Summary: While Lithuania might not be the first country one thinks of when travelling to Europe, its capital Vilnius is definitely worth a stop. It's the European capital of culture for 2009, and for good reason - Vilnius is packed with character. A long and turbulent history has resulted in an edgy, engaging city. Vilnius is a river city which can be considered in terms of the old town, Uzupis and the new business developments. Most of the old town was a Jewish ghetto during World War Two and it contains the town square plus many historical buildings and beautiful churches. Cathedral Square is a major landmark as is Gedeminas hill. Uzupis is a break-away republic within the capital itself; sit with a Baltic beer by the little river and watch all the artists and other denizens get together for a quiet drink themselves. Food in Vilnius, at least as we experienced it, was hearty, filling and basic: beef and potatoes feature heavily. Maybe we missed something, but years of war, occupation and want seems to have left Vilnius with a cuisine focussed on enjoying the simple things. Of course, the usual range of European- and Asian-style foods are available at restaurants throughout the city. If you like walking, you'll find the tourist-friendly areas of Vilnius to be quite accessible by foot. Wandering around the streets and squares is a great way to spend your day: you'll run into markets, little churches and strange combinations of modern and soviet-era design almost everywhere. Buses and trolley-buses create a low-cost network that runs through the city. Buying tickets from a newspaper kiosk will save you a little and also save you having to deal with the bus drivers; like everywhere they can be a bit scary if you meet the wrong one. Taxis are reasonably priced; like everywhere in the world, don't get into a taxi with a dodgy driver. At the start and end of the day traffic jams are common, even in such a small city, so walking is definitely advised then. The old town contains most of Vilnius's free attractions, and the Gate of Dawn is a good place to start. It's the last of the original town gates, and while it's plain from the outside, the inside is ornate and beautiful. In the old town, there's the Archcathedral Basilica, which contains a beautiful chapel of St Casimir. In the square outside the Cathedral, see if you can find the lucky wishing tile with the word "miracle" written on it in Lithuanian ("stebuklas"). Apparently if you stand on it, make a wish and turn around three times, your wish will come true. There are a lot of other beautiful churches to see, including St Ann's, and St Peter's and Paul's, and of course a visit to the Frank Zappa statue is a must, but the best free attraction is Uzupis - a breakaway republic within the city. Gediminas castle is a well-restored tower, and provides the best view of Vilnius, situated as it is on a hill behind Cathedral Square. You can walk up or take the funicular. The Lithuanian National Museum is also worth a visit, as is the Museum of Genocide Victims, located in the former KGB headquarters. 25km north of Vilnius is the "centre of Europe", and if you think that's worth the trip you should also see the rather overpriced European Park, which is full of sculptures by more than 70 artists. There's always something happening in Vilnius. There's a book fair in February, the huge Kaisiukas fair in March each year, and the Vilnius arts festival in June. August and September seem filled with celebrations, fireworks, concerts, raves and film festivals, and like most European cities, Vilnius has Christmas markets each year. Plus, basketball is the sport du jour, so if you're in Vilnius during the season, catch a basketball game and soak up the electric atmosphere.
