Vilnius

Atmosphere: 🎄🎄🎄

Like the Nordic countries I visited, Lithuania (and I imagine the other Baltics, based on my prior trips) were much quieter than the lively Christmas market towns of Central Europe. However, Vilnius had its own sort of charm—it’s a very proud city and the effort it does put forth for the holidays is charming and bright.

There’s one major market here, sitting in the Cathedral Square. It has a massive Christmas tree in the center and is surrounded by (mostly food) vendors. The major avenues are outfitted with Christmas lights and there were decorations set up throughout the city, but they were sometimes hidden away and usually more muted than grand. The best way I can describe the atmosphere of Vilnius is “cozy”.

Food: 🥘🥘🥘

I found some unique food at the markets here, especially at the gastronomical fair at the Lukiškės Prison. Apparently it’s pretty common in Lithuania to make “coffee” from a variety of plant-based foods (including a really delicious one made of mushrooms and spices). Another common delicacy are fried donut-hole-like balls covered in powdered sugar, which taste pretty crunchy and delicious. Variety was definitely lacking, and a few things I tried weren’t the freshest, but I was overall happy with the quality.

Crafts: 🛠️🛠️🛠️

Again, not many crafts were on offer, but those that I did see (candles, soaps, trinkets and souvenirs) were handmade and cute. I appreciated the atmosphere these stalls added.

Affordability: 💶💶

Lithuania is the most affordable of the Baltic states, reaching almost Eastern European prices. Drinks are only a few euros and snacks are about the same. Cost of staying in the city is also pretty cheap as it isn’t a popular Christmas destination. Your wallet won’t be hurting here.

Extras: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Grand Dukes of Lithuania’s Palace hosted several events, though the online-posted schedule seemed to be quite inaccurate (several times we showed up for events which weren’t taking place). The most notable included open ice skating and an hour-long ice show about the founding of Vilnius complete with lights and music. The show was great, despite being entirely narrated in Lithuanian. Unique and lots of fun and I’d certainly recommend.

Overall: 🎅🏼🎅🏼🎅🏼

Vilnius is a nice hidden gem for Christmas fare in the Baltics. The town is low-speed, quiet, and quaint, but if you’re interested in a break from the hustle and bustle of tourists in Germany and France, this is an excellent choice. It’s cheap, pretty, and worth a trip!