Winter attractions in Vilnius

Last weekend, Vilnius lit up its UNESCO-listed Old Town. The three-day Vilnius Light Festival transformed the UNESCO-listed Old Town, presenting visitors with light installations by international artists from 10 countries and attracting them to baroque courtyards and medieval alleys in the evenings. This year’s program included 16 works by renowned artists from Poland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, the Netherlands, Canada, and Lithuania, as well as student projects and additional installations. The thematic diversity of the festival is noteworthy, ranging from microscopic life forms to cosmic processes. Lithuanian works reflected local cultural sensibilities and contemporary artistic explorations. The festival has become one of the most important events in contemporary light art in Northern Europe, but it should be remembered that Vilnius has much more to offer.

From galleries to Michelin-starred cuisine
The city’s cultural life does not slow down in winter. The MO Museum is the most important contemporary art space in Vilnius. It presents leading local artists and seasonal exhibitions, and also organizes special mindfulness sessions when the museum is closed to visitors. Independent galleries are scattered throughout the Užupis district, and the winter events calendar is packed to the brim: the Vilnius Book Fair (February 26–March 1), the Kino Pavasaris International Film Festival (March 9–22) and the traditional Kaziukas Fair (St. Casimir’s Fair) (March 6–8) are just some of the attractions on offer. For food lovers, Vilnius offers everything you could wish for – from hearty Lithuanian home-style dishes to sophisticated cuisine in four Michelin-starred restaurants and 33 Michelin-recommended eateries. Nineteen18 serves a seasonal farm-to-table tasting menu, while Džiaugsmas focuses on bold flavors in a relaxed atmosphere. The city is also experiencing a boom in high-quality bakeries – Augustas ir Barbora combines champagne with desserts, while Druska Miltai Vanduo is a local favorite for delicious brunch.

Forest bathing, winter swimming, and saunas

100 kilometers of trails and a sauna in a former prison There is also plenty to discover outside the Old Town. Vilnius, recently named one of Europe’s most authentic cities and one of its greenest capitals, is surrounded by forests and lakes. Over 100 kilometers of hiking trails lead through forests and regional parks located not far from the city center. The most popular routes include Pavilniai Regional Park (which also offers forest therapy walks) and the glacier-shaped hills of Ribiškės. For winter sports enthusiasts, Liepkalnis offers skiing and snowboarding just 10 minutes from the Old Town. Those looking for more unusual adventures will be interested to know that Nuotykių Akademija organizes husky rides through the forests, about 45 minutes from Vilnius. To start the day with good energy, a group of winter swimming enthusiasts called Vilnelės Pankai meet every day to take ice baths in the Vilnelė River. After a day spent outdoors, the perfect way to relax is in a traditional Lithuanian sauna: herbal steam, honey and salt treatments, and birch branch massages. For convenience, choose Ivanas Muša Gongą – a boutique city sauna with locations in the center, including the former prison space in Lukiskes. The cost of one session is about €25 per person, which makes this offer an affordable way to experience one of the oldest wellness traditions. Direct flights connecting Warsaw and Krakow with Vilnius, lasting less than two hours, make the Lithuanian capital easily accessible. Thanks to convenient transport links with Riga, Tallinn, and Poland, Vilnius is also an excellent base for those interested in exploring the Baltic countries.