{"id":2467,"date":"2025-05-19T11:21:28","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T11:21:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=2467"},"modified":"2025-05-20T13:07:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T13:07:11","slug":"i-spent-48-hours-in-europes-most-affordable-city-nobody-knows-where-it-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/19\/i-spent-48-hours-in-europes-most-affordable-city-nobody-knows-where-it-is\/","title":{"rendered":"I spent 48 hours in Europe\u2019s most affordable city \u2014 \u2018nobody knows where it is\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Little-known Vilnius is having its moment (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Winding cobbled alleyways. A bohemian quarter with Baroque architecture. Michelin-starred restaurants and moodily lit jazz bars. It sounds like Paris<\/a>, but this is what awaits visitors in Vilnius<\/a>, Lithuania<\/a>\u2019s pocket-sized and underexplored capital.<\/p>\n

The tourism board is willing to laugh at its obscurity, declaring the country<\/a> the \u2018G-spot of Europe\u2019 \u2014 \u2018amazing, but nobody knows where it is\u2019.<\/p>\n

Beyond the city\u2019s 700-year-old walls is a charming town still reckoning with its complex past, where brutalist Soviet<\/a> architecture meets high-end boutiques and a rapidly blossoming food scene. It\u2019s been more than 30 years since Lithuania gained independence from the USSR, but the buzz of freedom is still in the air. And, drawn by vibey nightlife, dark history and reasonable prices, travellers are starting to take note.<\/p>\n

Vilnius has just been named this summer\u2019s top trending destination. Between 2024 and 2024, the Baltic city clocked a 105 percent increase in flight searches, analysis from travel platform Kayak shows.<\/p>\n

Metro<\/strong>\u2018s Alice Murphy<\/a> spent a weekend in Vilnius in November, and given you can fly there from as little as \u00a325, you\u2019d be silly not to.<\/p>\n

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Lithuania is the largest and most southerly of the three Baltic states (Picture: Metro)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Happiness found<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve barely begun my two-night trip when I am struck by how peaceful Vilnius is. Compared to the heaving Tube<\/a> carriages of central London<\/a>, the silence of the streets is like a warm hug, despite the November chill.<\/p>\n

Only 5% of Brits know more than the name and approximate location of the Lithuanian capital, according to a 2019 survey, and there\u2019s a distinct lack of the British accents you hear in steady streams on the streets of Prague <\/a>or Amsterdam<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The city is convenient and exceptionally cheap, with an airport just 15 minutes\u2019 drive from the Unesco-listed Old Town and tourist staples like bottles of local beer for \u00a32.75 (\u20ac3.20). Vilnius was recently named Europe\u2019s most affordable city break<\/a> in a survey by Post Office Travel Money, and even luxury is accessible.<\/p>\n

Arriving late in the evening, I head straight for 14 Horses, a farm-to-table restaurant serving up lamb dumplings, grilled eel on sourdough and potato pancakes with sweetbread (four courses for \u20ac55 per person). Another must-visit is Dziaugsmas, one of four local restaurants to receive a coveted star in this year\u2019s first-ever Michelin guide to Lithuania (try the black pudding doughnuts and bone marrow from the \u20ac67 tasting menu).<\/p>\n

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Lithuania got its first Michelin guide this year, a nod to its burgeoning food scene (Picture: Alice Murphy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Traditional dishes get a fine dining twist at some of Vilnius\u2019 top restaurants; these black pudding doughnuts with mustard sauce were a standout (Picture: Alice Murphy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Outside, the city feels incredibly safe, to the point that I leave my bag and coat unattended on a stand by the door in Nick &\u00a0Nora, one of Vilnius\u2019 best cocktail bars that does an excellent quince gin (\u20ac11).<\/p>\n

Cheap, safe and up for a laugh; little wonder why Lithuania took the top spot in this year\u2019s World Happiness rankings for the under-30s \u2014\u00a0the best place in the world to be young.<\/p>\n

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Comment now<\/title><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text\">Have you been to Vilnius? What did you think of the city?<\/span><\/span><a class=\"metro-comment-cta__button\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\">Comment Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The republic of free spirits<\/h2>\n<p>On a riverbank near the old town is Uzupis, a free-spirited neighbourhood that declared itself a republic in 1997. Our tour guide, Lina Dusevi\u010dien\u0117, tells us that the district was a no-go area during Soviet times, when its beautiful buildings were used as squats by creatives deemed \u2018undesirable\u2019 by the Communist regime.<\/p>\n<p>The main thoroughfare was once nicknamed the \u2018Street of Death\u2019 due to high crime rates and the district\u2019s Jewish population, which was decimated in the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/holocaust\/\">Holocaust<\/a>. But life has returned. \u2018It was here that people turned [when the Soviet Union fell],\u2019 says Lina. \u2018People had always been themselves here. They helped others to become individuals again.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Uzupis is home to an eclectic group of writers, artists and musicians, with a constitution that captures the essence of the neighbourhood\u2019s wacky but well-meaning ideals. Some of the more bizarre clauses include \u2018a dog has the right to be a dog\u2019, and \u2018everyone has the right to understand\u2019 (followed by \u2018everyone has the right to understand nothing\u2019). The charter is printed in more than 30 languages on mirrored rectangles on Paupio Street, right around the corner from parliament house \u2014 which also functions as a cafe-cum-pub. <em>I sveikat\u0105<\/em> (cheers) to that.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@laumeieva\/video\/7095833925246913797\" data-video-id=\"7095833925246913797\" data-embed-from=\"oembed\" style=\"max-width:605px;min-width:325px\">\n<section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@laumeieva\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@laumeieva?refer=embed\">@laumeieva<\/a> <\/p>\n<p><a title=\"explorevilnius\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/explorevilnius?refer=embed\">#ExploreVilnius<\/a> <a title=\"traveltok\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/traveltok?refer=embed\">#traveltok<\/a> <a title=\"lithuaniantiktok\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/lithuaniantiktok?refer=embed\">#lithuaniantiktok<\/a> <a title=\"laumeieva\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/laumeieva?refer=embed\">#laumeieva<\/a> <a title=\"vilnius\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/vilnius?refer=embed\">#vilnius<\/a> <a title=\"lithuania\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/lithuania?refer=embed\">#lithuania<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\u266c -\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/?refer=embed\">\u266c \u2013 <\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>I stop to refuel at Momo\u2019s Grill, a cosy lunch spot that serves beef tartare (\u20ac15) and classic Lithuanian fare such as pickled onion and beetroot soup (\u20ac7), the national dish which now has <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2023\/08\/09\/i-visited-lithuanias-pink-soup-festival-and-it-was-an-acquired-taste-19229562\/\">an annual festival in its honour<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Outside, stalls for <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2023\/12\/14\/vilnius-lithuania-christmas-market-travel-london-manchester-19973695\/\">the Christmas market<\/a> are being assembled. It\u2019s too early to experience the magic, but festive tourists are sure to descend on Vilnius very soon \u2014 it was recently voted one of Europe\u2019s cheapest Christmas market destinations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tWhat our readers think of Vilnius:\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p><strong>Melkuhn Andrea<\/strong>: \u201cI loved the big open spaces, the cat caf\u00e9 and the history of this place. I saw only one group of tourists in August. If you don\u2019t like crowded places, please go to Vilnius. I can\u2019t wait to go back, there are lot of coffee places which I want to try.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Robert Downing<\/strong>: \u201cGreat place. Quiet and friendly. Not expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Stuart Hunter<\/strong>: \u201cI worked there some years ago. Nice place and very nice people. And yes it was as cheap as she says. Worth a visit.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018We are Baltic\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>Home to around 2.8 million people, Lithuania \u2013 the largest and most southerly of the three Baltic states \u2013 sits on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Russian region of Kaliningrad.<\/p>\n<p>Lithuania declared independence in March 1990, the first former Soviet country to do so, a move that prompted a full-throated embrace of its own ideals.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018We are Baltic, not Russian, not eastern European,\u2019 Lina explains. \u2018We are proud of our heritage, and we want people to know about it.\u2019<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tWhere to stay in Vilnius\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p>Vilnius has a smorgasbord of affordable accommodation, and it\u2019s hard to look past the <a href=\"https:\/\/comforthotel.lt\/\">Comfort Hotel LT \u2013 Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll<\/a>, TripAdvisor\u2019s top rated for value with rooms from \u00a357 per night.<\/p>\n<p>For luxury, head to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotelpacai.com\/en\">Hotel Pacai<\/a>, a stylish hotel inside a Baroque palace where Napoleon Bonaparte once stayed. The 104 rooms feature glossy marble bathrooms, centuries-old exposed brickwork and beds so comfortable you won\u2019t want to get up. But the real draw is the location, on what was once Vilnius\u2019 \u2018royal mile\u2019. Step out of the cobbled courtyard and you\u2019re right beside the old town, minutes from the city\u2019s finest restaurants, boutiques and landmarks. Double rooms with breakfast start from \u00a3162 per night.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In 2019, the prestigious Cato Institute published an article titled \u2018How Lithuania destroyed the Soviet Union\u2019, and it\u2019s true that the country\u2019s national pride played a key role in the collapse of communism. <\/p>\n<p>These dark days are detailed in the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights (\u00a35\/\u20ac6), an incredible archive of KGB brutality which was used as a filming location for the hit <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2019\/06\/20\/chernobyl-real-fake-hbo-series-10020534\/\">HBO miniseries Chernobyl<\/a>. A harrowing but worthwhile glimpse into the most repressive parts of the country\u2019s history, I spent 90 minutes here \u2014\u00a0but you could stay and learn for a lot longer.<\/p>\n<p>Today, an enduring belief in the right to self-determination explains Lithuania\u2019s fierce solidarity with <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/ukraine\/\">Ukraine<\/a>. Support is evident on every street corner, with Lithuanian and Ukrainian flags flying side by side and \u2018<em>Slava Ukraini<\/em>!\u2019 (Glory to Ukraine) banners in most shop windows.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s cold, and eager for respite from subzero temperatures, I book into Bok\u0161to\u00a0Spa, a sleek retreat in a restored cellar beneath the old town. Three saunas, a jacuzzi, a 25-metre swimming pool and a silent room with marble water features are just some of the restorative options on offer, and I can feel the remains of the outside world melt away in this subterranean maze. At \u20ac80 (\u00a367) for three hours, it\u2019s not cheap. But compared to similar day spas in London that cost almost double for half the time, Vilnius is a veritable bargain.<\/p>\n<p>Just make sure you explore this hidden gem before everyone else does.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"861\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22069840 lazyload\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_9263-2-fbb7.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Stress melts away in Boksto Spa, Vilnius\u2019 underground wellness retreat (Picture: Alice Murphy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"861\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22085837 lazyload\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_9310-1-2828.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>Plan a trip to Vilnius before everyone catches on (Picture: Alice Murphy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tTwo-day Vilnius itinerary\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p><strong>Day 1<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Coffee and breakfast at Barbara and Augustus<\/p>\n<p>Take a self-guided walking tour of the Old Town, then head to Cathedral Square and<\/p>\n<p>Dive into Soviet history at the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights, and Lukiskes Prison (where scenes from Stranger Things were filmed)<\/p>\n<p>Dinner at 14 Horses followed by a cocktail at Nick and Nora<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Breakfast at Paupys market<\/p>\n<p>Check out Uzupis, wandering through the cobbled streets and cafes<\/p>\n<p>Unwind at Boksto Spa<\/p>\n<p>Dinner at Dziaugsmas followed by drinks at cosy wine bar Bohema<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><em>Alice Murphy was a guest of Go Vilnius. Ryanair flies from London Luton and Stansted to Vilnius from \u00a325; Wizz Air flies from Luton to Vilnius from \u00a335.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This article was originally published on 1 December 2024 and has been updated.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Little-known Vilnius is having its moment (Picture: Getty Images) Winding cobbled alleyways. A bohemian quarter with Baroque architecture. Michelin-starred restaurants and moodily lit jazz bars. It sounds like Paris, but this is what awaits visitors in Vilnius, Lithuania\u2019s pocket-sized and underexplored capital. The tourism board is willing to laugh at its obscurity, declaring the country […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2469,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2467"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2476,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2467\/revisions\/2476"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}