Литва Вильнюс самостоятельно Lithuania Vilnius alone

Everyone, good afternoon everyone!
I want to share my impressions of a trip to Lithuania. Here my husband and I spent a short weekend, only three full days with 2 nights.
It was our first trip to the Baltics, and now I think it won't be our last. We liked it very much!!!

We bought visas, a hotel, and tickets through a travel agency. We refused excursions because we can’t stand buses packed to the limit with tourists, whom the guide is not able to shout (we have such experience). We had to wait ten days for visas. We wanted the hotel in the very center, so that there is somewhere to take a walk in the evening. Before us, our friends visited Lithuania, and their impressions became decisive both in choosing a country and in choosing a hotel. So! We lived at the NARUTIS hotel. As planned, the hotel is in the oldest part of Vilnius. Maybe a little expensive, but only two nights! As it turned out later, I had to order it myself, it would have been 50-60 euros cheaper, well, agencies should also earn money -))))). , nationalists, do not want to speak Russian, etc.
Everything is not true! ! And in the hotel, and in restaurants and on the street, people always tried to help, they tried to speak Russian, young people really understand it very hard, and the adult contingent speaks almost without an accent. The hotel is wonderful, located in a house of the 16th century !! , small in three floors with a panoramic elevator, with an inner courtyard. Arranged in a classic style. Excellent breakfast buffet in the morning.
Vilnius met us with unreal snowdrifts and sun, which added charm to our trip.
The entire part of the old city has been restored, tidy up to a shine. On the first day, we walked ourselves with a guide, got confused and lost -))) On the second day, a guide was ordered, also from our friends, and we really regretted the lost day yesterday - we wanted to save money, but really lost more!
The whole day until the evening we were "taken by the hand" throughout the city. We were struck by the cathedral, climbed the Gediminas tower, from there a very beautiful panorama opens up. The amazingly beautiful Cathedral of St. Anna, but when everything you see is accompanied by legends, history, you begin to feel the spirit of antiquity , because Vilnius was founded in the 13th century. We wandered along the old unrestored streets. We had lunch at a national cuisine restaurant, the prices are simply ridiculous, somewhere around 6-8 euros per person. Well, their cuisine is mainly potatoes with meat in all sorts of ways. big - how could we get lost))) All this was accompanied by interesting and not intrusive stories about history, culture, personal opinion about the city and country, politics, about the future in general. in clear weather.

The next day there was a trip to an amazing castle of the 14th century, the largest in Europe in Trakai. This is also with a guide, you didn’t have to strain yourself. Trakai is the first capital of Lithuania, a very small town with Karaite culture. After an excursion to the castle itself, we visited restaurant of Karaite cuisine - delicious pies with various fillings, kibinai, with broth. We tried their branded beer. Toward evening we returned to Vilnius, asked to accompany us to the LATINO nightclub. They danced there until the morning!! ! And the next day home. Very little three days. Yes, and in the summer, it will probably be even more interesting. We definitely want to visit Lithuania and Latvia in the summer. Do not spare money on excursions, you will never see the city the way the locals see it. Yes and while their prices are low, you should use it. Well, this is my opinion. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer!
Alina Svetlova alyna. svet@yandex. ru