march-2013

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vilnius
lithuania
3,535,547 +370 -1°C
Lithuanian Litas (LTL)
six times weekly
Robin MCKelvie
As the Lithuanian capital awakens from
winter, the cultural scene steps up a notch
OLD TOWN
The world-famous boulevard,
a kaleidoscope of colour and
characters, runs down past the
oldest part of town, where you’ll
find medieval palaces, charming
squares and stylish boutiques.
SLEEP Ramada Hotel & Suites
(Subaciaus 2, 5255 3355,
ramadavilnius.lt, rooms from €109/
LTL375) is just within the 16th-century
city gate known as the Gate of Dawn.
Rooms are spacious and well equipped,
and there’s a bathhouse on hand to
ease tired muscles.
EAT Sturdy, traditional cuisine is on
the menu at atmospheric Amatininku
Uzeiga (Didzioji 19/2, 5261 7968),
from beetroot soup to the stuffed
potato dumplings known as zeppelins.
Bistro 18 (Stikliu Gatve 18, 6830 3673),
is a wine shop and bistro in one, with a
menu that runs from well-executed
risottos to braised rabbit with garlic,
olives and white wine.
CULTURE To take the cultural
heartbeat of Vilnius, pop in for a
coffee at the CAC Café at the
Contemporary Art Centre (Vokieciu
2). Bohemian types and local artists
INFO
Vilnius Airport is
5km south of the
city centre.
Train
A fast train leaves
every hour in peak
times and takes
seven minutes to
the central station.
Tickets cost
€0.72/LTL2.50.
Bus
The no.1 goes to the
central train station
every 30 minutes.
Tickets cost
€0.58/LTL2.
Taxi
It takes around 15
minutes to the city
centre and
should cost about
€14.50/LTL50.
Tourist info
Vilniaus Gatve 22,
5262 9660,
vilnius-tourism.it
hang out here, and you can find out
about events and exhibitions you might
otherwise miss.
SHOP Ona (Sv Kazimiero 12) sells all
sorts of accessories and homeware
produced by local artists and designers,
from chunky, felted bead necklaces to
one-off porcelain vases.
GEDIMINO
This is the Lithuanian capital’s
Champs-Élysées – a sweeping
boulevard, replete with chic cafés,
thronged bars and restaurants, not
to mention acres of retail space.
EAT Free wi-fi and fresh,
Mediterranean-style cuisine are
the main attractions at Esse
(Gedimino 50/2, 5210 2511),
which does an excellent moules
marinières and is popular with
the business crowd.
SHOP More and more international
brands are springing up on Gedimino,
so head here for some retail therapy.
There's also a shopping centre,
Gedimino 9 (Gedimino 9).
LATER For uninhibited, hands-in-the-air
fun, Ministerija (Gedimino 46) is the
place. Something of an old-timer, it still
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The 16th-century Gate of
Dawn – once part of the
city's defensive walls
packs in both locals and tourists. Down
a steep set of stairs in a vaulted brick
cellar, Bambalyne (Stikliu 7) specialises
in bottled beers from small-scale
breweries – including some nonpasteurised,
unfiltered beers.
NORTH OF THE RIVER
Just across the River Neris, the
emerging business quarter is
changing the city’s skyline with
its glass and steel skyscrapers.
SLEEP The Best Western Vilnius
(Konstitucijos 14, 5273 9595,
bestwestern.com, rooms from €69/
LTL238) has free wi-fi, an indoor pool
with a sauna and spa, and free on-site
parking, while the 22-storey Radisson
Blu Hotel Lietuva (Konstitucijos 20,
5272 6272, radissonblu.com, rooms
from €76/LTL260) soars over the
city. Ask for a room with views back
to the Old Town.
LATER High above the city, the
SkyBar (Radisson Blu Hotel Lietuva,
Konstitucijos 20), offers sweeping
views and pretty decent cocktails.
TIP Take a morning stroll along the river
to appreciate the old and new aspects
of Vilnius as the city wakes up.