also puts on temporary shows, o which some are truly 58 Vilnius In Your Pocket
VILNIUS VILN IUS CA CATHED THEDRAL RAL BELF BELFRY RY Closed or more than a decade, the Belry o Vilnius Cathedral finally reopened to visitors earlier this summer. One o the city’s defining monuments, the tower, which originally ormed part o the city’s 13th century deensive wall, became a belry in the 16th century. 57 metres tall it was remodelled and given its current look in the 19th century. Besides offering views rom the top, the tower also hosts an exhibition o bells and documents the building’s reconstruction.QC-2, Katedros 2, tel. (+370) 600 120 80, www.bpmuziejus. lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sun. Admission €4.34/2.32. J the permanent exhibits find three unmissable collections o sacred Lithuanian art including examples rom both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches dating back as ar as the 15th century. Temporary exhibitions also take place throughout the year.QD-1, Arsenalo 3a, tel. (+370) 5 262 80 80, www.ldm.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Sun 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon. Admission €1.74/0.87. J
LITHUANIAN RADIO & TELEVISION MUSEUM �LIETUVOS RADIJO IR TELEVIZIJOS MUZIEJUS� A little gem o a corridor lined with several large, glass-ronted displays showcasing the history o radio and television in Lithuania rom its inception through to the modern day. Among the old radio sets, costumes and photographs o stars you won’t recognise is a abulous selection o things dedicated to the tragic events o January 13, 1991, including the telephone used by Lithuanian television bosses to communicate with the KGB and a video camera complete with a smashed lens, courtesy o an unknown Russian soldier who shot it with his rifle.QF-5, Konarskio 49 (inside the LRT building), tel. (+370) 5 236 32 14, www.lrtc.lt. Open by appointment only. Admission free. LITHUANIAN RAILWAY MUSEUM �LIETUVOS GELEŽINKELIŲ MUZIEJUS� Recently moving to much larger premises inside the train station itsel, the Lithuanian Railway Museum may not be to everybody’s taste, but is still worth a visit i you’re in the area, or or that matter i you’ve got a while to wait or your train. Made up o three main exhibition halls the museum charts the history o the railways in Lithuania, looks at some o the technical aspects o trains and the tracks they run on, is bursting with old railway-related paraphernalia and also has a couple o models that children can play with. Find it to the right o the main entrance to the station.QB-6, Geležinkelio 16 (Train Station), tel. (+370) 5 269 37 41, www.litrail.lt. Open 09:00 - 17:00, Sat 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Admission €1.16/0.58. J December 2014 - April 2015
57
What to see outstanding. A vital key or unlocking the secrets o the C-1, Arsenalo 1, tel. (+370) 5 262 94 Lithuanian people.QC-1, 26, www.lnm.lt. Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Admission €2/1. J
TOY MUSEUM �ŽAISLŲ MUZIEJUS� Inspired by similar initiatives in Europe and around the world, this recently opened interactive museum is a private venture aimed at children o all ages rom our to 90. Tracing the history o toys and games rom around the 12th century onwards, the museum eatures exhibits including a whirli gig dating rom the 14th century that was ound during excavation work nearby, teddy bears galore and some simple wooden vehicles made in Lithuania during the Soviet period. Indeed, most o the original items on display date rom the Soviet period and as such offer a ascinating insight into the ormer everyday lives o children behind the Iron Curtain. Many o the things on display are there to be touched, played with and generally mauled, making the place a really recommended place or visitors to the city with children in tow who are already ed up with churches and the like. Not the easiest place to find in the world, keep an eye out or the sign on the wall along with a lot o other signs. Entrance is through the door just to the right.QD-2, Šiltadaržio 2/7, tel. (+370) 604 004 49,
[email protected], www.zaislumuziejus.lt. Open 15:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission €3.50 /2.90 /2.40. J VILNIUS PICTURE GALLERY �VILNIAUS PAVEIK� SLŲ GALERIJA� Housed inside the charming 17thcentury Chodkevičiai (Chodkiewicz) amily palace, this splendid little museum is o the type in which a menagerie o middle-aged ladies shuttle you around rom room to room like a pinball. Ignore them i you can, and enjoy a great collection o local painting, drawing and sculpture plus a couple o rooms stuffed ull o exemplary urniture, all o it representing the last several hundred years o achievement. They also put on temporary exhibitions here, o which some are well worth checking out.QC-3, Didžioji 4, tel. (+370) 5 212 42 58, www.ldm.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Sun 12:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission €1.73/0.86. J VYTAUTAS KASIULIS ART MUSEUM �VYTAUTO KASIULIO DAILĖS MUZIEJUS� Opened to coincide with Lithuania’s 2013 Presidency o the Council o the European Union and housed inside a fine Neoclassical building dating rom the first decade o the 20th century, this combined museum and art gallery contains a permanent collection o work by the Lithuanian-born artist Vytautas Kasiulis (1918-1995) who escaped Lithuania in 1944 or Austria and then Germany and who rom 1948 until his death spent the rest o his lie living and working in Paris. The museum also has space or temporary exhibitions and plays host to a range o music concerts .QA-0, A. Goštauto 1, tel. (+370) 5 261 67 64, kasiuliomuziejus@ ldm.lt, www.ldm.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Sun 12:00 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission €1.74/0.87.J vilnius.inyourpocket.com
CHURCHES BERNARDINE CHURCH & MONASTERY �BERNAR� DINŲ BAŽNYČIA IR VIENUO LYNAS� Once orming part o the city’s original deensive walls and constructed on the site o an earlier wooden church dating rom the middle o the 15th century at the behest o an order o Bernadine monks, the current vast Gothic church with Baroque and Renaissance additions dates rom the early part o the 16th century onwards. As the old photographs on display show, the church interior was truly breathtaking beore the Soviet authorities took control o the building, handing it over to the Vilnius Art Institute who among other things allegedly incorporated parts o the interior into the works o art the academy was producing. Returned to the monks soon ater independence, a mammoth restoration project continues to this day. Current highlights include 14 magnificent rococo altars and the oldest known crucifix in the country, dating rom the 15th century. The neighbouring monastery is the oldest part o the ensemble. Once amed or its extensive library and independent-minded monks, the monastery was closed soon ater the ailed Uprising o 1863 and turned into a barracks or tsarist troops beore alling into the hands o the city’s Art Academy at the end o WWI. The building now houses the Vilnius Art Academy.QD-3, Maironio 10, tel. (+370) 616 011 59, www.parapija.bernardinai.lt. www.parapija.bernardinai.lt. Open 07:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 19:00. Mass Mon, Tue 07:30, Wed, Thu, Fri 07:30, 18:00, Sat 09:00, 18:00, Sun 09:00 (English), 10:30, 13:00, 17:00. J CHURCH OF STS. MICHAEL & CONSTANTINE �ŠV. KONSTANTINO IR MICHAILO CERKVĖ� Built in 1913 at the very end o tsarist rule within the city as part o the 300th anniversary celebrations o the Romanov Dynasty, this rather absurd-looking Russian Orthodox church is amed hereabouts or its garish green domes. On closer inspection, the church, which supposedly incorporates elements o both the Rostov and Suzdal styles, is a beautiul design, as early postcards showing the original dome designs attest. The interior is relatively plain, and only really recommended or serious enthusiasts.QG-4, J. Basanavičiaus 27, tel. (+370) 5 212 17 90. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 11:00 - 16:00. J CHURCH OF THE APPARITION OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD �ZNAMENSKAYA� Built in 1903 and topped with several beautiul Neo-Byzantine cupolas, this is one o the best loved Russian Orthodox churches in Vilnius. Among the numerous icons hanging inside are potted plants that make the place eel really alive. Next to the icons are special prayers or each saint, but as everything in the church is written in Old Church Slavonic you’ll need a translator to help work them out. The church was ully re stored inside and out in 20 09QG3, Vytauto 21/1, tel. (+370) 5 275 13 75. Open 09:00 16:30. Service Sat 10:00, 16:00, Sun 09:00. facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS �ŠV. KRYŽIAUS BAŽNYČIA� On the other side o the Presidential Palace rom the University, this charming little church’s history dates back to 1543 and the building o a chapel on the site to commemorate the martyrdom o a group o 14th-century Franciscan riars. Slowly added to over the centuries, including the attached Boniratri Monastery, the church is now more or less late Baroque in appearance with a ew rococo flourishes, and is notable as being the only church in Vilnius converted rom an ordinary house rather than being purpose-built. The small interior is well worth having a peep at i the main doors aren’t bolted as they usually are, the most outstanding eature being the painting, Holy Virgin Mother of Snow on on the high altar, a copy o which can be ound on the resco over the main entrance. The small square in which the church is located also eatures a stylised, Soviet-era bust o Laurynas Stuoka-Gucevičius (1753-1798), Lithuania’s first serious architect who was responsible or the contemporary look o the CathedralBasilica o St. Stanislaus & St. Ladislaus among other buildings in the city.QB-2, S. Daukanto 1, tel. (+370) 5 260 93 47. Mass 17:15, 17:15, Sun 09:30, 12:00. J CHURCH OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD �SKAISČIAUSIOS DIEVO MOTINOS CERKVĖ� Originally dating back to the middle o the 14th century, this slightly unusual-looking church which also unctions as the city’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral and that as such is oten reerred to as the Cathedral o the Theotokos in VilDecember 2014 - April 2015
59
What to see LITHUANIAN THEATRE, MUSIC & CINEMA MU� SEUM �LIETUVOS TEATRO, MUZIKOS IR KINO MUZIEJUS� Originating in 1926 as a theatre museum and slowly collecting departments and exhibits over the decades until it became what it is today, this mildly interesting cultural diversion inside a glorious 18thcentury ormer palace and theatre charts the Lithuanian history o the three arts . Among several badly ventilated rooms ull o harmoniums, 19th-century theatre posters and recordings o amous Lithuanian opera singers are one or two gems including several displays given over to the lie o the actress Unė Babickaitė (aka. Une Baye or Bye, 1897-1961), who received a modicum o cinematic success in the United States in the 1920s. The museum also eatures several temporary exhibitions o painting and photography. I you can prevent the old ladies who guard the place rom pestering you every couple o minutes you might just find you enjoy this place. Entrance is around the back o the building.QB-3, Vilniaus 41, tel. (+370) 5 262 24 06, www.ltmkm.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Wed 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Admission €2.03/1.45. J MONEY MUSEUM �PINIGŲ MUZIEJUS� Featuring five small rooms on two floors celebrating the history o world and Lithuanian money, despite the inclusion o lots o ancy interactive bits and bobs and plenty o inormation in English, this relatively new museum’s best attribute is the act that it’s ree to enter. I money’s your hobby then there’s no doubt it’s worth a visit. I it isn’t, then it probably isn’t.QB-2, Totorių 2/8, tel. (+370) 5 268 03 34. Open 09:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Admission free. J NATIONAL ART GALLERY �NACIONALINĖ DAI� LĖS GALERIJA� Found inside a renovated and enlarged building that once housed the Museum o the Revolution o the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, this bold endeavour showcases the work o a multitude o artists o Lithuanian origin rom the 20th and 21st century.The museum is organised to highlight particular styles, eras and political attitudes to art in Lithuania under the numerous regimes o the past century and also stages temporary exhibitions that are well worth visiting.QG-3, Konstitucijos 22, tel. (+370) 5 219 59 60, www.ndg.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Thu 12:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission €1.74/0.87. JAW NATIONAL MUSEUM �LIETUVOS NACIONALINIS MUZIEJUS� Lithuania’s oldest museum, parts o the collection inside this intriguing history lesson date back to the 13th century. On permanent display are religious and secular items highlighting the cultural and ethnographic lie o the nation, including recreations o traditional homesteads, clothing, paintings and much more. Also to be ound are some o the things unearthed in the mass grave o Napoleonic soldiers nearby in 2001. The museum also puts on temporary shows, o which some are truly 58 Vilnius In Your Pocket
What to see outstanding. A vital key or unlocking the secrets o the C-1, Arsenalo 1, tel. (+370) 5 262 94 Lithuanian people.QC-1, 26, www.lnm.lt. Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. Admission €2/1. J
TOY MUSEUM �ŽAISLŲ MUZIEJUS� Inspired by similar initiatives in Europe and around the world, this recently opened interactive museum is a private venture aimed at children o all ages rom our to 90. Tracing the history o toys and games rom around the 12th century onwards, the museum eatures exhibits including a whirli gig dating rom the 14th century that was ound during excavation work nearby, teddy bears galore and some simple wooden vehicles made in Lithuania during the Soviet period. Indeed, most o the original items on display date rom the Soviet period and as such offer a ascinating insight into the ormer everyday lives o children behind the Iron Curtain. Many o the things on display are there to be touched, played with and generally mauled, making the place a really recommended place or visitors to the city with children in tow who are already ed up with churches and the like. Not the easiest place to find in the world, keep an eye out or the sign on the wall along with a lot o other signs. Entrance is through the door just to the right.QD-2, Šiltadaržio 2/7, tel. (+370) 604 004 49,
[email protected], www.zaislumuziejus.lt. Open 15:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Tue. Admission €3.50 /2.90 /2.40. J VILNIUS PICTURE GALLERY �VILNIAUS PAVEIK� SLŲ GALERIJA� Housed inside the charming 17thcentury Chodkevičiai (Chodkiewicz) amily palace, this splendid little museum is o the type in which a menagerie o middle-aged ladies shuttle you around rom room to room like a pinball. Ignore them i you can, and enjoy a great collection o local painting, drawing and sculpture plus a couple o rooms stuffed ull o exemplary urniture, all o it representing the last several hundred years o achievement. They also put on temporary exhibitions here, o which some are well worth checking out.QC-3, Didžioji 4, tel. (+370) 5 212 42 58, www.ldm.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Sun 12:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission €1.73/0.86. J VYTAUTAS KASIULIS ART MUSEUM �VYTAUTO KASIULIO DAILĖS MUZIEJUS� Opened to coincide with Lithuania’s 2013 Presidency o the Council o the European Union and housed inside a fine Neoclassical building dating rom the first decade o the 20th century, this combined museum and art gallery contains a permanent collection o work by the Lithuanian-born artist Vytautas Kasiulis (1918-1995) who escaped Lithuania in 1944 or Austria and then Germany and who rom 1948 until his death spent the rest o his lie living and working in Paris. The museum also has space or temporary exhibitions and plays host to a range o music concerts .QA-0, A. Goštauto 1, tel. (+370) 5 261 67 64, kasiuliomuziejus@ ldm.lt, www.ldm.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Sun 12:00 17:00. Closed Mon. Admission €1.74/0.87.J vilnius.inyourpocket.com
CHURCHES BERNARDINE CHURCH & MONASTERY �BERNAR� DINŲ BAŽNYČIA IR VIENUO LYNAS� Once orming part o the city’s original deensive walls and constructed on the site o an earlier wooden church dating rom the middle o the 15th century at the behest o an order o Bernadine monks, the current vast Gothic church with Baroque and Renaissance additions dates rom the early part o the 16th century onwards. As the old photographs on display show, the church interior was truly breathtaking beore the Soviet authorities took control o the building, handing it over to the Vilnius Art Institute who among other things allegedly incorporated parts o the interior into the works o art the academy was producing. Returned to the monks soon ater independence, a mammoth restoration project continues to this day. Current highlights include 14 magnificent rococo altars and the oldest known crucifix in the country, dating rom the 15th century. The neighbouring monastery is the oldest part o the ensemble. Once amed or its extensive library and independent-minded monks, the monastery was closed soon ater the ailed Uprising o 1863 and turned into a barracks or tsarist troops beore alling into the hands o the city’s Art Academy at the end o WWI. The building now houses the Vilnius Art Academy.QD-3, Maironio 10, tel. (+370) 616 011 59, www.parapija.bernardinai.lt. www.parapija.bernardinai.lt. Open 07:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 19:00. Mass Mon, Tue 07:30, Wed, Thu, Fri 07:30, 18:00, Sat 09:00, 18:00, Sun 09:00 (English), 10:30, 13:00, 17:00. J CHURCH OF STS. MICHAEL & CONSTANTINE �ŠV. KONSTANTINO IR MICHAILO CERKVĖ� Built in 1913 at the very end o tsarist rule within the city as part o the 300th anniversary celebrations o the Romanov Dynasty, this rather absurd-looking Russian Orthodox church is amed hereabouts or its garish green domes. On closer inspection, the church, which supposedly incorporates elements o both the Rostov and Suzdal styles, is a beautiul design, as early postcards showing the original dome designs attest. The interior is relatively plain, and only really recommended or serious enthusiasts.QG-4, J. Basanavičiaus 27, tel. (+370) 5 212 17 90. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 11:00 - 16:00. J CHURCH OF THE APPARITION OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD �ZNAMENSKAYA� Built in 1903 and topped with several beautiul Neo-Byzantine cupolas, this is one o the best loved Russian Orthodox churches in Vilnius. Among the numerous icons hanging inside are potted plants that make the place eel really alive. Next to the icons are special prayers or each saint, but as everything in the church is written in Old Church Slavonic you’ll need a translator to help work them out. The church was ully re stored inside and out in 20 09QG3, Vytauto 21/1, tel. (+370) 5 275 13 75. Open 09:00 16:30. Service Sat 10:00, 16:00, Sun 09:00. facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
What to see The International Church of Vilnius
English language ecumenical worship Sundays at 9.30 a.m. All welcome! Mid-week activities (from September): Mondays: Ladies Bible study Wednesdays: 6 p.m. Fellowship & Bible study
• •
How to find us:
The church is located at Vokiečių gatv gatvė 20 (go through the archway and iron gates: the church entrance is on the left under the bell tower)
How to contact us:
www.vilniuschurch.org Pastor Jim Wagner: +370 (8) 636 35565 Email: internationalchurchofvi
[email protected] [email protected]
nius owes much o its partial Neo-Byzantine design to reconstruction work completed in 1522. In 1808, soon ater the start o tsarist rule in Vilnius, the building ell into the hands o Vilnius University who divided it into two floors, constructing a library, classrooms and dissection rooms or anatomy classes inside. In 1842 soldiers moved in as the church acted as a barracks beore it took on several other uses beore General Muravyov and his brother had it restored to its current Georgian appearance and used as a house o worship towards the end o the 1860s.QD-3, Maironio 14, tel. (+370) 5 215 37 47. Open 10:00 - 17:00. J
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT �ŠVENTOSIOS DVASIOS BAŽNYČIA� Like many o the city’s churches, the Dominican Church o the Holy Spirit was built on the site o a ormer wooden house o worship that met a fiery ate. The current building’s appearance started taking shape towards the end o the 14th century. In 1501 it was given to an order o Dominican monks who built a monastery nearby. Its present Baroque appearance dates to the mid-18th century when the church was rebuilt ater serious fire damage. Inside is a wealth o Baroque and rococo splendour, well worth urther investigation. Interestingly, the building, which unctions as Vilnius’ Polish Catholic community’s main church, remained opened throughout the entire Soviet occupation. Gaining rare access to the church’s crypts promises a ghoulish adventure amidst some 2,000 corpses in var ying states o repair. Dating rom 60 Vilnius In Your Pocket
CHURCH OF THE HOLY CROSS �ŠV. KRYŽIAUS BAŽNYČIA� On the other side o the Presidential Palace rom the University, this charming little church’s history dates back to 1543 and the building o a chapel on the site to commemorate the martyrdom o a group o 14th-century Franciscan riars. Slowly added to over the centuries, including the attached Boniratri Monastery, the church is now more or less late Baroque in appearance with a ew rococo flourishes, and is notable as being the only church in Vilnius converted rom an ordinary house rather than being purpose-built. The small interior is well worth having a peep at i the main doors aren’t bolted as they usually are, the most outstanding eature being the painting, Holy Virgin Mother of Snow on on the high altar, a copy o which can be ound on the resco over the main entrance. The small square in which the church is located also eatures a stylised, Soviet-era bust o Laurynas Stuoka-Gucevičius (1753-1798), Lithuania’s first serious architect who was responsible or the contemporary look o the CathedralBasilica o St. Stanislaus & St. Ladislaus among other buildings in the city.QB-2, S. Daukanto 1, tel. (+370) 5 260 93 47. Mass 17:15, 17:15, Sun 09:30, 12:00. J CHURCH OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD �SKAISČIAUSIOS DIEVO MOTINOS CERKVĖ� Originally dating back to the middle o the 14th century, this slightly unusual-looking church which also unctions as the city’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral and that as such is oten reerred to as the Cathedral o the Theotokos in VilDecember 2014 - April 2015
59
What to see the 17th and 18th centuries, the bodies are supposedly victims o the plague.QB-3, Dominikonų 8, tel. (+370) 5 262 95 95. Open 14:00 - 18:30. Mass only in Polish 15:00, 18:00, Sun 08:00, 09:00, 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 18:00.J
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH �EVAN� GELIKŲ LIUTERONŲ BAŽNYČIA� Built in 1555, two years ater the first German-speaking Lutheran community is said to have arrived in Vilnius, the crowning glory o this small Gothic and Baroque church on the street named ater the city’s German community is the gorgeous rococo altar, dating rom 1741 and the work o Johann Christoph Glaubitz (Jonas Kristupas Glaubicas, ca. 1700-1767), a Lithuanian o German extraction and the city’s oremost architect at the time. Serving as a workshop and basketball court under the Communists, the building was returned to its congregation in 1991 and has since become the predominant house o worship or the capital’s multidenomination, English-speaking Christians. In addition to the weekly English-language worship at 9:30 every Sunday, there will be a Candlelit Carol Service at 16:00 on Sunday 14th December, ollowed by rereshments, and Christmas morning worship at 9:30 on Thursday 25th December.QB-4, Vokiečių 20, tel. (+370) 5 212 21 21 25, www. vilniuschurch.org. Service Tue, Thu 08:00, Wed 18:00, Fri 17:00, Sun 09:30 (English, Ecumenical Protestant), 11:00 (Lithuanian). J FRANCISCAN CHURCH �PRANCIŠKONŲ BAŽNY� ČIA� The Franciscan Church, or the Church o the Assumption o the Blessed Virgin Mary and Franciscan Abbey in Vilnius to give it its ull title, dates rom the middle o the 14th century. Currently a beguiling building site o crumbling Gothic and Baroque magnificence, work continues both inside and out to restore it to its original beauty. Amidst the hastily assembled wooden seating, pile o bricks on the sanctuary and scaffolding towers, work is slowly moving orwards. At the time o our last visit, the Chapel o the Virgin Mary, complete with a statue o the lady reputed to have miracle-working powers, was nearing completion, giving some indication o how things will eventually look.QB-4, Trakų 9-1, tel. (+370) 5 261 42 42. Mass 17:30 (Lithuanian), 19:00 (Polish), Sun 10:00 (Lithuanian), 11:30 (Polish), 13:00 (Polish). J HOLY TRINITY CHURCH & BASILIAN GATE �ŠV. TREJYBĖS CERKVĖ IR BAZILIJONŲ VARTAI� Consisting o a church, monastery, belry and beautiul rococo gate, with the exception o the latter much o it in a state o hideous disrepair, the Holy Trinity Church originally dates rom 1514 and eatures elements o Gothic, Baroque and Neo-Byzantine architecture. Built at the behest o the Belarusian national hero Konstantin Ivanovich Ostrozhsky (Konstantinas Ostrogiškis, ca. 1460-1530), the church, which was extensively altered ater a serious fire in the middle o the 18th century, belongs to the Uniates or Eastern Catholic Church, a peculiar aith which uses together many Orthodox belies whilst recognising the Pope as God’s representative on Earth. T he church is a complete vilnius.inyourpocket.com
mess inside, almost completely empty with the exception o some wonderul, barely visible rescos both inside and out. There’s also a small chapel on the right as you enter. Renovation work is slow. The elaborate, 17.9m gate was built in 1761 to a design by Johann Christoph Glaubitz (Jonas Kristupas Glaubicas, ca. 1700-1767).QC-5, Aušros Vartų 7b, tel. (+370) 5 212 25 78. Open 08:00 - 19:00. Service only in Ukrainian 07:00, 09:00, 17:00 18:30, Sat 07:45, 09:00, Sun 10:00, 12:00, 17:30.J
ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST. PARASKEVA �PYAT� NICKAYA� Dating back to the middle o the 14th century and itsel built on the site o what many believe to be a ormer pagan place o worship, the charming albeit somewhat diminutive Orthodox Church o St. Paraskeva can not only claim to have been the first church in Vilnius to be made o stone but is also the alleged location o the baptism in 1705 o none other than Hannibal, the Arican prince and great grandather o Alexander Pushkin who was brought to Russia by Peter the Great rom the part o Arica that’s now Eritrea. Originally in the hands o the Uniate Church, the building, which had been rebuilt on several occasions due to fire, ell into disrepair around the time o the Third Partition o 1795, laying abandoned or seven decades beore being almost completely rebuilt in 1864 only to suffer major fire damage during WWII. Reconstructed in 1949, the building closed in 1961, opening a year later as a museum o painting beore being returned to the Orthodox Church on May 31, 1991. Unusually or a Russian Orthodox Church in Lithuania, services are conducted in Lithuanian once a week on a Sunday.QC-3, Didžioji 2. J ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT �STAČIATIKIŲ ŠV. DVASIOS CERKVĖ� Dating originally rom the mid-16th century but predominantly now the combined work o the city’s most renowned and prolific religious architect Johann Christoph Glaubitz (Jonas Kristupas Glaubicas, ca. 1700-1767) who spent our years on the rococo design between 1749 and 1753 and later 19th-century Neo-Byzantine modifications, the entire ensemble is comprised o the church, a ree-standing bell tower, monastery and convent although it’s the church interior that’s o most interest, being positively bursting with rescos, icons, a magnificent cupola and rich blue and green colours. A particular quirk o the church’s crypt saw it being chosen in the middle o the 19th century as the final resting place o the supposedly incorruptible Saints Jonas, Eustachius, and Antanas, couriers o Alg irdas whose remains are displayed dressed in white at Christmas, in black during Lent, in red on all other occasions with the exception o June 26 when they’re put on display entirely naked.QC/D-5, Aušros Vartų 10, tel. (+370) 5 212 77 65. Open 07:00 - 19:00. Service 08:00, 17:00, Sun 07:00, 10:00, 17:00. J
www.inyourpocket.com facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
SIGHTSEEING TOURS BALTIC TRAVEL SERVICE LUFTHANSA CITY CENTER Guided tours around the city, region and country. Must be booked in advance.QC-5, Subačiaus 2, tel. (+370) 655 258 55/1593, www.bts.lt. Open 08:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. JA VILNIUS CITY TOUR Tours o the historic centre in a number o languages. Also audio guides available.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 7, tel. (+370) 699 540 64,
[email protected], www. vilniuscitytour.com. Open 09:30 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 15:00. JA REFORMED EVANGELICAL CHURCH �EVANGELIKŲ REFORMATŲ BAŽNYČIA� The origin o the Protestant Church in Lithuania, whose three traditional strongholds still exist in Bir žai, Kėdainiai and Vilnius, dates back to John Calvin’s lietime in 1557, although this particular church, considered one o the finest examples o Neo-Classical architecture in the country, was built considerably later between 1830 and 1835. The work o one o the best local Neo-Classical architects o his day Karolis Podčašinskis (Pol. Karol Podczaszyński, 1790-1860), the church was closed by the Soviets in 1953, eventually becoming a cinema, a act the church now betrays courtesy o the cinema seats still in use.QA-3, Pylimo 18, tel. (+370) 686 360 01, www.ref. lt. Open by appointment only. Service in Lithuanian Sun 11:00. J ST. CASIMIR’S CHURCH �ŠV. KAZIMIERO BAŽ� NYČIA� St. Casimir’s in many ways represents a microcosm o Lithuania itsel. Founded by the Jesuits and dedicated to Lithuania’s patron saint Prince Casimir Jagiellon (1458-1484), construction on the mighty building began in 1604 and was completed in 1635. Burnt to the ground just 20 years later when the Russians invaded in 1655, conflagration visited twice again within the next century in 1709 and 1749 beore the architect, mathematician and astronomer Tomas Žebrauskas (Pol. Thomas Zubrówka, 1714-1758) restored it to more or less the orm it’s seen in today. Over the centuries the church ell into the hands o the Augustinians, Napoleon’s Grande Armée, Armée, the Russian Orthodox Church (who significantly altered its appearance), the Lutherans (who used it as the garrison church or the occupying German Army during WWI) and others, including the Soviets who turned the whole place into a museum o atheism no less. Returned to the Catholic Church in 1988, the building was consecrated in 1991 and has since undergone a massive renovation project, res toring its predominantly Baroque style with Gothic and Renaissance touches. O particular interest inside are three late Baroque altars and a recently discovered 17th-century crypt containing dark bas-relies eaturing miscellaneous religious motis.QC-4, Didžioji 34, tel. (+370) 5 212 17 15. Open 10:00 - 18:30. Mass 17:30, Sun 09:00 (Russian), 10:30, 12:00. J December 2014 - April 2015
61
What to see The International Church of Vilnius
English language ecumenical worship Sundays at 9.30 a.m. All welcome! Mid-week activities (from September): Mondays: Ladies Bible study Wednesdays: 6 p.m. Fellowship & Bible study
• •
How to find us:
The church is located at Vokiečių gatv gatvė 20 (go through the archway and iron gates: the church entrance is on the left under the bell tower)
How to contact us:
www.vilniuschurch.org Pastor Jim Wagner: +370 (8) 636 35565 Email: internationalchurchofvi
[email protected] [email protected]
nius owes much o its partial Neo-Byzantine design to reconstruction work completed in 1522. In 1808, soon ater the start o tsarist rule in Vilnius, the building ell into the hands o Vilnius University who divided it into two floors, constructing a library, classrooms and dissection rooms or anatomy classes inside. In 1842 soldiers moved in as the church acted as a barracks beore it took on several other uses beore General Muravyov and his brother had it restored to its current Georgian appearance and used as a house o worship towards the end o the 1860s.QD-3, Maironio 14, tel. (+370) 5 215 37 47. Open 10:00 - 17:00. J
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT �ŠVENTOSIOS DVASIOS BAŽNYČIA� Like many o the city’s churches, the Dominican Church o the Holy Spirit was built on the site o a ormer wooden house o worship that met a fiery ate. The current building’s appearance started taking shape towards the end o the 14th century. In 1501 it was given to an order o Dominican monks who built a monastery nearby. Its present Baroque appearance dates to the mid-18th century when the church was rebuilt ater serious fire damage. Inside is a wealth o Baroque and rococo splendour, well worth urther investigation. Interestingly, the building, which unctions as Vilnius’ Polish Catholic community’s main church, remained opened throughout the entire Soviet occupation. Gaining rare access to the church’s crypts promises a ghoulish adventure amidst some 2,000 corpses in var ying states o repair. Dating rom 60 Vilnius In Your Pocket
What to see the 17th and 18th centuries, the bodies are supposedly victims o the plague.QB-3, Dominikonų 8, tel. (+370) 5 262 95 95. Open 14:00 - 18:30. Mass only in Polish 15:00, 18:00, Sun 08:00, 09:00, 10:30, 12:00, 13:30, 18:00.J
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH �EVAN� GELIKŲ LIUTERONŲ BAŽNYČIA� Built in 1555, two years ater the first German-speaking Lutheran community is said to have arrived in Vilnius, the crowning glory o this small Gothic and Baroque church on the street named ater the city’s German community is the gorgeous rococo altar, dating rom 1741 and the work o Johann Christoph Glaubitz (Jonas Kristupas Glaubicas, ca. 1700-1767), a Lithuanian o German extraction and the city’s oremost architect at the time. Serving as a workshop and basketball court under the Communists, the building was returned to its congregation in 1991 and has since become the predominant house o worship or the capital’s multidenomination, English-speaking Christians. In addition to the weekly English-language worship at 9:30 every Sunday, there will be a Candlelit Carol Service at 16:00 on Sunday 14th December, ollowed by rereshments, and Christmas morning worship at 9:30 on Thursday 25th December.QB-4, Vokiečių 20, tel. (+370) 5 212 21 21 25, www. vilniuschurch.org. Service Tue, Thu 08:00, Wed 18:00, Fri 17:00, Sun 09:30 (English, Ecumenical Protestant), 11:00 (Lithuanian). J FRANCISCAN CHURCH �PRANCIŠKONŲ BAŽNY� ČIA� The Franciscan Church, or the Church o the Assumption o the Blessed Virgin Mary and Franciscan Abbey in Vilnius to give it its ull title, dates rom the middle o the 14th century. Currently a beguiling building site o crumbling Gothic and Baroque magnificence, work continues both inside and out to restore it to its original beauty. Amidst the hastily assembled wooden seating, pile o bricks on the sanctuary and scaffolding towers, work is slowly moving orwards. At the time o our last visit, the Chapel o the Virgin Mary, complete with a statue o the lady reputed to have miracle-working powers, was nearing completion, giving some indication o how things will eventually look.QB-4, Trakų 9-1, tel. (+370) 5 261 42 42. Mass 17:30 (Lithuanian), 19:00 (Polish), Sun 10:00 (Lithuanian), 11:30 (Polish), 13:00 (Polish). J HOLY TRINITY CHURCH & BASILIAN GATE �ŠV. TREJYBĖS CERKVĖ IR BAZILIJONŲ VARTAI� Consisting o a church, monastery, belry and beautiul rococo gate, with the exception o the latter much o it in a state o hideous disrepair, the Holy Trinity Church originally dates rom 1514 and eatures elements o Gothic, Baroque and Neo-Byzantine architecture. Built at the behest o the Belarusian national hero Konstantin Ivanovich Ostrozhsky (Konstantinas Ostrogiškis, ca. 1460-1530), the church, which was extensively altered ater a serious fire in the middle o the 18th century, belongs to the Uniates or Eastern Catholic Church, a peculiar aith which uses together many Orthodox belies whilst recognising the Pope as God’s representative on Earth. T he church is a complete vilnius.inyourpocket.com
mess inside, almost completely empty with the exception o some wonderul, barely visible rescos both inside and out. There’s also a small chapel on the right as you enter. Renovation work is slow. The elaborate, 17.9m gate was built in 1761 to a design by Johann Christoph Glaubitz (Jonas Kristupas Glaubicas, ca. 1700-1767).QC-5, Aušros Vartų 7b, tel. (+370) 5 212 25 78. Open 08:00 - 19:00. Service only in Ukrainian 07:00, 09:00, 17:00 18:30, Sat 07:45, 09:00, Sun 10:00, 12:00, 17:30.J
ORTHODOX CHURCH OF ST. PARASKEVA �PYAT� NICKAYA� Dating back to the middle o the 14th century and itsel built on the site o what many believe to be a ormer pagan place o worship, the charming albeit somewhat diminutive Orthodox Church o St. Paraskeva can not only claim to have been the first church in Vilnius to be made o stone but is also the alleged location o the baptism in 1705 o none other than Hannibal, the Arican prince and great grandather o Alexander Pushkin who was brought to Russia by Peter the Great rom the part o Arica that’s now Eritrea. Originally in the hands o the Uniate Church, the building, which had been rebuilt on several occasions due to fire, ell into disrepair around the time o the Third Partition o 1795, laying abandoned or seven decades beore being almost completely rebuilt in 1864 only to suffer major fire damage during WWII. Reconstructed in 1949, the building closed in 1961, opening a year later as a museum o painting beore being returned to the Orthodox Church on May 31, 1991. Unusually or a Russian Orthodox Church in Lithuania, services are conducted in Lithuanian once a week on a Sunday.QC-3, Didžioji 2. J ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE HOLY SPIRIT �STAČIATIKIŲ ŠV. DVASIOS CERKVĖ� Dating originally rom the mid-16th century but predominantly now the combined work o the city’s most renowned and prolific religious architect Johann Christoph Glaubitz (Jonas Kristupas Glaubicas, ca. 1700-1767) who spent our years on the rococo design between 1749 and 1753 and later 19th-century Neo-Byzantine modifications, the entire ensemble is comprised o the church, a ree-standing bell tower, monastery and convent although it’s the church interior that’s o most interest, being positively bursting with rescos, icons, a magnificent cupola and rich blue and green colours. A particular quirk o the church’s crypt saw it being chosen in the middle o the 19th century as the final resting place o the supposedly incorruptible Saints Jonas, Eustachius, and Antanas, couriers o Alg irdas whose remains are displayed dressed in white at Christmas, in black during Lent, in red on all other occasions with the exception o June 26 when they’re put on display entirely naked.QC/D-5, Aušros Vartų 10, tel. (+370) 5 212 77 65. Open 07:00 - 19:00. Service 08:00, 17:00, Sun 07:00, 10:00, 17:00. J
www.inyourpocket.com facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
What to see
EUROPOS PARKAS EUROPOS PARKAS �OPEN AIR MUSEUM OF THE CENTRE OF EUROPE� Founded in 1991 by the Lithuanian sculptor Gintaras Karosas, this wildly different and recommended countryside excursion brings together a number o names in local and international sculpture including Karosas himsel, the Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz as well as Dennis Oppenheim and the late Sol Le-Witt rom the United States to create a vision that in the words o the park’s ounder ‘…give[s] an artistic significance to the geographic centre o the European continent…’. Featuring close on 100 works by artists rom countries as diverse as Armenia, Japan and Venezuela, the park is spread out over 55 hectares o rolling hills and woodland and includes static and interactive art as well as the now inamous Info Tree, Tree, Karosas’ crumbling shrine to propaganda made up o some 3,000 televisions with a prostrate Lenin at its centre. With the addition o a restaurant and git shop, the park offers a splendid ew hours away rom the city or people o all ages. To get there by car, take Kalvarijų north to the Santariškės roundabout, turn right towards the Green Lakes (Žalieji Ežerai) and ollow the signs. Buses leave rom the Žalgirio stop on Kalvarijų, including a minibus N°146 to Skirgiškės which goes all the way to the park itsel. Alternatively, bus N°36 goes part o the way there but requires the last couple o kilometres to be made on oot.QJoneikiškės, 10km north of Vilnius, tel. (+370) 5 237 70 77, www.europosparkas.lt. Open 10:00 two hours before sunset. Admission €7/3.
Artwork by Gintaras Karosas dedicated to Lithuanian poet Kristijonas Donelaitis´ 300th birth anniversary 62 Vilnius In Your Pocket
SIGHTSEEING TOURS BALTIC TRAVEL SERVICE LUFTHANSA CITY CENTER Guided tours around the city, region and country. Must be booked in advance.QC-5, Subačiaus 2, tel. (+370) 655 258 55/1593, www.bts.lt. Open 08:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. JA VILNIUS CITY TOUR Tours o the historic centre in a number o languages. Also audio guides available.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 7, tel. (+370) 699 540 64,
[email protected], www. vilniuscitytour.com. Open 09:30 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 15:00. JA REFORMED EVANGELICAL CHURCH �EVANGELIKŲ REFORMATŲ BAŽNYČIA� The origin o the Protestant Church in Lithuania, whose three traditional strongholds still exist in Bir žai, Kėdainiai and Vilnius, dates back to John Calvin’s lietime in 1557, although this particular church, considered one o the finest examples o Neo-Classical architecture in the country, was built considerably later between 1830 and 1835. The work o one o the best local Neo-Classical architects o his day Karolis Podčašinskis (Pol. Karol Podczaszyński, 1790-1860), the church was closed by the Soviets in 1953, eventually becoming a cinema, a act the church now betrays courtesy o the cinema seats still in use.QA-3, Pylimo 18, tel. (+370) 686 360 01, www.ref. lt. Open by appointment only. Service in Lithuanian Sun 11:00. J ST. CASIMIR’S CHURCH �ŠV. KAZIMIERO BAŽ� NYČIA� St. Casimir’s in many ways represents a microcosm o Lithuania itsel. Founded by the Jesuits and dedicated to Lithuania’s patron saint Prince Casimir Jagiellon (1458-1484), construction on the mighty building began in 1604 and was completed in 1635. Burnt to the ground just 20 years later when the Russians invaded in 1655, conflagration visited twice again within the next century in 1709 and 1749 beore the architect, mathematician and astronomer Tomas Žebrauskas (Pol. Thomas Zubrówka, 1714-1758) restored it to more or less the orm it’s seen in today. Over the centuries the church ell into the hands o the Augustinians, Napoleon’s Grande Armée, Armée, the Russian Orthodox Church (who significantly altered its appearance), the Lutherans (who used it as the garrison church or the occupying German Army during WWI) and others, including the Soviets who turned the whole place into a museum o atheism no less. Returned to the Catholic Church in 1988, the building was consecrated in 1991 and has since undergone a massive renovation project, res toring its predominantly Baroque style with Gothic and Renaissance touches. O particular interest inside are three late Baroque altars and a recently discovered 17th-century crypt containing dark bas-relies eaturing miscellaneous religious motis.QC-4, Didžioji 34, tel. (+370) 5 212 17 15. Open 10:00 - 18:30. Mass 17:30, Sun 09:00 (Russian), 10:30, 12:00. J December 2014 - April 2015
61
What to see ST. NICHOLAS’ CHURCH �ŠV. MIKALOJAUS BAŽNYČIA� Pre-dating the country’s conversion to Christianity by some seven decades, Vilnius’ oldest surviving church was built in 1320 by German merchant immigrants. Mentioned or the first time in 1387, the impressive, classic red brick Gothic exterior remains pretty much as it looked the day it was finished with the interior having received numerous changes and additions over the centuries. During the disputed annexation o the Vilnius region during the two World Wars, this was the only church in the city open to the city’s small Lithuanianspeaking Catholic community.QB-4, Šv. Mikalojaus 4, tel. (+370) 5 262 30 69. Mass 08:00, 18:00, Sat 09:00, Sun 08:00, 10:00, 14:00. J ST. NICOLAS’ CHURCH �ŠV. NIKOLAJAUS dates CERKVĖ� The orerunner to this church supposedly dates back to the second decade o the 16th century, belonging rom 1609 until 1827 to the Uniate Church. At some time during the 18th century the original church burnt down and was replaced soon ater in the Late Baroque style. At the height o the tensions between the Russians and several other ethnic communities in the city, the church was confiscated on the orders o General Muravyov and converted into a Russian Orthodox church with several NeoByzantine additions made in 1865. With its predominantly Catholic tower and typically Orthodox dome the church is one o the most peculiar looking houses o wors hip in the capital.QC-4, Didžioji 12, tel. (+370) 5 261 85 59. Services Sat 09:00, 17:00, Sun 09:00. J STS. JOHNS’ CHURCH �ŠV. JONŲ BAŽNYČIA� Built at the same time as Lithuania’s conversion to Christianity in 1387, albeit with numerous radical alterations through the centuries, the vast and imposing Sts. Johns’ Church was given to the Jesuit Church in 1571 by Zygmunt II August (Žygimantas Augustas, 1520-1572). On the dissolution o the Jesuit Order in 1773, the church was handed over to the adjoining University. The present building, which contains elements o all o the major architectural styles associated with Old Town boasts an extraordinary and predominantly Gothic interior whose crowning glory is its organ o which parts date back to an organ that came rom the Belarusian city o Polotsk in 1831. The organ, the largest in country and that received a complete overhaul in stages between 1974 and 2000, is used extensively in classical concerts the church is now amous or. Note that the church is part o the Vilnius University complex and can’t be visited seperately: you will need a ticket rom the university itsel. QC-3, Šv. Jono 12, tel. (+370) 5 268 71 55, www.jonai.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. Mass Tue - Thu 18:00, Sun 11:00, 13:00. J STS. PETER & PAULS’ CHURCH �ŠV. APAŠTALŲ PETRO IR POVILO BAŽNYČIA� Believed to have been built on the site o a site o worship to Milda, the pagan goddess o love, this breathtaking Late Baroque masterpiece was commissioned to celebrate victory over vilnius.inyourpocket.com
the Russians in 1668 by Michael Casimir Pac, the Grand ST. THERESA’S CHURCH �ŠV. TERESĖS BAŽ� Hetman o the Lithuanian armies, who never lived to NYČIA� Probably Vilnius’ best surviving example o Early see its completion. Financed by two o Pac’s cousins Baroque religious architecture, work on the first incarnation and completed under several master cratsmen includ- o St. Theresa’s was completed in around 1650. Built at the ing the Polish Jan Zaor and Italian Gianbattista Frediani, behest and expense o the then Deputy Chancellor Stepothe rather plain açade betrays an interior by Giovanni nas Pacas (Pol. Stean Pac), the straightorward idea behind Pietro Perti and Giovanni Maria Galli that’s quite simply its construction was to create the most beautiul church in out o this world. Containing over 2,000 astonishing the city, a act that can clearly be seen by its elaborate astucco mouldings representing miscellaneous religious çade, predominantly the work o the Swiss-born Constantino and mythological scenes, o equal magnificence are the Tencalla la (16 (1610-1 10-1647) 647) who who alsoworked on St. St. George’s George’s Chapel Chapel 20th-century altar containing a wooden figure o Christ, inside the city’s Cathedral. The spectacular and predomi Antakalnio Jėzus (Jesus o Antakalnis) which eatures real nantly rococo interior, much o it added in the middle o the human hair brought rom Rome in 1700 and the Latvian 18th century, is a riot o golds and pinks.QC-5, Aušros Vartų chandelier made o brass and glass beads and dating 14, tel. (+370) 5 212 35 13. Open 07:00 - 19:00. Mass 07:30, rom 1905.QJ-3, Antakalnio 1, tel. (+370) 5 234 02 29. 17:30, 18:30, Sun 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 17:30, 18:30.J Open 09:00 - 16:30. Mass 07:00, 07:30, 17:00 (Polish), 18:00, Sun 07:30, 08:30 (Polish), 10:00, 11:30, 13:00 VILNIUS CATHEDRAL BELFRY (Polish), 18:00. Closed or more than a decade, the Belry o Vilnius Cathedral finally reopened to visitors earlier this summer. One o the city’s defining monuments, the tower, which STS. JOHNS’ CHURCH originally ormed part o the city’s 13th century deensive wall, became a belry in the 16th century. 57 metres tall BELFRY it was remodelled and given its current look in the 19th century. Besides offering views rom the top, the tower also hosts an exhibition o bells and documents the building’s reconstruction.QC-2, Katedros 2, tel. (+370) 600 120 80, www.bpmuziejus.lt. Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. €4.34/2.32. JA
PLACES OF INTEREST CENTRE OF EUROPE �EUROPOS CENTRAS� Lithuania has the proud and noble distinction along with at least six other places o being smack in the middle o Europe. The Lithuanian Lithuanianclaimstemsroma 1989 1989 ruling rulingby Jean-George Jean-George Affholder o France’s Institut Géographique National who announced that the site lies at Bernotai, close to the village o Purnuškės some 26km north o Vilnius. The exact point, which can be reached by driving out o the city on the A14 in the direction o Molėtai and looking or the signs, has been commemorated with the construction o an expensive monument, a act that may go a long way to explaining why a recent recalculation placing the centre o Europe six kilometres closer to Vilnius is being more or less ignored by the cash-strapped nation. Ultimately one should remember that Europe is a concept and not actually a continent at all, making the whole affair slightly ridiculous in the first place. The belry o the magnificent Sts. Johns’ Church - separate rom the actual church itsel - is, at 60 metres, the tallest building in the Old Town. It was erected in the 16th century, beore being remodelled in a lateBaroque style in the 18th century. Alas the viewing deck (accessed by stairs or a new lit) is closed in winter (it reopens in May) so you will have to admire this particular Vilnius landmark rom the outside.QC-3, Šv. Jono 12, tel. (+370) 5 219 30 29. J facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
GREEN BRIDGE �ŽALIASIS TILTAS� TILTAS� A bridge o one description or another has stood on the spot o the Green Bridge since 1536. The current 103-metre metal construction dates rom 1952 and was originally named ater a Red Army general. The our groups o extraordinary sculptures at each corner represent agriculture (3.2m, sculptors B. Bučas and P. Vaivada), Vaivada), industry and construction (3.2m, sculptors N. Petrulis and B. Vyšniauskas), peace (4m, sculptor B. Pundzius) and that old Soviet chestnut, youth (3.2m, sculptors J. Mikėnas and J. Kėdainis). One o a ew examples o blatantly Soviet art still in a public December 2014 - April 2015
63
What to see
EUROPOS PARKAS EUROPOS PARKAS �OPEN AIR MUSEUM OF THE CENTRE OF EUROPE� Founded in 1991 by the Lithuanian sculptor Gintaras Karosas, this wildly different and recommended countryside excursion brings together a number o names in local and international sculpture including Karosas himsel, the Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz as well as Dennis Oppenheim and the late Sol Le-Witt rom the United States to create a vision that in the words o the park’s ounder ‘…give[s] an artistic significance to the geographic centre o the European continent…’. Featuring close on 100 works by artists rom countries as diverse as Armenia, Japan and Venezuela, the park is spread out over 55 hectares o rolling hills and woodland and includes static and interactive art as well as the now inamous Info Tree, Tree, Karosas’ crumbling shrine to propaganda made up o some 3,000 televisions with a prostrate Lenin at its centre. With the addition o a restaurant and git shop, the park offers a splendid ew hours away rom the city or people o all ages. To get there by car, take Kalvarijų north to the Santariškės roundabout, turn right towards the Green Lakes (Žalieji Ežerai) and ollow the signs. Buses leave rom the Žalgirio stop on Kalvarijų, including a minibus N°146 to Skirgiškės which goes all the way to the park itsel. Alternatively, bus N°36 goes part o the way there but requires the last couple o kilometres to be made on oot.QJoneikiškės, 10km north of Vilnius, tel. (+370) 5 237 70 77, www.europosparkas.lt. Open 10:00 two hours before sunset. Admission €7/3.
Artwork by Gintaras Karosas dedicated to Lithuanian poet Kristijonas Donelaitis´ 300th birth anniversary 62 Vilnius In Your Pocket
What to see ST. NICHOLAS’ CHURCH �ŠV. MIKALOJAUS BAŽNYČIA� Pre-dating the country’s conversion to Christianity by some seven decades, Vilnius’ oldest surviving church was built in 1320 by German merchant immigrants. Mentioned or the first time in 1387, the impressive, classic red brick Gothic exterior remains pretty much as it looked the day it was finished with the interior having received numerous changes and additions over the centuries. During the disputed annexation o the Vilnius region during the two World Wars, this was the only church in the city open to the city’s small Lithuanianspeaking Catholic community.QB-4, Šv. Mikalojaus 4, tel. (+370) 5 262 30 69. Mass 08:00, 18:00, Sat 09:00, Sun 08:00, 10:00, 14:00. J ST. NICOLAS’ CHURCH �ŠV. NIKOLAJAUS dates CERKVĖ� The orerunner to this church supposedly dates back to the second decade o the 16th century, belonging rom 1609 until 1827 to the Uniate Church. At some time during the 18th century the original church burnt down and was replaced soon ater in the Late Baroque style. At the height o the tensions between the Russians and several other ethnic communities in the city, the church was confiscated on the orders o General Muravyov and converted into a Russian Orthodox church with several NeoByzantine additions made in 1865. With its predominantly Catholic tower and typically Orthodox dome the church is one o the most peculiar looking houses o wors hip in the capital.QC-4, Didžioji 12, tel. (+370) 5 261 85 59. Services Sat 09:00, 17:00, Sun 09:00. J STS. JOHNS’ CHURCH �ŠV. JONŲ BAŽNYČIA� Built at the same time as Lithuania’s conversion to Christianity in 1387, albeit with numerous radical alterations through the centuries, the vast and imposing Sts. Johns’ Church was given to the Jesuit Church in 1571 by Zygmunt II August (Žygimantas Augustas, 1520-1572). On the dissolution o the Jesuit Order in 1773, the church was handed over to the adjoining University. The present building, which contains elements o all o the major architectural styles associated with Old Town boasts an extraordinary and predominantly Gothic interior whose crowning glory is its organ o which parts date back to an organ that came rom the Belarusian city o Polotsk in 1831. The organ, the largest in country and that received a complete overhaul in stages between 1974 and 2000, is used extensively in classical concerts the church is now amous or. Note that the church is part o the Vilnius University complex and can’t be visited seperately: you will need a ticket rom the university itsel. QC-3, Šv. Jono 12, tel. (+370) 5 268 71 55, www.jonai.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. Mass Tue - Thu 18:00, Sun 11:00, 13:00. J STS. PETER & PAULS’ CHURCH �ŠV. APAŠTALŲ PETRO IR POVILO BAŽNYČIA� Believed to have been built on the site o a site o worship to Milda, the pagan goddess o love, this breathtaking Late Baroque masterpiece was commissioned to celebrate victory over vilnius.inyourpocket.com
the Russians in 1668 by Michael Casimir Pac, the Grand ST. THERESA’S CHURCH �ŠV. TERESĖS BAŽ� Hetman o the Lithuanian armies, who never lived to NYČIA� Probably Vilnius’ best surviving example o Early see its completion. Financed by two o Pac’s cousins Baroque religious architecture, work on the first incarnation and completed under several master cratsmen includ- o St. Theresa’s was completed in around 1650. Built at the ing the Polish Jan Zaor and Italian Gianbattista Frediani, behest and expense o the then Deputy Chancellor Stepothe rather plain açade betrays an interior by Giovanni nas Pacas (Pol. Stean Pac), the straightorward idea behind Pietro Perti and Giovanni Maria Galli that’s quite simply its construction was to create the most beautiul church in out o this world. Containing over 2,000 astonishing the city, a act that can clearly be seen by its elaborate astucco mouldings representing miscellaneous religious çade, predominantly the work o the Swiss-born Constantino and mythological scenes, o equal magnificence are the Tencalla la (16 (1610-1 10-1647) 647) who who alsoworked on St. St. George’s George’s Chapel Chapel 20th-century altar containing a wooden figure o Christ, inside the city’s Cathedral. The spectacular and predomi Antakalnio Jėzus (Jesus o Antakalnis) which eatures real nantly rococo interior, much o it added in the middle o the human hair brought rom Rome in 1700 and the Latvian 18th century, is a riot o golds and pinks.QC-5, Aušros Vartų chandelier made o brass and glass beads and dating 14, tel. (+370) 5 212 35 13. Open 07:00 - 19:00. Mass 07:30, rom 1905.QJ-3, Antakalnio 1, tel. (+370) 5 234 02 29. 17:30, 18:30, Sun 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 17:30, 18:30.J Open 09:00 - 16:30. Mass 07:00, 07:30, 17:00 (Polish), 18:00, Sun 07:30, 08:30 (Polish), 10:00, 11:30, 13:00 VILNIUS CATHEDRAL BELFRY (Polish), 18:00. Closed or more than a decade, the Belry o Vilnius Cathedral finally reopened to visitors earlier this summer. One o the city’s defining monuments, the tower, which STS. JOHNS’ CHURCH originally ormed part o the city’s 13th century deensive wall, became a belry in the 16th century. 57 metres tall BELFRY it was remodelled and given its current look in the 19th century. Besides offering views rom the top, the tower also hosts an exhibition o bells and documents the building’s reconstruction.QC-2, Katedros 2, tel. (+370) 600 120 80, www.bpmuziejus.lt. Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. €4.34/2.32. JA
PLACES OF INTEREST CENTRE OF EUROPE �EUROPOS CENTRAS� Lithuania has the proud and noble distinction along with at least six other places o being smack in the middle o Europe. The Lithuanian Lithuanianclaimstemsroma 1989 1989 ruling rulingby Jean-George Jean-George Affholder o France’s Institut Géographique National who announced that the site lies at Bernotai, close to the village o Purnuškės some 26km north o Vilnius. The exact point, which can be reached by driving out o the city on the A14 in the direction o Molėtai and looking or the signs, has been commemorated with the construction o an expensive monument, a act that may go a long way to explaining why a recent recalculation placing the centre o Europe six kilometres closer to Vilnius is being more or less ignored by the cash-strapped nation. Ultimately one should remember that Europe is a concept and not actually a continent at all, making the whole affair slightly ridiculous in the first place. The belry o the magnificent Sts. Johns’ Church - separate rom the actual church itsel - is, at 60 metres, the tallest building in the Old Town. It was erected in the 16th century, beore being remodelled in a lateBaroque style in the 18th century. Alas the viewing deck (accessed by stairs or a new lit) is closed in winter (it reopens in May) so you will have to admire this particular Vilnius landmark rom the outside.QC-3, Šv. Jono 12, tel. (+370) 5 219 30 29. J
GREEN BRIDGE �ŽALIASIS TILTAS� TILTAS� A bridge o one description or another has stood on the spot o the Green Bridge since 1536. The current 103-metre metal construction dates rom 1952 and was originally named ater a Red Army general. The our groups o extraordinary sculptures at each corner represent agriculture (3.2m, sculptors B. Bučas and P. Vaivada), Vaivada), industry and construction (3.2m, sculptors N. Petrulis and B. Vyšniauskas), peace (4m, sculptor B. Pundzius) and that old Soviet chestnut, youth (3.2m, sculptors J. Mikėnas and J. Kėdainis). One o a ew examples o blatantly Soviet art still in a public
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
What to see place, the Socialist Realist masterpieces have evaded removal on the grounds that they represent no real people living or dead. Criminally rusting and alling apart, something needs to be done to ensure that they stay around or many years to come. Meanwhile, underneath the bridge can be ound Kunotas Vildžiūnas’ contemporary work Grandinė (Chain). Grandinė (Chain). Yawn.QB-0. J
HILL OF THREE CROSSES �TRIJŲ KRYŽIŲ KAL� NAS� Legend has it that long ago seven Franciscan monks were crucified here. Originally erected in the 17th century, Stalin had the crosses removed and buried, and only in 1989 were they rebuilt according to the original plans. The crosses are a great symbol o both Lithuanian mourning and hope. An excellent view o Old Town is also to be ound at this spot.QX-1. J KENESA The Lithuanian Karaite or Karaim are the smallest ethnic historical community in Vilnius, with just 150 or so remaining members o a people who settled in the region in the 14th century. The Karaite, rom whom they get their name, are a Jewish sect who can be traced back to Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) who adhere to the Old Testament and the Decalogue, but don’t accept the Talmud. The Lithuanian Karaite were originally Tatars living on the Black Sea, almost certainly Muslim and who were converted to the Karaite aith in the 13th century. Enigmatic and as yet not properly understood, the Lithuanian Karaite, who number less than 500 nationwide, are on the edge o extinction. During the Soviet occupation, their Moorish-looking kenesa, built in 1922, was closed and made into a warehouse. Like the country’s other remaining kenesa in Trakai, the building is almost always locked.QF-3, Liubarto 6. LITERATŲ GATVĖ Inspired by Aidas Marčėnas’s poem Literatų Gatvė about Gatvė about a wistul young man drinking and smoking with his riends on the street o the same name, the highly recommended permanent outdoor gallery on Literatų is dedicated to writers past and present who’ve all let their mark on the city. Comprised o small, mixed-media prints, drawings and paintings celebrating everyone rom Jonas Mekas to Czesław Miłosz to Romain Gary, the gallery, all the work o local artists, grew rom humble beginnings in 2008 and now eatures over 100 superb pieces.QC-3, Literatų. J M. K. ČIURLIONIS’ HOUSE �M. K. ČIURLIONIO NA� MAI� Although more amous or his painting, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-191 (1875-1911) 1) has quite a reputation as a composer. This is the house in which the great man lived or a short time in a small room that can be visited. The rest o the building, which during Čiurlionis’ time was both a amily house and a shop, eatures reproductions o his paintings and a small concert space which stages musical productions: check the website to see when the next perormance is.QC-4, Savičiaus 11, tel. (+370) 5 262 24 51, www.mkcnamai.lt. Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Admission free. J 64 Vilnius In Your Pocket
63
What to see PALACE OF THE GRAND DUKES OF LITHUANIA �LIETUVOS DIDŽIOSIOS KUNIGAIKŠTYSTĖS VALDOVŲ RŪMAI� A reproduction o an original building dating back to the 15th century that or our centuries served as the political and cultural centre o the multi-ethnic, multi-aith Grand Duchy o Lithuania and that was demolished by the occupying Russians at the start o the 19th century, the new Palace o the Grand Dukes o Lithuania opened with much anare in 2009 as part o the country’s thousandth anniversary only to be closed again almost immediately due to a lack o anything to see inside it. Widely criticised as a patriotic white elephant using up vast amounts o money that should have been directed at other more important (and original) historical buildings in need o repair, the palace recently reopened its doors with the help o a speech by the current Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaitė. Permanent parts o the museum include a history o the development o the original building and the parallel history that went with it, plus there are plenty o temporary exhibitions promised or the uture. For up to date inormation about exhibitions and events in English and seven other European languages, see the palace’s website.QC-2, Katedros 4, tel. (+370) 5 262 00 07, info@ valdovurumai.lt, www.valdovurumai.lt. Open 11:00 18:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon. Admission €2.90/1.45. JA PLANETARIUM �PLANETARIUMAS� �PLANETARIUMAS� A classic 60s sci-fi adventure o the old school, Vilnius’ dilapidated but charming Planetarium is available or pre-arra nged tours o 15 people or more or take your chance at the times listed below i you number less than 15 people in total. Featuring a galaxy o projectors aimed at the inside o the building’s dome, shows include the abulously named Venture into Space and Stars and Music. Find the entrance on Šnipiškių, immediately south o Konstitucijos.QA-00, Konstitucijos 12a, tel. (+370) 615 770 54, www.planetarium.lt. By appointment. Admission €2.90/1.74. J PRESIDENTIAL PALACE �PREZIDENTŪRA� The official residence o the President o Lithuania, the Presidential Palace started lie in the 14th century as a much smaller structure built at the behest o the city’s first Bishop, Andrzej Jastrzębiec (?-1398). Gaining its late Classical appearance much later, the building remained the home o the cream o the city’s Catholic clergy until the 1795 Partition when it became the residential address o Vilnius’ tsarist governors. Many illustrious figures have spent a night in the building over the centuries, among them Tsar Alexander I, Napoleon Bonaparte and local boy, some-time dictator, military giant and Polish national hero Józe Piłsudski (1867-1935) to name but a ew. Ater independence in 1990 the building served several purposes until assuming its current role in 1997. The presidential flag can be seen flying over the building when the President is in residence or in the city. Changing o the Guard takes place on Sundays at 12:00.QC-2/3, S. Daukanto 3, www. vilnius.inyourpocket.com
INterpretatIoN, traNSlatIoN aNd GuIdeS
• m hn 20 ys f xinc • 63 nggs • m hn 400 ins, ins, nss n gis Vilnius
Bninų g. 9-4, . +370 5 212 29 24 Kaunas
I. Kn g. 21-4, . +370 37 20 99 97 Kiė S. Šimks g. 21-4, . +370 46 41 18 14
N n inn nsn? Our interpreters, translatorss and guides can help you understand more about Lithuania. translator
president.lt. Free tours of the Presidential Palace take place on Fridays and Saturdays. Tours are limited to 25 people. For more information, see www.president.lt or call tel. (+370) 706 640 73. J
STEBUKLAS About halway between the Cathedral and the bell tower is the stebuklas, stebuklas, or miracle. Essentially a piece o stone believed to perorm wonders and with the word stebuklas written on it, the site mark s the spot where one end o the human chain o some two million protesting Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians stretching the 650km or so to Tallinn was ormed on August 23, 1989. A symbol o reedom and hope, stand on the miracle, turn a complete clockwise circle and make a wish.QC-2, Arkikatedros Square. J TELEVISION TOWER �TELEVIZIJOS BOKŠTAS� The tallest building in Lithuania, the 326m Television Tower was built r om reinorced concrete and steel between 1974 and 1980 to a design by V. Obydovas and K. Balėnas. On January 13, 1991 as the disintegration o the USSR reached a renzied pace and Moscow attempted to retake control o the Lithuanian media, Soviet tanks surrounded it in an assault that killed 13 unarmed civilians. The tower has since become a potent Lithuanian symbol. Around it are a ew monuments and photographs o those who lost their lives and whose names the nearby streets are now called in honour o. Inside at ground level is the small Sausio 13-osios Ekspozicija (January 13th Exhibition) facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
commemorating the brutal events including a copy o the original Soviet military attack plan, weapons used to beat protesters and some disturbing photographs. The exhibition is ree, although the 40-second ride in the lit to visit the combined 270m restaurant and viewing station isn’t. The ticket office also sells several Television Tower souvenirs. A taxi rom Old Town costs somewhere in the region o €6. Alternatively, take trolleybus Nº 16 rom the train station to the Televizijos Bokštas stop. Nºs 1 and 3 and bus Nº 2G also stop nearby.QSausio 13-osios 10, tel. (+370) 5 252 53 33, www.tvbokst as.lt. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 22:00. Admission €6.08/4.05/2.61.
TOWN HALL �ROTUŠĖ� First mentioned in 1503, the Town Hall most likely dates rom the 15th century, while the present Classical structure was built at the end o the 18th century. In 1810 the governor general ordered that the Town Hall housed a theatre, which gave perormances on and off until 1924. Since then its interior has been a museum. Until the reestablishment o independence it served as the Lithuanian Art Museum. Today it’s the Artists’ Palace where you can see gallery art.QC-4, Didžioji 31, tel. (+370) 5 261 80 07, www. vilniausrotuse.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Fri 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Exhibitions held at the Town Hall are open to visitors, but note that during some events the building can be closed to the public. Check the Town Hall’s website vilniausrotuse.lt for up-to-the-minute information regarding opening times. J December 2014 - April 2015
65
What to see place, the Socialist Realist masterpieces have evaded removal on the grounds that they represent no real people living or dead. Criminally rusting and alling apart, something needs to be done to ensure that they stay around or many years to come. Meanwhile, underneath the bridge can be ound Kunotas Vildžiūnas’ contemporary work Grandinė (Chain). Grandinė (Chain). Yawn.QB-0. J
HILL OF THREE CROSSES �TRIJŲ KRYŽIŲ KAL� NAS� Legend has it that long ago seven Franciscan monks were crucified here. Originally erected in the 17th century, Stalin had the crosses removed and buried, and only in 1989 were they rebuilt according to the original plans. The crosses are a great symbol o both Lithuanian mourning and hope. An excellent view o Old Town is also to be ound at this spot.QX-1. J KENESA The Lithuanian Karaite or Karaim are the smallest ethnic historical community in Vilnius, with just 150 or so remaining members o a people who settled in the region in the 14th century. The Karaite, rom whom they get their name, are a Jewish sect who can be traced back to Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq) who adhere to the Old Testament and the Decalogue, but don’t accept the Talmud. The Lithuanian Karaite were originally Tatars living on the Black Sea, almost certainly Muslim and who were converted to the Karaite aith in the 13th century. Enigmatic and as yet not properly understood, the Lithuanian Karaite, who number less than 500 nationwide, are on the edge o extinction. During the Soviet occupation, their Moorish-looking kenesa, built in 1922, was closed and made into a warehouse. Like the country’s other remaining kenesa in Trakai, the building is almost always locked.QF-3, Liubarto 6. LITERATŲ GATVĖ Inspired by Aidas Marčėnas’s poem Literatų Gatvė about Gatvė about a wistul young man drinking and smoking with his riends on the street o the same name, the highly recommended permanent outdoor gallery on Literatų is dedicated to writers past and present who’ve all let their mark on the city. Comprised o small, mixed-media prints, drawings and paintings celebrating everyone rom Jonas Mekas to Czesław Miłosz to Romain Gary, the gallery, all the work o local artists, grew rom humble beginnings in 2008 and now eatures over 100 superb pieces.QC-3, Literatų. J M. K. ČIURLIONIS’ HOUSE �M. K. ČIURLIONIO NA� MAI� Although more amous or his painting, Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-191 (1875-1911) 1) has quite a reputation as a composer. This is the house in which the great man lived or a short time in a small room that can be visited. The rest o the building, which during Čiurlionis’ time was both a amily house and a shop, eatures reproductions o his paintings and a small concert space which stages musical productions: check the website to see when the next perormance is.QC-4, Savičiaus 11, tel. (+370) 5 262 24 51, www.mkcnamai.lt. Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Admission free. J 64 Vilnius In Your Pocket
What to see PALACE OF THE GRAND DUKES OF LITHUANIA �LIETUVOS DIDŽIOSIOS KUNIGAIKŠTYSTĖS VALDOVŲ RŪMAI� A reproduction o an original building dating back to the 15th century that or our centuries served as the political and cultural centre o the multi-ethnic, multi-aith Grand Duchy o Lithuania and that was demolished by the occupying Russians at the start o the 19th century, the new Palace o the Grand Dukes o Lithuania opened with much anare in 2009 as part o the country’s thousandth anniversary only to be closed again almost immediately due to a lack o anything to see inside it. Widely criticised as a patriotic white elephant using up vast amounts o money that should have been directed at other more important (and original) historical buildings in need o repair, the palace recently reopened its doors with the help o a speech by the current Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaitė. Permanent parts o the museum include a history o the development o the original building and the parallel history that went with it, plus there are plenty o temporary exhibitions promised or the uture. For up to date inormation about exhibitions and events in English and seven other European languages, see the palace’s website.QC-2, Katedros 4, tel. (+370) 5 262 00 07, info@ valdovurumai.lt, www.valdovurumai.lt. Open 11:00 18:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon. Admission €2.90/1.45. JA PLANETARIUM �PLANETARIUMAS� �PLANETARIUMAS� A classic 60s sci-fi adventure o the old school, Vilnius’ dilapidated but charming Planetarium is available or pre-arra nged tours o 15 people or more or take your chance at the times listed below i you number less than 15 people in total. Featuring a galaxy o projectors aimed at the inside o the building’s dome, shows include the abulously named Venture into Space and Stars and Music. Find the entrance on Šnipiškių, immediately south o Konstitucijos.QA-00, Konstitucijos 12a, tel. (+370) 615 770 54, www.planetarium.lt. By appointment. Admission €2.90/1.74. J PRESIDENTIAL PALACE �PREZIDENTŪRA� The official residence o the President o Lithuania, the Presidential Palace started lie in the 14th century as a much smaller structure built at the behest o the city’s first Bishop, Andrzej Jastrzębiec (?-1398). Gaining its late Classical appearance much later, the building remained the home o the cream o the city’s Catholic clergy until the 1795 Partition when it became the residential address o Vilnius’ tsarist governors. Many illustrious figures have spent a night in the building over the centuries, among them Tsar Alexander I, Napoleon Bonaparte and local boy, some-time dictator, military giant and Polish national hero Józe Piłsudski (1867-1935) to name but a ew. Ater independence in 1990 the building served several purposes until assuming its current role in 1997. The presidential flag can be seen flying over the building when the President is in residence or in the city. Changing o the Guard takes place on Sundays at 12:00.QC-2/3, S. Daukanto 3, www. vilnius.inyourpocket.com
INterpretatIoN, traNSlatIoN aNd GuIdeS
• m hn 20 ys f xinc • 63 nggs • m hn 400 ins, ins, nss n gis Vilnius
Bninų g. 9-4, . +370 5 212 29 24 Kaunas
I. Kn g. 21-4, . +370 37 20 99 97 Kiė S. Šimks g. 21-4, . +370 46 41 18 14
N n inn nsn? Our interpreters, translatorss and guides can help you understand more about Lithuania. translator
president.lt. Free tours of the Presidential Palace take place on Fridays and Saturdays. Tours are limited to 25 people. For more information, see www.president.lt or call tel. (+370) 706 640 73. J
STEBUKLAS About halway between the Cathedral and the bell tower is the stebuklas, stebuklas, or miracle. Essentially a piece o stone believed to perorm wonders and with the word stebuklas written on it, the site mark s the spot where one end o the human chain o some two million protesting Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians stretching the 650km or so to Tallinn was ormed on August 23, 1989. A symbol o reedom and hope, stand on the miracle, turn a complete clockwise circle and make a wish.QC-2, Arkikatedros Square. J TELEVISION TOWER �TELEVIZIJOS BOKŠTAS� The tallest building in Lithuania, the 326m Television Tower was built r om reinorced concrete and steel between 1974 and 1980 to a design by V. Obydovas and K. Balėnas. On January 13, 1991 as the disintegration o the USSR reached a renzied pace and Moscow attempted to retake control o the Lithuanian media, Soviet tanks surrounded it in an assault that killed 13 unarmed civilians. The tower has since become a potent Lithuanian symbol. Around it are a ew monuments and photographs o those who lost their lives and whose names the nearby streets are now called in honour o. Inside at ground level is the small Sausio 13-osios Ekspozicija (January 13th Exhibition) facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
What to see sostas (throne), sostas (throne), rom which the Lithuanian language gets sostinė, literally ‘the place where the its word or capital, sostinė, C-1, Arsenalo 1. J throne is’.QC-1,
MONUMENTS
BERNARDINŲ SODAS �SEREIKIŠKIŲ PARKAS� Nestled inside a loop o the Vilnia river just east o Old Town, this immensely popular place or walks at any time o year was once the site o the city’s late 18th-century botanical gardens. Redesigned and renamed the Youth Park ater WWII, the park has recently seen the benefit o a massive investment and is looking better than ever. Boasts loads o avant garde ountains, rock gardens and some o the best childrens’ playgrounds in the cit y. Well worth your time.QD-2, B. Radvilaitės 6b. Open 07:00 - 22:00. J
MINDAUGAS Taking pride o place out side the National Museum s ince July 6, 2003, the 750th anniversary o the crowning o the country’s one and only king in 1253, Mindaugas (Pol. Mendog, 1200-1263), who’s generally considered to be the ounder o the Lithuanian state, was a bit o a character to say the least. Clumsy in his personal affairs and switching rom paganism to Catholicism and back to paganism to suit his needs, Mindaugas was eventually assassinated by his nephew and served as little more than a ootnote in Lithuanian history until he was resurrected by the national revival movement o the late 19th century. R. Midvikis’ granite likeness o the man sees him sitting on his 66 Vilnius In Your Pocket
TOWN HALL �ROTUŠĖ� First mentioned in 1503, the Town Hall most likely dates rom the 15th century, while the present Classical structure was built at the end o the 18th century. In 1810 the governor general ordered that the Town Hall housed a theatre, which gave perormances on and off until 1924. Since then its interior has been a museum. Until the reestablishment o independence it served as the Lithuanian Art Museum. Today it’s the Artists’ Palace where you can see gallery art.QC-4, Didžioji 31, tel. (+370) 5 261 80 07, www. vilniausrotuse.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Fri 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Exhibitions held at the Town Hall are open to visitors, but note that during some events the building can be closed to the public. Check the Town Hall’s website vilniausrotuse.lt for up-to-the-minute information regarding opening times. J December 2014 - April 2015
65
What to see
VILNIUS UNIVERSITY �VILNIAUS UNIVERSITE� TAS� Established in 1579 and one o the oldest universities in Eastern Europe, the splendid ensemble that makes up Vilnius University’s main campus buildings embraces just about every major architectural st yle o the last 400 years. Originally belonging to the Catholic Church, the University became a secular seat o learning in 1773 and has remained so ever since. Closed or much o the 19th and the first 18 years o the 20th century, amous past students who’ve studied here include the Polish Romantic poets Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Słowacki, the Lithuanian author and historian Simonas Daukantas (see him on any 100Lt note) and the Lithuania-born Polish Nobel Prize-winning author Czesław Miłosz. As well as housing the oldest library in the country, Vilnius University is also amed or its lovely courtyards, o which depending on your definition o what a courtyard is, there are either 12 or 13. The University itsel claims 13, although by rights the correct number should be 12 as one o them only has three walls, the ourth having been destroyed during construction work on the neighbouring Presidential Palace. The ensemble was ully restored in 1979 and is well worth investigating. A map can be ound at Universiteto 7 explaining where everything is.QC-2/3, Universiteto 3, tel. (+370) 5 268 72 98, www.vu.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun (March 1 - October 31). Open 09:30 - 17:30. Closed Sun (November 1 - February 28). Admission €1.50/0.50. J
FRANK ZAPPA Hot Rats! Deceased rock and roll pervert, part-time classical composer, ather o Moon Unit and all round creative genius Frank Vincent Zappa (1940-1993) has had his head immortalised in brass and stuck on a stainless steel pole in a lacklustre courtyard just west o Old Town. Commissioned by a student and created by the late sculptor Konstantinas Bogdanas (1926-2011) who once churned out Lenins and other noteworthy comrades or the bureaucrats in Moscow, the statue is notable as being the first monument o the man to be erected anywhere in the world. I you’re now wondering what the connection between Lithuania and Frank Zappa is, don’t. There isn’t one. QA-3, K. Kalinausko 1. J
commemorating the brutal events including a copy o the original Soviet military attack plan, weapons used to beat protesters and some disturbing photographs. The exhibition is ree, although the 40-second ride in the lit to visit the combined 270m restaurant and viewing station isn’t. The ticket office also sells several Television Tower souvenirs. A taxi rom Old Town costs somewhere in the region o €6. Alternatively, take trolleybus Nº 16 rom the train station to the Televizijos Bokštas stop. Nºs 1 and 3 and bus Nº 2G also stop nearby.QSausio 13-osios 10, tel. (+370) 5 252 53 33, www.tvbokst as.lt. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 22:00. Admission €6.08/4.05/2.61.
UŽUPIS ANGEL Ater a long and singularly strange career as an oversized egg cup, the tall pillar in the heart o Vilnius’ breakaway republic Užupis (where every dog has the right to be a dog) finally gave birth to a long awaited angel on April 1, 2002, the official independence day o the wacky district. Ater a long and sometimes tedious unveiling ceremony, the covers were finally lited, and in a big burst o billowing balloons the surprisingly beautiul figure o an angel was revealed, playing a trumpet and generally being rather awesome. The work o the Lithuanian sculptor R. Vilčiauskas, find it at the junction o Užupio and Malūnų. QD-3, Užupio. J
PARKS PARK S & GARDENS Although they like to flee en masse to the countryside during the warmer part o the year, the good people o Vilnius are also ond o spending time in the city’s many public green spaces. Regardless o the act that there’s very little in the way o chaos to get away rom, Vilnius’ parks and gardens can still provide a welcome relie rom the immediate concerns o the 21st century. Here are some o the highlights.
KALNŲ PARKAS Covering some 25 hectares immediately northeast o Old Town at the confluence o the Neris and Vilnia, Kalnų Parkas (Hill Park) is a popular retreat or walks and, during the summer, concerts on the park’s Soviet-era outdoor stage. Also home to the Hill o Three Crosses (see Places o interest), the area the park now occupies is shrouded in a number o contentious mysteries. The so-called Gedimino Kapo Kalnas (Gediminas’ Grave Hill) or example, one o the park’s our hills and now a spiritual gathering ground or many ollowers o the country ’s pagan Romuva pagan Romuva organisation, is supposedly the site where the ounder o the Grand Duchy o Lithuania, Grand Duke Gediminas (ca. 1275-1341) is buried. No such evidence exists to support the claim however.QX-1. J VINGIO PARKAS Situated to the west o the city along the meandering Neris river, this wooded park covering 160 hectares o pine vilnius.inyourpocket.com
woods was amed as ar back as the 16th century. It’s believed that Alexander I was at a ball here when he received news o Napoleon’s invasion in 1812, an event mentioned Peace . The park is more amous these in Tolstoy’s War and Peace. days as the setting or rock concerts, firework displays, jogging and the launching o hot-air balloons during balmy summer evenings. Also within its confines are a botanical gardens and a abulous little children’s zoo.QE-4.
CEMETERIES Vilnius’extraordinary cemeteries offer an oten emotional and always interesting journey through the rich tapestry o races and cultures that built the city. For inormation on the city’s two Jewish cemeteries, see Jewish Vilnius.
ANTAKALNIS CEMETERY �ANTAKALNIO KAPI� NĖS� Thought to have begun lie as a cemetery way back in 1809, the so-called Soldiers’ Cemetery (Karių Kapinės) can be ound in the orested area o Antakalnis a couple o kilometres or so rom Old Town. The Polish soldiers’ graveyard, distinguished by undulating rows o identical headstones, lies to the let o the entrance. Nearby stands a small collection o Tartar graves complete with Islamic symbols. To the let and deeper into the cemetery, large Soviet soldiers guard the (no-longer burning) eternal flame. To the soldiers’ right is the ghastly Soviet memorial encasing the graves o Soviet Lithuania’s dignitaries. Take a hike up the stairs on your le t to reach the ‘red star’ graves o Soviet soldiers who died fighting Lithuanian partisans. Perhaps most poignant are the graves o the border guards murdered by the Soviets at Medininkai on July 31, 1991 and the civilians killed by Soviet paratroopers during the January 1991 demonstrations, all guarded by a stunning Pietà. Still in use, among the more notable recent additions are a large patch o grass surrounded by a tiny concrete wall and containing the remains o the Napoleonic soldiers discovered in the city in 2002, and the final resting place o the oten overlooked Lithuanian composer Antanas Rekašius (1928-2003).QJ/K-2, Karių Kapų 11. BERNARDINE CEMETERY �BERNARDINŲ KAPI� NĖS� Founded in 1810 by Bernardine monks, the cemetery is perhaps the most attractive and romantic cemetery in Vilnius. Located over a little less than our hectares on a rolling hill running down to the Vilnia river, the cemetery ell into disrepair soon ater WWII beore being finally shut in 1970. Independence has seen it flourish with the assistance o the Lithuanian and Polish governments, although much work remains to be done. O particular interest are the columbaria, columbaria, once used or holding urns ull o ashes and now slowly crumbling away. Among the eminent university proessors, scientists and painters buried here find a ew surprises including Geleda Dzerzhinskaja (1849-1896), whose claim to ame was giving birth to the ounder o the orerunner o the KGB, Felix Dzerzhinsky (Feliksas Dzeržinskis).QJ-4, Žvirgždyno 3. J facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
LITHUANIAN KARAITE & TATAR CEMETERY �KARAIMŲ IR TOTORIŲ KAPINĖS� Following the destruction in the mid-1960s o the original cemetery in Lukiškės, the ormer traditional home o the city’s Lithuanian Karaite and Tatar communities, a new cemetery was opened in a remote area in the southern part o Vilnius close to the airport. Among the graves, which are marked in an extraordinary mixture o Hebrew (Lithuanian Karaite) and Arabic (Tatar), is that o the Lithuanian Karaite scientist, historian and head o the Lithuanian and Polish Karaite communities Chadži Seraja Chan Šapšalas (Pol. Hadżi Seraja Chan Szapszał, 1873-1961). The cemetery is still in use, but is generally closed to visitors (although the ence surrounding it is hardly very high). According to tradition, women are orbidden rom visiting. Find it on the stretch o Žirnių to the east o the road to the airport, beore the ski slopes on the north side.QŽirnių. RASOS CEMETERY �RASŲ KAPINĖS� Founded in 1801 and the final resting place o many o the country’s social elite, this extraordinary cemetery stretched over a large area divided by a main road is still in use today, providing an extraordinary snapshot o the cultural history o the city. Hidden away here find the artist and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-1911), the author and publicist Jonas Basanavičius (1851-1 (1851-1927), 927), whose grave is inscribed with a peculiar, 19thcentury version o Lithuanian that predates its written standardisation, and the heart o Marshall Józe Piłsudski (1867-1935), the local-born Polish general who played a key role in re-establishing Polish independence in 1918 as well as the country’s subsequent annexation o Vilnius in 1920. Buried with his mother under a black granite slab and surrounded by the graves o Polish soldiers, the rest o him lies in Poland’s most sacred burial place under Kraków’s Wawel Cathedral.QI/J-5, Rasų/Sukilėlių. VINGIO PARKAS SOLDIERS CEMETERY �VIL� NIAUS VINGIO PARKO KARIŲ KAPINĖS� A cemetery o one sort or another has been known to exist here since victims o the plague were buried on the site in 1710. During the German occupation o Vilnius during WWI the cemetery was used or soldiers rom the German, Turkish, Polish and Russian armies. In 1948 at the height o the destruction o the final resting places o many o the ormer inhabitants o the city, the Soviet authorities ripped up the gravestones and the site lay abandoned until 1980 when it was unceremoniously turned into a children’s playground and public toilet. Thanks to the efforts o the Germans, the 6.5 hectare site was renovated in 2001, with various markers and a large monument placed where specific burial sites were known to exist. At the eastern entrance o Vingio Parkas, the cemetery offers a poignant glimpse inside the ormer rich ethnic tapestry that once made up the population o the city.QF-4, M. K. Čiurlionio
www.inyourpocket.com December 2014 - April 2015
67
What to see
What to see
VILNIUS UNIVERSITY �VILNIAUS UNIVERSITE� TAS� Established in 1579 and one o the oldest universities in Eastern Europe, the splendid ensemble that makes up Vilnius University’s main campus buildings embraces just about every major architectural st yle o the last 400 years. Originally belonging to the Catholic Church, the University became a secular seat o learning in 1773 and has remained so ever since. Closed or much o the 19th and the first 18 years o the 20th century, amous past students who’ve studied here include the Polish Romantic poets Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Słowacki, the Lithuanian author and historian Simonas Daukantas (see him on any 100Lt note) and the Lithuania-born Polish Nobel Prize-winning author Czesław Miłosz. As well as housing the oldest library in the country, Vilnius University is also amed or its lovely courtyards, o which depending on your definition o what a courtyard is, there are either 12 or 13. The University itsel claims 13, although by rights the correct number should be 12 as one o them only has three walls, the ourth having been destroyed during construction work on the neighbouring Presidential Palace. The ensemble was ully restored in 1979 and is well worth investigating. A map can be ound at Universiteto 7 explaining where everything is.QC-2/3, Universiteto 3, tel. (+370) 5 268 72 98, www.vu.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun (March 1 - October 31). Open 09:30 - 17:30. Closed Sun (November 1 - February 28). Admission €1.50/0.50. J
sostas (throne), sostas (throne), rom which the Lithuanian language gets sostinė, literally ‘the place where the its word or capital, sostinė, C-1, Arsenalo 1. J throne is’.QC-1,
MONUMENTS
BERNARDINŲ SODAS �SEREIKIŠKIŲ PARKAS� Nestled inside a loop o the Vilnia river just east o Old Town, this immensely popular place or walks at any time o year was once the site o the city’s late 18th-century botanical gardens. Redesigned and renamed the Youth Park ater WWII, the park has recently seen the benefit o a massive investment and is looking better than ever. Boasts loads o avant garde ountains, rock gardens and some o the best childrens’ playgrounds in the cit y. Well worth your time.QD-2, B. Radvilaitės 6b. Open 07:00 - 22:00. J
FRANK ZAPPA Hot Rats! Deceased rock and roll pervert, part-time classical composer, ather o Moon Unit and all round creative genius Frank Vincent Zappa (1940-1993) has had his head immortalised in brass and stuck on a stainless steel pole in a lacklustre courtyard just west o Old Town. Commissioned by a student and created by the late sculptor Konstantinas Bogdanas (1926-2011) who once churned out Lenins and other noteworthy comrades or the bureaucrats in Moscow, the statue is notable as being the first monument o the man to be erected anywhere in the world. I you’re now wondering what the connection between Lithuania and Frank Zappa is, don’t. There isn’t one. QA-3, K. Kalinausko 1. J MINDAUGAS Taking pride o place out side the National Museum s ince July 6, 2003, the 750th anniversary o the crowning o the country’s one and only king in 1253, Mindaugas (Pol. Mendog, 1200-1263), who’s generally considered to be the ounder o the Lithuanian state, was a bit o a character to say the least. Clumsy in his personal affairs and switching rom paganism to Catholicism and back to paganism to suit his needs, Mindaugas was eventually assassinated by his nephew and served as little more than a ootnote in Lithuanian history until he was resurrected by the national revival movement o the late 19th century. R. Midvikis’ granite likeness o the man sees him sitting on his 66 Vilnius In Your Pocket
UŽUPIS ANGEL Ater a long and singularly strange career as an oversized egg cup, the tall pillar in the heart o Vilnius’ breakaway republic Užupis (where every dog has the right to be a dog) finally gave birth to a long awaited angel on April 1, 2002, the official independence day o the wacky district. Ater a long and sometimes tedious unveiling ceremony, the covers were finally lited, and in a big burst o billowing balloons the surprisingly beautiul figure o an angel was revealed, playing a trumpet and generally being rather awesome. The work o the Lithuanian sculptor R. Vilčiauskas, find it at the junction o Užupio and Malūnų. QD-3, Užupio. J
PARKS PARK S & GARDENS Although they like to flee en masse to the countryside during the warmer part o the year, the good people o Vilnius are also ond o spending time in the city’s many public green spaces. Regardless o the act that there’s very little in the way o chaos to get away rom, Vilnius’ parks and gardens can still provide a welcome relie rom the immediate concerns o the 21st century. Here are some o the highlights.
KALNŲ PARKAS Covering some 25 hectares immediately northeast o Old Town at the confluence o the Neris and Vilnia, Kalnų Parkas (Hill Park) is a popular retreat or walks and, during the summer, concerts on the park’s Soviet-era outdoor stage. Also home to the Hill o Three Crosses (see Places o interest), the area the park now occupies is shrouded in a number o contentious mysteries. The so-called Gedimino Kapo Kalnas (Gediminas’ Grave Hill) or example, one o the park’s our hills and now a spiritual gathering ground or many ollowers o the country ’s pagan Romuva pagan Romuva organisation, is supposedly the site where the ounder o the Grand Duchy o Lithuania, Grand Duke Gediminas (ca. 1275-1341) is buried. No such evidence exists to support the claim however.QX-1. J VINGIO PARKAS Situated to the west o the city along the meandering Neris river, this wooded park covering 160 hectares o pine vilnius.inyourpocket.com
woods was amed as ar back as the 16th century. It’s believed that Alexander I was at a ball here when he received news o Napoleon’s invasion in 1812, an event mentioned Peace . The park is more amous these in Tolstoy’s War and Peace. days as the setting or rock concerts, firework displays, jogging and the launching o hot-air balloons during balmy summer evenings. Also within its confines are a botanical gardens and a abulous little children’s zoo.QE-4.
CEMETERIES Vilnius’extraordinary cemeteries offer an oten emotional and always interesting journey through the rich tapestry o races and cultures that built the city. For inormation on the city’s two Jewish cemeteries, see Jewish Vilnius.
ANTAKALNIS CEMETERY �ANTAKALNIO KAPI� NĖS� Thought to have begun lie as a cemetery way back in 1809, the so-called Soldiers’ Cemetery (Karių Kapinės) can be ound in the orested area o Antakalnis a couple o kilometres or so rom Old Town. The Polish soldiers’ graveyard, distinguished by undulating rows o identical headstones, lies to the let o the entrance. Nearby stands a small collection o Tartar graves complete with Islamic symbols. To the let and deeper into the cemetery, large Soviet soldiers guard the (no-longer burning) eternal flame. To the soldiers’ right is the ghastly Soviet memorial encasing the graves o Soviet Lithuania’s dignitaries. Take a hike up the stairs on your le t to reach the ‘red star’ graves o Soviet soldiers who died fighting Lithuanian partisans. Perhaps most poignant are the graves o the border guards murdered by the Soviets at Medininkai on July 31, 1991 and the civilians killed by Soviet paratroopers during the January 1991 demonstrations, all guarded by a stunning Pietà. Still in use, among the more notable recent additions are a large patch o grass surrounded by a tiny concrete wall and containing the remains o the Napoleonic soldiers discovered in the city in 2002, and the final resting place o the oten overlooked Lithuanian composer Antanas Rekašius (1928-2003).QJ/K-2, Karių Kapų 11. BERNARDINE CEMETERY �BERNARDINŲ KAPI� NĖS� Founded in 1810 by Bernardine monks, the cemetery is perhaps the most attractive and romantic cemetery in Vilnius. Located over a little less than our hectares on a rolling hill running down to the Vilnia river, the cemetery ell into disrepair soon ater WWII beore being finally shut in 1970. Independence has seen it flourish with the assistance o the Lithuanian and Polish governments, although much work remains to be done. O particular interest are the columbaria, columbaria, once used or holding urns ull o ashes and now slowly crumbling away. Among the eminent university proessors, scientists and painters buried here find a ew surprises including Geleda Dzerzhinskaja (1849-1896), whose claim to ame was giving birth to the ounder o the orerunner o the KGB, Felix Dzerzhinsky (Feliksas Dzeržinskis).QJ-4, Žvirgždyno 3. J
LITHUANIAN KARAITE & TATAR CEMETERY �KARAIMŲ IR TOTORIŲ KAPINĖS� Following the destruction in the mid-1960s o the original cemetery in Lukiškės, the ormer traditional home o the city’s Lithuanian Karaite and Tatar communities, a new cemetery was opened in a remote area in the southern part o Vilnius close to the airport. Among the graves, which are marked in an extraordinary mixture o Hebrew (Lithuanian Karaite) and Arabic (Tatar), is that o the Lithuanian Karaite scientist, historian and head o the Lithuanian and Polish Karaite communities Chadži Seraja Chan Šapšalas (Pol. Hadżi Seraja Chan Szapszał, 1873-1961). The cemetery is still in use, but is generally closed to visitors (although the ence surrounding it is hardly very high). According to tradition, women are orbidden rom visiting. Find it on the stretch o Žirnių to the east o the road to the airport, beore the ski slopes on the north side.QŽirnių. RASOS CEMETERY �RASŲ KAPINĖS� Founded in 1801 and the final resting place o many o the country’s social elite, this extraordinary cemetery stretched over a large area divided by a main road is still in use today, providing an extraordinary snapshot o the cultural history o the city. Hidden away here find the artist and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875-1911), the author and publicist Jonas Basanavičius (1851-1 (1851-1927), 927), whose grave is inscribed with a peculiar, 19thcentury version o Lithuanian that predates its written standardisation, and the heart o Marshall Józe Piłsudski (1867-1935), the local-born Polish general who played a key role in re-establishing Polish independence in 1918 as well as the country’s subsequent annexation o Vilnius in 1920. Buried with his mother under a black granite slab and surrounded by the graves o Polish soldiers, the rest o him lies in Poland’s most sacred burial place under Kraków’s Wawel Cathedral.QI/J-5, Rasų/Sukilėlių. VINGIO PARKAS SOLDIERS CEMETERY �VIL� NIAUS VINGIO PARKO KARIŲ KAPINĖS� A cemetery o one sort or another has been known to exist here since victims o the plague were buried on the site in 1710. During the German occupation o Vilnius during WWI the cemetery was used or soldiers rom the German, Turkish, Polish and Russian armies. In 1948 at the height o the destruction o the final resting places o many o the ormer inhabitants o the city, the Soviet authorities ripped up the gravestones and the site lay abandoned until 1980 when it was unceremoniously turned into a children’s playground and public toilet. Thanks to the efforts o the Germans, the 6.5 hectare site was renovated in 2001, with various markers and a large monument placed where specific burial sites were known to exist. At the eastern entrance o Vingio Parkas, the cemetery offers a poignant glimpse inside the ormer rich ethnic tapestry that once made up the population o the city.QF-4, M. K. Čiurlionio
www.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
Jewish Vilnius
JEWISH LIFE CHABAD LUBAVITCH CENTRE �CHABAD LU� BAVITCH ŽYDŲ RELIGINĖ BENDRUOMENĖ� This combined community centre and synagogue is engaged in numerous religious projects aimed at enlightening those who need enlightening and restoring the spirit and sensibilities o religious Jewish lie. Led by the B oston-born Rabbi Sholom Ber Krinsky, the only truly resident rabbi in Lithuania over the last decade and a hal, Chabad is especially known or its estive Jewish holiday celebrations, at which everybody is welcome. It also supplies visitors with kosher ood.QD-4, Bokšto 19/12, tel. (+370) 615 838 44. Open 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J CHORAL SYNAGOGUE �CHORALINĖ SINAGOGA� Built in a Moorish style in 1903, this is the only one out o over 100 prewar Jewish prayer houses that still unctions. The term Choral Synagogue relates to the inclusion o a choir section, a eature considered by some a revolutionary orm o modernisation and assimilation at the time it was built.QH-4, Pylimo 39, tel. (+370) 5 261 25 23. Open 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sat. J JEWISH COMMUNITY OF LITHUANIA �LIETUVOS ŽYDŲ BENDRUOMENĖ� This is the country’s primary address or its living Jewish people, providing a wide range o cultural, communal and social services rom kindergarten through to senior level. Led by the re doubtable Dr. Shimon Alperovich (Simonas Alperavičius), legendary or standing up or Jewish rights however and whenever the community comes under challenge. Along with the two unctioning houses o worship, this is where you can meet the genuine Jewish locals. The building also houses a youth club, Jewish Student Union, Union o Former Ghetto and Concentration Camp Inmates and the Union o WWII Jewish Veterans.QA-2, Pylimo 4, tel. (+370) 5 261 30 03, www.lzb.lt. Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J
Trakai T rakai
JEWISH TOURS Proessional guides lead tours in English and Hebrew through the Baltics and Belarus. Yulik Gurevitch Tel. (+370) 699 907 09 Ilya Lempertas Tel. (+370) 687 132 85 Regina Kopilevich Tel. (+370) 699 054 56 Justina Petrauskaitė Tel. (+370) (+370) 699 540 64 Daniel Gurevich Tel. (+370) 655 174 91
PANERIAI MEMORIAL MUSEUM �PANERIŲ ME� MORIALINIS MUZIEJUS� Between July 1941, and August 1944, approximately 100,000 people were murdered at this site by the Nazis, assisted by some Lithuanians rom such sinister organisations as the Ypatingasis Būrys (Vilnius Būrys (Vilnius Special Squad). A traumatic but necessary part o any Jewish-related visit to Lithuania, find several monuments and the remains o the pits where the victims were burned. The museum, inside a small building on the murder site, eatures exhibits in a mix o languages including everything rom stomach-churning photography to the clothing worn by a man whose job it was to sit the remains o the charred bodies or gold. Not recommended or children. Paneriai (Ponar to the Jews, Ponary to the Poles) is about 8km southwest o Old Town. Catch a Trakai- or Kaunas-bound train, get off at Paneriai and turn right on leaving the station. The site is at the very end o the road. To get there by car, drive out on Savanorių in the direction o Kaunas until you reach the E28 highway, peel off here and look or the pitiully ew signs put up in order to help you get there. For a chilling, eye-witness account o the events that took place here, read Kazimierz Sakowicz’s extraordinary book Ponary Diary, 1941-1943, 1941-1943, published by Yale. QAgrastų 17, tel. (+370) 680 812 78. Open 09:00 17:00. Closed Mon. By appointment only. Admission free for individual visitors. For groups of up to 30 people €23.17, €23.17, up to 15 peop le €14.48.
MUSEUMS
HOLOCAUST EXPOSITION �HOLOKAUSTO EKSPO� STATUES & MEMORIALS smallest but most important important and best known JEWISH CEMETERY �ŽYDŲ KAPINĖS� ZICIJA� The smallest component o the three addresses that collectively comprise By Soviet order, both old Jewish cemeteries were dethe city’s Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, the museum (also stroyed ater the war. With the help o oreign diplomacy known as the Green House) has been led or many years by only a ew graves o amous people such as the Gaon o the indomitable champion o Holocaust truth-telling, Rachel Vilna were moved here in a concession to the community. Kostanian. The museum is amous or its accurate account This new Jewish cemetery cemetery was actually opened just beore o the Holocaust in Lithuania and the massive local involvethe war and nowadays, especially on Sundays, is a place ment in the actual killing. Its modest, old-ashioned exhibits where Jewish people visit the graves o their beloved and are ar rom high modern, but the heartelt creation o local you can meet interesting locals. The Gaon’s grave attracts Holocaust survivors. Outside is a small monument to Japan’s visitors rom many countries who leave notes o supplicapre-war Vice Consul to Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara, who issued tion by the graveside. To the let o the entrance is a small thousands o visas against orders, saving many Jews rom cer- office where maps o the cemetery can be obtained i it’s tain death. Find it at the top o a steep driveway and invisible open. Gravestones are covered in the writing o many lanto anyone simply walking along on the street below.QA-2, guages including Yiddish, Lithuanian, Russian, Polish and Pamėnkalnio 12, tel. (+370) 5 262 07 30, www.jmuseum. English. To get there by public transport rom the centre, lt. Open 09:00 - 17:00, Fri 09:00 - 16:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. take bus Nº73 rom the Lukiškės stop or Nº43 rom the s taClosed Sat. Admission €2./1.1. J tion.QE-1, Sudervės Kelias 28. 68 Vilnius In Your Pocket
67
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
First mentioned in 1337 by the Teutonic Knights and one o Lithuania’s ormer medieval capitals, despite being home to just 5,400 souls the town town o Trakai Trakai and the national national park it’s located in provide plenty o opportunities or visitors to experience and enjoy this unique part o the world. Crowned by a magnificent Gothic castle, the town o Trakai is well known or its many different inhabitants both past and present, among them Lithuanians, Jews, Poles (who still make up a substantial percentage o the population and who know the town as Troki), Russians, Tatars and the Lithuanian Karaite, an intriguing, Turkic-speaking offshoot o the larger Judaic Karaite movement who arrived in the town rom the Crimea at the end o the 14th century and who are currently teetering on the border o extinction. Just 28km west o Vilnius, Trakai is both both a tempting ng daytrip daytrip as well as as a destinatio destinationn worworthy o urther attention thanks to the aorementioned park.
ARRIVING Several ludicrously cheap buses leave daily rom Vilnius’bus station, starting beore dawn and running until the early evening. The journey journey timeis arou around nd 30-40 30-40 minut minutes. es. As with with the train stastation (see below) it’s also a ridiculously long way away rom the main sights, a good 20-minute walk north up Vytauto. Starting and ending around the same time as the buses although running less requently, trains take about 40 minutes to make the journey journey and and cost cost butto buttons. ns. Taxis Taxis are are usually usually parked parked outsid outsidee both both the bus and train stations. A trip to the centre shouldn’t cost more than €2. To reach Trakai by road, take the A1 (E85) highway west out o the city, ollowed by the A4 in the direction o Druskininkai beore turning on to the A16 (E28) highway which takes you the rest o the way. Driving time depends on traffic, and can take anything rom 20 minutes to an hour or more. A taxi, i called in advance, will cost €17-29.
the summer.QKaraimų 2, tel. (+370) 528 561 78, www. pirosmani.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00. €4. PTULSW
KARAITE KARAIMŲ 13 This building ng made o whitewashed whitewashed logs doesn’t look very Karaite at all. It’s not colourul and it’s got more than three windows. But it is very Karaite because it’s home to both the Karaite Community Centre and a lovely little restaurant with authentic Karaite ood. The menu offers a range o Karaite dishes that extend beyond the usual pastry pockets, and the service is pleasant and prompt. A good spot tucked away rom the meandering crowds.QKaraimų 13, tel. (+370) 528 519 11, www.karaimai.lt. Open 11:00 - 20:00. €4. JALS KYBYNLAR In a word, magnificent. This hugely popular Karaite restaurant is a must-see or anyone visiting Trakai. Alongside their delicious classic bee or mutton (not lamb, as it says on the menu) kibinai is is a small collection o other Karaite dishes plus a ew more o Turkic origin. Highly recommended is the šorpa, šorpa, a abulous soup complete with big lumps o bee and potato and just a hint o spicy warmth. The small winter restaurant expands to mammoth mammoth proportions during the summer, making or a truly lively place to eat and drink. They even do take-away.QKaraimų 29, tel. (+370) 528 551 79,
[email protected], www.kybynlar.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00. €6. PTAUSW
BUS STATIONQVytauto 90, tel. (+370) 528 513 33, www.trakuautobusai.lt. Open 07:00 - 20:00. TRAIN STATION QVilniaus 5, tel. (+370) 528 510 55, www.litrail.lt. It works 15 minutes before train leaves.
WHERE TO EAT To visit visit Trakai Trakai and and not eat eat kibinai is is like going to Japan and circumventing the noodles. As well as the aorementioned Karaite speciality, the town can also provide sustenance rom one or two other corners o the world. Don’t expect too much in the way o fine dining, but do be thankul that you won’t have to packsandwiches.
GEORGIAN PIROSMANI Named ater Georgia’s most amous painter, this large round restaurant overlooks one o the town’s lakes and can be ound on the walk into town on the let o the main road. The menu is bursting with classic and extremely good Georgian ood, plus there’s a small barbecue outside which churns out spectacular grilled meat during facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
69
Jewish Vilnius
JEWISH LIFE CHABAD LUBAVITCH CENTRE �CHABAD LU� BAVITCH ŽYDŲ RELIGINĖ BENDRUOMENĖ� This combined community centre and synagogue is engaged in numerous religious projects aimed at enlightening those who need enlightening and restoring the spirit and sensibilities o religious Jewish lie. Led by the B oston-born Rabbi Sholom Ber Krinsky, the only truly resident rabbi in Lithuania over the last decade and a hal, Chabad is especially known or its estive Jewish holiday celebrations, at which everybody is welcome. It also supplies visitors with kosher ood.QD-4, Bokšto 19/12, tel. (+370) 615 838 44. Open 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J CHORAL SYNAGOGUE �CHORALINĖ SINAGOGA� Built in a Moorish style in 1903, this is the only one out o over 100 prewar Jewish prayer houses that still unctions. The term Choral Synagogue relates to the inclusion o a choir section, a eature considered by some a revolutionary orm o modernisation and assimilation at the time it was built.QH-4, Pylimo 39, tel. (+370) 5 261 25 23. Open 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sat. J JEWISH COMMUNITY OF LITHUANIA �LIETUVOS ŽYDŲ BENDRUOMENĖ� This is the country’s primary address or its living Jewish people, providing a wide range o cultural, communal and social services rom kindergarten through to senior level. Led by the re doubtable Dr. Shimon Alperovich (Simonas Alperavičius), legendary or standing up or Jewish rights however and whenever the community comes under challenge. Along with the two unctioning houses o worship, this is where you can meet the genuine Jewish locals. The building also houses a youth club, Jewish Student Union, Union o Former Ghetto and Concentration Camp Inmates and the Union o WWII Jewish Veterans.QA-2, Pylimo 4, tel. (+370) 5 261 30 03, www.lzb.lt. Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J
Trakai T rakai
JEWISH TOURS Proessional guides lead tours in English and Hebrew through the Baltics and Belarus. Yulik Gurevitch Tel. (+370) 699 907 09 Ilya Lempertas Tel. (+370) 687 132 85 Regina Kopilevich Tel. (+370) 699 054 56 Justina Petrauskaitė Tel. (+370) (+370) 699 540 64 Daniel Gurevich Tel. (+370) 655 174 91
PANERIAI MEMORIAL MUSEUM �PANERIŲ ME� MORIALINIS MUZIEJUS� Between July 1941, and August 1944, approximately 100,000 people were murdered at this site by the Nazis, assisted by some Lithuanians rom such sinister organisations as the Ypatingasis Būrys (Vilnius Būrys (Vilnius Special Squad). A traumatic but necessary part o any Jewish-related visit to Lithuania, find several monuments and the remains o the pits where the victims were burned. The museum, inside a small building on the murder site, eatures exhibits in a mix o languages including everything rom stomach-churning photography to the clothing worn by a man whose job it was to sit the remains o the charred bodies or gold. Not recommended or children. Paneriai (Ponar to the Jews, Ponary to the Poles) is about 8km southwest o Old Town. Catch a Trakai- or Kaunas-bound train, get off at Paneriai and turn right on leaving the station. The site is at the very end o the road. To get there by car, drive out on Savanorių in the direction o Kaunas until you reach the E28 highway, peel off here and look or the pitiully ew signs put up in order to help you get there. For a chilling, eye-witness account o the events that took place here, read Kazimierz Sakowicz’s extraordinary book Ponary Diary, 1941-1943, 1941-1943, published by Yale. QAgrastų 17, tel. (+370) 680 812 78. Open 09:00 17:00. Closed Mon. By appointment only. Admission free for individual visitors. For groups of up to 30 people €23.17, €23.17, up to 15 peop le €14.48.
MUSEUMS
HOLOCAUST EXPOSITION �HOLOKAUSTO EKSPO� STATUES & MEMORIALS smallest but most important important and best known JEWISH CEMETERY �ŽYDŲ KAPINĖS� ZICIJA� The smallest component o the three addresses that collectively comprise By Soviet order, both old Jewish cemeteries were dethe city’s Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, the museum (also stroyed ater the war. With the help o oreign diplomacy known as the Green House) has been led or many years by only a ew graves o amous people such as the Gaon o the indomitable champion o Holocaust truth-telling, Rachel Vilna were moved here in a concession to the community. Kostanian. The museum is amous or its accurate account This new Jewish cemetery cemetery was actually opened just beore o the Holocaust in Lithuania and the massive local involvethe war and nowadays, especially on Sundays, is a place ment in the actual killing. Its modest, old-ashioned exhibits where Jewish people visit the graves o their beloved and are ar rom high modern, but the heartelt creation o local you can meet interesting locals. The Gaon’s grave attracts Holocaust survivors. Outside is a small monument to Japan’s visitors rom many countries who leave notes o supplicapre-war Vice Consul to Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara, who issued tion by the graveside. To the let o the entrance is a small thousands o visas against orders, saving many Jews rom cer- office where maps o the cemetery can be obtained i it’s tain death. Find it at the top o a steep driveway and invisible open. Gravestones are covered in the writing o many lanto anyone simply walking along on the street below.QA-2, guages including Yiddish, Lithuanian, Russian, Polish and Pamėnkalnio 12, tel. (+370) 5 262 07 30, www.jmuseum. English. To get there by public transport rom the centre, lt. Open 09:00 - 17:00, Fri 09:00 - 16:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. take bus Nº73 rom the Lukiškės stop or Nº43 rom the s taClosed Sat. Admission €2./1.1. J tion.QE-1, Sudervės Kelias 28. 68 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
First mentioned in 1337 by the Teutonic Knights and one o Lithuania’s ormer medieval capitals, despite being home to just 5,400 souls the town town o Trakai Trakai and the national national park it’s located in provide plenty o opportunities or visitors to experience and enjoy this unique part o the world. Crowned by a magnificent Gothic castle, the town o Trakai is well known or its many different inhabitants both past and present, among them Lithuanians, Jews, Poles (who still make up a substantial percentage o the population and who know the town as Troki), Russians, Tatars and the Lithuanian Karaite, an intriguing, Turkic-speaking offshoot o the larger Judaic Karaite movement who arrived in the town rom the Crimea at the end o the 14th century and who are currently teetering on the border o extinction. Just 28km west o Vilnius, Trakai is both both a tempting ng daytrip daytrip as well as as a destinatio destinationn worworthy o urther attention thanks to the aorementioned park.
ARRIVING Several ludicrously cheap buses leave daily rom Vilnius’bus station, starting beore dawn and running until the early evening. The journey journey timeis arou around nd 30-40 30-40 minut minutes. es. As with with the train stastation (see below) it’s also a ridiculously long way away rom the main sights, a good 20-minute walk north up Vytauto. Starting and ending around the same time as the buses although running less requently, trains take about 40 minutes to make the journey journey and and cost cost butto buttons. ns. Taxis Taxis are are usually usually parked parked outsid outsidee both both the bus and train stations. A trip to the centre shouldn’t cost more than €2. To reach Trakai by road, take the A1 (E85) highway west out o the city, ollowed by the A4 in the direction o Druskininkai beore turning on to the A16 (E28) highway which takes you the rest o the way. Driving time depends on traffic, and can take anything rom 20 minutes to an hour or more. A taxi, i called in advance, will cost €17-29.
the summer.QKaraimų 2, tel. (+370) 528 561 78, www. pirosmani.lt. Open 11:00 - 23:00. €4. PTULSW
KARAITE KARAIMŲ 13 This building ng made o whitewashed whitewashed logs doesn’t look very Karaite at all. It’s not colourul and it’s got more than three windows. But it is very Karaite because it’s home to both the Karaite Community Centre and a lovely little restaurant with authentic Karaite ood. The menu offers a range o Karaite dishes that extend beyond the usual pastry pockets, and the service is pleasant and prompt. A good spot tucked away rom the meandering crowds.QKaraimų 13, tel. (+370) 528 519 11, www.karaimai.lt. Open 11:00 - 20:00. €4. JALS KYBYNLAR In a word, magnificent. This hugely popular Karaite restaurant is a must-see or anyone visiting Trakai. Alongside their delicious classic bee or mutton (not lamb, as it says on the menu) kibinai is is a small collection o other Karaite dishes plus a ew more o Turkic origin. Highly recommended is the šorpa, šorpa, a abulous soup complete with big lumps o bee and potato and just a hint o spicy warmth. The small winter restaurant expands to mammoth mammoth proportions during the summer, making or a truly lively place to eat and drink. They even do take-away.QKaraimų 29, tel. (+370) 528 551 79,
[email protected], www.kybynlar.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00. €6. PTAUSW
BUS STATIONQVytauto 90, tel. (+370) 528 513 33, www.trakuautobusai.lt. Open 07:00 - 20:00. TRAIN STATION QVilniaus 5, tel. (+370) 528 510 55, www.litrail.lt. It works 15 minutes before train leaves.
WHERE TO EAT To visit visit Trakai Trakai and and not eat eat kibinai is is like going to Japan and circumventing the noodles. As well as the aorementioned Karaite speciality, the town can also provide sustenance rom one or two other corners o the world. Don’t expect too much in the way o fine dining, but do be thankul that you won’t have to packsandwiches.
GEORGIAN PIROSMANI Named ater Georgia’s most amous painter, this large round restaurant overlooks one o the town’s lakes and can be ound on the walk into town on the let o the main road. The menu is bursting with classic and extremely good Georgian ood, plus there’s a small barbecue outside which churns out spectacular grilled meat during facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
Trakai T rakai CASTLE Drawing mild comparisons to the vast, red brick Teutonic ortress in the Polish town o Malbork, Trakai Castle (or Trakai Island Castle as it’s also known) may not be as grand as its Germanic cousin to the west, but what it lacks in stature it more than makes up or in location. Sat splendidly on a diminutive Lake Galvė island in the northern end o the town, construction on this Gothic masterpiece began in the 14th century at the behest o the then ruler o the Grand Duchy o Lithuania Kęstutis, and was completed at the start o the 15th century by his son, Vytautas the Great. Built as part o an expansion programme programme o the neighbouring Peninsular Castle, its completion came at more or less the same time that its military importance came to an end ater the victory o the combined PolishLithuanian armies led by Vytautas against the Teutonic Order at the Battle o Grunwald (Lithuanian, Žalgiris) in 1410. Its second lie as a residential palace saw it enter a golden age, with the Castle visited and admired by many oreign dignitaries including the Flemish diplomat Guillebert de Lannoy (1386-1462), who mentioned it avourably in his memoirs. The Castle’s demise came with the war with Muscovy in 1655, which saw it seriously damaged and eventually abandoned. Attempts to rebuild it have been ongoing since the 19th century, with the usual wars and border changes complicating each new project as it arose. Ironically it was during the Soviet occupation o Lithuania that the Castle was eventually restored to its ormer glory, with work beginning soon ater the end o WWII.
CASTLE & TRAKAI HISTORY MUSEUM �TRAKŲ PILIS IR TRAKŲ ISTORIJOS MUZIEJUS� More like playing a giant game o snakes and ladders designed by MC Escher than an enriching cultural experience, the Trakai Trakai History Museum Museum is spread around the Castle and linked via a baffling array o higgledy-piggledy wooden steps and dark, plunging spiral staircases. The two main collections are to be ound inside the western casemates (casements) and the Ducal Palace, the ormer and least interesting made up o 19th-century European glassware, ivory walking stick handles and the like and the latter a collection o items dug up in the vicinity o the Castle, a huge collection o coins, a small exhibition dedicated to the Karaite and a ew lie-size models o medieval gentlemen with enormous handlebar moustaches. Some explanations are in English, but much remains in Lithuanian, Russian and German only. More than worth it or a look around the Castle i nothing else.QKęstučio 4, tel. (+370) 528 539 46, www.trakaimuziejus.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00 (May 1 - September 30). Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. (March, April and October). Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. (November 1 - February 28). Admission €5.21/3.48/2.32. 70 Vilnius In Your Pocket
69
Where to stay PLACES OF INTEREST UŽUTRAKIS PALACE In its glor y this mansion, built on land ormerly occupied by the local Tatar community, belonged to the prominent Tiškevičius (Polish, Tyszkiewicz) amily who lived in it until 1939. Built in the 19th century in a neo-Renaissance style, the palace itsel is closed, but the grounds, designed by the prominent French landscape gardener Edouard André (1840-1911), have become something o a tourist attraction. During the summer this is a prime spot or a picnic or horse riding. A walk around the palace grounds is ree. To get there in good weather, catch the passenger ship rom the Castle and be sure to mention you want to get off at Užutrakis. Alternatively, a taxi will set you back somewhere in the region o 30Lt.QUžtrakio 17, tel. (+370) 528 550 06, www. seniejitrakai.lt. Open 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu. Admission €2.90/1.45.
WHERE TO STAY Trakai’s accommodation options run the gamut rom leaky tents to presidential suites complete with wireless internet and Jacuzzis. The only exception is that the town remains without a youth hostel, although or good value central accommodation you’ll be pleased to know that every other house has a room or two to rent.
APVALAUS STALO KLUBAS About as eminine as it gets, a night here is like something straight out o Alice In Wonderland . Wonderland . Overlooking the airytale Gothic towers o the Castle, the interiors appear to have been designed by a committee o hairdressers and old ladies. I you can handle the rill o it all, extras include a s auna, two attached restaurants and wireless internet throughout. This is truly the cream o the crop, and by ar the most expensive option in town. QKaraimų 53a, tel. (+370) 528 555 95, fax (+370) 528 517 60,
[email protected], www.asklubas.lt. 17 rooms (€61 - 223). PTHAR6LKDW hhhh TRASALIS A veritable monster o a place 2km south o the town centre, the owners have put their money where many others’ mouths are and actually gone and taken a risk in Trakai. A com bined hotel, conerence c entre, water park and many other things besides, the rooms are clean and comortable, all coming with cable television, ree wireless internet and showers that knock you over when you walk in. The price includes two hours in the water park and an average buffet breakast. A taxi to the Castle will (+370) 528 set you back around €3.QGedimino 26, tel. (+370) 515 88, fax (+370) 528 515 89,
[email protected], ww w. trasalis.lt. 103 rooms (€58 - 105). PHARU FLKDCW hhh
trakai.inyourpocket.com vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Vilnius provides a wide selection of accommodation options in all parts of the city. Prices remain lower than in Western Europe, sometimes considerably lower, meaning staying right in the centre is always an option.
CREAM OF THE CROP KEMPINSKI HOTEL CATHEDRAL SQUARE Located opposite the Cathedral and tantalisingly close to one o the best Indian restaurants in Eastern Europe, writing a Kem pinski pinski review review seems a little dat as they specialise in some o the best hotels to be ound anywhere. Surplus to the location, the Vilnius Kempinski comes with 96 magic rooms and suites, exceptional restaurant, bar, luxury spa, meeting acilities and an awul lot more. I you’re one o the lucky ew who can aord to stay here we most certainly recommend that you give it a try.QC-2, Universiteto 14, tel. (+370) 5 220 11 00, fax (+370) 5 220 11 60, reservations.vilnius@kempinski. com, www.kempinski.com/vilnius. 96 rooms (€190 - 2600). PJHARUFKDCW hhhhh hhhhh+ RADISSON BLU ASTORIJA The name, building and location say it all, as indeed does the list o the great and the good who choose to stay here when in town. A beautiul collection o rooms and suites are on offer, some with spectacular views o Old Town. Top notch accommodation with all the trimmings, plus business acilities, swimming pool, express laundry, a French restaurant and a bar selling some o the reshest local beer in the city.QC-4, Didžioji 35/2, tel. (+370) 5 212 01 10, fax (+370) 5 212 17 62,
[email protected], www. radissonblu.com/hotel-vilnius. 119 rooms (€100 - 900). PJHARUFLKDXCW hhhhh
SYMBOL KEY P Air conditioning
A Credit cards accepted
O Casino
H Conerenceacilities
T Child-riendly
U Facilities or the disabled
F Fitness centre
L Guarded parking
R LAN connection
6 Pet-riendly
K Restaurant
J Old town location
D Sauna
C Swimming pool
I Fireplace
W Wi-Fi
VAT VAT (21%) and breakast included unless otherwise stated.
THE NARUTIS HOTEL � PREFERRED BOUTIQUE Totally gorgeous in every conceivable way, room interiors include everything rom original 16th-century rescoes and wooden beams to Jacuzzis in the suites. Decorated with the ultimate in style and panache, there’s no need to roll off a list o everything in the rooms because they’ve really got it all. Add to that a location to die or, impeccable service, a fine restaurant and a magical spa and, i you can afford it, you’d be a nutter to stay anywhere else.QC-3, Pilies 24, tel. (+370) 5 212 28 94, fax (+370) 5 262 28 82, reservations@ narutis.com, www.narutis.com. 52 rooms (€170 - 900). PJHARUIFLKDCWhhhhh +
UPMARKET
RAMADA HOTEL & SUITES VILNIUS Something o a celebrity avourite, this luxurious place has played host to all sorts o stars, no doubt attracted by its discrete location in a magnificent 16th century building (something o a sight in itsel). The rooms are larger than the Old Town Town norm, norm, all boast boast wonde wonderul rul large large windows ndows and and will leave leave you eeling that you ought to have paid a lot more. Add in some good onsite dining and you have a winner.QC-5, Subačiaus 2, tel. (+370) 5 255 33 55,
[email protected], www. ramadavilnius.lt. 55 rooms (€99 - 450). PTJHA R6UIFLKXWhhhhh+
AMBERTON HOTEL It could be made o damp straw and the restaurant could serve nothing but cabbage and you’d still probably book a room once you saw the view. Not that it is made o damp straw we should point out, and o course the restaurant’s pretty good too. Expect ree internet in the rooms, minibars and all mod cons, good mannered staff and one o the best restaurants in the city next door in act. An absolute winner or both acilities and location.QB-2, L. Stuokos-Gucevičiaus 1, tel. (+370) 5 210 74 61, fax (+370) 5 210 74 60, vilnius@ amberton.lt, www.ambertonhotels.com. 98 rooms (€75 149). PJHARULKW hhhh hhhh
RELAIS & CHATEAUX STIKLIAI HOTEL Occupying a sumptuous building with Gothic and Baroque elements, the Stikliai is where millionaires have been taking themselves or a very long time indeed. Old ashioned in most senses o the term, the ully air-conditioned rooms come with such treats as satellite and cable television, internet, mini bars and Turkish baths in the best suites. Sauna, pool, conerence acilities and an equally ostentatious restaurant can also be ound here. It doesn’t come much better than this.QC-3, Gaono 7, tel. (+370) 5 264 95 95, fax (+370) 5 212 38 70,
[email protected], www.stikliai.com. 43 rooms (€128 - 1200). PJHAR6UIFKDC Whhhhh+
ART HOTEL MOON GARDEN It took almost two years to complete the renovation o this historic building, and the results suggest that it was more than worth the wait. A superb mix o the old and the new there is a great mix o stylish design on show, rom the bare brickwork (all original) in s ome rooms to ornamental wallpaper in others. The onsite restaurant is superb, the staff are outstanding and overall you are in or a delightul experience.QC-5, Bazilijonų 10, tel. (+370) 5 219 99 49, fax (+370) 5 219 94 80, welcome@moongardenhotel. com, www.moongardenhotel.com. 18 rooms (€70 250). JAUIKW hhhh
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
71
Trakai T rakai CASTLE Drawing mild comparisons to the vast, red brick Teutonic ortress in the Polish town o Malbork, Trakai Castle (or Trakai Island Castle as it’s also known) may not be as grand as its Germanic cousin to the west, but what it lacks in stature it more than makes up or in location. Sat splendidly on a diminutive Lake Galvė island in the northern end o the town, construction on this Gothic masterpiece began in the 14th century at the behest o the then ruler o the Grand Duchy o Lithuania Kęstutis, and was completed at the start o the 15th century by his son, Vytautas the Great. Built as part o an expansion programme programme o the neighbouring Peninsular Castle, its completion came at more or less the same time that its military importance came to an end ater the victory o the combined PolishLithuanian armies led by Vytautas against the Teutonic Order at the Battle o Grunwald (Lithuanian, Žalgiris) in 1410. Its second lie as a residential palace saw it enter a golden age, with the Castle visited and admired by many oreign dignitaries including the Flemish diplomat Guillebert de Lannoy (1386-1462), who mentioned it avourably in his memoirs. The Castle’s demise came with the war with Muscovy in 1655, which saw it seriously damaged and eventually abandoned. Attempts to rebuild it have been ongoing since the 19th century, with the usual wars and border changes complicating each new project as it arose. Ironically it was during the Soviet occupation o Lithuania that the Castle was eventually restored to its ormer glory, with work beginning soon ater the end o WWII.
CASTLE & TRAKAI HISTORY MUSEUM �TRAKŲ PILIS IR TRAKŲ ISTORIJOS MUZIEJUS� More like playing a giant game o snakes and ladders designed by MC Escher than an enriching cultural experience, the Trakai Trakai History Museum Museum is spread around the Castle and linked via a baffling array o higgledy-piggledy wooden steps and dark, plunging spiral staircases. The two main collections are to be ound inside the western casemates (casements) and the Ducal Palace, the ormer and least interesting made up o 19th-century European glassware, ivory walking stick handles and the like and the latter a collection o items dug up in the vicinity o the Castle, a huge collection o coins, a small exhibition dedicated to the Karaite and a ew lie-size models o medieval gentlemen with enormous handlebar moustaches. Some explanations are in English, but much remains in Lithuanian, Russian and German only. More than worth it or a look around the Castle i nothing else.QKęstučio 4, tel. (+370) 528 539 46, www.trakaimuziejus.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00 (May 1 - September 30). Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Mon. (March, April and October). Open 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. (November 1 - February 28). Admission €5.21/3.48/2.32. 70 Vilnius In Your Pocket
Where to stay PLACES OF INTEREST UŽUTRAKIS PALACE In its glor y this mansion, built on land ormerly occupied by the local Tatar community, belonged to the prominent Tiškevičius (Polish, Tyszkiewicz) amily who lived in it until 1939. Built in the 19th century in a neo-Renaissance style, the palace itsel is closed, but the grounds, designed by the prominent French landscape gardener Edouard André (1840-1911), have become something o a tourist attraction. During the summer this is a prime spot or a picnic or horse riding. A walk around the palace grounds is ree. To get there in good weather, catch the passenger ship rom the Castle and be sure to mention you want to get off at Užutrakis. Alternatively, a taxi will set you back somewhere in the region o 30Lt.QUžtrakio 17, tel. (+370) 528 550 06, www. seniejitrakai.lt. Open 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu. Admission €2.90/1.45.
WHERE TO STAY Trakai’s accommodation options run the gamut rom leaky tents to presidential suites complete with wireless internet and Jacuzzis. The only exception is that the town remains without a youth hostel, although or good value central accommodation you’ll be pleased to know that every other house has a room or two to rent.
APVALAUS STALO KLUBAS About as eminine as it gets, a night here is like something straight out o Alice In Wonderland . Wonderland . Overlooking the airytale Gothic towers o the Castle, the interiors appear to have been designed by a committee o hairdressers and old ladies. I you can handle the rill o it all, extras include a s auna, two attached restaurants and wireless internet throughout. This is truly the cream o the crop, and by ar the most expensive option in town. QKaraimų 53a, tel. (+370) 528 555 95, fax (+370) 528 517 60,
[email protected], www.asklubas.lt. 17 rooms (€61 - 223). PTHAR6LKDW hhhh TRASALIS A veritable monster o a place 2km south o the town centre, the owners have put their money where many others’ mouths are and actually gone and taken a risk in Trakai. A com bined hotel, conerence c entre, water park and many other things besides, the rooms are clean and comortable, all coming with cable television, ree wireless internet and showers that knock you over when you walk in. The price includes two hours in the water park and an average buffet breakast. A taxi to the Castle will (+370) 528 set you back around €3.QGedimino 26, tel. (+370) 515 88, fax (+370) 528 515 89,
[email protected], ww w. trasalis.lt. 103 rooms (€58 - 105). PHARU FLKDCW hhh
trakai.inyourpocket.com vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Vilnius provides a wide selection of accommodation options in all parts of the city. Prices remain lower than in Western Europe, sometimes considerably lower, meaning staying right in the centre is always an option.
CREAM OF THE CROP KEMPINSKI HOTEL CATHEDRAL SQUARE Located opposite the Cathedral and tantalisingly close to one o the best Indian restaurants in Eastern Europe, writing a Kem pinski pinski review review seems a little dat as they specialise in some o the best hotels to be ound anywhere. Surplus to the location, the Vilnius Kempinski comes with 96 magic rooms and suites, exceptional restaurant, bar, luxury spa, meeting acilities and an awul lot more. I you’re one o the lucky ew who can aord to stay here we most certainly recommend that you give it a try.QC-2, Universiteto 14, tel. (+370) 5 220 11 00, fax (+370) 5 220 11 60, reservations.vilnius@kempinski. com, www.kempinski.com/vilnius. 96 rooms (€190 - 2600). PJHARUFKDCW hhhhh hhhhh+ RADISSON BLU ASTORIJA The name, building and location say it all, as indeed does the list o the great and the good who choose to stay here when in town. A beautiul collection o rooms and suites are on offer, some with spectacular views o Old Town. Top notch accommodation with all the trimmings, plus business acilities, swimming pool, express laundry, a French restaurant and a bar selling some o the reshest local beer in the city.QC-4, Didžioji 35/2, tel. (+370) 5 212 01 10, fax (+370) 5 212 17 62,
[email protected], www. radissonblu.com/hotel-vilnius. 119 rooms (€100 - 900). PJHARUFLKDXCW hhhhh
A Credit cards accepted
O Casino
H Conerenceacilities
T Child-riendly
U Facilities or the disabled
F Fitness centre
L Guarded parking
R LAN connection
6 Pet-riendly
K Restaurant
J Old town location
D Sauna
C Swimming pool
I Fireplace
W Wi-Fi
VAT VAT (21%) and breakast included unless otherwise stated.
THE NARUTIS HOTEL � PREFERRED BOUTIQUE Totally gorgeous in every conceivable way, room interiors include everything rom original 16th-century rescoes and wooden beams to Jacuzzis in the suites. Decorated with the ultimate in style and panache, there’s no need to roll off a list o everything in the rooms because they’ve really got it all. Add to that a location to die or, impeccable service, a fine restaurant and a magical spa and, i you can afford it, you’d be a nutter to stay anywhere else.QC-3, Pilies 24, tel. (+370) 5 212 28 94, fax (+370) 5 262 28 82, reservations@ narutis.com, www.narutis.com. 52 rooms (€170 - 900). PJHARUIFLKDCWhhhhh +
UPMARKET
RAMADA HOTEL & SUITES VILNIUS Something o a celebrity avourite, this luxurious place has played host to all sorts o stars, no doubt attracted by its discrete location in a magnificent 16th century building (something o a sight in itsel). The rooms are larger than the Old Town Town norm, norm, all boast boast wonde wonderul rul large large windows ndows and and will leave leave you eeling that you ought to have paid a lot more. Add in some good onsite dining and you have a winner.QC-5, Subačiaus 2, tel. (+370) 5 255 33 55,
[email protected], www. ramadavilnius.lt. 55 rooms (€99 - 450). PTJHA R6UIFLKXWhhhhh+ RELAIS & CHATEAUX STIKLIAI HOTEL Occupying a sumptuous building with Gothic and Baroque elements, the Stikliai is where millionaires have been taking themselves or a very long time indeed. Old ashioned in most senses o the term, the ully air-conditioned rooms come with such treats as satellite and cable television, internet, mini bars and Turkish baths in the best suites. Sauna, pool, conerence acilities and an equally ostentatious restaurant can also be ound here. It doesn’t come much better than this.QC-3, Gaono 7, tel. (+370) 5 264 95 95, fax (+370) 5 212 38 70,
[email protected], www.stikliai.com. 43 rooms (€128 - 1200). PJHAR6UIFKDC Whhhhh+
ART HOTEL MOON GARDEN It took almost two years to complete the renovation o this historic building, and the results suggest that it was more than worth the wait. A superb mix o the old and the new there is a great mix o stylish design on show, rom the bare brickwork (all original) in s ome rooms to ornamental wallpaper in others. The onsite restaurant is superb, the staff are outstanding and overall you are in or a delightul experience.QC-5, Bazilijonų 10, tel. (+370) 5 219 99 49, fax (+370) 5 219 94 80, welcome@moongardenhotel. com, www.moongardenhotel.com. 18 rooms (€70 250). JAUIKW hhhh
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
71
Where to stay THE STAR AND PLUS SYSTEM This guide uses the star star system as defined by the the State Department o Tourism under the Ministry o Economy in which stars and pluses are awarded or amenities oered, and don’t necessarily reflect the quality o those amenities or the standard o service provided. caé’s a nice place or quiet drink, plus the upper floors provide some abulous views o the cit y.QB-5, Raugyklos 7/2, tel. (+370) 5 251 41 11, fax (+370) 5 251 41 00, info@ contihotel.lt, www.contihotel.lt. 88 rooms (€81 - 275). PTJHAR6UFLKD W hhhh hhhh
ATRIUM One o the avourite choices o visiting big-wigs and other VIPs, Atrium blends together the antiquities o Old Town CROWNE PLAZA VILNIUS with the very best o modern hotel accommodation to The only remaining eatures o Inturist’s flagship Hotel great effect. Complete with minibars, heated bathroom Friendship Friendship are the oundations, one or two arty internal floors and everything else you’d expect when handing elements and the views, the latter being some o the over this much money in return or a bed or the night, greenest and most pleasant in the city. Plonked west o extras include conerence acilities, sauna, a cracking little the centre on the edge o one o the capital’s finest parks, Argentinean restaurant and arguably the best location in this business class box is a avourite among proessionals Vilnius.QC-2, Pilies 10, tel. (+370) 5 210 77 77, fax (+370) travelling individually or as part o a group who are there 5 210 77 70,
[email protected], www.atrium.lt. 30 rooms to use the fine conerence acilities. The 16th-floor restau(€60 - 140). PJHA6ULKDW hhhh hhhh rant-bar offers one o the prettiest places to get plastered in Lithuania.QF-4, M. K. Čiurlionio 84, tel. (+370) 5 274 34 00, fax (+370) 5 274 34 11,
[email protected], BEST WESTERN VILNIUS Located in the heart o the city’s main business district just www.cpvilnius.com. 108 rooms (€69 - 149). PHA north o the river, the our-star Best Western Vilnius is accord- RUFLKDXCWhhhh + ingly geared towards business travellers although there’s no reason why anybody else can’t stay there either. A wealth o DVARAS �MANOR HOUSE� tasteully decorated rooms plus a gorgeous apartment with Celebrating the ormer manor house status o the buildits own sauna are available, all coming with wireless internet, ing it’s located in, Dvaras is a small hotel with grand ideas, satellite television, minibars and other treats. A taxi to Old noticeable in everything rom the décor to the price. Just Town Town costs less less than €3. €3Q . A-00, Konstitucijos 14, tel. (+370) eight rooms, rom singles to luxury suites, are on offer, all 5 273 95 95, fax (+370) 5 273 95 00, offi
[email protected], given an old world treatment and all coming with lie’s www.vilniushotel.eu. 114 rooms (€79 - 2 32).PJHA little luxuries. There’s a couple o ancy restaurants as well, R6UFLKDCW hhhh all o it packaged together just a two-minute walk rom the Cathedral.QC-1, C-1, Tilto 3 -1, tel. (+370) 5 210 73 70, fax (+370) 5 261 87 83,
[email protected], www.dvaras.lt. 8 CONGRESS I this hotel was a person, it would proudly strut about and rooms (€76 - 129). PJHARLKW hhhh puff its chest out. And rightly so. Everything has a neat, tidy confidence about it, and even i you’re in a standard EUROPA ROYALE VILNIUS room, the place has an elegant yet business-class eel The Europa chain’s flagship Vilnius hotel continues continues to offer about it. We also like the ree wireless internet. Ater a high standards o service in an admirable Old Town location good night’s rest you’ll be ready to take on the town, and that’s hard to beat. The choice o individual rooms and suites will find yoursel conveniently located mid-way between is impressive, with even the most basic eaturing mini bars, Old Town and the business district north o the river.QB- ree wireless internet, air-conditioning and satellite televi0, Vilniaus 2, tel. (+370) 5 269 19 19, fax (+370) 5 251 42 sion. Also find meeting rooms, international press and the 80,
[email protected], www.congress.lt. 79 rooms (€87 - abulous Medininkai restaurant. One o the better places 290). PJHAFLKDW hhhh hhhh to stay in town i you can afford it.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 6, tel. (+370) 5 266 07 70, fax (+370) 5 261 20 00, vilnius@ europaroyale.com, www.europaroyale.com. 54 rooms CONTI A good choice o singles, doubles, business class rooms, (€64 - 279). PJHA6ULKW hhhh suites and apartments inside a well loc ated hotel boasting a splendid jumble o old and new. Rooms come with the GROTTHUSS BOUTIQUE HOTEL absolute minimum o internet connections, satellite televi- This excellent boutique hotel in a quiet Old Town street sion and minibars with add-ons including such opulence contains 20 rooms and suites complete with Italian urnias a Jacuzzi in the luxury room and apartments. The lobby ture, original art on the walls, wireless internet, minibars 72 Vilnius In Your Pocket
P Air conditioning
AMBERTON HOTEL It could be made o damp straw and the restaurant could serve nothing but cabbage and you’d still probably book a room once you saw the view. Not that it is made o damp straw we should point out, and o course the restaurant’s pretty good too. Expect ree internet in the rooms, minibars and all mod cons, good mannered staff and one o the best restaurants in the city next door in act. An absolute winner or both acilities and location.QB-2, L. Stuokos-Gucevičiaus 1, tel. (+370) 5 210 74 61, fax (+370) 5 210 74 60, vilnius@ amberton.lt, www.ambertonhotels.com. 98 rooms (€75 149). PJHARULKW hhhh hhhh
Where to stay ARTIS CENTRUM HOTELS Perectly located between Old Town and Gedimino, this large white birthday cake-looking hotel has been catering to a better class o guest or years. Surplus to the marvellous views rom the upper ront rooms are airconditioning throughout, Pay TV, internet access and or the nervous, peepholes in all the doors. Good or healthyminded visitors, the hotel also manages to pack in a gym and swimming pool.QB-3, Totorių 23, tel. (+370) 5 266 03 66, fax (+370) 5 266 03 77,
[email protected], www.artis.centrumhotels.com. 118 rooms (€79 - 219). PJHARUFLKDCWhhhh+
SYMBOL KEY
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
and satellite television. Favoured by well-heeled visitors who like the personal touch, the hotel also eatures an in-house gourmet restaurant and state o the art business acilities.QB-5, Ligoninės 7, tel. (+370) 5 266 03 22, fax (+370) 5 266 03 23,
[email protected], www.grotthusshotel.com. 20 rooms (€100 - 150). JHAR6ILKXWhhhh +
HOLIDAY INN VILNIUS Just over the river in the northern business district, Vilnius’ Inn provides everything one now well established Holiday Inn provides would expect rom one o the world’s best known quality hotel brands. As well as a superb choice o reassuringly expensive rooms and suites, extras include a fine in-house restaurant, bar with big people- watching windows, ample business acilities and one o the best buffet breakasts in the city. The centre can be reached on oot in a matter o minutes, there are good public transport links in all directions and a taxi to O ld Town is more than affordable assuming you can afford to stay here in the first place. QB-00, Šeimyniškių 1, tel. (+370) 5 210 30 00, fax (+370) 5 210 30 01,
[email protected], www.holidayinnvilnius.lt. 134 rooms (€140 - 280). PJHARUFLK DXW hhhh hhhh MABRE RESIDENCE Found inside a abulous ormer monastery, some o it dating back as ar as the 17th century, this swanky hotel can be ound on the border o Old Town and Užupis inside a lovely quiet courtyard. Geared towards all types o traveller with a healthy bank account, rooms veer rom more than adequate singles to the wonderul (and surprisingly affordable) presidential suite. Surplus to the rooms are all manner o treats, rom the recommended sauna and small pool to the in-house steak restaurant.QD-3, Maironio 13, tel. (+370) 5 212 21 95, fax (+370) 5 212 22 40,
[email protected], www.mabre.lt. 40 rooms (€118 - 271). PJHAR6ULKD XCW hhhh hhhh+
Facilities inside the rooms all include ree internet and a number o other excellent acilities. The hotel also eatures a good restaurant, bar, sauna, fitness centre and business options in a total o seven rooms complete with ull services.QB-2, Gedimino 16, tel. (+370) 5 266 62 00, fax (+370) 5 266 62 01,
[email protected], www.novotel.com. 159 rooms (€70 - 175). PTJHA6UFLK DW hhhh
RADISSON BLU HOTEL LIETUVA The high-rise Radisson Blu has been one o Vilnius’ defin ing landmarks or decades. The bar on the top floor is one o the city’s legendary drinkers (and a must even i you are not staying here). Located north o the river it’s nevertheless well within comortable walking distance o the Old Town. The rooms themselves are as luxurious as you would expect, with those on the upper floors boasting some splendid views. Good in-house restaurants.QA00, Konstitucijos 20, tel. (+370) 5 272 62 72, fax (+370) 5 272 62 70,
[email protected], www.radissonblu.com/lietuvahotel-vilnius. 291 rooms (€69 - 500). POTJHARUFLKDW hhhh RATONDA CENTRUM HOTELS Another fine business-orientated hotel rom the Centrum people, this one being conveniently located close to the main commercial district along Gedimino and the Seimas just around the corner. All rooms come with telephone, pay-television and ree internet, with the superior rooms also boasting air conditioning. Little extras include all the usual provisions such as room service, laundry, and, i one has time on one’s hands, the option o tours around Vilnius and Lithuania.QG-3, A. Rotundo 1, tel. (+370) 5 212 06 70, fax (+370) 5 210 06 69, ratonda@centrumhotels. com, www.centrumhotels.com. 48 rooms (€50 - 130). JHA6UFLKDW hhhh hhhh
NERINGA The superb Neringa hotel stands out as one o the city centre’s major business-class hotels. The Scandinavian-styled rooms come in both standard and superior classes, offering good value whilst still managing to provide everything the modern business traveller requires. Extras include a selection o international newspapers and magazines, a small pool and the abulous Neringa restaurant complete with original Soviet rescoes dating rom 1959.QA-1, Gedimino 23, tel. (+370) 5 212 22 88, fax (+370) 5 212 22 99,
[email protected], www.neringahotel.com. 60 rooms (€55 - 139). PJHAR6UFLK DXW hhhh hhhh NOVOTEL VILNIUS CENTRE Great comort and our-star luxury rom the international Novotelchain Novotel chain inside a large modern building in the heart o the city. Choices o rooms include Superior and Executive class as well as a handul o suites, all o them light and spacious, with many eaturing magnificent Old Town views. facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Cathedral-Basilica o St. Stanislaus & St. Ladislaus (see p.56) December 2014 - April 2015
73
Where to stay ARTIS CENTRUM HOTELS Perectly located between Old Town and Gedimino, this large white birthday cake-looking hotel has been catering to a better class o guest or years. Surplus to the marvellous views rom the upper ront rooms are airconditioning throughout, Pay TV, internet access and or the nervous, peepholes in all the doors. Good or healthyminded visitors, the hotel also manages to pack in a gym and swimming pool.QB-3, Totorių 23, tel. (+370) 5 266 03 66, fax (+370) 5 266 03 77,
[email protected], www.artis.centrumhotels.com. 118 rooms (€79 - 219). PJHARUFLKDCWhhhh+
Where to stay THE STAR AND PLUS SYSTEM This guide uses the star star system as defined by the the State Department o Tourism under the Ministry o Economy in which stars and pluses are awarded or amenities oered, and don’t necessarily reflect the quality o those amenities or the standard o service provided. caé’s a nice place or quiet drink, plus the upper floors provide some abulous views o the cit y.QB-5, Raugyklos 7/2, tel. (+370) 5 251 41 11, fax (+370) 5 251 41 00, info@ contihotel.lt, www.contihotel.lt. 88 rooms (€81 - 275). PTJHAR6UFLKD W hhhh hhhh
ATRIUM One o the avourite choices o visiting big-wigs and other VIPs, Atrium blends together the antiquities o Old Town CROWNE PLAZA VILNIUS with the very best o modern hotel accommodation to The only remaining eatures o Inturist’s flagship Hotel great effect. Complete with minibars, heated bathroom Friendship Friendship are the oundations, one or two arty internal floors and everything else you’d expect when handing elements and the views, the latter being some o the over this much money in return or a bed or the night, greenest and most pleasant in the city. Plonked west o extras include conerence acilities, sauna, a cracking little the centre on the edge o one o the capital’s finest parks, Argentinean restaurant and arguably the best location in this business class box is a avourite among proessionals Vilnius.QC-2, Pilies 10, tel. (+370) 5 210 77 77, fax (+370) travelling individually or as part o a group who are there 5 210 77 70,
[email protected], www.atrium.lt. 30 rooms to use the fine conerence acilities. The 16th-floor restau(€60 - 140). PJHA6ULKDW hhhh hhhh rant-bar offers one o the prettiest places to get plastered in Lithuania.QF-4, M. K. Čiurlionio 84, tel. (+370) 5 274 34 00, fax (+370) 5 274 34 11,
[email protected], BEST WESTERN VILNIUS Located in the heart o the city’s main business district just www.cpvilnius.com. 108 rooms (€69 - 149). PHA north o the river, the our-star Best Western Vilnius is accord- RUFLKDXCWhhhh + ingly geared towards business travellers although there’s no reason why anybody else can’t stay there either. A wealth o DVARAS �MANOR HOUSE� tasteully decorated rooms plus a gorgeous apartment with Celebrating the ormer manor house status o the buildits own sauna are available, all coming with wireless internet, ing it’s located in, Dvaras is a small hotel with grand ideas, satellite television, minibars and other treats. A taxi to Old noticeable in everything rom the décor to the price. Just Town Town costs less less than €3. €3Q . A-00, Konstitucijos 14, tel. (+370) eight rooms, rom singles to luxury suites, are on offer, all 5 273 95 95, fax (+370) 5 273 95 00, offi
[email protected], given an old world treatment and all coming with lie’s www.vilniushotel.eu. 114 rooms (€79 - 2 32).PJHA little luxuries. There’s a couple o ancy restaurants as well, R6UFLKDCW hhhh all o it packaged together just a two-minute walk rom the Cathedral.QC-1, C-1, Tilto 3 -1, tel. (+370) 5 210 73 70, fax (+370) 5 261 87 83,
[email protected], www.dvaras.lt. 8 CONGRESS I this hotel was a person, it would proudly strut about and rooms (€76 - 129). PJHARLKW hhhh puff its chest out. And rightly so. Everything has a neat, tidy confidence about it, and even i you’re in a standard EUROPA ROYALE VILNIUS room, the place has an elegant yet business-class eel The Europa chain’s flagship Vilnius hotel continues continues to offer about it. We also like the ree wireless internet. Ater a high standards o service in an admirable Old Town location good night’s rest you’ll be ready to take on the town, and that’s hard to beat. The choice o individual rooms and suites will find yoursel conveniently located mid-way between is impressive, with even the most basic eaturing mini bars, Old Town and the business district north o the river.QB- ree wireless internet, air-conditioning and satellite televi0, Vilniaus 2, tel. (+370) 5 269 19 19, fax (+370) 5 251 42 sion. Also find meeting rooms, international press and the 80,
[email protected], www.congress.lt. 79 rooms (€87 - abulous Medininkai restaurant. One o the better places 290). PJHAFLKDW hhhh hhhh to stay in town i you can afford it.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 6, tel. (+370) 5 266 07 70, fax (+370) 5 261 20 00, vilnius@ europaroyale.com, www.europaroyale.com. 54 rooms CONTI A good choice o singles, doubles, business class rooms, (€64 - 279). PJHA6ULKW hhhh suites and apartments inside a well loc ated hotel boasting a splendid jumble o old and new. Rooms come with the GROTTHUSS BOUTIQUE HOTEL absolute minimum o internet connections, satellite televi- This excellent boutique hotel in a quiet Old Town street sion and minibars with add-ons including such opulence contains 20 rooms and suites complete with Italian urnias a Jacuzzi in the luxury room and apartments. The lobby ture, original art on the walls, wireless internet, minibars 72 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
and satellite television. Favoured by well-heeled visitors who like the personal touch, the hotel also eatures an in-house gourmet restaurant and state o the art business acilities.QB-5, Ligoninės 7, tel. (+370) 5 266 03 22, fax (+370) 5 266 03 23,
[email protected], www.grotthusshotel.com. 20 rooms (€100 - 150). JHAR6ILKXWhhhh +
HOLIDAY INN VILNIUS Just over the river in the northern business district, Vilnius’ Inn provides everything one now well established Holiday Inn provides would expect rom one o the world’s best known quality hotel brands. As well as a superb choice o reassuringly expensive rooms and suites, extras include a fine in-house restaurant, bar with big people- watching windows, ample business acilities and one o the best buffet breakasts in the city. The centre can be reached on oot in a matter o minutes, there are good public transport links in all directions and a taxi to O ld Town is more than affordable assuming you can afford to stay here in the first place. QB-00, Šeimyniškių 1, tel. (+370) 5 210 30 00, fax (+370) 5 210 30 01,
[email protected], www.holidayinnvilnius.lt. 134 rooms (€140 - 280). PJHARUFLK DXW hhhh hhhh MABRE RESIDENCE Found inside a abulous ormer monastery, some o it dating back as ar as the 17th century, this swanky hotel can be ound on the border o Old Town and Užupis inside a lovely quiet courtyard. Geared towards all types o traveller with a healthy bank account, rooms veer rom more than adequate singles to the wonderul (and surprisingly affordable) presidential suite. Surplus to the rooms are all manner o treats, rom the recommended sauna and small pool to the in-house steak restaurant.QD-3, Maironio 13, tel. (+370) 5 212 21 95, fax (+370) 5 212 22 40,
[email protected], www.mabre.lt. 40 rooms (€118 - 271). PJHAR6ULKD XCW hhhh hhhh+
NOVOTEL VILNIUS CENTRE Great comort and our-star luxury rom the international Novotelchain Novotel chain inside a large modern building in the heart o the city. Choices o rooms include Superior and Executive class as well as a handul o suites, all o them light and spacious, with many eaturing magnificent Old Town views. facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
CITY HOTELS RŪDNINKAI Situated at one o the city’s ormer gates and just across the road rom one o the ew remaining sections o the old city wall, this excellent budget option is now part o the City Hotels group, and offers bright, colourul rooms, all o which are en suite. There’s ree wireless internet throughout and at the time o writing an in-house Belgian restaurant, the menu o which includes mussels. A splendid location right on the edge o Old Town and within easy walking distance o the bus and train stations. QB5, Rūdninkų 15/46, tel. (+370) 5 261 39 16, fax (+370) 5 212 05 07,
[email protected], www.cityhotels.lt. 28 rooms (€52 - 94). PJAULKDW hhh hhh+
MID-RANGE
APIA HOTEL A small, amily-run hotel in a wonderul location in the heart o Old Town close to several good bars and restaurants, all rooms include ree internet access and satellite television plus there’s guarded parking and a riendly staff to help with whatever you need. Located inside a collection o abulously restored 17th century buildings, news filtering back rom previous guests suggests this one is definitely worth urther investigation.QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 12, tel. (+370) 5 212 34 26, fax (+370) 5 262 28 82,
[email protected], www.apia.lt. 12 rooms (€60 - 168). JAR6LW hhh hhh 74 Vilnius In Your Pocket
RATONDA CENTRUM HOTELS Another fine business-orientated hotel rom the Centrum people, this one being conveniently located close to the main commercial district along Gedimino and the Seimas just around the corner. All rooms come with telephone, pay-television and ree internet, with the superior rooms also boasting air conditioning. Little extras include all the usual provisions such as room service, laundry, and, i one has time on one’s hands, the option o tours around Vilnius and Lithuania.QG-3, A. Rotundo 1, tel. (+370) 5 212 06 70, fax (+370) 5 210 06 69, ratonda@centrumhotels. com, www.centrumhotels.com. 48 rooms (€50 - 130). JHA6UFLKDW hhhh hhhh
Cathedral-Basilica o St. Stanislaus & St. Ladislaus (see p.56) December 2014 - April 2015
73
Where to stay
SHAKESPEARE BOUTIQUE HOTEL To booka room, or not to to book a room, that is the question. Dickens, Joyce, Shakespeare o course and Tolstoy all have rooms named ater them in this literary-themed hotel in one o the quietest and nicest streets in Old Town. Surplus to the excellent acilities in the rooms, guests all g et a ree present on arrival, plus there’s a rather good restaurant and a rereshingly peaceul and recommended bar to boot. QD-2, Bernardinų 8/8, tel. (+370) 5 266 58 85, fax (+370) 5 266 58 86,
[email protected], www.shakespeare.lt. 31 rooms (€104 - 220). PJHAR6LKXW hhhh
AIRINN VILNIUS It’s been a long time coming and finally it’s happened. The ormer not very recommended hotel right next door to the airport has received a ull makeover and has been reborn as a respectable place to stay aimed at business travellers who need to get up at the crack o dawn and others who presumably like sleeping next to a runway. Four classes o room are available, all coming with wireless internet, minibars and widescreen televisions, plus there’s a host o communal eatures including bar, restaurant, conerence acilities and sauna. For what you get the prices seem very reasonable, so i you’re on an early flight out o the city you might want to think about spending another 30 minutes asleep and staying here.QRodūnios Kelias 8, tel. (+370) 5 232 93 04, fax (+370) 5 213 64 63,
[email protected], www. airinn.lt. 123 rooms (€52 - 86). HA6IFLK DW hhh
RADISSON BLU HOTEL LIETUVA The high-rise Radisson Blu has been one o Vilnius’ defin ing landmarks or decades. The bar on the top floor is one o the city’s legendary drinkers (and a must even i you are not staying here). Located north o the river it’s nevertheless well within comortable walking distance o the Old Town. The rooms themselves are as luxurious as you would expect, with those on the upper floors boasting some splendid views. Good in-house restaurants.QA00, Konstitucijos 20, tel. (+370) 5 272 62 72, fax (+370) 5 272 62 70,
[email protected], www.radissonblu.com/lietuvahotel-vilnius. 291 rooms (€69 - 500). POTJHARUFLKDW hhhh
NERINGA The superb Neringa hotel stands out as one o the city centre’s major business-class hotels. The Scandinavian-styled rooms come in both standard and superior classes, offering good value whilst still managing to provide everything the modern business traveller requires. Extras include a selection o international newspapers and magazines, a small pool and the abulous Neringa restaurant complete with original Soviet rescoes dating rom 1959.QA-1, Gedimino 23, tel. (+370) 5 212 22 88, fax (+370) 5 212 22 99,
[email protected], www.neringahotel.com. 60 rooms (€55 - 139). PJHAR6UFLK DXW hhhh hhhh
Where to stay
AAA MANO LIZA A small, amily-run hotel in a quiet Old Town backstreet, this place has been garnering constantly good opinions seemingly orever. And or good reason. With a boutique hotel eel, local art on the walls and the now almost standard inclusion that’s ree wireless internet, Mano Liza offers a personal touch lacking in many similar places. Those who stumble back in at dawn should take advantage o their much talked about all-day breakast. QB-5, Ligoninės 5, tel. (+370) 5 212 22 25, fax (+370) 5 212 25 08,
[email protected], www.hotelinvilnius.lt. 8 rooms (€63 147). JARLKW hhh
Facilities inside the rooms all include ree internet and a number o other excellent acilities. The hotel also eatures a good restaurant, bar, sauna, fitness centre and business options in a total o seven rooms complete with ull services.QB-2, Gedimino 16, tel. (+370) 5 266 62 00, fax (+370) 5 266 62 01,
[email protected], www.novotel.com. 159 rooms (€70 - 175). PTJHA6UFLK DW hhhh
Along the river
CENTRO KUBAS � ANGEL Angels, windmills, arming implements and an altogether rustic eel inside another avourite Vilnius hotel. Small enough or the personal touch to still shine through yet not too small to cram plenty o useul gadgets in the rooms. Hidden away down a wiggly Old Town street a ew metres rom the historic centre’s main thoroughare, it may not be the cheapest option around but i you’re planning on visiting regularly they do offer a good discount scheme.QC-4, Stiklių 3, tel. (+370) 5 266 08 60, f ax (+370) 5 266 08 63,
[email protected], www.hotel. centrokubas.lt. 14 rooms (€76 - 104). PJHA R6ULXW hhh
CITY GATE Close to the Dawn Gate, just outside Old Town and looking not unlike part o the set rom Gunfight at the O.K. Corral , this lovely little hotel affords a healthy space between itsel and the chaos o Friday night whilst still being just across the road rom the sights. The rooms are decent, all coming with ree wireless internet, plus there’s three conerence halls to contemplate or prospective visiting business travellers.QC-5, Bazilijonų 3, tel. (+370) 5 210 73 06, fax (+370) 5 210 73 07,
[email protected], www.citygate. lt. 29 rooms (€38 - 78). JHAULKW hhh hhh CITY HOTELS ALGIRDAS Located inside a grand-looking building close to the action and tantalisingly near to a clutch o superb Chinese restaurants and a 24-hour supermarket, the Algirdas boasts everything necessary or a comortable stay. The well appointed rooms all come with en suite acilities, wireless internet and a choice o extras according to price including rerigerators and kettles in the deluxe rooms. The in-house restaurant also churns out a menu o better than average ood plus the staff on reception are extremely helpul when it comes to getting hold o things generally difficult to find.QG-5, Algirdo 24, tel. (+370) 5 232 66 50, fax (+370) 5 232 66 54, info@ algirdashotel.lt, www.cityhotels.lt. 42 rooms (€41 - 80). PJHAULKXW hhh hhh+ vilnius.inyourpocket.com
COMFORT HOTEL LT Opened towards the end o the summer in 2012, Comfort Hotel LT offers flat screen televisions, heated bathroom floors, ree wireless internet, ree tea and coffee 24 hours a day and a lot more, all o it rereshingly close to the action and, best o all, all available or one o the best prices in town or the class. The in-house restaurant gives the option o eat-all-you-can buffet ood, plus there’s even more ree stuff in the orm o a gym that’s open around the clock. Definitely a welcome addition to the city and very much worth urther investigation.QA-6, Mindaugo 27/14, tel. (+370) 5 250 51 11, fax (+370) 685 989 20,
[email protected], www.comforthotel.lt. 200 rooms (€41 - 115). PJHAR6UFLKW hhh COMFORT VILNIUS Simplicity and style get together and have a bit o a cuddle in this bare-basics but nonetheless comortable little hide-away. Basically it’s a cheap-stay option with nice little touches (such as light-proo curtains and ree parking) that other budget beds come without. A quality bargain.QB5, Gėlių 5, tel. (+370) 5 264 88 33, fax (+370) 5 264 88 32,
[email protected], www.comfort.lt. 57 rooms (€59 - 109). JHA6LW hhh hhh DOMUS MARIA Excellent value Old Town accommodation inside a 17th century ormer Carmelite monastery, find 47 well appointed rooms including singles, doubles, triples, quads and luxury, some with splendid views and all with televisions, internet connections and en suite bathroom acilities. There’s conerence acilities available or those who need them plus an in-house caé where meals can be ordered throughout the day.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 12, tel. (+370) 5 264 48 80, fax (+370) 5 264 48 78, info@ domusmaria.com, www.domusmaria.lt. 47 rooms (€45 - 126). JHAULKW hhh hhh EUROPA CITY VILNIUS The perect budget business class h otel, eaturing comortable rooms with all the conveniences rom satellite television and minibar to top security card keys and internet connections. Add-ons include a fitness centre to keep in trim whilst you’re working abroad, conerence acilities and a white tablecloth restaurant.QG-4, J. Jasinskio 14, facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
tel. (+370) 5 251 44 77, fax (+370) 5 251 44 76, vilnius@ europacity.lt, www.europacity.lt. 128 rooms (€49 109). Breakfast not included. PJHAR6U FLKDXW hhh+
GRATA HOTEL It’s a bit o a saari to reach reception but once you do finally manage to find it you’ll be glad you did. Rereshingly welcoming, the hotel, perched on top o the hill not too ar rom Old Town, Town, is geared geared toward towardss thebusiness business travel traveller ler but but that that doesn’t doesn’t mean you have to wear a suit to stay here. The rooms eature classic business hotel blue carpets, en suite bathrooms, satellite television and minibars. A swimming pool is also available, plus there are urther business acilities and the added bonus o a bowling alley across the street.QG-4, Vytenio 9, tel. (+370) 5 268 33 00, fax (+370) 5 213 27 60, hotel@ gratahotel.com, www.gratahotel.com. 101 rooms (€30 119). THAR6ULKDXCW hhh hhh HOTEL TILTO An excellent location on a quiet Old Town street close to the Cathedral and other major sites, Hotel Tilto garners much praise rom those who’ve slept in their beds. Among the amenities are en suite acilities or all, satellite television and wireless internet access in a choice o rooms rom compact singles through to mini apartments. The staff are a riendly bunch plus there’s a small bar specialising in draught Guinness in Guinness in the cellar.QB-1, Tilto 8/3, tel. (+370) 5 210 00 21, fax (+370) 5 210 00 20, info@ hoteltilto.com, www.hoteltilto.com. 35 rooms (€62 100). PJARKDW hhh PANORAMA This surprising hotel rises above its location and offers wonderul views o Old Town and plenty o comort and luxury without steep prices. While it is very convenient to be across the square rom the bus and train stations, it is a convenience that is also enjoyed by all manner o scumbags, vagrants and weary commuters. Being in the reshly renovated hotel is lovely. Hanging around outside it is not. Still, it’s just a short stroll and a quick run o the gauntlet to Old Town, and the combination o views, basic comorts and reasonable prices is unmatched.QB-6, Sodų 14, tel. (+370) 5 233 88 22, fax (+370) 5 216 37 89, reception@ hotelpanorama.lt, www.mikotelgroup.com. 224 rooms (€86 - 155). JHA6ULKW hhh hhh PARK INN BY RADISSON VILNIUS Located 6km or so north o the city centre on the main road north out o the capital, Park Inn by Radisson Vilnius provides the usual excellent Park Inn experience or visitors o all persuasions. Featuring 84 Standard and Business Friendly rooms, acilities include bright and comortable accommodation with ree wireless internet as standard and a host o other treats. Extras include a restaurant, bar, large meeting room and ree parking.QUkmergės 363, tel. (+370) 5 238 80 00, fax (+370) 5 238 85 55, info.vilnius@rezidorparkinn. info.vilnius@rezidorparkinn. com, www.parkinn.com/hotel-vilnius. 84 rooms (€51 87). HAR6ULKXW hhh December 2014 - April 2015
75
Where to stay
Where to stay CITY HOTELS RŪDNINKAI Situated at one o the city’s ormer gates and just across the road rom one o the ew remaining sections o the old city wall, this excellent budget option is now part o the City Hotels group, and offers bright, colourul rooms, all o which are en suite. There’s ree wireless internet throughout and at the time o writing an in-house Belgian restaurant, the menu o which includes mussels. A splendid location right on the edge o Old Town and within easy walking distance o the bus and train stations. QB5, Rūdninkų 15/46, tel. (+370) 5 261 39 16, fax (+370) 5 212 05 07,
[email protected], www.cityhotels.lt. 28 rooms (€52 - 94). PJAULKDW hhh hhh+
SHAKESPEARE BOUTIQUE HOTEL To booka room, or not to to book a room, that is the question. Dickens, Joyce, Shakespeare o course and Tolstoy all have rooms named ater them in this literary-themed hotel in one o the quietest and nicest streets in Old Town. Surplus to the excellent acilities in the rooms, guests all g et a ree present on arrival, plus there’s a rather good restaurant and a rereshingly peaceul and recommended bar to boot. QD-2, Bernardinų 8/8, tel. (+370) 5 266 58 85, fax (+370) 5 266 58 86,
[email protected], www.shakespeare.lt. 31 rooms (€104 - 220). PJHAR6LKXW hhhh
MID-RANGE AAA MANO LIZA A small, amily-run hotel in a quiet Old Town backstreet, this place has been garnering constantly good opinions seemingly orever. And or good reason. With a boutique hotel eel, local art on the walls and the now almost standard inclusion that’s ree wireless internet, Mano Liza offers a personal touch lacking in many similar places. Those who stumble back in at dawn should take advantage o their much talked about all-day breakast. QB-5, Ligoninės 5, tel. (+370) 5 212 22 25, fax (+370) 5 212 25 08,
[email protected], www.hotelinvilnius.lt. 8 rooms (€63 147). JARLKW hhh AIRINN VILNIUS It’s been a long time coming and finally it’s happened. The ormer not very recommended hotel right next door to the airport has received a ull makeover and has been reborn as a respectable place to stay aimed at business travellers who need to get up at the crack o dawn and others who presumably like sleeping next to a runway. Four classes o room are available, all coming with wireless internet, minibars and widescreen televisions, plus there’s a host o communal eatures including bar, restaurant, conerence acilities and sauna. For what you get the prices seem very reasonable, so i you’re on an early flight out o the city you might want to think about spending another 30 minutes asleep and staying here.QRodūnios Kelias 8, tel. (+370) 5 232 93 04, fax (+370) 5 213 64 63,
[email protected], www. airinn.lt. 123 rooms (€52 - 86). HA6IFLK DW hhh APIA HOTEL A small, amily-run hotel in a wonderul location in the heart o Old Town close to several good bars and restaurants, all rooms include ree internet access and satellite television plus there’s guarded parking and a riendly staff to help with whatever you need. Located inside a collection o abulously restored 17th century buildings, news filtering back rom previous guests suggests this one is definitely worth urther investigation.QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 12, tel. (+370) 5 212 34 26, fax (+370) 5 262 28 82,
[email protected], www.apia.lt. 12 rooms (€60 - 168). JAR6LW hhh hhh 74 Vilnius In Your Pocket
Along the river
CENTRO KUBAS � ANGEL Angels, windmills, arming implements and an altogether rustic eel inside another avourite Vilnius hotel. Small enough or the personal touch to still shine through yet not too small to cram plenty o useul gadgets in the rooms. Hidden away down a wiggly Old Town street a ew metres rom the historic centre’s main thoroughare, it may not be the cheapest option around but i you’re planning on visiting regularly they do offer a good discount scheme.QC-4, Stiklių 3, tel. (+370) 5 266 08 60, f ax (+370) 5 266 08 63,
[email protected], www.hotel. centrokubas.lt. 14 rooms (€76 - 104). PJHA R6ULXW hhh
CITY GATE Close to the Dawn Gate, just outside Old Town and looking not unlike part o the set rom Gunfight at the O.K. Corral , this lovely little hotel affords a healthy space between itsel and the chaos o Friday night whilst still being just across the road rom the sights. The rooms are decent, all coming with ree wireless internet, plus there’s three conerence halls to contemplate or prospective visiting business travellers.QC-5, Bazilijonų 3, tel. (+370) 5 210 73 06, fax (+370) 5 210 73 07,
[email protected], www.citygate. lt. 29 rooms (€38 - 78). JHAULKW hhh hhh CITY HOTELS ALGIRDAS Located inside a grand-looking building close to the action and tantalisingly near to a clutch o superb Chinese restaurants and a 24-hour supermarket, the Algirdas boasts everything necessary or a comortable stay. The well appointed rooms all come with en suite acilities, wireless internet and a choice o extras according to price including rerigerators and kettles in the deluxe rooms. The in-house restaurant also churns out a menu o better than average ood plus the staff on reception are extremely helpul when it comes to getting hold o things generally difficult to find.QG-5, Algirdo 24, tel. (+370) 5 232 66 50, fax (+370) 5 232 66 54, info@ algirdashotel.lt, www.cityhotels.lt. 42 rooms (€41 - 80). PJHAULKXW hhh hhh+ vilnius.inyourpocket.com
COMFORT HOTEL LT Opened towards the end o the summer in 2012, Comfort Hotel LT offers flat screen televisions, heated bathroom floors, ree wireless internet, ree tea and coffee 24 hours a day and a lot more, all o it rereshingly close to the action and, best o all, all available or one o the best prices in town or the class. The in-house restaurant gives the option o eat-all-you-can buffet ood, plus there’s even more ree stuff in the orm o a gym that’s open around the clock. Definitely a welcome addition to the city and very much worth urther investigation.QA-6, Mindaugo 27/14, tel. (+370) 5 250 51 11, fax (+370) 685 989 20,
[email protected], www.comforthotel.lt. 200 rooms (€41 - 115). PJHAR6UFLKW hhh COMFORT VILNIUS Simplicity and style get together and have a bit o a cuddle in this bare-basics but nonetheless comortable little hide-away. Basically it’s a cheap-stay option with nice little touches (such as light-proo curtains and ree parking) that other budget beds come without. A quality bargain.QB5, Gėlių 5, tel. (+370) 5 264 88 33, fax (+370) 5 264 88 32,
[email protected], www.comfort.lt. 57 rooms (€59 - 109). JHA6LW hhh hhh DOMUS MARIA Excellent value Old Town accommodation inside a 17th century ormer Carmelite monastery, find 47 well appointed rooms including singles, doubles, triples, quads and luxury, some with splendid views and all with televisions, internet connections and en suite bathroom acilities. There’s conerence acilities available or those who need them plus an in-house caé where meals can be ordered throughout the day.QC-5, Aušros Vartų 12, tel. (+370) 5 264 48 80, fax (+370) 5 264 48 78, info@ domusmaria.com, www.domusmaria.lt. 47 rooms (€45 - 126). JHAULKW hhh hhh EUROPA CITY VILNIUS The perect budget business class h otel, eaturing comortable rooms with all the conveniences rom satellite television and minibar to top security card keys and internet connections. Add-ons include a fitness centre to keep in trim whilst you’re working abroad, conerence acilities and a white tablecloth restaurant.QG-4, J. Jasinskio 14, facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Where to stay RINNO Just west o Old Town in a small, quiet street, Rinno is a good-looking three-star hotel in an admirable location or an affordable price. The rooms come in several categories rom the good value standards through to luxury rooms complete with a large bath and minibar. All rooms eature ree wireless internet, although you should check first to make sure you get a room close to the wireless box to make sure the signal is strong enough. All in all a decent place to stay in an admirable location that won’t break the bank.QA-4, Vingrių 25, tel. (+370) 5 262 28 28, fax (+370) 5 262 59 29,
[email protected], www.rinno.lt. 18 rooms (€43 - 99). JHA6LKW hhh hhh
BUDGET CAMPANILE VILNIUS AIRPORT This new, recently-opened place is a more than welcome addition to the still nascent well-priced-accommodationin-Vilnius scene. When you check-in here you can expect to find a lot more room than you should be getting or this little money, a very good buffet breakast, ree Wifi and even coffee and tea in your room. A bargain, quite rankly. QMinsko 14, tel. (+370) 5 203 22 82, fax (+370) 5 203 22 81,
[email protected], www.campanile.com. 92 rooms (€39 - 56). PHAR6ULKW hh CORNER HOTEL An excellent budget choice close to Old Town at the top o the hill, this clean and modern option provides a range o simple en suite rooms or between one and our guests , ree wireless internet and a better than average breakast. Corner Hotel is also worth considering i you’re coming to stay or a while, offering serviced en suite rooms with shared kitchen and laundry acilities. It’s also just around the corner rom Algirdo, a street boasting several good restaurants.QG-5, T. Ševčenkos 16, tel. (+370) 5 210 23 61, fax (+370) 5 210 23 64,
[email protected], www. cornerhotel.lt. 138 rooms (€44 - 83). HA6UW hh
ECOTEL VILNIUS Tucked away in a pleasant, quiet par t o town just east o the city’s emerging business district, Ecotel offers a choice o sleek and comortable rooms, all coming with telephone and television, and including a range or non- smokers and those with allergy problems. With conerence acilities and a whole host o other services (including ‘rooms or tall guests’) this might be the loty option you’re looking or.QB-00, Slucko 8, tel. (+370) 5 210 27 00, fax (+370) 5 210 27 07,
[email protected], www.ecotel.lt. 166 rooms (€58 - 81). JHAR6ULW hh+ MIKOTEL The receptionists are cheerul and outgoing at this modern hotel near the train station. Fortunately, unlike its dismal surroundings the hotel’s interior is clean and bright with the added touch o local artwork or sale on the walls. The rooms are compact with showers only and comortable 76 Vilnius In Your Pocket
tel. (+370) 5 251 44 77, fax (+370) 5 251 44 76, vilnius@ europacity.lt, www.europacity.lt. 128 rooms (€49 109). Breakfast not included. PJHAR6U FLKDXW hhh+
GRATA HOTEL It’s a bit o a saari to reach reception but once you do finally manage to find it you’ll be glad you did. Rereshingly welcoming, the hotel, perched on top o the hill not too ar rom Old Town, Town, is geared geared toward towardss thebusiness business travel traveller ler but but that that doesn’t doesn’t mean you have to wear a suit to stay here. The rooms eature classic business hotel blue carpets, en suite bathrooms, satellite television and minibars. A swimming pool is also available, plus there are urther business acilities and the added bonus o a bowling alley across the street.QG-4, Vytenio 9, tel. (+370) 5 268 33 00, fax (+370) 5 213 27 60, hotel@ gratahotel.com, www.gratahotel.com. 101 rooms (€30 119). THAR6ULKDXCW hhh hhh HOTEL TILTO An excellent location on a quiet Old Town street close to the Cathedral and other major sites, Hotel Tilto garners much praise rom those who’ve slept in their beds. Among the amenities are en suite acilities or all, satellite television and wireless internet access in a choice o rooms rom compact singles through to mini apartments. The staff are a riendly bunch plus there’s a small bar specialising in draught Guinness in Guinness in the cellar.QB-1, Tilto 8/3, tel. (+370) 5 210 00 21, fax (+370) 5 210 00 20, info@ hoteltilto.com, www.hoteltilto.com. 35 rooms (€62 100). PJARKDW hhh PANORAMA This surprising hotel rises above its location and offers wonderul views o Old Town and plenty o comort and luxury without steep prices. While it is very convenient to be across the square rom the bus and train stations, it is a convenience that is also enjoyed by all manner o scumbags, vagrants and weary commuters. Being in the reshly renovated hotel is lovely. Hanging around outside it is not. Still, it’s just a short stroll and a quick run o the gauntlet to Old Town, and the combination o views, basic comorts and reasonable prices is unmatched.QB-6, Sodų 14, tel. (+370) 5 233 88 22, fax (+370) 5 216 37 89, reception@ hotelpanorama.lt, www.mikotelgroup.com. 224 rooms (€86 - 155). JHA6ULKW hhh hhh PARK INN BY RADISSON VILNIUS Located 6km or so north o the city centre on the main road north out o the capital, Park Inn by Radisson Vilnius provides the usual excellent Park Inn experience or visitors o all persuasions. Featuring 84 Standard and Business Friendly rooms, acilities include bright and comortable accommodation with ree wireless internet as standard and a host o other treats. Extras include a restaurant, bar, large meeting room and ree parking.QUkmergės 363, tel. (+370) 5 238 80 00, fax (+370) 5 238 85 55, info.vilnius@rezidorparkinn. info.vilnius@rezidorparkinn. com, www.parkinn.com/hotel-vilnius. 84 rooms (€51 87). HAR6ULKXW hhh December 2014 - April 2015
75
Where to stay beds.QC-6, Pylimo 63, tel. (+370) 5 260 96 26, f ax (+370) 5 260 96 27,
[email protected], www.mikotelgroup. com. 26 rooms (€55 - 98). JA6UW hh
BED & BREAKFAST The Lithuanian definition o Bed & Breakast conorms to the US model. Visitors rom the UK should note that the two are as different as can be. Whereas in the United Kingdom B&B is more or less a small, usually amily-run hotel, in Lithuania it’s more o an apartment kind o thing. Indeed, most Lithuanian B&Bs are just that. Here it can also mean any kind o hosted accommodation, accommodation, whether being a room in a amily house to something similar in a building run by proessional staff. So, not really Bed & Breakast as is so amous in Blighty. Brits beware! I in doubt, make sure to ask plenty o questions beore booking something you never really wanted.
BERNARDINŲ B&B HOUSE An excellent value little guesthouse, smack bang in the middle o Old Town.QD-2, Bernardinų 5, tel. (+370) 5 261 51 34, fax (+370) 5 260 84 10, info@bernardinuhouse. com, www.bernardinuhouse.com. 10 rooms (€35 - 79). Breakfast not included. JA6LW VILNIUS HOME BED&BREAKFAST A new bed and breakast and on first inspection a most welcome one. Located in a little house in an Old Town courtyard, its a clean and rather cosy kind o place with a touch o colour in all o the rooms. You can pick rom various rooms: singles, doubles or dorms. There is a wellequipped kitchen and bathrooms are immaculate. Excellent value.QA-3, Pylimo 14b, tel. (+370) 656 050 36,
[email protected], www.vilniushome.eu. 7 rooms (€13 - 90). JAW
GUESTHOUSES DOWNTOWN FOREST A big riendly manor house in Užupis ull o big riendly staff tucked away just off the street in a genuine orest setting. The rooms are bright and modern, and there is a variety o sizes, rom dorms to private doubles, with a lovely camping site outside in the right season. Free tea and coffee, resh croissants available every morning and an honour bar or drinks. Not your average hostel, this is a winner. No wonder all the travellers we have spoken to love it.QX-4, Paupio 31a, tel. (+370) 5 264 31 13, fax (+370) 5 264 31 12,
[email protected], www. downtownforest.lt. 22 rooms (€7 - 58). AR6IW LITINTERP GUEST HOUSE A perectly-located Old Town guest house which has become something o a Vilnius legend. The Litinterp has been offering good quality and outstanding value accommodation or more than two decades, and is something o a avourite or old Vilnius hands when they return to the city or a visit. The breakast (which costs a little extra) is vilnius.inyourpocket.com
delivered-to-your-door treat, and there are kitchen aa delivered-to-your-door cilities too: perect or amilies. Airport pick-up and help with car rental available. Oten ully booked (it really is that good and popular) reserve a room well ahead. QD2, Bernardinų 7, tel. (+370) 5 212 38 50/(+370) 689 985 17, fax (+370) 5 212 35 59,
[email protected], www. litinterp.com. 16 rooms (€20 - 52). Breakfast not included. JAW
HOSTELS DO RE MI VILNIUS HOSTEL Small, clean, riendly and centrally located towards the western end o Gedimino, Do Re Mi offers a total o just six rooms o which our come with en suite acilities and the remaining two the sharing o bathrooms, both or an excellent price. Other hostel-type amenities include laundry and ree wireless internet. I you’re coming in and out o town by air and want a cheap place to stay with all the major sights within easy walking distance, this place should be high up on your list o options.QG-3/4, Aukų 3, tel. (+370) 609 274 64,
[email protected], www. doremihostel.com. 6 rooms (€9 - 30). Breakfast not included. JALW FABRIKA HOSTEL & BAR Smack bang in the city centre, this industrial-eel hostel eatures a range o rooms rom dormitories to more private spaces, all with shared bathrooms. There’s ree wireless internet throughout plus a common room and a place facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
to get your washing done. Bicycle rental is also available, and it also doubles as an interesting art gallery.QA-1, A. Vienuolio 4, tel. (+370) 5 203 10 05, mail@Fabrikahostel. com, www.fabrikahostel.com. 10 rooms (€8 - 30). Breakfast unavailable. JHAR6W
FILARETAI A back-to-basics hostel in the quirky Užupis district, accommodation comes in the usual dormitory style or, as is increasingly popular in hostels these days, with twin rooms or more privacy. Bathroom and kitchen acilities are shared, there’s also laundry acilities, plus, unlike some, 17, tel. (+370) 5 there’s no annoying curew.QJ-4, Filaretų 17, 215 46 27, info@filaretaihostel.lt, www.filaretaihostel.lt. 20 rooms (€9 - 20). Breakfast not included. HA FORTUNA HOSTEL From the same people as Old Town Hostel , Fortuna is located just south o Old Town close to the bus and train stations. Featuring lots o exposed stonework alongside modern conveniences, rooms come in range o choices rom the usual dorms to twins. Everyone speaks English, plus there’s a good kitchen and even a place to park a car.QD-6, Liepkalnio 2, tel. (+370) 656 222 91,
[email protected], www. fortunahostel.lt. 14 rooms (€7 - 46). Breakfast not available. JA6LW JAMAIKA It’s a well-priced hostel on the edge o the Old Town that has an enormous Bob Marley mural painted on the (green) December 2014 - April 2015
77
Where to stay RINNO Just west o Old Town in a small, quiet street, Rinno is a good-looking three-star hotel in an admirable location or an affordable price. The rooms come in several categories rom the good value standards through to luxury rooms complete with a large bath and minibar. All rooms eature ree wireless internet, although you should check first to make sure you get a room close to the wireless box to make sure the signal is strong enough. All in all a decent place to stay in an admirable location that won’t break the bank.QA-4, Vingrių 25, tel. (+370) 5 262 28 28, fax (+370) 5 262 59 29,
[email protected], www.rinno.lt. 18 rooms (€43 - 99). JHA6LKW hhh hhh
BUDGET CAMPANILE VILNIUS AIRPORT This new, recently-opened place is a more than welcome addition to the still nascent well-priced-accommodationin-Vilnius scene. When you check-in here you can expect to find a lot more room than you should be getting or this little money, a very good buffet breakast, ree Wifi and even coffee and tea in your room. A bargain, quite rankly. QMinsko 14, tel. (+370) 5 203 22 82, fax (+370) 5 203 22 81,
[email protected], www.campanile.com. 92 rooms (€39 - 56). PHAR6ULKW hh CORNER HOTEL An excellent budget choice close to Old Town at the top o the hill, this clean and modern option provides a range o simple en suite rooms or between one and our guests , ree wireless internet and a better than average breakast. Corner Hotel is also worth considering i you’re coming to stay or a while, offering serviced en suite rooms with shared kitchen and laundry acilities. It’s also just around the corner rom Algirdo, a street boasting several good restaurants.QG-5, T. Ševčenkos 16, tel. (+370) 5 210 23 61, fax (+370) 5 210 23 64,
[email protected], www. cornerhotel.lt. 138 rooms (€44 - 83). HA6UW hh
ECOTEL VILNIUS Tucked away in a pleasant, quiet par t o town just east o the city’s emerging business district, Ecotel offers a choice o sleek and comortable rooms, all coming with telephone and television, and including a range or non- smokers and those with allergy problems. With conerence acilities and a whole host o other services (including ‘rooms or tall guests’) this might be the loty option you’re looking or.QB-00, Slucko 8, tel. (+370) 5 210 27 00, fax (+370) 5 210 27 07,
[email protected], www.ecotel.lt. 166 rooms (€58 - 81). JHAR6ULW hh+ MIKOTEL The receptionists are cheerul and outgoing at this modern hotel near the train station. Fortunately, unlike its dismal surroundings the hotel’s interior is clean and bright with the added touch o local artwork or sale on the walls. The rooms are compact with showers only and comortable
Where to stay beds.QC-6, Pylimo 63, tel. (+370) 5 260 96 26, f ax (+370) 5 260 96 27,
[email protected], www.mikotelgroup. com. 26 rooms (€55 - 98). JA6UW hh
BED & BREAKFAST The Lithuanian definition o Bed & Breakast conorms to the US model. Visitors rom the UK should note that the two are as different as can be. Whereas in the United Kingdom B&B is more or less a small, usually amily-run hotel, in Lithuania it’s more o an apartment kind o thing. Indeed, most Lithuanian B&Bs are just that. Here it can also mean any kind o hosted accommodation, accommodation, whether being a room in a amily house to something similar in a building run by proessional staff. So, not really Bed & Breakast as is so amous in Blighty. Brits beware! I in doubt, make sure to ask plenty o questions beore booking something you never really wanted.
BERNARDINŲ B&B HOUSE An excellent value little guesthouse, smack bang in the middle o Old Town.QD-2, Bernardinų 5, tel. (+370) 5 261 51 34, fax (+370) 5 260 84 10, info@bernardinuhouse. com, www.bernardinuhouse.com. 10 rooms (€35 - 79). Breakfast not included. JA6LW VILNIUS HOME BED&BREAKFAST A new bed and breakast and on first inspection a most welcome one. Located in a little house in an Old Town courtyard, its a clean and rather cosy kind o place with a touch o colour in all o the rooms. You can pick rom various rooms: singles, doubles or dorms. There is a wellequipped kitchen and bathrooms are immaculate. Excellent value.QA-3, Pylimo 14b, tel. (+370) 656 050 36,
[email protected], www.vilniushome.eu. 7 rooms (€13 - 90). JAW
GUESTHOUSES DOWNTOWN FOREST A big riendly manor house in Užupis ull o big riendly staff tucked away just off the street in a genuine orest setting. The rooms are bright and modern, and there is a variety o sizes, rom dorms to private doubles, with a lovely camping site outside in the right season. Free tea and coffee, resh croissants available every morning and an honour bar or drinks. Not your average hostel, this is a winner. No wonder all the travellers we have spoken to love it.QX-4, Paupio 31a, tel. (+370) 5 264 31 13, fax (+370) 5 264 31 12,
[email protected], www. downtownforest.lt. 22 rooms (€7 - 58). AR6IW LITINTERP GUEST HOUSE A perectly-located Old Town guest house which has become something o a Vilnius legend. The Litinterp has been offering good quality and outstanding value accommodation or more than two decades, and is something o a avourite or old Vilnius hands when they return to the city or a visit. The breakast (which costs a little extra) is
76 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
delivered-to-your-door treat, and there are kitchen aa delivered-to-your-door cilities too: perect or amilies. Airport pick-up and help with car rental available. Oten ully booked (it really is that good and popular) reserve a room well ahead. QD2, Bernardinų 7, tel. (+370) 5 212 38 50/(+370) 689 985 17, fax (+370) 5 212 35 59,
[email protected], www. litinterp.com. 16 rooms (€20 - 52). Breakfast not included. JAW
HOSTELS DO RE MI VILNIUS HOSTEL Small, clean, riendly and centrally located towards the western end o Gedimino, Do Re Mi offers a total o just six rooms o which our come with en suite acilities and the remaining two the sharing o bathrooms, both or an excellent price. Other hostel-type amenities include laundry and ree wireless internet. I you’re coming in and out o town by air and want a cheap place to stay with all the major sights within easy walking distance, this place should be high up on your list o options.QG-3/4, Aukų 3, tel. (+370) 609 274 64,
[email protected], www. doremihostel.com. 6 rooms (€9 - 30). Breakfast not included. JALW FABRIKA HOSTEL & BAR Smack bang in the city centre, this industrial-eel hostel eatures a range o rooms rom dormitories to more private spaces, all with shared bathrooms. There’s ree wireless internet throughout plus a common room and a place
to get your washing done. Bicycle rental is also available, and it also doubles as an interesting art gallery.QA-1, A. Vienuolio 4, tel. (+370) 5 203 10 05, mail@Fabrikahostel. com, www.fabrikahostel.com. 10 rooms (€8 - 30). Breakfast unavailable. JHAR6W
FILARETAI A back-to-basics hostel in the quirky Užupis district, accommodation comes in the usual dormitory style or, as is increasingly popular in hostels these days, with twin rooms or more privacy. Bathroom and kitchen acilities are shared, there’s also laundry acilities, plus, unlike some, 17, tel. (+370) 5 there’s no annoying curew.QJ-4, Filaretų 17, 215 46 27, info@filaretaihostel.lt, www.filaretaihostel.lt. 20 rooms (€9 - 20). Breakfast not included. HA FORTUNA HOSTEL From the same people as Old Town Hostel , Fortuna is located just south o Old Town close to the bus and train stations. Featuring lots o exposed stonework alongside modern conveniences, rooms come in range o choices rom the usual dorms to twins. Everyone speaks English, plus there’s a good kitchen and even a place to park a car.QD-6, Liepkalnio 2, tel. (+370) 656 222 91,
[email protected], www. fortunahostel.lt. 14 rooms (€7 - 46). Breakfast not available. JA6LW JAMAIKA It’s a well-priced hostel on the edge o the Old Town that has an enormous Bob Marley mural painted on the (green)
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
Where to stay
Mail & Phones POST
kitchen wall. Do you need any more reason to come and stay here? Well, try spacious, immaculately clean rooms (even the dorms), plenty o colour and a crowd as mixed and riendly as you will find anywhere. You can’t miss this place: just look or the Jamaican flag above the door. QC-5, Visų Šventųjų 9, tel. (+370) 688 767 66, info@ vilniushostel.eu, www.vilniushostel.eu. 15 rooms (€10 - 60). JHAW
OLD TOWN HOSTEL Not strictly in the Old Town (but no more than a five minute walk way) this hostel packs a serious punch or the paltry amount o money it costs to stay here, offering more than a ew extras alongside your rather basic dorm room bed. As clean as a whistle, there’s ree Wifi throughout, a ully-equipped kitchen, ree lockers and the staff are genuinely multi-lingual. There are even a couple o rooms with en-suite bathrooms i you stump some extra cash. No breakast though, unless you cook your own.QC/D-6, Aušros Vartų 20-15, tel. (+370) 5 262 53 57, fax (+370) 5 268 59 67,
[email protected], www.oldtownhostel. lt. 5 rooms (€8 - 14, €26 - 46). Breakfast unavailable. JRW POGO HOSTEL From the same people behind one o the best bars in Lithuania comes this new hostel, located in one o the best locations in the city, clean, simple, un and amazingly good value or money. Rooms range rom extremely affordable singles through to dorms that sleep up to 10 and the people who run it are ver y riendly. An exceptionally good option or anyone looking to meet like-minded people with a youthul outlook and a taste or good beer.QC/D-2, B. Radvilaitės 3-1, tel. (+370) 670 795 91,
[email protected], www.pogohostel.lt. 6 rooms (€8 - 26). Breakfast not included. JAW
LONG TERM RENT RENTAL AL Note that many o these places are also available or short-term rental - check the prices at the end o the reviews.
STIKLIŲ DVARAS �STIKLIAI APARTMENTS� APARTMENTS� Luxuriously urnished apartments inside a 16th- and 17th-century building available or both short- and long-term rental. Tasteully decorated and located in the same building as the Relais & Chateaux Stikliai hotel, apartments come ully equipped with lounge, kitchen, bathroom, one or two bedrooms plus satellite television and internet access. There’s underground parking too, plus guests/residents have access to the adjoining hotel’s fitness centre and swimming pool. QB-3, Dominikonų 13, tel. (+370) 5 264 95 95, fax (+370) 5 212 38 70, apartments@stikliaihotel. lt, www.stikliai.com. 10 rooms (€2000 - 3800). PTJHARFLKDXC 78 Vilnius In Your Pocket
77
CENTRAL POST OFFICE �CENTRINIS PAŠTAS� Built in 1886 the Vilnius central post office is a fine example o neo-renaissance architecture. Redesigned in 1965 the acade nevertheless retains its original, classical elements and is something o a gem. Inside you can get just about everything done you’d expect o a post office, and plenty more besides, including buying souvenirs and bus tickets. Look out or commemorative stamps and various philatelic material on sale. Late night post offices operate in two o the city’s large shopping centres at Ozo 25 (Akropolis), open 10:00 - 22:00, and Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama), open 08:00 - 22:00.QB-1, Gedimino 7, tel. (+370) 700 554 00, www.post.lt. Open 08:30 - 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. J
SHORT TERM RENT RENTAL AL BARBACAN APARTMENTS A range o extremely high quality two- and three-room apartments in a quiet location and a lovely old building in Old Town. Facilities include underground parking, satellite television, internet, ully equipped kitchens and everything else necessary or a luxurious stay. Apartments are available to rent or both long and short stays. QD-4, Bokšto 19/12, tel. (+370) 615 126 88,
[email protected], www. aparthotel.lt. (€60 - 120). PTJA6ULXW EUGENIJUS APARTMENTS A choice o two decent, good value apartments in Old Town, located at street level or easy access and coming with everything required or a sel-catering stay. Close to the main sights, the apartments are managed by a local husband and wie who run a small ceramics workshop and gallery in the city. Other services include car and bicycle rental, guided tours and translation services.QA-2, Vilniaus 25-1, tel. (+370) 699 424 56,
[email protected], www.vilniusapartments.lt. (€30 - 40). JL RENTIDA APARTMENTS Modern and classy apartments with all the trimmings on a abulous Old Town street close to the oldest church in the city. Peaceul, and with some great views out o the windows, acilities include wireless internet and cable television.QB-4, Šv. Mikalojaus 5, tel. (+370) 682 281 42,
[email protected], www.rentida.lt. 16 rooms (€44 - 75). TJW
Lithuania €0.48 €0.45 € 0.72
Letter (4 (44g) Postcard (20g) CD (130g)
Wireless Free wireless internet in the centre o Vilnius
has more or less reached saturation point, with scores o hotels, restaurants, bars and even shopping centres providing ast connection speeds at no cost. I you can’t find a ree connection, the national Zebra network oers a range o paid services including a handy option or browsing over a 24 hour period or just €1.45, which is available via SMS to anyone with a local mobile number. 3G/4G Bitė (www.bite.lt) and Omnitel (www.omnitel. lt) provide 3G services or laptop connection to the internet allegedly wherever you are within Lithuania. Far rom perect, i you’re prepared or slightly slower speeds than broadband and the occasional loss o signal then one o these services might me just or you. The abovementioned mobile operators also offer the so-called pre4G services, although the only true 4G service is provided by Mezon (www.mezon.lt), which can be ordered with the help o a local or a period o two weeks or just €8.40.
EU €0.85 €0.71 €1.71
Outside EU €0.97 €0.84 €3.40
EXPRESS MAIL RA RATES TES Comparative Comparative rates or sending a package weighing a maximum o 500g. DHL
LAPTOP LOGIN One o many gorgeous Vilnius courtyards
POSTAL RATES
TNT UPS
London
Paris
New York
€49.23 €47.20 €40. €40.84 84
€49.23 €52.42 €55. €55.60 60
€69.50 €76.75 €80. €80.80 80
TELEPHONES TEO The people to call i you want a new telephone line. 1817, www.teo.lt. Open 09:0 0 QUkmergės 223, tel. 1817, 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Also at Savanorių 18.
MOBILE PHONES BITĖQF-5, Žemaitės 15, tel. (+370) 699 232 30/1501, www.bite.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Also at Sodų 22 (Bus Station), Konstitucijos 16 (VCUP), Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama). A OMNITELQB-1, Gedimino 12, tel. 1533, www.omnitel. lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, S at 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. Also at Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama), Žirmūnų 2 (IKI Commercial Centre). J TELE2QB-6, Sodų 22 (Bus Station), tel. (+370) 600 535 11, www.tele2.lt. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at Mindaugo 11 (Maxima).
ISPS ZEBRAQtel. 1817, www.teo.lt.
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/inyourpocket
View o Gedimino prospektas rom the cathedral belry (see p.57)
PREPAID SIM CARDS
STASYS APARTMENTS A choice o several apartments to suit every taste and budget, centrally located, and eaturing everything necessary or a pleasant, sel-catering stay. Satellite television in every apartment.Qtel. (+370) 699 326 72,
[email protected], www.apartment-vilnius.com. www.apartment-vilnius.com. (€35 - 85). W vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Card Bitė (Labas)
Price (€) Local (€)
1.74 Omnitel (Ežys) 1.01 TELE2 (Pildyk) 1.45
0.16 0.06 0.14
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
London (€/min) Top-up (€)
SMS (€)
Voicemail (€/call) Coverage
0.84 0.23 0.53
0.03 0.03 0.03
0.14 Free 0.04
From 1.45 From 1.45 From 1.45
99% 99% 96%
December 2014 - April 2015
79
Where to stay
Mail & Phones POST
kitchen wall. Do you need any more reason to come and stay here? Well, try spacious, immaculately clean rooms (even the dorms), plenty o colour and a crowd as mixed and riendly as you will find anywhere. You can’t miss this place: just look or the Jamaican flag above the door. QC-5, Visų Šventųjų 9, tel. (+370) 688 767 66, info@ vilniushostel.eu, www.vilniushostel.eu. 15 rooms (€10 - 60). JHAW
OLD TOWN HOSTEL Not strictly in the Old Town (but no more than a five minute walk way) this hostel packs a serious punch or the paltry amount o money it costs to stay here, offering more than a ew extras alongside your rather basic dorm room bed. As clean as a whistle, there’s ree Wifi throughout, a ully-equipped kitchen, ree lockers and the staff are genuinely multi-lingual. There are even a couple o rooms with en-suite bathrooms i you stump some extra cash. No breakast though, unless you cook your own.QC/D-6, Aušros Vartų 20-15, tel. (+370) 5 262 53 57, fax (+370) 5 268 59 67,
[email protected], www.oldtownhostel. lt. 5 rooms (€8 - 14, €26 - 46). Breakfast unavailable. JRW POGO HOSTEL From the same people behind one o the best bars in Lithuania comes this new hostel, located in one o the best locations in the city, clean, simple, un and amazingly good value or money. Rooms range rom extremely affordable singles through to dorms that sleep up to 10 and the people who run it are ver y riendly. An exceptionally good option or anyone looking to meet like-minded people with a youthul outlook and a taste or good beer.QC/D-2, B. Radvilaitės 3-1, tel. (+370) 670 795 91,
[email protected], www.pogohostel.lt. 6 rooms (€8 - 26). Breakfast not included. JAW
LONG TERM RENT RENTAL AL Note that many o these places are also available or short-term rental - check the prices at the end o the reviews.
STIKLIŲ DVARAS �STIKLIAI APARTMENTS� APARTMENTS� Luxuriously urnished apartments inside a 16th- and 17th-century building available or both short- and long-term rental. Tasteully decorated and located in the same building as the Relais & Chateaux Stikliai hotel, apartments come ully equipped with lounge, kitchen, bathroom, one or two bedrooms plus satellite television and internet access. There’s underground parking too, plus guests/residents have access to the adjoining hotel’s fitness centre and swimming pool. QB-3, Dominikonų 13, tel. (+370) 5 264 95 95, fax (+370) 5 212 38 70, apartments@stikliaihotel. lt, www.stikliai.com. 10 rooms (€2000 - 3800). PTJHARFLKDXC
CENTRAL POST OFFICE �CENTRINIS PAŠTAS� Built in 1886 the Vilnius central post office is a fine example o neo-renaissance architecture. Redesigned in 1965 the acade nevertheless retains its original, classical elements and is something o a gem. Inside you can get just about everything done you’d expect o a post office, and plenty more besides, including buying souvenirs and bus tickets. Look out or commemorative stamps and various philatelic material on sale. Late night post offices operate in two o the city’s large shopping centres at Ozo 25 (Akropolis), open 10:00 - 22:00, and Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama), open 08:00 - 22:00.QB-1, Gedimino 7, tel. (+370) 700 554 00, www.post.lt. Open 08:30 - 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. J
SHORT TERM RENT RENTAL AL BARBACAN APARTMENTS A range o extremely high quality two- and three-room apartments in a quiet location and a lovely old building in Old Town. Facilities include underground parking, satellite television, internet, ully equipped kitchens and everything else necessary or a luxurious stay. Apartments are available to rent or both long and short stays. QD-4, Bokšto 19/12, tel. (+370) 615 126 88,
[email protected], www. aparthotel.lt. (€60 - 120). PTJA6ULXW EUGENIJUS APARTMENTS A choice o two decent, good value apartments in Old Town, located at street level or easy access and coming with everything required or a sel-catering stay. Close to the main sights, the apartments are managed by a local husband and wie who run a small ceramics workshop and gallery in the city. Other services include car and bicycle rental, guided tours and translation services.QA-2, Vilniaus 25-1, tel. (+370) 699 424 56,
[email protected], www.vilniusapartments.lt. (€30 - 40). JL RENTIDA APARTMENTS Modern and classy apartments with all the trimmings on a abulous Old Town street close to the oldest church in the city. Peaceul, and with some great views out o the windows, acilities include wireless internet and cable television.QB-4, Šv. Mikalojaus 5, tel. (+370) 682 281 42,
[email protected], www.rentida.lt. 16 rooms (€44 - 75). TJW
Lithuania €0.48 €0.45 € 0.72
Letter (4 (44g) Postcard (20g) CD (130g)
Wireless Free wireless internet in the centre o Vilnius
has more or less reached saturation point, with scores o hotels, restaurants, bars and even shopping centres providing ast connection speeds at no cost. I you can’t find a ree connection, the national Zebra network oers a range o paid services including a handy option or browsing over a 24 hour period or just €1.45, which is available via SMS to anyone with a local mobile number. 3G/4G Bitė (www.bite.lt) and Omnitel (www.omnitel. lt) provide 3G services or laptop connection to the internet allegedly wherever you are within Lithuania. Far rom perect, i you’re prepared or slightly slower speeds than broadband and the occasional loss o signal then one o these services might me just or you. The abovementioned mobile operators also offer the so-called pre4G services, although the only true 4G service is provided by Mezon (www.mezon.lt), which can be ordered with the help o a local or a period o two weeks or just €8.40.
EXPRESS MAIL RA RATES TES
TNT UPS
London
Paris
New York
€49.23 €47.20 €40. €40.84 84
€49.23 €52.42 €55. €55.60 60
€69.50 €76.75 €80. €80.80 80
TELEPHONES TEO The people to call i you want a new telephone line. 1817, www.teo.lt. Open 09:0 0 QUkmergės 223, tel. 1817, 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Also at Savanorių 18.
MOBILE PHONES BITĖQF-5, Žemaitės 15, tel. (+370) 699 232 30/1501, www.bite.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. Also at Sodų 22 (Bus Station), Konstitucijos 16 (VCUP), Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama). A OMNITELQB-1, Gedimino 12, tel. 1533, www.omnitel. lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, S at 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. Also at Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama), Žirmūnų 2 (IKI Commercial Centre). J TELE2QB-6, Sodų 22 (Bus Station), tel. (+370) 600 535 11, www.tele2.lt. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at Mindaugo 11 (Maxima).
ISPS ZEBRAQtel. 1817, www.teo.lt.
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/inyourpocket
View o Gedimino prospektas rom the cathedral belry (see p.57)
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Card
Price (€) Local (€)
Bitė (Labas)
1.74 Omnitel (Ežys) 1.01 TELE2 (Pildyk) 1.45
0.16 0.06 0.14
London (€/min) Top-up (€)
SMS (€)
Voicemail (€/call) Coverage
0.84 0.23 0.53
0.03 0.03 0.03
0.14 Free 0.04
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
From 1.45 From 1.45 From 1.45
AKROPOLIS An enormous place ull o just about every shop you can possibly imagine, including more than a ew you will not find anywhere else in Lithuania. Besides the massive scope or retail therapy there are plenty o non-shopping activities: you can try ice-skating, bowling, or even see a film at the multi-screen cinema. There’s also a good range o restaurants, and even a casino. Bus No. 53 will get you there. QG-1, Ozo 25, tel. 1588, www.akropolis.lt. Shops 10:00 - 22:00, Entertainment 10:00 - 23:00, Maxima Supermarket 08:00 - 23:00. PTAULKXW GO9 Looking more abulous than ever ater a careul refit, this shopping centre in the heart o the city is located in a grand building which is worth a look even i you’re not shopping. It dates rom 1948 and was the sight o amongst other things the first nightclub in Vilnius, as well as or much o the Soviet period newspaper offices. Besides the many shops there is ree Wifi throughout and terrific onsite dining.QB-1/2, Gedimino 9, tel. (+370) 659 946 39, www.go9.lt. Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00. PJAUKW IKI COMMERCIAL CENTRE This three-floor shopping centre eatures a large Iki supermarket at ground level, a handul o average shops downstairs and up the escalators some ashion outlets, a shoe shop, a Forest restaurant and, at the time o going to press, a small kiosk selling ready-made sushi.QX-00, Žirmūnų 2, tel. (+370) 5 272 19 61, www.iki.lt. Open 08:00 - 23:00. Also at J. Jasinkio 16. PAUL OZAS The large Ozas shopping centre offers more gargantuan shopping and restaurant services to the city. Find inside a veritable cavalcade o shops selling everything rom designer clothes to ood. The large Prisma supermarket stocks one o the most extensive ranges o alcohol in Vilnius.QH-1, Ozo 18, tel. (+370) 5 210 01 50/1588, www.ozas.lt. Shops 10:00 - 22:00, Entertainment 10:00 - 22:00, Prisma Supermarket 08:00 - 23:00. PTAULKXW 80 Vilnius In Your Pocket
99% 99% 96%
December 2014 - April 2015
Shopping
SHOPPING CENTRES
Outside EU €0.97 €0.84 €3.40
PREPAID SIM CARDS
STASYS APARTMENTS A choice o several apartments to suit every taste and budget, centrally located, and eaturing everything necessary or a pleasant, sel-catering stay. Satellite television in every apartment.Qtel. (+370) 699 326 72,
[email protected], www.apartment-vilnius.com. www.apartment-vilnius.com. (€35 - 85). W
78 Vilnius In Your Pocket
Shopping in Vilnius is fun and, in the case of certain products (notably Lithuanian alcohol, cigarettes and amber), a hell of a lot cheaper than it is in the West. The main shopping areas in Vilnius can be divided neatly into the two areas of Old Town (antiques, amber amber,, books old and new and some nice pieces of art) and parts of the city’s classiest street, Gedimino (designer clothes, mobile phones and more books). The city’s markets are also well worth a visit for an authentic, blast to the past experience if nothing else, as indeed are the increasing number of large shopping centres around the edge of the city, where among other things you’ll find all the clothing and footwear shops we’ve chosen not to list here.
EU €0.85 €0.71 €1.71
Comparative Comparative rates or sending a package weighing a maximum o 500g. DHL
LAPTOP LOGIN One o many gorgeous Vilnius courtyards
POSTAL RATES
79
Shopping PANORAMA Loads o retail outlets, entertainment centres and restaurants close to the centre in Žvėrynas. Many high street names, a top floor o restaurants, the country’s first electric go-carting centre and smoking rooms next to the public toilets.QF/G-2, Saltoniškių 9, tel. (+370) 5 219 58 11, www.panorama.lt. Shops 10:00 - 22:00, Entertainment 10:00 - 23:00, Rimi Hypermarket 08:00 - 23:00. PTAULKXW
VCUP First opened in 1974 this was just about the first modern shopping centre to open in Vilnius, and ater much renovation is today one o the better places to shop in the Lithuanian capital. Loads o stores, as well as plenty o eating and drinking options.QA-00, Konstitucijos 16, tel. (+370) 5 273 15 15, www.vcup.lt. Shops 10:00 - 22:00, Maxima Supermarket 08:00 - 22:00. PAULW
AMBER According to local legend, amber (gintaras (gintaras)) originates rom the tears o the sea goddess Jūratė and the stones rom her castle, which was destroyed by Perkūnas, the pagan god o thunder, when he discovered her passionate love affair with the mortal fisherman Kastytis. Scientists, not generally being o the pagan aith, think different. Some 40 million years ago or thereabouts the earth got warmer, causing an increase in the secretion o resin in the pine orests in the region. The streams o resin swept down rivers and into the Baltic Sea, sometimes sweeping up a stray bug along the way. It’s this ossilised resin that now sits in deltaic deposits off the coasts o Kaliningrad, Lithuania, Polan Polandd and Sweden. Ask most people and they’ll tell you amber is a dark honey colour. However, However, visit anywhere s elling the stuff and you’ll soon see it comes in such diverse colours as blue, black, white and yellow. White amber is called royal amber and is widely available in Lithuania. Blue and black amber are more rare here.
AMBER An astounding Aladdin’s cave o amber. The walls and ceiling are plastered with glowing chips o the stuff while display cabinets are ull o jewellery, sculptures and more. Worth visiting even i you’re not interested in shopping. QC-5, Aušros Vartų 9, tel. (+370) 5 212 19 88, www. ambergift.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00 (May 1 - August 31). Open 10:00 - 18:30, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00 (September 1 - 30). Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun (October 1 - April 30). PJA
AMBER MUSEUM�GALLERY A great little place apt at displaying amber at its best. The knowledgeable and riendly staff speak English, and can waffle on or hours about the stuff i you want to know all about it.QC-3, Šv. Mykolo 8, tel. (+370) 5 262 30 92, www.ambergallery.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 18:00. Also at Šv. Mykolo 12. JA
BEATA AMBER As much a wholesaler as retailer, you can pick up amber at a variety o stages o production here. There are hunks o raw amber, various polished beads and blobs that you can use to make your own jewellery and fine finished creations.QC-3/4, Stiklių 9/10, tel. (+370) 5 272 37 65, www. beataamber.lt. Open 10:30 - 18:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Also at M. K. Čiurlionio 84 (Crowne Plaza Vilnius), Konstitucijos 20 (Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva), Antakalnio Antakalnio 60. JA
ANTIQUES
vilnius.inyourpocket.com vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Unless the item in question is less than 50 years old, some degree o bureaucracy will almost certainly be required to facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
get antiques out o the country. A reputable antiques salesperson will assist you with this. I they can’t, you might like to think again about making the purchase.
E.K.ART An incredible collection o paintings, urniture, religious objects and other works o art rom Lithuania, Russia, Germany and beyond established over two decades ago and one o the most reliable places in town to buy antiques. An excellent place to know about or all serious collectors, the shop now also stocks a range o antique Persian carpets. QC-4, Didžioji 27, tel. (+370) 605 222 22, info@ek-art. lt, www.ek-art.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. JA
BOOKS ETC. AKADEMINĖ KNYGA A wide range o works or lexicographers, plus the usual dictionaries, reerence books and paperback novels. One o the better places in town or oreign literature, which you’ll find in the back room downstairs.QC-3, Universiteto 4, tel. (+370) 5 266 16 80, www.humanitas.lt. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. JA DIDYSIS PEGASAS Extended during the summer this is now easily the biggest bookshop in the Baltics. And it’s a proper bookshop too, with soas, armchairs and scatter cushions or reading on, as well as stationery and toys. You’ll do well not to spend December 2014 - April 2015
81
Shopping Shopping in Vilnius is fun and, in the case of certain products (notably Lithuanian alcohol, cigarettes and amber), a hell of a lot cheaper than it is in the West. The main shopping areas in Vilnius can be divided neatly into the two areas of Old Town (antiques, amber amber,, books old and new and some nice pieces of art) and parts of the city’s classiest street, Gedimino (designer clothes, mobile phones and more books). The city’s markets are also well worth a visit for an authentic, blast to the past experience if nothing else, as indeed are the increasing number of large shopping centres around the edge of the city, where among other things you’ll find all the clothing and footwear shops we’ve chosen not to list here.
SHOPPING CENTRES AKROPOLIS An enormous place ull o just about every shop you can possibly imagine, including more than a ew you will not find anywhere else in Lithuania. Besides the massive scope or retail therapy there are plenty o non-shopping activities: you can try ice-skating, bowling, or even see a film at the multi-screen cinema. There’s also a good range o restaurants, and even a casino. Bus No. 53 will get you there. QG-1, Ozo 25, tel. 1588, www.akropolis.lt. Shops 10:00 - 22:00, Entertainment 10:00 - 23:00, Maxima Supermarket 08:00 - 23:00. PTAULKXW GO9 Looking more abulous than ever ater a careul refit, this shopping centre in the heart o the city is located in a grand building which is worth a look even i you’re not shopping. It dates rom 1948 and was the sight o amongst other things the first nightclub in Vilnius, as well as or much o the Soviet period newspaper offices. Besides the many shops there is ree Wifi throughout and terrific onsite dining.QB-1/2, Gedimino 9, tel. (+370) 659 946 39, www.go9.lt. Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:00 - 18:00. PJAUKW IKI COMMERCIAL CENTRE This three-floor shopping centre eatures a large Iki supermarket at ground level, a handul o average shops downstairs and up the escalators some ashion outlets, a shoe shop, a Forest restaurant and, at the time o going to press, a small kiosk selling ready-made sushi.QX-00, Žirmūnų 2, tel. (+370) 5 272 19 61, www.iki.lt. Open 08:00 - 23:00. Also at J. Jasinkio 16. PAUL OZAS The large Ozas shopping centre offers more gargantuan shopping and restaurant services to the city. Find inside a veritable cavalcade o shops selling everything rom designer clothes to ood. The large Prisma supermarket stocks one o the most extensive ranges o alcohol in Vilnius.QH-1, Ozo 18, tel. (+370) 5 210 01 50/1588, www.ozas.lt. Shops 10:00 - 22:00, Entertainment 10:00 - 22:00, Prisma Supermarket 08:00 - 23:00. PTAULKXW
Shopping PANORAMA Loads o retail outlets, entertainment centres and restaurants close to the centre in Žvėrynas. Many high street names, a top floor o restaurants, the country’s first electric go-carting centre and smoking rooms next to the public toilets.QF/G-2, Saltoniškių 9, tel. (+370) 5 219 58 11, www.panorama.lt. Shops 10:00 - 22:00, Entertainment 10:00 - 23:00, Rimi Hypermarket 08:00 - 23:00. PTAULKXW
VCUP First opened in 1974 this was just about the first modern shopping centre to open in Vilnius, and ater much renovation is today one o the better places to shop in the Lithuanian capital. Loads o stores, as well as plenty o eating and drinking options.QA-00, Konstitucijos 16, tel. (+370) 5 273 15 15, www.vcup.lt. Shops 10:00 - 22:00, Maxima Supermarket 08:00 - 22:00. PAULW
AMBER According to local legend, amber (gintaras (gintaras)) originates rom the tears o the sea goddess Jūratė and the stones rom her castle, which was destroyed by Perkūnas, the pagan god o thunder, when he discovered her passionate love affair with the mortal fisherman Kastytis. Scientists, not generally being o the pagan aith, think different. Some 40 million years ago or thereabouts the earth got warmer, causing an increase in the secretion o resin in the pine orests in the region. The streams o resin swept down rivers and into the Baltic Sea, sometimes sweeping up a stray bug along the way. It’s this ossilised resin that now sits in deltaic deposits off the coasts o Kaliningrad, Lithuania, Polan Polandd and Sweden. Ask most people and they’ll tell you amber is a dark honey colour. However, However, visit anywhere s elling the stuff and you’ll soon see it comes in such diverse colours as blue, black, white and yellow. White amber is called royal amber and is widely available in Lithuania. Blue and black amber are more rare here.
AMBER An astounding Aladdin’s cave o amber. The walls and ceiling are plastered with glowing chips o the stuff while display cabinets are ull o jewellery, sculptures and more. Worth visiting even i you’re not interested in shopping. QC-5, Aušros Vartų 9, tel. (+370) 5 212 19 88, www. ambergift.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00 (May 1 - August 31). Open 10:00 - 18:30, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00 (September 1 - 30). Open 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun (October 1 - April 30). PJA
AMBER MUSEUM�GALLERY A great little place apt at displaying amber at its best. The knowledgeable and riendly staff speak English, and can waffle on or hours about the stuff i you want to know all about it.QC-3, Šv. Mykolo 8, tel. (+370) 5 262 30 92, www.ambergallery.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 18:00. Also at Šv. Mykolo 12. JA
BEATA AMBER As much a wholesaler as retailer, you can pick up amber at a variety o stages o production here. There are hunks o raw amber, various polished beads and blobs that you can use to make your own jewellery and fine finished creations.QC-3/4, Stiklių 9/10, tel. (+370) 5 272 37 65, www. beataamber.lt. Open 10:30 - 18:00. Closed Mon, Sun. Also at M. K. Čiurlionio 84 (Crowne Plaza Vilnius), Konstitucijos 20 (Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva), Antakalnio Antakalnio 60. JA
ANTIQUES
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
80 Vilnius In Your Pocket
Unless the item in question is less than 50 years old, some degree o bureaucracy will almost certainly be required to
get antiques out o the country. A reputable antiques salesperson will assist you with this. I they can’t, you might like to think again about making the purchase.
E.K.ART An incredible collection o paintings, urniture, religious objects and other works o art rom Lithuania, Russia, Germany and beyond established over two decades ago and one o the most reliable places in town to buy antiques. An excellent place to know about or all serious collectors, the shop now also stocks a range o antique Persian carpets. QC-4, Didžioji 27, tel. (+370) 605 222 22, info@ek-art. lt, www.ek-art.lt. Open 11:00 - 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. JA
BOOKS ETC. AKADEMINĖ KNYGA A wide range o works or lexicographers, plus the usual dictionaries, reerence books and paperback novels. One o the better places in town or oreign literature, which you’ll find in the back room downstairs.QC-3, Universiteto 4, tel. (+370) 5 266 16 80, www.humanitas.lt. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. JA DIDYSIS PEGASAS Extended during the summer this is now easily the biggest bookshop in the Baltics. And it’s a proper bookshop too, with soas, armchairs and scatter cushions or reading on, as well as stationery and toys. You’ll do well not to spend
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
December 2014 - April 2015
Shopping an entire aternoon (and loads o money) here.QG-1, Ozo 25 (Akropolis), tel. (+370) 5 238 77 52, www.pegasas.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00. A
DRAUGYSTĖ This ormer largish bookshop recently removed hal its stock and replaced it with a caé operated by the best caé chain in the country. The English-language novels can still be counted on one hand, but now there’s a reason to visit. Also find a decent selection o books about Lithuania in English.QB-2, Gedimino 2, tel. (+370) 5 268 50 80, www. vaga.lt. Open 07:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Also at Gedimino 9, Pilies 22. JAW HUMANITAS Glossy books about art, architecture, interior design, shoes and Jamie Oliver. Also travel guides and atlases.QB-3, Dominikonų 5, tel. (+370) 5 262 11 53, www.humanitas.lt. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. JA MINT VINETU Hooray or the lovely people who opened this very welcome second-hand bookshop with small attached caé in Old Town. Town. The choice choice o o books, including including titles titles in English, ish, may may be small but it’s the best anybody’s managed to do so ar. Recommended.QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 16/10, tel. (+370) 618 203 47, www.mintvinetu.com. Open 12:00 - 21:00. JAW ROTAS One would imagine that in an increasingly international city the choice o books in languages other than Lithuanian would also be growing, a act that the last couple o years has shown in Vilnius to be anything but the truth. It’s thereore always a pleasant surprise to discover a bookshop that stocks oreign language books, o which Rotas stocks more than the current standard offering that takes less than 30 seconds to browse beore leaving empty handed. The selection o novels here may not be breathtaking but the range o modern and classic fiction should be enough to keep any English speaker who needs something to read at least partially happy. In a truly local style the owners have decided to make individual entrance and exit doors or the place, which i you don’t speak Lithuanian can be conusing. In short, enter through the door on the let and exit to the ar right o the shop in the small space where you also pay or your purchases.QB-5, Pylimo 42, tel. (+370) 5 212 47 60, www.rotas.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Fri 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.JA VAGA An old Vilnius avourite on two floors. Find a ew English books upstairs.QG-3, Gedimino 50, tel. (+370) 5 249 83 92, www.vaga.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at Konstitucijos 7a, Gedimino 2, Gedimino 9, Pilies 22. A
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/inyourpocket 82 Vilnius In Your Pocket
81
Shopping FLOWERS & PLANTS FLOWER MARKET �GĖLIŲ TURGUS� Originally, flowers were sold in a small market at Reormatų, which was a firewood market beore that and even urther back served as a cemetery or the church across the street. Ater the erection o the 1983 Monument to the Soviet Partisans on the site, the market was moved to its current location. Notable as being the only 24-hour market in the city, this is the place to come or individual flowers, wreaths and bouquets. QG-4, J. Basanavičiaus 42. Open 24hrs. J GĖLĖS IR MANUFAKTŪRA A good selection o flowers and plants or the home and/or special occasions.QB-5, Rūdninkų 11/11, tel. (+370) 5 261 51 61, www.sododizainas.lt. Open 07:00 - 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Also at Konstitucijos 16 (VCUP), Savanorių 16 (Rimi Hypermarket), Žirmūnų 64, Kareivių 11a. JA
COMPUTERS IDEAL SOLUTION The best place in town or Apple products, rom laptops to iPods.QG-1, Ozo 25, tel. (+370) 606 187 99, www. idealsolution.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00. A THE NOTEBOOK SHOP A fine selection o PC laptops plus spare par ts, peripheries, service and sotware.QI-1, S. Žukausko 17, tel. (+370) 5 274 15 28, www.nshop.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:0 0, Sat 11:00 16:00. Closed Sun. A
FOOD & DRINK BIOSALA A good selection o mostly organic ood in tins and packets plus a ew extras such as bio-degradable washing powder etc. Find it right in ront o the main door as you enter.QB-4, Vokiečių 13, tel. (+370) 610 653 40, www. biosala.lt. Open 09:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. Also at Konstitucijos 7a (Europa). JA
G-4, J. Jasinskio 16, tel. (+370) 5 249 83 37, www.iki. lt. Open 07:00 - 22:00. Also at Mindaugo 25, Žirmūnų 2, Sodų 22. AL Q
IKI EXPRESS Tucked away in handy locations nationwide, with edible treats and a ew household goods on offer. Fresh baked goods are a key attraction, as is the decent range o groceries.QB-2, Gedimino 16, www.iki.lt. Open 07:00 23:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 23:00. Also at Užupio 7/1, Pylimo 21, Vokiečių 13, Gedimino 28. JA LIVINN A fine selection o mostly ood products, including a range o goods rom the UK-based Infinity Foods. Among the selection are Fair Trade organic basmati rice, organic peanut butter and large tins o ghee.QA-2, Vilniaus 15, tel. (+370) 659 036 63, www.livinn.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Also at Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama), Ozo 25 (Akropolis), Žirmūnų 64 (Rimi Hypermarket), Mindaugo 11 (Maxima), Ukmergės 369 (BIG). JA MARCHÉ DE PROVENCE BOUTIQUE Inside the building that houses the restaurant o the same name, Marche de Provence Boutique specialises in resh and gourmet ood and drink rom Lithuania and urther afield. A good place to pick up a ew unusual bits and pieces or the kitchen, it also sells bread reshly baked on the premises.QC-3, Pilies 25a, tel. (+370) 615 999 09, www. marche-boutique.blogspot.com. Open 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JA RŪTA Established in Šiauliai in 1913 and still based in the city, support your local conectioner and buy some o their treats as a git or or the simple pleasure o stuffing them in your ace. Everything rom chocolate bars to caramel to truffles.QA-1, A. Jakšto 5, tel. (+370) 5 212 20 68, www. saldumynai.lt. Open 08:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at Klaipėdos 1. JA
EASTANBUL This predominantly Turkish ood shop is the only thing o its kind in the city. Find the shelves bulging with an everincreasing collection o things to eat including hummus, chalva (halva), chalva (halva), several kinds o ajvar , Turkish yoghurt, herbs and spices, the abulous rarity that’s haloumi and much more besides.QH-3, Kalvarijų 24a (Ibrahim), tel. (+370) 5 273 17 38, www.eastanbul.lt. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. A IKI Lithuania’s first supermarket chain, and still sticking to their core values o quality and reshness. Notable or having top-notch in-house bakeries in the bigger stores. vilnius.inyourpocket.com
MARKETS Shopping in a Lithuanian market (turgus ( turgus),), although perhaps not or the aint hearted, is an experience to be savoured i at all possible when visiting the country. Remember that many things can be haggled down in price, and please watch your wallets, especially during the weekends.
COLLECTORS’ CLUB �KOLEKCININKŲ KLUBAS� What started out as a small gathering o like-minded aficionados trading miscellaneous antiquities in exchange or a bit o pocket money has slowly evolved into a serious weekly event. Stretched out round two ull sides (three on a good day) o the Trade Union Palace as well as more stalls selling mostly old coins inside the building, items up or grabs include everything rom Czechoslovakian clarinets to urniture to WWII-era Nazi propaganda posters in Lithuanian. QG-4, V. M. Putino 5, www.vilniusclub.lt. www.vilniusclub.lt. Open 08:00 - 12:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun. J HALĖS MARKET �HALĖS TURGUS� The modern, glass-covered affair to the let selling clothing that went out o ashion in Albania in the 1980s and raw meat at the back is perhaps best worth avoiding, whereas the beautiully restored brick building dating rom 1900 to the right is more than worth a look inside. A trip through the doors rewards visitors with a nasal blast o several tonnes o smoked meat, which can be bought in here along with a ew other specialities including resh ruit and vegetables.QC-5, Pylimo 58, tel. (+370) 5 262 55 36, www.halesturgaviete.lt. Open 07:00 - 17:00, Sun 07:00 - 15:00. Closed Mon. J KALVARIJŲ MARKET �KALVARIJŲ TURGUS� Featuring everything rom old ladies selling garlic bulbs and carrier bags to the occasional bargain goat (cash only), one o the city’s most endangered species is a must-see attraction or anyone who wants a taste o what the rest o the country’s really like. One o the best places in town or meat, locally-produced honey and cameras manuactured in the CCCP, CCCP, also find tropical fish, Minsk bicycles and cheap cigarettes rom the Roma girls near the main entrance.QH-2, Kalvarijų 61, tel. (+370) 696 357 18, www.kalvariju-turgus.lt. Open 07:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon. TYMO TURGUS Labouring under the unofficial moniker The Little Good Food & Culture Festival, this once-aweek jaunt into the world o possible alternatives churns out all manner o environmentally riendly ood rom local armers and well as soaps, cosmetics and the like. Politically edgy in the fluffiest sense, the market also hosts a regular event where people can vent their spleens a la Hyde Park Corner.QD-4, Aukštaičių/Maironio, tel. (+370) 611 373 74. Open 11:00 - 17:00, Sat 09:00 12:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun. J
View o the cathedral belry rom Gedimino prospektas
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
83
Shopping an entire aternoon (and loads o money) here.QG-1, Ozo 25 (Akropolis), tel. (+370) 5 238 77 52, www.pegasas.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00. A
DRAUGYSTĖ This ormer largish bookshop recently removed hal its stock and replaced it with a caé operated by the best caé chain in the country. The English-language novels can still be counted on one hand, but now there’s a reason to visit. Also find a decent selection o books about Lithuania in English.QB-2, Gedimino 2, tel. (+370) 5 268 50 80, www. vaga.lt. Open 07:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 20:00. Also at Gedimino 9, Pilies 22. JAW HUMANITAS Glossy books about art, architecture, interior design, shoes and Jamie Oliver. Also travel guides and atlases.QB-3, Dominikonų 5, tel. (+370) 5 262 11 53, www.humanitas.lt. Open 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. JA MINT VINETU Hooray or the lovely people who opened this very welcome second-hand bookshop with small attached caé in Old Town. Town. The choice choice o o books, including including titles titles in English, ish, may may be small but it’s the best anybody’s managed to do so ar. Recommended.QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 16/10, tel. (+370) 618 203 47, www.mintvinetu.com. Open 12:00 - 21:00. JAW ROTAS One would imagine that in an increasingly international city the choice o books in languages other than Lithuanian would also be growing, a act that the last couple o years has shown in Vilnius to be anything but the truth. It’s thereore always a pleasant surprise to discover a bookshop that stocks oreign language books, o which Rotas stocks more than the current standard offering that takes less than 30 seconds to browse beore leaving empty handed. The selection o novels here may not be breathtaking but the range o modern and classic fiction should be enough to keep any English speaker who needs something to read at least partially happy. In a truly local style the owners have decided to make individual entrance and exit doors or the place, which i you don’t speak Lithuanian can be conusing. In short, enter through the door on the let and exit to the ar right o the shop in the small space where you also pay or your purchases.QB-5, Pylimo 42, tel. (+370) 5 212 47 60, www.rotas.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Fri 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.JA VAGA An old Vilnius avourite on two floors. Find a ew English books upstairs.QG-3, Gedimino 50, tel. (+370) 5 249 83 92, www.vaga.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at Konstitucijos 7a, Gedimino 2, Gedimino 9, Pilies 22. A
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/inyourpocket
Shopping FLOWERS & PLANTS FLOWER MARKET �GĖLIŲ TURGUS� Originally, flowers were sold in a small market at Reormatų, which was a firewood market beore that and even urther back served as a cemetery or the church across the street. Ater the erection o the 1983 Monument to the Soviet Partisans on the site, the market was moved to its current location. Notable as being the only 24-hour market in the city, this is the place to come or individual flowers, wreaths and bouquets. QG-4, J. Basanavičiaus 42. Open 24hrs. J GĖLĖS IR MANUFAKTŪRA A good selection o flowers and plants or the home and/or special occasions.QB-5, Rūdninkų 11/11, tel. (+370) 5 261 51 61, www.sododizainas.lt. Open 07:00 - 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Also at Konstitucijos 16 (VCUP), Savanorių 16 (Rimi Hypermarket), Žirmūnų 64, Kareivių 11a. JA
COMPUTERS IDEAL SOLUTION The best place in town or Apple products, rom laptops to iPods.QG-1, Ozo 25, tel. (+370) 606 187 99, www. idealsolution.lt. Open 10:00 - 22:00. A THE NOTEBOOK SHOP A fine selection o PC laptops plus spare par ts, peripheries, service and sotware.QI-1, S. Žukausko 17, tel. (+370) 5 274 15 28, www.nshop.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:0 0, Sat 11:00 16:00. Closed Sun. A
FOOD & DRINK BIOSALA A good selection o mostly organic ood in tins and packets plus a ew extras such as bio-degradable washing powder etc. Find it right in ront o the main door as you enter.QB-4, Vokiečių 13, tel. (+370) 610 653 40, www. biosala.lt. Open 09:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. Also at Konstitucijos 7a (Europa). JA
G-4, J. Jasinskio 16, tel. (+370) 5 249 83 37, www.iki. lt. Open 07:00 - 22:00. Also at Mindaugo 25, Žirmūnų 2, Sodų 22. AL Q
MARKETS Shopping in a Lithuanian market (turgus ( turgus),), although perhaps not or the aint hearted, is an experience to be savoured i at all possible when visiting the country. Remember that many things can be haggled down in price, and please watch your wallets, especially during the weekends.
IKI EXPRESS Tucked away in handy locations nationwide, with edible treats and a ew household goods on offer. Fresh baked goods are a key attraction, as is the decent range o groceries.QB-2, Gedimino 16, www.iki.lt. Open 07:00 23:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 23:00. Also at Užupio 7/1, Pylimo 21, Vokiečių 13, Gedimino 28. JA
COLLECTORS’ CLUB �KOLEKCININKŲ KLUBAS� What started out as a small gathering o like-minded aficionados trading miscellaneous antiquities in exchange or a bit o pocket money has slowly evolved into a serious weekly event. Stretched out round two ull sides (three on a good day) o the Trade Union Palace as well as more stalls selling mostly old coins inside the building, items up or grabs include everything rom Czechoslovakian clarinets to urniture to WWII-era Nazi propaganda posters in Lithuanian. QG-4, V. M. Putino 5, www.vilniusclub.lt. www.vilniusclub.lt. Open 08:00 - 12:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun. J
LIVINN A fine selection o mostly ood products, including a range o goods rom the UK-based Infinity Foods. Among the selection are Fair Trade organic basmati rice, organic peanut butter and large tins o ghee.QA-2, Vilniaus 15, tel. (+370) 659 036 63, www.livinn.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Also at Saltoniškių 9 (Panorama), Ozo 25 (Akropolis), Žirmūnų 64 (Rimi Hypermarket), Mindaugo 11 (Maxima), Ukmergės 369 (BIG). JA MARCHÉ DE PROVENCE BOUTIQUE Inside the building that houses the restaurant o the same name, Marche de Provence Boutique specialises in resh and gourmet ood and drink rom Lithuania and urther afield. A good place to pick up a ew unusual bits and pieces or the kitchen, it also sells bread reshly baked on the premises.QC-3, Pilies 25a, tel. (+370) 615 999 09, www. marche-boutique.blogspot.com. Open 11:00 - 19:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JA
HALĖS MARKET �HALĖS TURGUS� The modern, glass-covered affair to the let selling clothing that went out o ashion in Albania in the 1980s and raw meat at the back is perhaps best worth avoiding, whereas the beautiully restored brick building dating rom 1900 to the right is more than worth a look inside. A trip through the doors rewards visitors with a nasal blast o several tonnes o smoked meat, which can be bought in here along with a ew other specialities including resh ruit and vegetables.QC-5, Pylimo 58, tel. (+370) 5 262 55 36, www.halesturgaviete.lt. Open 07:00 - 17:00, Sun 07:00 - 15:00. Closed Mon. J
RŪTA Established in Šiauliai in 1913 and still based in the city, support your local conectioner and buy some o their treats as a git or or the simple pleasure o stuffing them in your ace. Everything rom chocolate bars to caramel to truffles.QA-1, A. Jakšto 5, tel. (+370) 5 212 20 68, www. saldumynai.lt. Open 08:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at Klaipėdos 1. JA
KALVARIJŲ MARKET �KALVARIJŲ TURGUS� Featuring everything rom old ladies selling garlic bulbs and carrier bags to the occasional bargain goat (cash only), one o the city’s most endangered species is a must-see attraction or anyone who wants a taste o what the rest o the country’s really like. One o the best places in town or meat, locally-produced honey and cameras manuactured in the CCCP, CCCP, also find tropical fish, Minsk bicycles and cheap cigarettes rom the Roma girls near the main entrance.QH-2, Kalvarijų 61, tel. (+370) 696 357 18, www.kalvariju-turgus.lt. Open 07:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon.
EASTANBUL This predominantly Turkish ood shop is the only thing o its kind in the city. Find the shelves bulging with an everincreasing collection o things to eat including hummus, chalva (halva), chalva (halva), several kinds o ajvar , Turkish yoghurt, herbs and spices, the abulous rarity that’s haloumi and much more besides.QH-3, Kalvarijų 24a (Ibrahim), tel. (+370) 5 273 17 38, www.eastanbul.lt. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 10:00 - 16:00. A IKI Lithuania’s first supermarket chain, and still sticking to their core values o quality and reshness. Notable or having top-notch in-house bakeries in the bigger stores.
82 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
TYMO TURGUS Labouring under the unofficial moniker The Little Good Food & Culture Festival, this once-aweek jaunt into the world o possible alternatives churns out all manner o environmentally riendly ood rom local armers and well as soaps, cosmetics and the like. Politically edgy in the fluffiest sense, the market also hosts a regular event where people can vent their spleens a la Hyde Park Corner.QD-4, Aukštaičių/Maironio, tel. (+370) 611 373 74. Open 11:00 - 17:00, Sat 09:00 12:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun. J View o the cathedral belry rom Gedimino prospektas
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
Shopping SENAMIESČIO KRAUTUVĖ An interesting idea that takes the old-ashioned deli idea o resh products laid out in baskets sold by riendly, rosycheeked people and transorms it into a total Lithuanian experience. All the ood or sale is local, including ruit, vegetables, pickles, sausage, bread, cakes and drinks. During the summer months the shop turns into a bit o a caé, with chairs and tables in the street.QC-3, Literatų 5, tel. (+370) 5 231 28 36. Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00.JA UŽUPIO KRAUTUVĖ An early contender or the prize title in the city’s delicatessen sweepstakes, the lovely Užupio Krautuvė offers a fine selection o Mediterranean gourmet ood including olive oil, meat, cheese, a small selection o wine, oie gras and other welcome treats.QI-4, Užupio 23, tel. (+370) 686 793 50, www.uzupiokrautuve.lt. Open 11:00 - 20:00, Sat 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. JA
GIFTS & SOUVENIRS AUKSO AVIS Textile works o Lithuanian artists, expressing Lithuanian culture through a modern context.QC-3, Pilies 38, tel. (+370) 5 261 04 21. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. JA LINEN & AMBER STUDIO One o the best places to buy linen and amber. They have a great selection, and the girls who work here are really helpul.QC-4, Stiklių 3, tel. (+370) 5 261 02 13, www. lgstudija.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Also at Didžioji 10, Didžioji 11, Pilies 7, Pilies 10. JA SAULUVA A great choice or souvenir and holiday shopping eaturing a very respectable collection o amber jewellery plus Lithuanian made handicrats mostly made o wood and glass.QC-3, Pilies 21/12, tel. (+370) 5 240 44 30, www. sauluva.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00. Also at Literatų 3. JA
Shopping YURGA A superb range o jewellery or both men and women, all o it hand-crated and made by a talented local designer in a range o materials. Yurga also makes one-off pieces to order including engagement and wedding rings as well as a handsome selection o corporate gits. Buy rom one o their experts in the shop or directly rom their website.QB-3, Trakų 16, tel. (+370) 5 212 28 56, www.yurga.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. JA
LINEN LINEN TALES Beautiully designed and crated linen or bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and much more besides, all made by Lithuanians to the highest possible standards. An excellent option or those living in Lithuania looking or something unique or their homes as well as visitors looking or some outstanding gits and souvenirs.QC-4, Stiklių 4, tel. +370 626 689 61,
[email protected], www.linentales.com. www.linentales.com. Open 10:00 - 19:00. JA LINO NAMAI Linen, the abric that really breathes, is available or just about any part o the body or home. One o the city’s top shops.QC-3, Pilies 38, tel. (+370) 5 212 23 22, www.siulas.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. Also at Universiteto 10, Vilniaus 12.
RECORDED MUSIC IMUZIKA Lithuania’s biggest label and one hip shop presenting jazz, classic, olk, indie, and experimental music. Orders accepted.QH-3, A. Goštauto 3/24, tel. (+370) 615 940 01, www.imuzika.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. JA RŪDNINKŲ KNYGYNAS A rather cute little shop on the very edge o Old Town, as well as a good selection o 12inch records rom home and abroad find a fine range o English language magazines on the subject o design, photography etc. Also available are a ew eco and handmade souvenirs.QB-5, Rūdninkų 20, tel. (+370) 5 261 02 66, info@rudninkuknygynas. lt, www.rudninkuknygynas.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 10:00 - 15:00. JA THELONIOUS A superb choice o second-hand CDs and vinyl, mostly jazz but also a ew other gems you won’t find in a mainstream music shop. They also sell a range o old-ashioned hi-fi equipment or those who don’t know their iPods rom their elbows. Devoted to the cause, Thelonious now organise the occasional jazz concert. See the website or more inormation.QC-3, Stiklių 12, tel. (+370) 5 212 10 76, www.thelonious.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 16:00. Closed Sun. J
JA
PHOTOGRAPHY FOTOTECHNIKA Although this is arguably the best photography shop in Vilnius i not the country, don’t go getting too excited. Although they stock an impressive range (or local standards) o cameras, accessories, film stock, lighting, paper and chemicals alongside such hard-to-find things as cable releases, the selection remains rather small. The good news is that i they don’t stock it they can order it airly quickly.QG-5, Smolensko 10a, tel. (+370) 5 279 15 45, www.fototechnika.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. A
STIKLO PASLAPTIS �WORLD OF GLASS� An intriguing selection o decorative and unctional Lithuanian glassware. The people who run this place also offer glass-blowing workshops.QC-3/4, Didžioji 38, tel. (+370) 655 815 75, www.stiklopaslaptis.lt. Open 11:00 - 20:00, VILBRA FOTO The best choice o dSLR s and d igital compact cameras Sat 11:00 - 18:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. JA or the serious enthusiast in the city. Also, tripods, flashguns, lenses etc.QG-5, Švitrigailos 11b, tel. (+370) 5 239 JEWELLERY 41 30, www.vilbrafoto.lt. www.vilbrafoto.lt. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. A FREYWILLE Freywille’s abulous boutiques are ound in the most exVILNIAUS ANTIKVARO CENTRAS FOTOPREKIŲ clusive locations around the world, a list which now includes Vilnius. Expect to find only the finest jewellery and SKYRIUS Tucked away to the right o the main antiques accessories here, and there is a good selection or both shop is a man behind a desk selling a beautiul selection men and women. We are big ans o the pens: very special o old film cameras and other related equipment includindeed.QC-4, Didžioji 15, tel. (+370) 5 240 40 58, www. ing Leicas and some Soviet classics. Worth a peep at least. freywille.com. Open 11:00 - 19:30, Sat 11:00 - 18:00, Sun QC-3, Dominikonų 16, tel. (+370) 5 262 64 76. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. JA 11:00 - 16:00. PJAW 84 Vilnius In Your Pocket
83
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
SPECIALITY SHOPS BITINĖLIS A glorious little shop selling a range o locally-produced honey plus everything you ever needed to start producing the stuff yoursel.QB-6, Šopeno 12/26, tel. (+370) 5 233 05 70, www.bitinelis.lt. Open 09:00 - 17:30, Fri 09:00 16:00, Sat 09:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. JA BOUTIQUE OF VARIOUS THINGS �VISOKIŲ DAIKTŲ KRAUTUVĖLĖ� A delightully Užupisesque experience, this smart little shop accessed via a door down an alleyway specialises in miniature steam engines, musical boxes, animated tin toys, other un things and a whole range o niche niche perumes.QD-3, Užupio 20, tel. (+370) 5 210 52 17, www.vdk.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 17:00. Closed Sun. JA DE’ ŽAVU A small and rather natty boutique selling vintage clothing and accessories as well as a small range o new ashion. Find everything rom old wedding dresses and sunglasses to shoes to ties to mirrors.QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 3/1, tel. (+370) 663 590 00. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. JA
vilnius.inyourpocket.com facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
I
LITHUANIAN DESIGN BLOCK Located int an area rapidly. making a name or itsel. as. the place to come or expensive designer bits and pieces or the home, Lithuanian Design Block is packed with goodies, rom clothing to impossible-looking cardboard tables to the latest swanky offerings rom the Lomo people. QG-5, Ševčenkos 16a, tel. (+370) 662 350 11, www. hotelofthings.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun (September 1 - May 31). A
:
ONA A multitude o things or the home, paintings, photographs, jewellery, paper cuts and a host o other similar articles, all made by small-scale artists, designers and producers in Lithuania. Promoting ecologically-riendly products and worthy o much over-needed applause, i that isn’t enough you can buy everything online and three per cent o the money you spend goes to a charity o your choice.QD-4, Šv. Kazimiero 12, tel. (+370) 5 212 42 63, www.ona.lt. Open 08:30 - 17:30. Closed Sat, Sun. J
SPORT & LEISURE EXPEDITION A good selection o sports equipment and a limited range o clothing.QH-3, Šeimyniškių 5a, tel. (+370) 5 275 68 11, www.expedition.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at Pylimo 36 and J. Kubiliaus 18. JA December 2014 - April 2015
85
Shopping
Shopping
SENAMIESČIO KRAUTUVĖ An interesting idea that takes the old-ashioned deli idea o resh products laid out in baskets sold by riendly, rosycheeked people and transorms it into a total Lithuanian experience. All the ood or sale is local, including ruit, vegetables, pickles, sausage, bread, cakes and drinks. During the summer months the shop turns into a bit o a caé, with chairs and tables in the street.QC-3, Literatų 5, tel. (+370) 5 231 28 36. Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00.JA UŽUPIO KRAUTUVĖ An early contender or the prize title in the city’s delicatessen sweepstakes, the lovely Užupio Krautuvė offers a fine selection o Mediterranean gourmet ood including olive oil, meat, cheese, a small selection o wine, oie gras and other welcome treats.QI-4, Užupio 23, tel. (+370) 686 793 50, www.uzupiokrautuve.lt. Open 11:00 - 20:00, Sat 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. JA
GIFTS & SOUVENIRS AUKSO AVIS Textile works o Lithuanian artists, expressing Lithuanian culture through a modern context.QC-3, Pilies 38, tel. (+370) 5 261 04 21. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. JA LINEN & AMBER STUDIO One o the best places to buy linen and amber. They have a great selection, and the girls who work here are really helpul.QC-4, Stiklių 3, tel. (+370) 5 261 02 13, www. lgstudija.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00. Also at Didžioji 10, Didžioji 11, Pilies 7, Pilies 10. JA SAULUVA A great choice or souvenir and holiday shopping eaturing a very respectable collection o amber jewellery plus Lithuanian made handicrats mostly made o wood and glass.QC-3, Pilies 21/12, tel. (+370) 5 240 44 30, www. sauluva.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00. Also at Literatų 3. JA
YURGA A superb range o jewellery or both men and women, all o it hand-crated and made by a talented local designer in a range o materials. Yurga also makes one-off pieces to order including engagement and wedding rings as well as a handsome selection o corporate gits. Buy rom one o their experts in the shop or directly rom their website.QB-3, Trakų 16, tel. (+370) 5 212 28 56, www.yurga.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. JA
LINEN LINEN TALES Beautiully designed and crated linen or bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and much more besides, all made by Lithuanians to the highest possible standards. An excellent option or those living in Lithuania looking or something unique or their homes as well as visitors looking or some outstanding gits and souvenirs.QC-4, Stiklių 4, tel. +370 626 689 61,
[email protected], www.linentales.com. www.linentales.com. Open 10:00 - 19:00. JA LINO NAMAI Linen, the abric that really breathes, is available or just about any part o the body or home. One o the city’s top shops.QC-3, Pilies 38, tel. (+370) 5 212 23 22, www.siulas.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. Also at Universiteto 10, Vilniaus 12.
RECORDED MUSIC IMUZIKA Lithuania’s biggest label and one hip shop presenting jazz, classic, olk, indie, and experimental music. Orders accepted.QH-3, A. Goštauto 3/24, tel. (+370) 615 940 01, www.imuzika.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. JA RŪDNINKŲ KNYGYNAS A rather cute little shop on the very edge o Old Town, as well as a good selection o 12inch records rom home and abroad find a fine range o English language magazines on the subject o design, photography etc. Also available are a ew eco and handmade souvenirs.QB-5, Rūdninkų 20, tel. (+370) 5 261 02 66, info@rudninkuknygynas. lt, www.rudninkuknygynas.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 10:00 - 15:00. JA THELONIOUS A superb choice o second-hand CDs and vinyl, mostly jazz but also a ew other gems you won’t find in a mainstream music shop. They also sell a range o old-ashioned hi-fi equipment or those who don’t know their iPods rom their elbows. Devoted to the cause, Thelonious now organise the occasional jazz concert. See the website or more inormation.QC-3, Stiklių 12, tel. (+370) 5 212 10 76, www.thelonious.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 16:00. Closed Sun. J
JA
PHOTOGRAPHY FOTOTECHNIKA Although this is arguably the best photography shop in Vilnius i not the country, don’t go getting too excited. Although they stock an impressive range (or local standards) o cameras, accessories, film stock, lighting, paper and chemicals alongside such hard-to-find things as cable releases, the selection remains rather small. The good news is that i they don’t stock it they can order it airly quickly.QG-5, Smolensko 10a, tel. (+370) 5 279 15 45, www.fototechnika.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. A
STIKLO PASLAPTIS �WORLD OF GLASS� An intriguing selection o decorative and unctional Lithuanian glassware. The people who run this place also offer glass-blowing workshops.QC-3/4, Didžioji 38, tel. (+370) 655 815 75, www.stiklopaslaptis.lt. Open 11:00 - 20:00, VILBRA FOTO The best choice o dSLR s and d igital compact cameras Sat 11:00 - 18:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00. JA or the serious enthusiast in the city. Also, tripods, flashguns, lenses etc.QG-5, Švitrigailos 11b, tel. (+370) 5 239 JEWELLERY 41 30, www.vilbrafoto.lt. www.vilbrafoto.lt. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. A FREYWILLE Freywille’s abulous boutiques are ound in the most exVILNIAUS ANTIKVARO CENTRAS FOTOPREKIŲ clusive locations around the world, a list which now includes Vilnius. Expect to find only the finest jewellery and SKYRIUS Tucked away to the right o the main antiques accessories here, and there is a good selection or both shop is a man behind a desk selling a beautiul selection men and women. We are big ans o the pens: very special o old film cameras and other related equipment includindeed.QC-4, Didžioji 15, tel. (+370) 5 240 40 58, www. ing Leicas and some Soviet classics. Worth a peep at least. freywille.com. Open 11:00 - 19:30, Sat 11:00 - 18:00, Sun QC-3, Dominikonų 16, tel. (+370) 5 262 64 76. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. JA 11:00 - 16:00. PJAW 84 Vilnius In Your Pocket
SPECIALITY SHOPS BITINĖLIS A glorious little shop selling a range o locally-produced honey plus everything you ever needed to start producing the stuff yoursel.QB-6, Šopeno 12/26, tel. (+370) 5 233 05 70, www.bitinelis.lt. Open 09:00 - 17:30, Fri 09:00 16:00, Sat 09:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. JA BOUTIQUE OF VARIOUS THINGS �VISOKIŲ DAIKTŲ KRAUTUVĖLĖ� A delightully Užupisesque experience, this smart little shop accessed via a door down an alleyway specialises in miniature steam engines, musical boxes, animated tin toys, other un things and a whole range o niche niche perumes.QD-3, Užupio 20, tel. (+370) 5 210 52 17, www.vdk.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 17:00. Closed Sun. JA DE’ ŽAVU A small and rather natty boutique selling vintage clothing and accessories as well as a small range o new ashion. Find everything rom old wedding dresses and sunglasses to shoes to ties to mirrors.QB-3, Šv. Ignoto 3/1, tel. (+370) 663 590 00. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. JA
vilnius.inyourpocket.com facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
Lifestyle Directory BARBERS & BEAUTY FRANKO Get a youthul sprucing-up in this reshly renovated salon right on Pilies. The bright-eyed, Englishspeaking staff will make your hair swell with style.QC-3, Pilies 23, tel. (+370) 5 262 00 82, www. grozionamai.lt. Open 09:00 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. JA RJ HAIR CULTURE Go home with a completely different hairdo to the one you came with courtesy o this rather good beauty salon. It’s worth noting that they’ve worked abroad, so there is no language barrier (not always the case when trying ot get a haircut in this town). I you want make-up done, you will need to make an appointment in advance.QB/C-3, Dominikonų 16, tel. (+370) 640 540 00, www.rjhair.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. J SENAMIESČIO GROŽIO SALONAS The Old Town Beauty Salon offers a superb selection o procedures and services or the benefit o both mind and body. Using a combination o natural, high quality ingredients and highly trained proessional staff, among the other many things they provide are waxing procedures, massage, hair care, manicure and a lot more besides.QC-4, Rūdninkų 16, tel. (+370) 5 231 29 22/(+370) 652 224 49, info@senamiesciosalonas. lt, www.senamiesciosalonas.lt. Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. JW
COMPUTER REPAIR MATRIX Hard drive recovery et al.QG-5, Vytenio 10, tel. (+370) 5 213 45 74, www.matrix.lt. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. A
CURRENCY EXCHANGE MEDICINOS BANKAS Capable o changing just about any convertible currency.QB-6, Geležinkelio 6, tel. (+370) 5 213 54 54, www.medbank.lt. Open 24hrs. J
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/inyourpocket 86 Vilnius In Your Pocket
I
LITHUANIAN DESIGN BLOCK Located int an area rapidly. making a name or itsel. as. the place to come or expensive designer bits and pieces or the home, Lithuanian Design Block is packed with goodies, rom clothing to impossible-looking cardboard tables to the latest swanky offerings rom the Lomo people. QG-5, Ševčenkos 16a, tel. (+370) 662 350 11, www. hotelofthings.lt. Open 11:00 - 19:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun (September 1 - May 31). A
:
ONA A multitude o things or the home, paintings, photographs, jewellery, paper cuts and a host o other similar articles, all made by small-scale artists, designers and producers in Lithuania. Promoting ecologically-riendly products and worthy o much over-needed applause, i that isn’t enough you can buy everything online and three per cent o the money you spend goes to a charity o your choice.QD-4, Šv. Kazimiero 12, tel. (+370) 5 212 42 63, www.ona.lt. Open 08:30 - 17:30. Closed Sat, Sun. J
SPORT & LEISURE EXPEDITION A good selection o sports equipment and a limited range o clothing.QH-3, Šeimyniškių 5a, tel. (+370) 5 275 68 11, www.expedition.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at Pylimo 36 and J. Kubiliaus 18. JA December 2014 - April 2015
85
Lifestyle Directory DRY CLEANERS & LAUNDERETTES JOGLĖ The ull range o dry cleaning and laundr y services.QG-3, J. Jasinskio 16 (entrance from A. Goštauto), tel. (+370) 5 264 91 64, www.jogle.lt. Open 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at Gedimino 9 (GO9), Mindaugo 11 (Maxima), Ozo 25 (Akropolis), Konstitucijos 7a (Europa). A
intermediary.QG-4, A. Vivulskio 4a, tel. (+370) 5 271 77 88, www.gyvreg.lt. Open 07:30 - 17:00, Fri 07:30 - 15:15. Closed Sat, Sun.
KEY CUT RAKTINĖ D-2, B. Radvilaitės 7, tel. (+370) 698 334 13, www. raktine.lt. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Fri 09:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Also at Pylimo 49. J
Q
GENEALOGY
LANGUAGE COURSES
INFORMATION BUREAU Former journalist and six times European Ham Radio Operator champion, Vilius Vaseikis provides a unique and ascinating service arranging tours o Lithuania or people o Lithuanian descent. Doing everything rom helping to locate lost relatives to providing a translator, Vilius is also the man to speak to i you’re thinking o relocating to Lithuania or are simply looking to rent an apartment.Qtel. (+370) 699 599 88, www.lithuaniavisits.com.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE INSTITUTE LINGUA LITUANICA �KALBOS IR KULTŪROS INSTITUTAS LINGUA LITUANICA� Learn Lithuanian with courses o varying length suitable or everyone rom short-term visitors to those who wish to make a lie here. Two-week summer and winter courses are also available and include plenty o sightseeing and cultural immersion. Prices are competitive compared to courses offered by the universities.QA-1, Gedimino 26, tel. (+370) 5 231 32 39, www. lingualit.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J
LITHUANIAN CENTRAL REGISTRY ARCHIVE �IS� TORIJOS ARCHYVO SKYRIUS� The entire Lithuanian civil registry archives rom 1940 to the present day, including records o all births, deaths and marriages. In order to use this service, location and approximate date are essential.QG-3, K. Kalinausko 21, tel. (+370) 5 233 78 46, www.archyvai.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00, Fri 08:00 - 15:45. Closed Sat, Sun. J LITHUANIAN CENTRAL STATE ARCHIVE �LIETU� VOS CENTRINIS VALSTYBĖS ARCHYVAS� When the Nazis invaded Lithuania, one o their first tasks was to prepare an extensive set o records o everyone living in the country, proving that every cloud, no matter how dark and evil it is, does indeed have a silver lining. Those looking to trace people living in Lithuania during the period o 1941-1942 1941-1942 should consult this archive.QO. Milašiaus 21, tel. (+370) 5 247 78 11, www.archyvai.lt. Open 08:00 17:00, Fri 08:00 - 15:45. Closed Sat, Sun. LITHUANIAN STATE HISTORICAL ARCHIVES �LIETUVOS VALSTYBĖS ISTORIJOS ARCHYVAS� The same as the Lithuanian Central Registry Archive (see above), only these archives are rom the church registry up until 1940.QF-5, Gerosios Vilties 10, tel. (+370) 5 213 74 82, www.archyvai.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00, Fri 08:00 15:45. Closed Sat, Sun. REGISTRY �GYVENTOJŲ REGISTRO TARNYBA� I you have a name and need an address these people will help you locate the person in question (the addition o a town helps speed things up no end), although non-Lithuanians be warned that i the person in question is located they are first asked i they actually want to be ‘ound’ beore the address is given. The sensible thing or non-nationals to do is to use this service with a Lithuanian vilnius.inyourpocket.com
ONLINE NEWS LITHUANIA TRIBUNE A recommended site eaturing news about Lithuania on subjects including politics, economics and international relations. Inormation is gathered rom other news sources, academia and the political world and translated into English.Qtel. (+370) 614 312 15, editor@lithuaniatribune. com, www.en.delfi.lt. NEWZ.LT An independent news portal in English, bringing together miscellaneous sources o news and current affairs and serving them on one easily digestible page. Regularly updated around the
[email protected], www.newz.lt.
PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES PROCENTRAS The only truly pro shop in town can provide index prints and rush all manner o film ormats through in an hour i you ask them nicely, although the usual turnaround is more usually a day. Transparency films get done in batches, and rather annoyingly can take up to a month to process . They can also print and mount images and scan negatives up to impressively large sizes. It’s just a shame they don’t open during the weekends.QG-4, Savanorių 22, tel. (+370) 5 213 27 52,
[email protected], www.procentras.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. JA
SHOE REPAIR AVALYNĖS TAISYKLA Heels stuck back on in 15 minutes.QB-4, Labdarių 1/22, tel. (+370) 5 262 88 63. Open 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
87
Lifestyle Directory BARBERS & BEAUTY FRANKO Get a youthul sprucing-up in this reshly renovated salon right on Pilies. The bright-eyed, Englishspeaking staff will make your hair swell with style.QC-3, Pilies 23, tel. (+370) 5 262 00 82, www. grozionamai.lt. Open 09:00 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. JA RJ HAIR CULTURE Go home with a completely different hairdo to the one you came with courtesy o this rather good beauty salon. It’s worth noting that they’ve worked abroad, so there is no language barrier (not always the case when trying ot get a haircut in this town). I you want make-up done, you will need to make an appointment in advance.QB/C-3, Dominikonų 16, tel. (+370) 640 540 00, www.rjhair.lt. Open 10:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. J SENAMIESČIO GROŽIO SALONAS The Old Town Beauty Salon offers a superb selection o procedures and services or the benefit o both mind and body. Using a combination o natural, high quality ingredients and highly trained proessional staff, among the other many things they provide are waxing procedures, massage, hair care, manicure and a lot more besides.QC-4, Rūdninkų 16, tel. (+370) 5 231 29 22/(+370) 652 224 49, info@senamiesciosalonas. lt, www.senamiesciosalonas.lt. Open 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. JW
COMPUTER REPAIR MATRIX Hard drive recovery et al.QG-5, Vytenio 10, tel. (+370) 5 213 45 74, www.matrix.lt. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Sat 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun. A
CURRENCY EXCHANGE MEDICINOS BANKAS Capable o changing just about any convertible currency.QB-6, Geležinkelio 6, tel. (+370) 5 213 54 54, www.medbank.lt. Open 24hrs. J
Stay up-to-date acebook.com/inyourpocket
Lifestyle Directory DRY CLEANERS & LAUNDERETTES JOGLĖ The ull range o dry cleaning and laundr y services.QG-3, J. Jasinskio 16 (entrance from A. Goštauto), tel. (+370) 5 264 91 64, www.jogle.lt. Open 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. Also at Gedimino 9 (GO9), Mindaugo 11 (Maxima), Ozo 25 (Akropolis), Konstitucijos 7a (Europa). A
intermediary.QG-4, A. Vivulskio 4a, tel. (+370) 5 271 77 88, www.gyvreg.lt. Open 07:30 - 17:00, Fri 07:30 - 15:15. Closed Sat, Sun.
KEY CUT RAKTINĖ D-2, B. Radvilaitės 7, tel. (+370) 698 334 13, www. raktine.lt. Open 09:00 - 19:00, Fri 09:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. Also at Pylimo 49. J
Q
GENEALOGY
LANGUAGE COURSES
INFORMATION BUREAU Former journalist and six times European Ham Radio Operator champion, Vilius Vaseikis provides a unique and ascinating service arranging tours o Lithuania or people o Lithuanian descent. Doing everything rom helping to locate lost relatives to providing a translator, Vilius is also the man to speak to i you’re thinking o relocating to Lithuania or are simply looking to rent an apartment.Qtel. (+370) 699 599 88, www.lithuaniavisits.com.
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE INSTITUTE LINGUA LITUANICA �KALBOS IR KULTŪROS INSTITUTAS LINGUA LITUANICA� Learn Lithuanian with courses o varying length suitable or everyone rom short-term visitors to those who wish to make a lie here. Two-week summer and winter courses are also available and include plenty o sightseeing and cultural immersion. Prices are competitive compared to courses offered by the universities.QA-1, Gedimino 26, tel. (+370) 5 231 32 39, www. lingualit.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J
LITHUANIAN CENTRAL REGISTRY ARCHIVE �IS� TORIJOS ARCHYVO SKYRIUS� The entire Lithuanian civil registry archives rom 1940 to the present day, including records o all births, deaths and marriages. In order to use this service, location and approximate date are essential.QG-3, K. Kalinausko 21, tel. (+370) 5 233 78 46, www.archyvai.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00, Fri 08:00 - 15:45. Closed Sat, Sun. J LITHUANIAN CENTRAL STATE ARCHIVE �LIETU� VOS CENTRINIS VALSTYBĖS ARCHYVAS� When the Nazis invaded Lithuania, one o their first tasks was to prepare an extensive set o records o everyone living in the country, proving that every cloud, no matter how dark and evil it is, does indeed have a silver lining. Those looking to trace people living in Lithuania during the period o 1941-1942 1941-1942 should consult this archive.QO. Milašiaus 21, tel. (+370) 5 247 78 11, www.archyvai.lt. Open 08:00 17:00, Fri 08:00 - 15:45. Closed Sat, Sun. LITHUANIAN STATE HISTORICAL ARCHIVES �LIETUVOS VALSTYBĖS ISTORIJOS ARCHYVAS� The same as the Lithuanian Central Registry Archive (see above), only these archives are rom the church registry up until 1940.QF-5, Gerosios Vilties 10, tel. (+370) 5 213 74 82, www.archyvai.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00, Fri 08:00 15:45. Closed Sat, Sun. REGISTRY �GYVENTOJŲ REGISTRO TARNYBA� I you have a name and need an address these people will help you locate the person in question (the addition o a town helps speed things up no end), although non-Lithuanians be warned that i the person in question is located they are first asked i they actually want to be ‘ound’ beore the address is given. The sensible thing or non-nationals to do is to use this service with a Lithuanian
86 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
ONLINE NEWS LITHUANIA TRIBUNE A recommended site eaturing news about Lithuania on subjects including politics, economics and international relations. Inormation is gathered rom other news sources, academia and the political world and translated into English.Qtel. (+370) 614 312 15, editor@lithuaniatribune. com, www.en.delfi.lt. NEWZ.LT An independent news portal in English, bringing together miscellaneous sources o news and current affairs and serving them on one easily digestible page. Regularly updated around the
[email protected], www.newz.lt.
PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES PROCENTRAS The only truly pro shop in town can provide index prints and rush all manner o film ormats through in an hour i you ask them nicely, although the usual turnaround is more usually a day. Transparency films get done in batches, and rather annoyingly can take up to a month to process . They can also print and mount images and scan negatives up to impressively large sizes. It’s just a shame they don’t open during the weekends.QG-4, Savanorių 22, tel. (+370) 5 213 27 52,
[email protected], www.procentras.lt. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. JA
SHOE REPAIR AVALYNĖS TAISYKLA Heels stuck back on in 15 minutes.QB-4, Labdarių 1/22, tel. (+370) 5 262 88 63. Open 10:00 - 19:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Lifestyle Directory
December 2014 - April 2015
87
Lifestyle Directory massages and treatments, rom a simple yet invigorating 30 minute back massage to an elaborate ull body amber massage and tea ceremony. They even offer massages or children.QB-2, Odminių 8, tel. (+370) 610 303 33, info@ nidoskopos.lt, www.nidoskopos.lt. Open 12:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. JA
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF VILNIUS Vilnius’ long established International Women’s Association welcomes women rom all cultural backgrounds living in the Lithuanian capital. As well as organising regular events including coffee mornings, member social evenings and a book club, the association hosts a number o charitable events, like Blossom of Hope, Hope, and the International Christmas Charity Bazaar as Bazaar as well as many
[email protected], www.iwavilnius.com.
VETS & PETS SENAMIESČIO VETERINARIJOS KLINIKA House calls can be arranged.QB-2/3, Liejyklos 6, tel.
(+370) 699 612 65, www.veterinaras.lt. Open 09:00 21:00, Sat 09:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. JA
WELLNESS AZIA SPA A range o Eastern-style massages with a Buddhist philosophy, plus spa treatments, body scrubs, aromatherapy and more. Thai masseurs on hand or the ultimate authentic experience. Special massages or couples also available. QB-4, Šv. Mikalojaus 5, tel. (+370) 5 244 46 46, info@ aziaspa.lt, www.aziaspa.lt. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. JA BARBORA DREAM �BARBOROS SVAJOS� It’s almost impossible to know where to begin describing a place like this. A private spa which offers every kind o wellness treatment you can imagine, rom a number o different kinds o sauna and steam baths to a wide range o massages. And there’s more: a banquet hall offering the perect location or small private parties or or impressing clients, as well as wine and whisky tasting events. QD-2, B. Radvilaitės 7/2, tel. (+370) 656 511 11, info@ barboradream.lt, www.barboradream.lt. Open 24hrs. JDW EAST ISLAND EXOTIC Spice up your lie with a range o massages including several delivered with the aid o stones, honey and even chocolate. They also offer their all body massages alongside a range o acials, body masks and scrubs.QC-4, Didžioji 40/2, tel. (+370) 5 212 55 99, www.eastisland.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. J EXOTIC SPA MOROCCO A wide range o massages and spa procedures, spa treatment packages or couples and a ew saucy options or gentlemen, all inside an atmospheric Old Town cellar. See the website or a ull list o services.QB-4, Šv. Mikalo jaus 5, tel. (+370) 5 212 12 15, spa@exoticspa .lt, ww w. exoticspa.lt. Open 11:00 - 21:00. J NIDOS KOPOS Nida’s best massage comes to Vilnius, in a very central location close to Cathedral Square. Offers a huge range o
88 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
PROVANSO KVAPAI Translating as Scents o Provence and located inside the city’s Amberton Hotel, Provanso Kvapai eatures a shop and two rooms specialising in a wide range o spa treatments using natural, organic products. Among the many things on offer are aromatherapy body massage, body scrub using salt rom the Dead Sea, mud wraps and a lot more. Treatments are available or both men and women and as well as one-off treatments they also provide a wide range o treatment packages.QB-2, L. StuokosGucevičiaus 1 (Amberton Hotel), tel. (+370) 679 250 55, www.provansokvapai.lt. Open 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 19:00. JAW SPA CENTRE EAST ISLAND One o the city’s largest spas, services here include aromatic bathtubs, a wide range o Thai massages, acials etc. and a wealth o cosmetic procedures to make you eel reborn. The centre comes complete with an Oriental ambience including representations o Buddha on the wall and a tranquil Eastern soundtrack.QG-2/3, Konstitucijos 26 (Forum Palace 1st floor), tel. (+370) 5 272 22 27, www. east-island.lt. Open 10:00 - 21:00. A
FITNESS & GYMS FORUM SPORTS CLUB Gym, aerobics, 25m pool, saunas, modern equipment and the option o a personal trainer to shout at you while you use it.QG-2/3, Konstitucijos 26, tel. (+370) 5 210 31 49, www.forumfitness.lt. Open 06:30 22:30, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 21:00. AFDC IMPULS PLUS Strength and cardiovascular workout gear, aerobics, sauna, spa, pool and waterslide.QI-1, Kareivių 14, tel. (+370) 615 400 72, www.impuls.lt. Open 06:30 21:30, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 21:00. Also at L. Asanavičiūtės 15, Savanorių 28, Fabijoniškių 97a, Ozo 41a. ADC STIMULUS Opened in 2009 and the first o its kind in the country, Stimulus is an almost exclusively women-only venue (exceptions are ew and ar between and males generally only ever visit on invitation) offering a wide range o regimes, therapies, courses and other such things aimed at achieving a strong and healthy body and mind combined with inner balance or a harmonious liestyle. Also at Aguonų 12.QB-00, Konstitucijos 6, tel. (+370) 607 435 55,
[email protected], www. stimulus.lt. PJW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
89
Lifestyle Directory
Lifestyle Directory massages and treatments, rom a simple yet invigorating 30 minute back massage to an elaborate ull body amber massage and tea ceremony. They even offer massages or children.QB-2, Odminių 8, tel. (+370) 610 303 33, info@ nidoskopos.lt, www.nidoskopos.lt. Open 12:00 - 21:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. JA
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF VILNIUS Vilnius’ long established International Women’s Association welcomes women rom all cultural backgrounds living in the Lithuanian capital. As well as organising regular events including coffee mornings, member social evenings and a book club, the association hosts a number o charitable events, like Blossom of Hope, Hope, and the International Christmas Charity Bazaar as Bazaar as well as many
[email protected], www.iwavilnius.com.
VETS & PETS SENAMIESČIO VETERINARIJOS KLINIKA House calls can be arranged.QB-2/3, Liejyklos 6, tel.
(+370) 699 612 65, www.veterinaras.lt. Open 09:00 21:00, Sat 09:00 - 18:00, Sun 10:00 - 18:00. JA
WELLNESS AZIA SPA A range o Eastern-style massages with a Buddhist philosophy, plus spa treatments, body scrubs, aromatherapy and more. Thai masseurs on hand or the ultimate authentic experience. Special massages or couples also available. QB-4, Šv. Mikalojaus 5, tel. (+370) 5 244 46 46, info@ aziaspa.lt, www.aziaspa.lt. Open 11:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 22:00, Sun 10:00 - 21:00. JA BARBORA DREAM �BARBOROS SVAJOS� It’s almost impossible to know where to begin describing a place like this. A private spa which offers every kind o wellness treatment you can imagine, rom a number o different kinds o sauna and steam baths to a wide range o massages. And there’s more: a banquet hall offering the perect location or small private parties or or impressing clients, as well as wine and whisky tasting events. QD-2, B. Radvilaitės 7/2, tel. (+370) 656 511 11, info@ barboradream.lt, www.barboradream.lt. Open 24hrs. JDW EAST ISLAND EXOTIC Spice up your lie with a range o massages including several delivered with the aid o stones, honey and even chocolate. They also offer their all body massages alongside a range o acials, body masks and scrubs.QC-4, Didžioji 40/2, tel. (+370) 5 212 55 99, www.eastisland.lt. Open 11:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. J EXOTIC SPA MOROCCO A wide range o massages and spa procedures, spa treatment packages or couples and a ew saucy options or gentlemen, all inside an atmospheric Old Town cellar. See the website or a ull list o services.QB-4, Šv. Mikalo jaus 5, tel. (+370) 5 212 12 15, spa@exoticspa .lt, ww w. exoticspa.lt. Open 11:00 - 21:00. J NIDOS KOPOS Nida’s best massage comes to Vilnius, in a very central location close to Cathedral Square. Offers a huge range o
88 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
PROVANSO KVAPAI Translating as Scents o Provence and located inside the city’s Amberton Hotel, Provanso Kvapai eatures a shop and two rooms specialising in a wide range o spa treatments using natural, organic products. Among the many things on offer are aromatherapy body massage, body scrub using salt rom the Dead Sea, mud wraps and a lot more. Treatments are available or both men and women and as well as one-off treatments they also provide a wide range o treatment packages.QB-2, L. StuokosGucevičiaus 1 (Amberton Hotel), tel. (+370) 679 250 55, www.provansokvapai.lt. Open 10:00 - 21:00, Sun 10:00 - 19:00. JAW SPA CENTRE EAST ISLAND One o the city’s largest spas, services here include aromatic bathtubs, a wide range o Thai massages, acials etc. and a wealth o cosmetic procedures to make you eel reborn. The centre comes complete with an Oriental ambience including representations o Buddha on the wall and a tranquil Eastern soundtrack.QG-2/3, Konstitucijos 26 (Forum Palace 1st floor), tel. (+370) 5 272 22 27, www. east-island.lt. Open 10:00 - 21:00. A
FITNESS & GYMS FORUM SPORTS CLUB Gym, aerobics, 25m pool, saunas, modern equipment and the option o a personal trainer to shout at you while you use it.QG-2/3, Konstitucijos 26, tel. (+370) 5 210 31 49, www.forumfitness.lt. Open 06:30 22:30, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 21:00. AFDC IMPULS PLUS Strength and cardiovascular workout gear, aerobics, sauna, spa, pool and waterslide.QI-1, Kareivių 14, tel. (+370) 615 400 72, www.impuls.lt. Open 06:30 21:30, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 21:00. Also at L. Asanavičiūtės 15, Savanorių 28, Fabijoniškių 97a, Ozo 41a. ADC STIMULUS Opened in 2009 and the first o its kind in the country, Stimulus is an almost exclusively women-only venue (exceptions are ew and ar between and males generally only ever visit on invitation) offering a wide range o regimes, therapies, courses and other such things aimed at achieving a strong and healthy body and mind combined with inner balance or a harmonious liestyle. Also at Aguonų 12.QB-00, Konstitucijos 6, tel. (+370) 607 435 55,
[email protected], www. stimulus.lt. PJW facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
Sport, Leisure & Health ACTIVE LEISURE UNO PARKS Not ar rom the city centre on the eastern shore o the Neris river, Uno Parks offers over 1.5km o tracks up in the trees aimed at everyone rom children to beginners to proessional Tarzans. Each track comes with zip-lines or aerial flights, plus there’s a 16m swing or the completely insane and an aerial runway across the river. The place is hidden rom the road and there are no signposts at all. A map on their website partially solves the mystery.QLizdeikos, tel. (+370) 602 323 66, www.unoparks.lt. Open 10:00 - 17:00.
ON WHEELS PLYTINĖS KARTODROMAS This go-cart track offers speed, mayhem, danger, so it’s just like the rest o Lithuania’s road network, but with smaller cars and more un.QPlytinės 27, tel. (+370) 699 567 04, www.kartodromas.lt. Open 13:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. A
RACQUET SPORTS €10.14 - 31.86/hour depending on TENISO PASAULIS €10.14 when you want to play.QE-1, Ąžuolyno 7, tel. (+370) 655 040 50, www.sebarena.lt. Open 07:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 22:00. A
TABLE TENNIS TENNI S SOSTINĖS STALO TENISO KLUBAS A large, modern table tennis club complete with lots o tables, good shower acilities and the option o coaching or just playing or pleasure.QI-1, Lakūnų 24, tel. (+370) 654 020 59, www.vilniaus-stalo-tenisas.lt. Open 17:00 17:00 - 20:00, Sat 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. P
December 2014 - April 2015
89
Sport, Leisure & Health WATER SPORTS
MEDICAL SERVICES
LIETUVOS VAIKŲ IR JAUNIMO CENTRAS The pool is only 25m long but it’s clean as a whistle and, despite being in a children’s and youth centre, it’s not just or kiddies.QG-2, Konstitucijos 25, tel. (+370) 5 273 33 33, www.lvjc.lt. Open 06:00 - 13:55, 18:45 - 21:45, Sat 07:30 - 20:15, Sun 07:30 - 21:00. A
BALTIC�AMERICAN CLINIC Highly recommended modern proessional health care and diagnostics, now bigger and better than ever. QNemenčinės 54a, tel. (+370) 5 234 20 20/(+370) 698 526 55, www.bak.lt. Open 24hrs. A
VICHY AQUA PARK A big explosion o aquatic un with a pleasantly up-liting Polynesian theme throughout. There are dizzying water slides, a pretend beach with real waves, oodles o pools o various types (one with a bar) and all sorts o saunas and spa baths. Out in the northern suburbs, the taxi are’s still worth it, or take bus N°53 i you’re eeling cheap.QH-1, Ozo 14c, tel. 118, www.vandensparkas.lt. www.vandensparkas.lt. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon. TAEKDC
WINTER SPORTS AKROPOLIS ICE �AKROPOLIO LEDAS� It’s skating in a shopping centre, and it’s cooler than it sounds.QG-1, Ozo 25, tel. (+370) 659 919 74, www. akropolis.lt. Open 08:30 - 23:00.
KARDIOLITA Privately-run general hospital. Broad range o medical services.QLaisvės 64a, tel. (+370) 5 239 05 00, www. kardiolita.lt. Open 07:30 - 20:00, Fri 07:30 - 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. A MEDICINE GENERAL PRI� VATE CLINICS Excellent English-speaking doctor or general and amily health located in the city centre opposite the Cathedral. High quality care.QB-2, Gedimino 1a-19, tel. (+370) 684 331 00 (appointments). Open 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Sat, Sun. JA
PHARMACIES
DENTISTS A IR B MACKEVIČIŲ ODONTOLOGIJOS KLINIKA A team o experienced dental proessionals providing an extensive range o dental services. As well as offering quality, English-speaking services to resident oreigners, they also specialise in dental procedures or Westerners at considerably lower prices. Laser-whitening €300, implant €580 - 730/tooth, prosthetic-CAM-DAM CEREC 3 system €290 - 580, orthodontics or children and adults, treatment with microscope and magnification lens.QB-2, L. Stuokos-Gucevičiaus 9-9, tel. (+370) 5 261 25 12/(+370) 686 305 26,
[email protected], www.dentaltravel.lt. Open 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 08:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Also at Nemenčinės 54a (Baltic-American Clinic), K. Dineikos 1, Druskininkai (SPA Vilnius). JA
BENU QI-1, Žirmūnų 64, tel. (+370) 5 278 8 9 91, www. benu.lt. Open 24hrs. A
HIV & AIDS TRANSMITTED DISEASES & AIDS CENTRE �UŽKREČIAMŲJŲ LIGŲ IR AIDS CENTRAS� QNugalėtojų 14d, tel. (+370) 5 230 01 25, fax (+370) 5 276 79 68, www.ulac.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00, Fri 08:00 15:45. Closed Sat, Sun.
HOSPITALS VILNIUS UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL �RESPUBLIKINĖ VILNIAUS UNIVERSITETINĖ LIGONINĖ� QŠiltnamių 29, tel. (+370) 5 216 90 69, www.rvul.lt. Op en 24hrs.
vilnius.inyourpocket.com 90 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
91
Sport, Leisure & Health ACTIVE LEISURE UNO PARKS Not ar rom the city centre on the eastern shore o the Neris river, Uno Parks offers over 1.5km o tracks up in the trees aimed at everyone rom children to beginners to proessional Tarzans. Each track comes with zip-lines or aerial flights, plus there’s a 16m swing or the completely insane and an aerial runway across the river. The place is hidden rom the road and there are no signposts at all. A map on their website partially solves the mystery.QLizdeikos, tel. (+370) 602 323 66, www.unoparks.lt. Open 10:00 - 17:00.
ON WHEELS PLYTINĖS KARTODROMAS This go-cart track offers speed, mayhem, danger, so it’s just like the rest o Lithuania’s road network, but with smaller cars and more un.QPlytinės 27, tel. (+370) 699 567 04, www.kartodromas.lt. Open 13:00 - 20:00, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 20:00. A
RACQUET SPORTS €10.14 - 31.86/hour depending on TENISO PASAULIS €10.14 when you want to play.QE-1, Ąžuolyno 7, tel. (+370) 655 040 50, www.sebarena.lt. Open 07:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 08:00 - 22:00. A
TABLE TENNIS TENNI S SOSTINĖS STALO TENISO KLUBAS A large, modern table tennis club complete with lots o tables, good shower acilities and the option o coaching or just playing or pleasure.QI-1, Lakūnų 24, tel. (+370) 654 020 59, www.vilniaus-stalo-tenisas.lt. Open 17:00 17:00 - 20:00, Sat 12:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. P
Sport, Leisure & Health WATER SPORTS
MEDICAL SERVICES
LIETUVOS VAIKŲ IR JAUNIMO CENTRAS The pool is only 25m long but it’s clean as a whistle and, despite being in a children’s and youth centre, it’s not just or kiddies.QG-2, Konstitucijos 25, tel. (+370) 5 273 33 33, www.lvjc.lt. Open 06:00 - 13:55, 18:45 - 21:45, Sat 07:30 - 20:15, Sun 07:30 - 21:00. A
BALTIC�AMERICAN CLINIC Highly recommended modern proessional health care and diagnostics, now bigger and better than ever. QNemenčinės 54a, tel. (+370) 5 234 20 20/(+370) 698 526 55, www.bak.lt. Open 24hrs. A
VICHY AQUA PARK A big explosion o aquatic un with a pleasantly up-liting Polynesian theme throughout. There are dizzying water slides, a pretend beach with real waves, oodles o pools o various types (one with a bar) and all sorts o saunas and spa baths. Out in the northern suburbs, the taxi are’s still worth it, or take bus N°53 i you’re eeling cheap.QH-1, Ozo 14c, tel. 118, www.vandensparkas.lt. www.vandensparkas.lt. Open 12:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 10:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon. TAEKDC
WINTER SPORTS AKROPOLIS ICE �AKROPOLIO LEDAS� It’s skating in a shopping centre, and it’s cooler than it sounds.QG-1, Ozo 25, tel. (+370) 659 919 74, www. akropolis.lt. Open 08:30 - 23:00.
KARDIOLITA Privately-run general hospital. Broad range o medical services.QLaisvės 64a, tel. (+370) 5 239 05 00, www. kardiolita.lt. Open 07:30 - 20:00, Fri 07:30 - 19:00, Sat 09:00 - 14:00. Closed Sun. A MEDICINE GENERAL PRI� VATE CLINICS Excellent English-speaking doctor or general and amily health located in the city centre opposite the Cathedral. High quality care.QB-2, Gedimino 1a-19, tel. (+370) 684 331 00 (appointments). Open 09:00 - 16:00. Closed Sat, Sun. JA
PHARMACIES
DENTISTS A IR B MACKEVIČIŲ ODONTOLOGIJOS KLINIKA A team o experienced dental proessionals providing an extensive range o dental services. As well as offering quality, English-speaking services to resident oreigners, they also specialise in dental procedures or Westerners at considerably lower prices. Laser-whitening €300, implant €580 - 730/tooth, prosthetic-CAM-DAM CEREC 3 system €290 - 580, orthodontics or children and adults, treatment with microscope and magnification lens.QB-2, L. Stuokos-Gucevičiaus 9-9, tel. (+370) 5 261 25 12/(+370) 686 305 26,
[email protected], www.dentaltravel.lt. Open 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 08:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. Also at Nemenčinės 54a (Baltic-American Clinic), K. Dineikos 1, Druskininkai (SPA Vilnius). JA
BENU QI-1, Žirmūnų 64, tel. (+370) 5 278 8 9 91, www. benu.lt. Open 24hrs. A
HIV & AIDS TRANSMITTED DISEASES & AIDS CENTRE �UŽKREČIAMŲJŲ LIGŲ IR AIDS CENTRAS� QNugalėtojų 14d, tel. (+370) 5 230 01 25, fax (+370) 5 276 79 68, www.ulac.lt. Open 08:00 - 17:00, Fri 08:00 15:45. Closed Sat, Sun.
HOSPITALS VILNIUS UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL �RESPUBLIKINĖ VILNIAUS UNIVERSITETINĖ LIGONINĖ� QŠiltnamių 29, tel. (+370) 5 216 90 69, www.rvul.lt. Op en 24hrs.
vilnius.inyourpocket.com 90 Vilnius In Your Pocket
vilnius.inyourpocket.com
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
December 2014 - April 2015
Business Directory BUSINESS CONNECTIONS AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE QG-3, Konstitucijos 26, tel. (+370) 612 669 00, info@amcham. lt, www.amcham.lt. ASSOCIATION OF LITHUANIAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, INDUSTRY & CRAFTS �LIETUVOS PREKYBOS, PRAMONĖS IR AMATŲ RŪMŲ ASO� CIACIJA� QG-3, Vašingtono 1-63a, tel. (+370) 5 261 21 02,
[email protected], www.chambers.lt. BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE QC-3, Didžioji 5, tel. (+370) 5 269 00 62,
[email protected], www.bccl.lt. EUROPEAN BUSINESS NETWORK QP.O. Box 1125, tel. (+370) 699 388 47, www.ebn.lt. INVEST LITHUANIA �INVESTUOK LIETUVO� JE� QA-2, Jogailos 4, tel. (+370) 5 262 74 38, info@ investlithuania.com, www.investlithuania.com.
Business Directory CZECH REPUBLIC QF-4, Birutės 16, tel. (+370) 5 266 10 54,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.mzv.cz/vilnius. www.mzv.cz/vilnius. DENMARK QI-3, T. Kosciuškos 36, tel. (+370) 5 264 87 60,
[email protected], www.ambvilnius.um.dk. www.ambvilnius.um.dk.
TURKEY QC-4, Didžioji 37, tel. (+370) 5 236 42 00,
[email protected], www.vilnius.emb.mfa.gov.tr.
[email protected],
ESTONIA QF-3, A. Mickevičiaus 4a, tel. (+370) 5 278 02 00,
[email protected], ww w.estemb.lt. w.estemb.lt.
UKRAINE QG-4, V. Kudirkos 22, tel. (+370) 5 233 07 82,
[email protected], ua, www.mfa.gov.ua/lithuania. thuania.
FINLAND QG-4, K. Kalinausko 24 (2nd floor), tel. (+370) 5 266 8 0 10, sanomat.vil@formin.fi, www.finland.lt.
USA QG-4, Akmenų 6, tel. (+370) 5 266 55 00,
[email protected], www.vilnius.usembassy. gov.
FRANCE QC-3, Švarco 1, tel. (+370) 5 219 96 00, www. ambafrance-lt.org. GEORGIA QF-3, D. Poškos 13, tel. (+370) 5 212 78 48,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.lithuania.mfa.gov.ge. www.lithuania.mfa.gov.ge. (+370) 5 210 64 GERMANY QG-4, Z. Sierakausko 24, tel. (+370) 00,
[email protected], www.vilnius.diplo.de. www.vilnius.diplo.de.
GREECE QC-4, Rūdninkų 2, tel. (+370) 5 261 05 26,
[email protected], l.w3.lt, www.mfa.gr/vilnius. nius.
VILNIUS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, INDUSTRY & CRAFTS �VILNIAUS PREKYBOS, PRAMONĖS IR AMATŲ RŪMAI� QG/H-5, Algirdo 31, tel. (+370) 5 213 55 50,
[email protected], www.cci.lt.
HUNGARY QA-2, Jogailos 4, tel. (+370) 5 269 00 38,
[email protected].
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
IRELAND QC-2, Gedimino 1, tel. (+370) 5 262 94 60,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.embassyofireland.lt.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION �EUROPOS KOMISI� JOS ATSTOVYBĖ LIETUVOJE� QB-1, Gedimino 16, tel. (+370) 5 231 31 91, , ec.europa.eu/lietuva. EUROPEAN COMMISSION INFORMATION CEN� TRE �EUROPOS KOMISIJOS ATSTOVYBĖS LIETU� VOJE INFORMACIJOS CENTRAS� QB-1, Gedimino 16, tel. (+370) 5 231 31 83, comm-rep-lt-info@ ec.europa.eu, ec.europa.eu/lietuva.
FOREIGN REPRESENTATIONS ARMENIA QF-3, Lenktoji 17, tel. (+370) 5 207 50 40,
[email protected]. AUSTRALIA �CONSULATE� QA-2, Vilniaus 23, tel./fax (+370) 5 212 33 69,
[email protected]. AUSTRIA QC-3, Gaono 6, tel. (+370) 5 266 05 80,
[email protected], www.bmeia.gv.at/wilna. www.bmeia.gv.at/wilna. AZERBAIJAN QG-3, Gedimino 35, tel. (+370) 5 219 56 01,
[email protected], www.azembassy.lt. BELARUS QG-4, Muitinės 41, tel. (+370) 5 213 22 55,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.lithuania.mfa.gov.by. www.lithuania.mfa.gov.by. BELGIUM QA-3, K. Kalinausko 2b, tel. (+370) 5 266 08 20,
[email protected], www.diplomatie.be/vilnius. www.diplomatie.be/vilnius. CANADA QA-2, Jogailos 4, tel. (+370) 5 249 09 50,
[email protected], www.canada.lt. CHINA QH-5, Algirdo 36, tel. (+370) 5 216 28 62,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.chinaembassy.lt. www.chinaembassy.lt. ČILĖ �CONSULATE� QA-1, A. Jakšto 11, tel. (+370) 5 260 89 19,
[email protected].
[email protected]. 92 Vilnius In Your Pocket
91
UK QJ-3, Antakalnio 2, tel. (+370) 5 246 29 00,
[email protected],www.britain.lt.
VATICAN QI-3, T. Kosciuškos 28, tel. (+370) 5 212 36 96,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.vatican.va. va.
FREIGHT FORWARDING DPD LIETUVA QD-6, Liepkalnio 180, tel. (+370) 5 210 67 50,
[email protected], www.dpd.lt.
LEGAL & FINANCIAL SERVICES
JAPAN QF-4, M. K. Čiurlionio 82b, tel. (+370) 5 231 04 62,
[email protected], ww w.lt.emb-japan.go.jp. KAZAKHSTAN QF-3, Birutės 20a, tel. (+370) 5 212 21 23,
[email protected], w ww.kazembassy.lt. ww.kazembassy.lt. 12 60, LATVIA QF-4, M. K. Čiurlionio 76, tel. (+370) 5 213 12
[email protected] [email protected],, www.latvia.lt.
MALTA �CONSULATE� QC-5, Subačiaus 2, tel. (+370) 5 251 44 91,
[email protected].
[email protected]. MOLDOVA QF-2, Miglos 61a, tel. (+370) 5 260 79 14,
[email protected], www.lituania.mfa.gov.md. www.lituania.mfa.gov.md. NETHERLANDS QI-3, T. Kosciuškos 36, tel. (+370) 5 211 36 00,
[email protected], www.lithuania.nlembassy.org. www.lithuania.nlembassy.org. NORWAY QA-3, K. Kalinausko 24 (3rd floor), tel. (+370) 5 261 00 00,
[email protected], www.norvegija.lt. POLAND QJ-2, Smėlio 22a, tel. (+370) 5 219 47 00,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.wilno.msz.gov.pl. www.wilno.msz.gov.pl. (+370) 5 231 05 57, ROMANIA QG-4, A. Vivulskio 19, tel. (+370)
[email protected],
[email protected], www.vilnius.mae.ro. www.vilnius.mae.ro.
RUSSIA QF-3, Latvių 53/54, tel. (+370) 5 272 38 93,
[email protected], www.lithuania.mid.ru. www.lithuania.mid.ru. SPAIN QG-3, Gedimino 35, tel. (+370) 5 231 39 61, emb.
[email protected]. SWEDEN QC-4, Didžioji 16, tel. (+370) 5 268 50 10,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.swedenabroad.com/ vilnius. vilnius.inyourpocket.com
INTERPRETERS BALTICK LANGUAGE SERVICES QD-2, Bernardinų 9-4, tel. (+370) (+370) 5 212 29 24,
[email protected], www.baltick.lt.
LITHUANIAN OFFICIALS DEPARTMENT OF CUSTOMS �MUITINĖS DEPAR� TAMENTAS� QH-3, A. Jakšto 1/25, tel. (+370) 5 261 30 27,
[email protected], www.lrmuitine.lt. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS �LR UŽSIENIO REIKALŲ MINISTERIJA� QG-3, J. Tumo-Vaižganto 2, tel. (+370) 5 236 24 44,
[email protected], www.urm.lt. MUNICIPALITY �SAVIVALDYBĖ� QA-00, Konstitucijos 3, tel. (+370) 5 211 20 00, e.vicemeras@vilnius. lt, www.vilnius.lt. PRESIDENT’S OFFICE �LR PREZIDENTO RŪMAI� C-2/3, S. Daukanto 3, tel. (+370) 706 641 54, spauda@ prezidentas.lt, www.president.lt.
ICELAND �CONSULATE� QF-5, K. Konarskio 28a, tel. (+370) 5 215 05 75,
[email protected].
ITALY QG-4, Vytauto 1, tel. (+370) 5 212 06 20,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.ambvilnius.esteri.it. www.ambvilnius.esteri.it.
SABALIAUSKAS IR PARTNERIAI QB-1, Ž. Liauksmino 3, tel. (+370) 5 212 42 44,
[email protected], www.siplaw.lt.
Q
LEWBEN FINANCIAL SERVICES CENTER Accounting services.QG-3, A. Tumėno 4, tel. (+370) 5 262 05 34, fax (+370) 5 262 05 35,
[email protected], www.lewben.com. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J All o the venues in this guidebook marked with an Old Town symbol ( J) are eatured as such because even i they’re not in Old Town per se, se, they are at least on the map on pp.94-95 which we call Old Town. Conused? Don’t be. Aguonų A-4/6 A. Jakšto A-1 Alkūnės D-6 Arklių C-4/5 Arsenalo C/D-1 A. Smetonos A-1/2 A. Strazdelio D-5 A. Stulginskio A-2/1 Ašmenos B-4 Augustijonų C-4 Aukštaičių D-4 Aušros Vartų C-5/6 A. Volano D-3 Bazilijonų C/D-5 Beatričės A1 Benediktinių B-3 Bernardinų C-2/D-3 Bokšto C-3/D-5 B. Radvilaitės C/D-2 Didžioji C-3/4 Dominikonų B/C-3 Dysnos B-4 Etmonų C-4
Gaono C-3 Gedimino A-1/D-2 Geležinkelio C-6 Gėlių B-5 Islandijos A-2 Išganytojo C/D-3 J. Basanavičiaus A-3/4 J. Jablonskio A-5/6 J. Lelevelio A/B-1 Jogailos A-1/2 Karmelitų C-4/5 Kaštonų A1 Kauno A/B-6 Kėdainių A/B-4 K. Griniaus A-2 K. Kalinausko A-3 Klaipėdos A/B-3 Kruopų B-5 K. Sirvydo B-1 K. Škirpos D-1/2 Kūdrų D-4 K. Vanagėlio D-5 Labdarių B-2 Lapų C-5/6 Latako C/D-3 Liejyklos B-2/3 Liepkalnio D-6 Ligoninės B-4/5 Literatų C/D-3 Lydos B-4 L. Stuokos-Gucevičiaus B/C-2
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
CONSUMER RIGHTS EUROPEAN CONSUMER CENTRE �EUROPOS VARTOTOJŲ CENTRAS� QB-2, Odminių 12, tel. (+370) 5 265 03 68, www.ecc.lt. M. Antokolskio Maironio Malūnų M. Daukšos Mėsinių Mindaugo Naručio Naugarduko Odminių Palangos Pamėnkalnio Pasažo Paupio Pelesos Pilies Plačioji Pranciškonų Punsko Pylimo Radvilų Raugyklos Rožių Rusų Rūdninkų Savičiaus Seinų Sodų S. Skapo Stiklių Stoties Subačiaus Šaltinių
C-3/4 D-2/4 D-3 D-5 B-5/C-4 A-4/6 D-6 A-4/5 B-2 A-3 A-2 C-5 D-3 C/D-6 C-2/3 B-5 B-3/4 A-6 A-2/C-6 B-1 A-6/B-5 A-3/2 C/D-3 B-5/C-4 C-4 B/C-6 B-5/6 C-2 C-3/4 B-6 C/D-5 A/B-5
Šermukšnių Šiaulių Šiltadaržio Švarco Šventaragio Šv. Dvasios Šv. Ignoto Šv. Jono Šv. Kazimiero Šv. Mikalojaus Šv. Mykolo Šv. Stepono Teatro Tilto Totorių Trakų Turgelių T. Vrublevskio Universiteto Užupio Vienuolio Vilniaus Vingrių Visų Šventųjų Vokiečių V. Šopeno Žemaitijos
Žiupronių Ž. Liauksmino Žydų Žygimantų
A1 B-4 D-2 C-3 C-2 D-5 B-3 C-3 C/D-4 B-4 C/D-3 A-6/B-5 A-3 B-1/C-2 B-2/3 A-4/B-3 D-6 C-1 C-2/3 D-3 A1 B-1/3 A/B-4 B/C-5 B-3/C-4 B-6
B-4 D-5 B-1/C-2 B-4/C-3 B/C-1
December 2014 - April 2015
93
Business Directory BUSINESS CONNECTIONS AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE QG-3, Konstitucijos 26, tel. (+370) 612 669 00, info@amcham. lt, www.amcham.lt. ASSOCIATION OF LITHUANIAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, INDUSTRY & CRAFTS �LIETUVOS PREKYBOS, PRAMONĖS IR AMATŲ RŪMŲ ASO� CIACIJA� QG-3, Vašingtono 1-63a, tel. (+370) 5 261 21 02,
[email protected], www.chambers.lt. BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE QC-3, Didžioji 5, tel. (+370) 5 269 00 62,
[email protected], www.bccl.lt. EUROPEAN BUSINESS NETWORK QP.O. Box 1125, tel. (+370) 699 388 47, www.ebn.lt. INVEST LITHUANIA �INVESTUOK LIETUVO� JE� QA-2, Jogailos 4, tel. (+370) 5 262 74 38, info@ investlithuania.com, www.investlithuania.com.
Business Directory CZECH REPUBLIC QF-4, Birutės 16, tel. (+370) 5 266 10 54,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.mzv.cz/vilnius. www.mzv.cz/vilnius. DENMARK QI-3, T. Kosciuškos 36, tel. (+370) 5 264 87 60,
[email protected], www.ambvilnius.um.dk. www.ambvilnius.um.dk.
TURKEY QC-4, Didžioji 37, tel. (+370) 5 236 42 00,
[email protected], www.vilnius.emb.mfa.gov.tr.
[email protected],
ESTONIA QF-3, A. Mickevičiaus 4a, tel. (+370) 5 278 02 00,
[email protected], ww w.estemb.lt. w.estemb.lt.
UKRAINE QG-4, V. Kudirkos 22, tel. (+370) 5 233 07 82,
[email protected], ua, www.mfa.gov.ua/lithuania. thuania.
FINLAND QG-4, K. Kalinausko 24 (2nd floor), tel. (+370) 5 266 8 0 10, sanomat.vil@formin.fi, www.finland.lt.
USA QG-4, Akmenų 6, tel. (+370) 5 266 55 00,
[email protected], www.vilnius.usembassy. gov. VATICAN QI-3, T. Kosciuškos 28, tel. (+370) 5 212 36 96,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.vatican.va. va.
FRANCE QC-3, Švarco 1, tel. (+370) 5 219 96 00, www. ambafrance-lt.org. GEORGIA QF-3, D. Poškos 13, tel. (+370) 5 212 78 48,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.lithuania.mfa.gov.ge. www.lithuania.mfa.gov.ge. (+370) 5 210 64 GERMANY QG-4, Z. Sierakausko 24, tel. (+370) 00,
[email protected], www.vilnius.diplo.de. www.vilnius.diplo.de.
GREECE QC-4, Rūdninkų 2, tel. (+370) 5 261 05 26,
[email protected], l.w3.lt, www.mfa.gr/vilnius. nius.
VILNIUS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, INDUSTRY & CRAFTS �VILNIAUS PREKYBOS, PRAMONĖS IR AMATŲ RŪMAI� QG/H-5, Algirdo 31, tel. (+370) 5 213 55 50,
[email protected], www.cci.lt.
HUNGARY QA-2, Jogailos 4, tel. (+370) 5 269 00 38,
[email protected].
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
IRELAND QC-2, Gedimino 1, tel. (+370) 5 262 94 60,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.embassyofireland.lt.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION �EUROPOS KOMISI� JOS ATSTOVYBĖ LIETUVOJE� QB-1, Gedimino 16, tel. (+370) 5 231 31 91, , ec.europa.eu/lietuva. EUROPEAN COMMISSION INFORMATION CEN� TRE �EUROPOS KOMISIJOS ATSTOVYBĖS LIETU� VOJE INFORMACIJOS CENTRAS� QB-1, Gedimino 16, tel. (+370) 5 231 31 83, comm-rep-lt-info@ ec.europa.eu, ec.europa.eu/lietuva.
FOREIGN REPRESENTATIONS ARMENIA QF-3, Lenktoji 17, tel. (+370) 5 207 50 40,
[email protected]. AUSTRALIA �CONSULATE� QA-2, Vilniaus 23, tel./fax (+370) 5 212 33 69,
[email protected]. AUSTRIA QC-3, Gaono 6, tel. (+370) 5 266 05 80,
[email protected], www.bmeia.gv.at/wilna. www.bmeia.gv.at/wilna. AZERBAIJAN QG-3, Gedimino 35, tel. (+370) 5 219 56 01,
[email protected], www.azembassy.lt. BELARUS QG-4, Muitinės 41, tel. (+370) 5 213 22 55,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.lithuania.mfa.gov.by. www.lithuania.mfa.gov.by. BELGIUM QA-3, K. Kalinausko 2b, tel. (+370) 5 266 08 20,
[email protected], www.diplomatie.be/vilnius. www.diplomatie.be/vilnius. CANADA QA-2, Jogailos 4, tel. (+370) 5 249 09 50,
[email protected], www.canada.lt. CHINA QH-5, Algirdo 36, tel. (+370) 5 216 28 62,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.chinaembassy.lt. www.chinaembassy.lt. ČILĖ �CONSULATE� QA-1, A. Jakšto 11, tel. (+370) 5 260 89 19,
[email protected].
[email protected]. 92 Vilnius In Your Pocket
UK QJ-3, Antakalnio 2, tel. (+370) 5 246 29 00,
[email protected],www.britain.lt.
FREIGHT FORWARDING DPD LIETUVA QD-6, Liepkalnio 180, tel. (+370) 5 210 67 50,
[email protected], www.dpd.lt.
LEGAL & FINANCIAL SERVICES
JAPAN QF-4, M. K. Čiurlionio 82b, tel. (+370) 5 231 04 62,
[email protected], ww w.lt.emb-japan.go.jp. KAZAKHSTAN QF-3, Birutės 20a, tel. (+370) 5 212 21 23,
[email protected], w ww.kazembassy.lt. ww.kazembassy.lt. 12 60, LATVIA QF-4, M. K. Čiurlionio 76, tel. (+370) 5 213 12
[email protected] [email protected],, www.latvia.lt.
MALTA �CONSULATE� QC-5, Subačiaus 2, tel. (+370) 5 251 44 91,
[email protected].
[email protected]. MOLDOVA QF-2, Miglos 61a, tel. (+370) 5 260 79 14,
[email protected], www.lituania.mfa.gov.md. www.lituania.mfa.gov.md. NETHERLANDS QI-3, T. Kosciuškos 36, tel. (+370) 5 211 36 00,
[email protected], www.lithuania.nlembassy.org. www.lithuania.nlembassy.org. NORWAY QA-3, K. Kalinausko 24 (3rd floor), tel. (+370) 5 261 00 00,
[email protected], www.norvegija.lt. POLAND QJ-2, Smėlio 22a, tel. (+370) 5 219 47 00,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.wilno.msz.gov.pl. www.wilno.msz.gov.pl. (+370) 5 231 05 57, ROMANIA QG-4, A. Vivulskio 19, tel. (+370)
[email protected],
[email protected], www.vilnius.mae.ro. www.vilnius.mae.ro.
RUSSIA QF-3, Latvių 53/54, tel. (+370) 5 272 38 93,
[email protected], www.lithuania.mid.ru. www.lithuania.mid.ru. SPAIN QG-3, Gedimino 35, tel. (+370) 5 231 39 61, emb.
[email protected]. SWEDEN QC-4, Didžioji 16, tel. (+370) 5 268 50 10,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.swedenabroad.com/ vilnius. vilnius.inyourpocket.com
INTERPRETERS BALTICK LANGUAGE SERVICES QD-2, Bernardinų 9-4, tel. (+370) (+370) 5 212 29 24,
[email protected], www.baltick.lt.
LITHUANIAN OFFICIALS DEPARTMENT OF CUSTOMS �MUITINĖS DEPAR� TAMENTAS� QH-3, A. Jakšto 1/25, tel. (+370) 5 261 30 27,
[email protected], www.lrmuitine.lt. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS �LR UŽSIENIO REIKALŲ MINISTERIJA� QG-3, J. Tumo-Vaižganto 2, tel. (+370) 5 236 24 44,
[email protected], www.urm.lt. MUNICIPALITY �SAVIVALDYBĖ� QA-00, Konstitucijos 3, tel. (+370) 5 211 20 00, e.vicemeras@vilnius. lt, www.vilnius.lt. PRESIDENT’S OFFICE �LR PREZIDENTO RŪMAI� C-2/3, S. Daukanto 3, tel. (+370) 706 641 54, spauda@ prezidentas.lt, www.president.lt.
ICELAND �CONSULATE� QF-5, K. Konarskio 28a, tel. (+370) 5 215 05 75,
[email protected].
ITALY QG-4, Vytauto 1, tel. (+370) 5 212 06 20,
[email protected],
[email protected], www.ambvilnius.esteri.it. www.ambvilnius.esteri.it.
SABALIAUSKAS IR PARTNERIAI QB-1, Ž. Liauksmino 3, tel. (+370) 5 212 42 44,
[email protected], www.siplaw.lt.
Q
LEWBEN FINANCIAL SERVICES CENTER Accounting services.QG-3, A. Tumėno 4, tel. (+370) 5 262 05 34, fax (+370) 5 262 05 35,
[email protected], www.lewben.com. Open 09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J All o the venues in this guidebook marked with an Old Town symbol ( J) are eatured as such because even i they’re not in Old Town per se, se, they are at least on the map on pp.94-95 which we call Old Town. Conused? Don’t be. Aguonų A-4/6 A. Jakšto A-1 Alkūnės D-6 Arklių C-4/5 Arsenalo C/D-1 A. Smetonos A-1/2 A. Strazdelio D-5 A. Stulginskio A-2/1 Ašmenos B-4 Augustijonų C-4 Aukštaičių D-4 Aušros Vartų C-5/6 A. Volano D-3 Bazilijonų C/D-5 Beatričės A1 Benediktinių B-3 Bernardinų C-2/D-3 Bokšto C-3/D-5 B. Radvilaitės C/D-2 Didžioji C-3/4 Dominikonų B/C-3 Dysnos B-4 Etmonų C-4
Gaono C-3 Gedimino A-1/D-2 Geležinkelio C-6 Gėlių B-5 Islandijos A-2 Išganytojo C/D-3 J. Basanavičiaus A-3/4 J. Jablonskio A-5/6 J. Lelevelio A/B-1 Jogailos A-1/2 Karmelitų C-4/5 Kaštonų A1 Kauno A/B-6 Kėdainių A/B-4 K. Griniaus A-2 K. Kalinausko A-3 Klaipėdos A/B-3 Kruopų B-5 K. Sirvydo B-1 K. Škirpos D-1/2 Kūdrų D-4 K. Vanagėlio D-5 Labdarių B-2 Lapų C-5/6 Latako C/D-3 Liejyklos B-2/3 Liepkalnio D-6 Ligoninės B-4/5 Literatų C/D-3 Lydos B-4 L. Stuokos-Gucevičiaus B/C-2
facebook.com/VilniusInYourPocket
CONSUMER RIGHTS EUROPEAN CONSUMER CENTRE �EUROPOS VARTOTOJŲ CENTRAS� QB-2, Odminių 12, tel. (+370) 5 265 03 68, www.ecc.lt. M. Antokolskio Maironio Malūnų M. Daukšos Mėsinių Mindaugo Naručio Naugarduko Odminių Palangos Pamėnkalnio Pasažo Paupio Pelesos Pilies Plačioji Pranciškonų Punsko Pylimo Radvilų Raugyklos Rožių Rusų Rūdninkų Savičiaus Seinų Sodų S. Skapo Stiklių Stoties Subačiaus Šaltinių
C-3/4 D-2/4 D-3 D-5 B-5/C-4 A-4/6 D-6 A-4/5 B-2 A-3 A-2 C-5 D-3 C/D-6 C-2/3 B-5 B-3/4 A-6 A-2/C-6 B-1 A-6/B-5 A-3/2 C/D-3 B-5/C-4 C-4 B/C-6 B-5/6 C-2 C-3/4 B-6 C/D-5 A/B-5
Šermukšnių Šiaulių Šiltadaržio Švarco Šventaragio Šv. Dvasios Šv. Ignoto Šv. Jono Šv. Kazimiero Šv. Mikalojaus Šv. Mykolo Šv. Stepono Teatro Tilto Totorių Trakų Turgelių T. Vrublevskio Universiteto Užupio Vienuolio Vilniaus Vingrių Visų Šventųjų Vokiečių V. Šopeno Žemaitijos
Žiupronių Ž. Liauksmino Žydų Žygimantų
A1 B-4 D-2 C-3 C-2 D-5 B-3 C-3 C/D-4 B-4 C/D-3 A-6/B-5 A-3 B-1/C-2 B-2/3 A-4/B-3 D-6 C-1 C-2/3 D-3 A1 B-1/3 A/B-4 B/C-5 B-3/C-4 B-6
B-4 D-5 B-1/C-2 B-4/C-3 B/C-1
December 2014 - April 2015
93
LITHUANIAN ART MUSEUM
Three Centuries of Fashion Long-term exhibition from the the collection of Alexandre Vassiliev Vassiliev (Paris)
MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS
(3A Arsenalo St., Vilnius)
Opening hours: Tuesdays–Saturdays Tuesdays–Saturdays 11 am–6 pm, Sundays 11 pm–4 pm Closes one hour earlier on the eve of national holidays Closed on Mondays and national holidays www.ldm.lt
LITHUANIAN ART MUSEUM
Three Centuries of Fashion Long-term exhibition from the the collection of Alexandre Vassiliev Vassiliev (Paris)
MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS
(3A Arsenalo St., Vilnius)
Opening hours: Tuesdays–Saturdays Tuesdays–Saturdays 11 am–6 pm, Sundays 11 pm–4 pm Closes one hour earlier on the eve of national holidays Closed on Mondays and national holidays www.ldm.lt
