A weekend in Vilnius: Old Town, Gediminas Tower and Užupis

Weekend plan

Saturday

• 10:00 — Transfer from the airport to the center and drop your bags at the hotel.
• 11:00 — Pilies Street, Cathedral Square and Vilnius Cathedral.
• 13:30 — Lunch in the Old Town.
• 15:00 — Gediminas Tower on the hill and the view over the city.
• 18:00 — St. Anne's Church and the Old Town lanes in the evening.

Sunday

• 10:00 — The Gate of Dawn and the baroque churches.
• 12:00 — Užupis: the murals, the Vilnia river and the constitution on the wall.
• 14:00 — A late lunch and coffee before heading to the airport.
• 16:00 — Transfer to the airport and the flight home.

What to see

• The Old Town, one of the largest surviving medieval-era old towns in Europe.
• Gediminas Tower, the remnant of the Upper Castle.
• Vilnius Cathedral and Cathedral Square.
• The Gate of Dawn with its revered icon of the Virgin Mary.
• Užupis, an artists' quarter with its own tongue-in-cheek constitution.

Where to eat

Try Lithuanian food: cepelinai (potato dumplings with meat), cold beetroot soup, kibinai pastries and kugelis, a baked potato dish. The Old Town has places serving traditional cooking as well as modern cafés.

Where to stay

The Old Town is the best base because everything is close. Užupis is quieter and artsy, and the area around Cathedral Square is easy for first-time visitors.