A Relaxing 4 Day Vilnius Getaway
Just before the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK, we managed to squeeze in a short break to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Despite the eerie quietness of the city, we had a lovely relaxing trip.
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| View of Bora Bora restaurant from our hotel room |
Trip Details
We bought a package holiday from Fleetway - it included flights and hotel for around £200 per person. Airport transfers and half-board basis were included in the price. The hotel was called Vilnius Grand Resort, and you can see the view of the lake from our room above. Although the hotel is situated just outside of the city, free shuttle buses run several times a day to the city centre and back. Only one restaurant, The Paysage, was open when we went due to it being the winter season.
As we travelled in March, the weather was quite chilly - hovering at around 5°C. We also chose a weekday packing, flying out on Tuesday and returning on Friday.
Day 1
We had an early-ish flight, so we left the flat at around 9AM to catch the Stansted Express to the airport. We arrived into Vilnius at 4:55PM, and jumped into a taxi to the hotel that was booked by the tourist information centre in the airport (I had forgotten that we had transfers included!) Unfortunately, this wasn't the best idea as the price quoted by the information centre (€12) actually turned out to be €30. Getting an Uber would have been slightly cheaper at €21.
For the first night, we decided to take it easy and explore the beautiful spa in the hotel. The facilities were very modern and we made good use of the main pool, jacuzzi, steam and sauna rooms. Afterwards, we had dinner in the hotel restaurant The Paysage. For half-board, we had a set menu to choose from. I'd highly recommend the salmon salad (see below) which was delicious. We were also really impressed with the hygiene measures the waiters and waitresses took to help prevent COVID-19 spread. They were all wearing gloves, and after a table had finished their meal and left, an alcoholic spray would be used to clean the table clothes.
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| Salmon salad |
Day 2
On the second day, we took the free shuttle bus to Vilnius which took around 30 minutes. It was another 40 minute walk down to the main tourist attractions. Our first stop was the Museum of Illusions. We spent almost two hours here, looking at and ready about the exhibitions. The staff were super helpful here, and were really keen to give us more background about the displays. From Monday to Thursday, your ticket also grants you free access to a light show at 7PM. It was only 15 minutes long, but impressive.
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| Hanging upside down? |
Before the light show, we popped out to grab a bite to eat in a local restaurant called Keisti Ženklai - recommended by the friendly staff in the Museum of Illusions. After the light show, we grabbed a drink in a nearby restaurant called D'ECO. They have a very intriguing cocktail menu, including one with bone marrow in!
Day 3
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| Street view outside Bistro 18 |
Our last full day was also spent in Vilnius centre, where we had a wander around town. We ate at a little restaurant called Bistro 18 and spent the rest of the afternoon in a cute cafe called Pilies Kepyklėlė. If you like vintage-looking, cosy cafes, I'd highly recommend you grab a coffee or tea here.
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