Out of all the Baltic states, Lithuania seems to be the quirkiest and have the most unusual things to see. The country is large and although you can take public transport and to some areas, I recommend hiring a car to get around. This was relatively cheap and gave us the freedom to visit more secluded areas and make our own schedule.
Below is a brief summary of each town that we visited, then at the end there is a map and our itinerary.
Vilnius
Vilnius will more than likely be your starting point. There are a lot of cheap Wizz air flights from other countries in Europe including England. It is a lovely town filled with stunning cathedrals, interesting parks and statues as well as lots of nice restaurants and cafes. Inside Vilnius there is another small independent town called Uzupis which is full of quirky things to see.
Hill of Crosses
This was my favourite place in Lithuania! If you can only make one day trip from the capital I would recommend it is to the Hill of Crosses. It is a 2 hour 30 minute drive from Vilnius. Read more about when and how to get there: Hill of Crosses
Trakai castle
Trakai castle is on Lake Galve, a 30 minute drive from Vilnius. Similar to the Hill of Crosses the earlier you can get here the quieter it will be. There are lots of different souvenir shops nearby and you can even hire a boat to go around the castle.
Kaunas
This is Lithuanias second city but unfortunately we didn’t end up spending long enough in Kaunas. When we go back to Lithuania we are planning to stay overnight because there is so much to see. Kaunas is 1 hour 20 minutes from Vilnius and closer to the Hill of Crosses.
Located outside of the city centre is Ninth fort, a museum dedicated to the tragic history of this place. In 1984 this amazing monument was constructed to honour those killed in the jewish genocide here.
Kaunas has a lot of interesting graffiti, the most famous of which is the wise old man. It is located in the carpark close to Kaunas castle and is on the side of a derelict warehouse.
Follow the link to see more amazing pieces of street art in Lithuania and their exact location: Street art in Lithuania
Druskininkai
This blue church was the main reason that we decided to visit Druskininkai. But this town has such a unique atmosphere that is so different to the rest of Lithuania that I recommend visiting even just for that. It is a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Vilnius but you can stop at Trakai on the way to see the castle.
Have a look through my article on Druskininkai: Lithuania’s hidden gem!
Klaipeda
This port city has lots of little statues dotted around the back streets. If like me you love unusual statues then this is the perfect place to visit in Lithuania. There are even a few that are said to bring good luck. Read more here: Klaipeda: Unusual statues and more!
Accommodation
We stayed at Dukes 2 bedroom apartment in the centre of Vilnius. The interior was decorated beautifully and it also had a free car park.
Itinerary
Day 1– Drive to Druskininkai (1 hour 40 minutes) on the way back stop at the wooden sculpture park (10 minutes) then at Grutas park (15 minutes). Drive back to Vilnius (1 hour 35)
Day 2– Drive to Hill of Crosses (2 hours 30 minutes) on the way back stop in Kaunas (2 hours) and then Vilnius (1 hour 10)
Day 3– (stopped off at Hill of Crosses) Drive to Klaipeda (2 hours 50 minutes) then back to Vilnius (2 hour 50 minutes)
Day 4– Drive to Trakai (30 minutes) then drive back to look around Vilnius (30 minutes)
Day 5– Vilnius and Uzupis
There is so much to see in Lithuania. When I go back think I will spend a couple of nights in Vilnius and then a couple in Kaunas as it is a better base for visiting the Hill of crosses and Klaipeda.
