Lithuania en
Summary
In the 15th century it was the last European country to convert to Christianity (they’ve caught up since then: 80% of the country is catholic) and they’ve kept close ties to paganism and nature from this late conversion.
Lithuanians are attached to their environment; Lithuania is a small country in which there are three riches: nature, people, and water. Lithuania means “ rain country”, the weather can be compared to Brittany’s sudden showers, violent winds and blue skies right after, with a fantastic sun.
Many cultivate their own vegetable gardens, and even though there are not many garbage cans on the streets or along the roads, the countryside is beautiful, and well taken care of.
Practical info
51 State Car renting company
Ukmerges 123A
Vilnius
Ph : +370 685 15150
“Car renting company of the 4th type The cheapest company in Vilnius is located beside a round-about, not easy to find. We got a 1997 Audi A4 for 50 euros, for the three days, a record!”
Read the whole 716 Review about 51 State
Guide
– There are some free City tours organized every day . The meeting point is in front of the coty hall at 12 and it lasts 3 hours. You give a tip at the end.
– a cool page about street art in Vilnius : Vilnius Full of Art
Events
– The photos exhibit “Comfort Zone” of Tadao Cern got lots of press in 2014
He took pictures of people lying on a beach in Lithuania.
See the photos of the of Tadao Cern
Restaurants
Among the different types of restaurants, overall we’ll find:
– traditional restaurants with appetizers, mains ( pork, beef, chicken, fish) and desserts.
There’s lots on the plate so we rarely take appetizer-main- dessert
– cheap pizza places really appreciated by the youth in big cities usually.
– restaurants with a “bling bling” kind of design with uninteresting food
– a new important wave of restaurants offering healthy food choices made with fresh and organic ingredients/products, vegetarian but not only, all kinds of homemade juices
– “salons de thés” with specialty baked goods
-“young” restaurants, anglo saxon coffee shops ( burgers, veggies, etc…)
Anykščiai
Pagoja
J.Biliūno g. 61
29110 Anykščiai
Ph : (604) 34571
“If you go for a walk around the Rubikiai lake in the north east of Lithuania , you’ll pass by Anykščiai, in which there are very few restaurants, but there is this Pagoja right at the city’s exit, which is very popular: It’s simple homemade food without anything crazy, I have to say it’s very pleasant, and useful.”
Read the whole 716 review about Pagoja
Žuvienės Pašiūrė
Rubikiu or Rubikai Lake
29006 Anykščiai
Ph : +37065988610
The lakefront restaurant as we’d always imagines: few people, a bucolic atmosphere , with the possibility of renting a paddle boats, a bar/restaurant right on the “beach” with a large choice of beers, shall I continue?All of this on one of Lithuania’s biggest lakes, a country known for its hundreds of lakes, lake Runikiu or Rubikai.
Read the whole 716 review about Žuvienės Pašiūrė
Kernavé
Kerniaus Baras
Sernovės g. 21 Širvintų raj
Kernavė
Ph : 861486659
“A break we could only dream of: bucolic, well maintained, and it’s in the Kernavé village,an important place for Lithuanian culture: it was the Grand-duchy of Lithuania’s first known capital. It’s also an important archaeological site, listed as a Unesco’s world heritage site.”
Read the whole 716 review about Kerniaus Baras
Trakai
Senoji Kibininė
Karaimų gatvė 65
21104 Trakai
Ph : 8528 55865
“Kibinai is a culinary specialty of the Karaimai (Karaïtes in French), the smallest ethnic group in Lithuania: “ce mouvement dissident du judaïsme qui s’oppose à la validité du Talmud et à l’école rabbinique serait apparu au 8 siècle” there’s only a couple hundred left today, a large community of them can be found in Trakai. Lithuanians are proud of this group and its traditions, they love kibinai, going to Traikai to try them is a classic in Lithuanian culture.”
Read the whole 716 review about Senoji Kibininé
Vilnius
Forto Dvaras
Pilies g. 16
Vilnius 8
Ph v: 656 13688
“It’s a chain of touristic restaurants except that 1) the servers are pretty nice 2) it’s a nice place to have a seat, especially in the summer with the patio 3) the national specialties are really well executed.Perfect for an introduction to the country, a first dinner on the arrival date.”
Read the whole 716 review about Forto Dvaras
Gabi
Sv.Mykolo 6
Vilnius
Ph : 212 3643
“There are mixed opinions about this place on the web. I found it perfect: a lunch break outside and in the shade, and inexpensive which is nice when you’re visiting the city all day.Lunch table d’hotes at 10 and 13 litas, so 3 and 4 euros, hard to find a better deal.”
The restaurants that were recommended to me, but that I didn’t get to try:
Stikliu g. 18
Vilnius
Tél : +370 677 72091
Lauro Lapas
Pamenkalnio 24
Vilnius
Ph : +370 674 51045
the site
Leičiai
Stiklių gatvė 4
Vilnius 01131
Tél : +370 5 260 9087
Traditional Lithuanian food and farmhouse ales
Osteria da Luca
Trakų g. 11 / Pranciškonų g. 2
Vilnius
Ph : +370 679 59420
the site
Piccolo Canopi
Bernardinų g. 10
01124 Vilnius
le site
Pocket-sized family owned restaurant
René
Antokolskio 13
Vilnius
Tel : 852126858
le site
Un bon resto belge
Stebuklai
Gynėjų g. 14
Vilnius
Ph : +370 685 85357
the site
Šv. Vieta
Šv. Ignoto 12
Vilnius
le site
A hip vegetarian place where they play some hip hop.
Time
Mindaugo str 27
Comfort Hotel
Vilnius
Ph : +370 612 02247
the site
Cafés
B Haus
Totoriu G.7
Vilnius
Ph : 300976648
“A type of mini bakery with a Dione ice cream stand in front of it ( famous Lithuanian ice cream)
You can drink a coffee, eat a couple cookies, and off you go.”
Read the whole review of B Haus
Pinavija Cafe & Bakery
Vilniaus 21
01412 Vilnius
“A nice coffee shop for breakfast or to get a baked good on the fly. You feel like a king on their sunny patio , it’s that nice on that quiet Vilniaus street.”
Read the whole 716 review about Pinavija
Gastronomy
Among their food specialties, we find:
-Potatoes/ Cepelinai
Naturally, potatoes with all kinds of sauces: cepelinai is made with raw grated potatoes which are then boiled and stuffed with meat, and then often served with cream. It’s name comes from its shape, which resembles a Zeppelin.
-Dill
In the east, it’s commonplace to find a lot of dill, which grows very fast and in abundance, it’s our parsley for everyday dishes, we find it everywhere.
– Beet Soup/ šaltibarščiai
– Donuts / kibinas
– The beers blog Tikras Alus
There is an excellent blog about craft beer : Tikras Alus – . They have made “a list of good Lithuanian beers“.
Bars
Deveti
Sodų g. 3
Vilnius
Tél : (8-672) 03675
le site
A frehsly opened trendy bar (in dec 2014) that means “Second hand man” cause it is located in a street full of second hand shops and prostitutes. It’s kinda expensive but the place is cool and locals appreciate that nice bars open in this area. They also cook.
Jamaika Hostel
Visu Sventuju 9
Vilnius
Tél : (8-688) 76766
le site
A funky hostel that also has a cool bar. Large selection of tequilas, rums and whyskies.
The bars that were recommended to me, but that I didn’t get to try:
– Alchemikas Cocktail Lab
Islandijos g. 1 (Islandijos g.1)
Vilnius
Tél : +370 612 99800
– CAC (Contemporary Art Centre)
Vokieciu 2
Vilnius
Tél : +370 526 08960
the site
An art centre that also has a cool bar.
– Café de Paris
Didzioji str. 1
Vilnius
Tél : +370 526 11021
– Gringo
Vilniaus g. 31
Vilnius
Tél : +370 654 90541
the site
– Marsas
Trakų g. 15.
Vilnius
Tél : +370 616 51377
– Notre Vie
Stikliu g. 10
Vilnius
Tél : 37061424521
le site
Good wine bar with lovely snacks
Piano Man Outside
Vilniaus 41
Vilnius
Tél : +370 650 96925
the site
vidéo
Clubs
Shops
Mint Vinetu
Sv. Ignoto st. 16
Vilnius
Ph : +37061820347
“Vinetu is a bookstore that also offers coffee and baked goods. Kind of a dream bookstore: the books are cheap, the selection is “pointue” , there are no best sellers, there are books in Lithuanian but also in Spanish, French, Polish, Italian, English, German.”
Haircut place
Hair Cocktail Bar
Uzupio g. 21,
Uzupio Respublika
Vilnius
Tél : +370 640 58080
the site
A funky haircut salon that I found when I was wandering around. I asked my way and liked the look of the girl who was working there, she told me it was the coolest salon of Vilnius.
Music
I have published a 716 Exclusive Mix from one of Lithuania’s most talented underground dj/producer : Andrius Kur aka Mario Moretti
Listen to the 716 Exclusive Mix of Mario Moretti
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