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IntroductionI haven't explored Eastern Europe much, so when I had the chance to visit, I took the leap! Lithuania was a place that had intrigued me for a while and I'm so glad I had the chance to go. Although there were still tourists, it was much less crowded than your typical Western Europe destination. I loved the parks, the old architecture, and how peaceful it was. Vilnius surpassed my expectations and I would definitely visit again!
Getting around the city is pretty easy since the city center is walkable. If you need to take the bus, you can download the Trafi app to track where buses are and when they'll arrive. The buses also take contactless, which makes things easy. *** bolded = highly recommended
Nature
food
Attractions
Just passing by
day tripsTrakai Castle
Visiting Trakai Castle was one of the top highlights of the trip. It’s not far from Vilnius itself, it’s easy to get there, and it’s a cute town with a stunning castle. You can definitely do it in half a day, so I highly recommend carving out time for this. Go to the bus/train station and you can buy a ticket on the spot. However, make sure to keep an eye on the timetable since the buses/trains don’t run that frequently. I opted to take the bus because it was leaving earlier. To get a ticket, just go to the bus station and use the kiosk to buy a ticket. Then go to the designated platform and show the bus driver your ticket! To take the train, just look for the kiosk and buy a ticket to Trakai or Vilnius, depending on the direction you’re coming from. You’re technically supposed to buy the ticket corresponding to your train’s departure time. I accidentally bought the ticket for the wrong time and the conductor checking my tickets pointed this out to me, but I think she didn’t mind and went on. Your mileage will vary, so I would cautiously try this. When you get to either the train station or the bus station, it’s only a short ~20min walk to the area of the castle. There’s also a local bus, if you don't want to walk. The walk to the castle goes through the old town, which is very cute! The main 3 things to do are the castle, a museum (didn't have time to do this but looked cool), and walking around/boating around Lake Galve. The castle itself is very stunning. The red color of the castle, coupled with the sunlight, makes for a good photo op. When I got there, part of the castle was under construction. So, I couldn't see its full glory without scaffolding. You can pay €12 to go inside the castle, but I was just satisfied with walking around the exterior and also taking some pictures around the ticket office. I also didn't want to go in, because there was a long line. The part that I liked the most was walking alongside the lake. The lakefront near the castle has a lot of small restaurants (but touristy) and where you can hire a paddle boat or a paddle board. There's also people selling boat rides (ranging from €5 to €7.50 per person). I didn't do this, but there were a lot of people out on boats! It's also nice to sit beside the lake and watch people go by and take it all in. Along the way, I also tried a kibinai, which is the Lithuanian version of an empanada. I just bought one at Senoji Kibininė, which is along the lakefront. And that's basically a day at Trakai Castle! |
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