Vilnius was the middle stop on our Baltic trip, sandwiched between Warsaw and Riga, and ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the journey.
We stayed in the Old Town, which made a great base for exploring the city on foot. One of the things that immediately stood out about Vilnius was how walkable it felt. The Old Town is one of the largest in Europe, but it never felt overwhelming. Instead, it felt like a city built for wandering.
Most of our time was spent doing exactly that. We explored the historic center, climbed to the top of Gediminas Hill for views over the city, wandered down Literatų Street with its tributes to Lithuanian writers and artists, and spent plenty of time stopping for coffee and traditional Baltic food along the way.
One of the more memorable stops was the Portal, a giant circular video screen that connects Vilnius with another city somewhere else in the world. It's a simple concept, but surprisingly fun. We ended up standing there longer than expected, waving to strangers on the other side and watching people interact across continents in real time.
Vilnius also has a fascinating Jewish history. One thing I didn't know before visiting was that Lithuania is often associated with the origins of the modern bagel, and we made a point of stopping at a local bagel shop while exploring the city. Whether you're interested in history, food, architecture, or simply finding a great café, Vilnius seemed to have a little bit of everything.