I'm just going to get straight in to it as I'm so excited to share this one with everyone! So i'll just give you a quick idea of the reason for this break and then i'll get on to the good bit! Every year, me, my partner and my mum and dad all go on a weekend European city break just before Christmas. This is our family tradition now and we like to go somewhere new every year. We all give our input and find somewhere that suits everyone! This year the criteria from everyone was: christmassy/ snowy/ wintery feel, needs to have a Christmas market, it needs to be cheap to get there and cheap when you're there, somewhere that none of us had been before, and we had to be able to fly there directly from Birmingham (my dad hates long coach journeys!) So after a lot of searching, this came out the family favourite and we picked the perfect day to book, we got return direct flights and 3 nights in a central 3 star hotel for £97 each, so we couldn't really go wrong! When we first told people where we were going, everyone looked at us in disbelief (if they'd even heard of the place), but since we've been back and showed them photos and shared our experiences with them, they've all changed their minds and some people have even booked to go themselves! I hope this blog can convince you to do the same as Vilnius is probably the most beautifully under rated place I have ever been. Right, anyway, enough of me babbling on, I guess you want to know what's so great about Vilnius? So I'm going to give you my perfect 72 hours in Vilnius at Christmas time.
DAY ONE:
On day one, I would always suggest going on some sort of tour to find your feet and get to know your way around. So, we went for a hop-on, hop-off bus tour in the morning and just stayed on the bus for a whole circle, this took around 60 to 90 minutes and was a massive help. Also, it was at this moment that we realised how beautiful Vilnius was!
In the afternoon, I would suggest going out of Vilnius and see what else Lithuania has to offer, I wouldn't go too far out though as Lithuania is quite a big country. I would go to Trakai which is a beautiful little village/town and is home to Trakai castle which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Lithuania. It is set on a lake and looks beautiful in the winter when it is all snowy and iced over! You can either travel there yourself by bus or train which both take around 40 minutes, or you can book a day trip with a local sightseeing company. This will cost around £20 per person. Personally, I always prefer to do things myself if I can as it makes your experience more personal.
At night, I would suggest going in to the old town and finding a nice bar or restaurant to relax in for the night. You can find both traditional Lithuanian cuisine, and international dishes here, so you won't be disappointed. The prices of food and drink are reasonable and are cheaper than the UK. Considering Lithuania is in the Euro, there cost of living has remained relatively low.
DAY TWO:
In the morning on day two I would head in to the cobbled streets of the old town and do some souvenir or Christmas shopping in the quirky little shops.
In the afternoon I would head out and do another activity. My personal choice for this would be husky dog sledding. I found this in Neris regional park, which is North West of Vilnius. I emailed the company and asked how we would get there. We then got the train from Vilnius to Lazdenai, and they picked us up from there. It was then a 10 minute drive through the snow covered forest to the sledding farm. We got to meet and greet all of the dogs and then had a 15 minute sled ride each through the forest, which was just amazing! When we arrived back after the ride, we were given hot pancakes and tea to warm up (which tasted so good!), and then we were dropped at the local bus station. This cost 50 euros each and I can honestly say that it was one of the best experiences of my life. It is worth going to Vilnius just to experience this.
As night falls, I would head to the Christmas market in the Cathedral square to have a look around the stalls and do a spot of Christmas shopping. I would also sample the toffee apples and local cheese! Also, take a trip on the cute little Christmas train that runs every 45 minutes throughout the day! It's only 2 euros each and takes you around the beautiful old town.
DAY THREE:
In the morning head up to gediminas hill and take the funicular ride to the top, this will cost you 2 euros each and will give you an amazing panoramic view of Vilnius old town.
After lunch,take a stroll around the old town and head to some of the beautiful buildings that you may have missed.
Just before sunset, head to the TV tower which is on the outskirts of the city. At the top of the tower is a restaurant which rotates 360 degrees and takes around an hour to make a full rotation. It is the tallest building in Lithuania, and one of the tallest buildings in Eastern European. Here you can enjoy some nice cocktails, food and a beautiful panoramic view of Lithuania as the sun goes down. This is the perfect way to wind down and reflect on your perfect city break before your flight home. It really is beautiful. Entry in to the tower is 6 euros each, but it is so worth it! You can get here by bus from the city centre, but personally I think it's easier to get a taxi which will cost around 10 euros from the centre.
Vilnius was the perfect city break for me and my family, it had something for everyone and really did exceed all of our expectations! If you travel to Vilnius, stay in Hotel Panorama and ask for a room on the 4th or 5th floor with an old town view. You can thank me later! I would recommend Vilnius to anyone, and trust me no matter what you are looking for from a city break, Vilnius will not disappoint! (Please note all prices are correct as of December 2016)
