THE SIGN HUNTERS

LITHUANIA: The wintry Vilnius

Written by Laszlo, 11 February 2018

We have just returned from the freezing, wintry Baltics with lots of memories, nearly a thousand photos on the memory cards, hours of videos, and, of course, with several new pictures of settlement signs. Now, it is time to make the first post and expect some more entries in the future in regards to Lithuania and Latvia - the countries that we visited.

Previously, I did not really know what one could expect from any of the Baltic countries; I do not read trip advisors either (this is Katie's task normally), I just like to explore and experience everything first hand on my skin. As a geographer, of course, I always have knowledge about countries and places, but the experience that one can gain through a primary source is always different, isn't it?

The first couple of days of the week we spent in the capital city of Lithuania, in the highly charming Vilnius. It rarely happens to me, but once we arrived in Vilnius, I could sense straight away that something awesome was waiting for us there. A week later, I was in an absolute love with the Baltic region and I could go back instantly, anytime, even to live there for a longer period (this might actually happen).

It probably also makes a massive difference that we travelled in the middle of the winter season. The temperature was mostly around 5-8°C below zero, so most of Vilnius was frozen and under snow which made everything look like a place in a fairy-tale.

Since we do not fully plan our trips, there is always plenty of random surprises that await for us. This time, for example, we ended up as extras in a Lithuanian film, we found a cat café with over a dozen of cats and discovered a so-called 'independent', very bohemian-looking district called Užupio Respublika. We had a lot of fun while staying in Vilnius and I can recommend this charming, little city to everyone for a visit.