It is an often used phrase but in this case it is accurate. ‘If you like it in the rain, you will love it in sunshine’. That sums up our visit to Lithuania’s capital city, Vilnius. It was mid-December so we were not expecting warm temperatures and lots of sunshine. We arrived on a Ryan Air flight from London’s Stansted Airport (www.ryanair.com ). There is a selection of carriers to choose from including Wizz from London’s Luton Airport (https://wizzair.com ). The airport is located south of Vilnius and is only 7 kilometres (4 ½ miles) or a 15 minutes’ drive by car from the city centre.

The city is named after the Vilnia River which runs through it. This is a very pretty city that is still improving it’s infrastructure. Alongside the modern structures are the remnants of the Soviet era, not as drab as you might expect but, together with the surviving historic buildings, they create an interesting patchwork of architectural styles.

Where we were staying, the ARTIS Centrum Hotel (http://www.artis.centrumhotels.com ), is, as the name suggests, certainly very central and makes an ideal base from which to explore this city on foot.

After a short walk on narrow pavements alongside cobbled streets, we came to the Cathedral Square. Both the Cathedral itself and the unusually separate Belfry were thoroughly renovated about 8 years ago. It is the main Roman Catholic Cathedral of Lithuania. Just to the right of the Cathedral was a picturesque Christmas Market with lots of wooden kiosks selling some very interesting items, most of which were the result of local crafts. In the distance, behind the Cathedral, we could see the Gediminas' Tower which is the only remaining part of the Upper Castle in Vilnius.

Next was a quick visit to Vilnius University and it’s fascinating book shop. The university, the largest in Lithuania, is also the oldest university in the Baltic States. It was founded in 1579 as the Jesuit Academy.


Now it was time for lunch which was delicious and had in La Bohema Restaurant (http://laboheme.lt). I don’t think I mentioned it yet but the local beers are well worth trying.

Fed and ready to go again, we headed to St. Anne's Church, another Roman Catholic church in Vilnius' Old Town. It is a wonderfully flamboyant brick Gothic structure. Again, the Belfry stands separate from the church. St. Anne's Church is part of an ensemble, comprising the much larger Gothic Church of St. Francis and Bernadine, as well as a monastery.

It really wasn’t all about eating but our dinner that evening was the Leiciai Restaurant. The food was good honest Lithuanian fare but the star attraction was the selection and quality of local beers. If you enjoy good food and excellent beer then this is the place for you.

The following day we ventured into the ‘greater Vilnius’ area to Trakai. This historic city and lake resort lies about 28 kilometres (17 miles) west of Vilnius. Because it’s so close to the capital it is a very popular local tourist destination. In the middle of the lake stands a huge brick built fortress which has been totally rebuilt. The reconstruction of the upper castle and a high tower was completed in 1961, however, the works came to a halt and were not resumed until the 1980s. They were finally completed by the Lithuanian authorities in the early 1990s.

Lunch was in the "Kybynlar" restaurant where we were introduced to traditional Karaim cuisine. The Karaims are a small Turkic-speaking religious and ethnic group who were resettled to Trakai from the Crimea in the late 14th century.

After a delicious lunch we return to Vilnius to visit the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania – now the National Museum. After the fall of the iron curtain in 1989, Lithuania became independent again. As part of a programme of nation-building, the government decided to reconstruct the palace. Ground was broken in 2002 on the site of the original building. The building was partially opened during the celebration of the millennium of the name of Lithuania in 2009. On July 6, 2013, the palace was officially opened to the public.

Time for dinner – on this occasion it was at "Time" restaurant. This visit came as a major surprise as the restaurant is inside the Comfort Hotel. It would be easy to see why it was crowded with locals as the food was excellent. Also, having looked around the hotel itself, it is unlike any Comfort Hotel I have ever seen. Dramatic, modern and, of course, comfortable. http://www.comforthotel.lt

Our final day in this great city commenced with a visit to the Money Museum of the Bank of Lithuania. This fascinating museum is anything but boring. The Museum opened its doors in 1999 and comprises of five halls covering two storeys. Here we are introduced to the history of banking, Lithuanian currency and the development of banking in Lithuania right up to the present day. This includes Lithuanian Euro notes that were designed in anticipation of their joining the E.U. currency. That is still in abeyance. See this link for more information https://www.lb.lt/bol_money_museum .

Off to our farewell lunch at the "Holy Mikos" restaurant in Vilnius ‘Old Town’. The restaurant is well known for introducing new Lithuanian dishes using a creative mix of ordinary produce. It is very cosy with an intimate atmosphere. The food is, as expected delicious and the service very friendly but efficient. A fitting location for our final taste of Lithuanian hospitality. http://www.en.holymikos.lt

With some free time before our U.K. bound flights departed, a couple of us decided to visit more of the ‘Old Town’ and specifically the Gate of Dawn. Above the gates is a chapel containing the famous painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is quite spectacular with it’s gold and silver decoration and well worth the climb up the stairs from the street below.

I think you may have gathered from the above that my brief visit to Vilnius was very successful and I cannot wait to return for a longer visit as well as expanding that exploration into the country as a whole. My sincere thanks to the Lithuanian Tourist Board for this super introductory trip to this ancient and charming capital city.