After two nights in Kaunas I decided it was time to go and visit the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius.

Vilnius!

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After two nights in Kaunas I decided it was time to go and visit the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius.
I stayed in a nice hostel right in front of cathedral square so it was very convenient to see the town and explore what Vilnius had to offer.


Tower where the first Lithuanian flag was risen. 

During my 3 days in Vilnius I walked around the beautiful city and went on the free walking tour where I got to learn a little bit more about about Lithuania and how WWII as well as the soviet regime impacted the country.

As we walked the streets we got to hear stories about the German invasion, the treatment of the Jews and how Vilnius was destroyed during times of war. A lot of space opened up in the Jewish quarter due to all the destruction so now a days you can see parks where buildings used to be.



Also during the tour we visited Uzupis, a bohemian and artistic neighborhood that became independent only four years ago, it kind of reminded me of Christiana in Copenhagen but this one is 1000 times prettier and cleaner! The republic is pretty much a lot of artists trying to live in peace... or at least that's the feeling that I got.... Oh! It even has its own constitution:
Entering the republic of Uzupis

The Užupis Constitution terms:
1. Everyone has the right to live by the River Vilnele, and the River Vilnele has the right to flow by everyone.
2. Everyone has the right to hot water, heating in winter and a tiled roof.
3. Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation.
4. Everyone has the right to make mistakes.
5. Everyone has the right to be unique.
6. Everyone has the right to love.
7. Everyone has the right not to be loved, but not necessarily.
8. Everyone has the right to be undistinguished and unknown.
9. Everyone has the right to idle.
10. Everyone has the right to love and take care of the cat.
11. Everyone has the right to look after the dog until one of them dies.
12. A dog has the right to be a dog.
13. A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of nee.
14. Sometimes everyone has the right to be unaware of their duties.
15. Everyone has the right to be in doubt, but this is not an obligation.
16. Everyone has the right to be happy.
17. Everyone has the right to be unhappy.
18. Everyone has the right to be silent.
19. Everyone has the right to have faith.
20. No one has the right to violence.
21. Everyone has the right to appreciate their unimportance.
22. No one has the right to have a design on eternity.
23. Everyone has the right to understand.
24. Everyone has the right to understand nothing.
25. Everyone has the right to be of any nationality.
26. Everyone has the right to celebrate or not celebrate their birthday.
27. Everyone shall remember their name.
28. Everyone may share what they possess.
29. No one can share what they do not possess.
30. Everyone has the right to have brothers, sisters and parents.
31. Everyone may be independent.
32. Everyone is responsible for their freedom.
33. Everyone has the right to cry.
34. Everyone has the right to be misunderstood.
35. No one has the right to make another person guilty.
36. Everyone has the right to be individual.
37. Everyone has the right to have no rights.
38. Everyone has the right to not to be afraid.
39. Do not defeat.
40. Do not fight back.
41. Do not surrender.

The constitution in 23 or so languages!

Map of Uzupis


Book exchange at the park in Uzupis



This is Jesus the backpacker, blessing all the adventurous backpackers!

The angel of Uzupis


After the tour I went to the KGB museum and read how the regime impacted Lithuania a lot more than the war. It was sad to read all the history about the KGB and how terrible it was for the Lithuanians.
The museum is a former KGB jail and got to visit the cells downstairs and the torture room... so heavy, and scary!






Walking up and down the streets was a lot of fun, the city had many alleys and courtyards that you could go in and check them out. As I was there during the weekend I was able to see free concerts on the pedestrian street, families walking around and of course there was some bubble making! 

There is a communal measuring chart for kids on the street, with a  pen to mark the height.

Literatu street, dedicated for people who wrote about Lithuania.

Church tops can be seen from everywhere in town!



Church here, church there, churches EVERYWHERE!



 The church below was my favorite. Originally it was a gothic church but then the tip got burned and since gothic style was not popular by the time it burnt they decided to build the top in baroque style.
From the front

From the side.


The Saint Theresa church is one of the main attractions in Vilnius (or so it seemed), people go to the second level and pray to the virgin in the balcony. Also, many people walk by the cobble stone street and stop to pray from there.





Theater



Statue of the Goddess of forests and trees found in one of the courtyards around town. 

People in this part of the world love bubbles!


My roommate Christina and I went for an afternoon walk to the three crosses passing through Bernardine Park,one of the many parks that Vilnius has to offer, they even had a singing fountain show! 
On our way up




The view from up top was really nice, we could see all of Vilnius and like a hundred thousand churches!

Just in this picture there are at least 8 churches!

There's nothing but churches up there!

My favorite part of Vilnius were my evening walks along the water, seeing the sky change color and the hot air balloons rise up in the sky!! So beautiful!



So Pretty :)












Near Vilnius there is a small town called Trakai that has an island with a 14th century fortress in the middle of the lake. Everybody said I had to go so I went... but it wasn't all that exciting.
Sometimes being on my own makes things a little boring. It would probably been fun to ride around in one of the very touristy boats! haha

Walk along the water to the fortress... Lots of rental places!

Charming looking houses on the way into town.



Traditional Savory pastry

On my way back from Trakai I walked to my hostel and found some street art...
Well... I found #45 and Putin!... Make everything great again! haha Even in Lithuania they are making fun of this clown!


My time in Vilnius was a little short and didn't really meet any locals but it was still nice and worth visiting. Plus, food was yummy!
Cold beet soup

This was a little weird... Fried bread with sour cream! A typical Lithuanian snack to have with beer!




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About Post Author

Hi! It's me... Andrea! In 2016 I decided to drop everything and take a year to enrich my life and travel around the world. It turns out the world is just too big for 12 months! Still on the road and sharing my experience as a solo female traveler around the globe!

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Hi! It's me... Andrea!

In this blog you can live vicariously through my journey around the world!

Please feel free to share tips or places to go!
Contact me: andreaheartstraveling@gmail.com