Today started at the very unsociable hour of 4am, to allow us to prepare for our flight from Stansted at 6:30am. Radisson Blu was a few minutes walk away from the terminal so it had been a great idea to book our overnight stay there.
Even better that we’d booked a fast track route through security which allowed us an obligatory 5:30am drink at Wetherspoons before we boarded. Being a priority boarder we had to wait on the tarmac whilst we watched the pilot check over the plane with the torch on his phone. He looked about ten year’s old but appeared confident in what he was doing. However, boarding was a bit chaotic. This was when everything stalled a bit due to one man having far too much cabin baggage (why wasn’t this checked Ryanair?), but once bags had been moved about we were on our way. We didn’t have a Ryanair crew, everyone was from Buzzair. I couldn’t quite work out why, but they were very efficient and courteous.
We landed in a rainy Vilnius two hours and five minutes later. Passport control was a bit slow and it took us about 45 minutes to get to the counter. I got the usual grilling before I got my stamp and was allowed through.
The taxi transfer took about 20 minutes to the hotel. The taxi driver stank of stale smoke so I tried to distract myself with what I could see outside. Vilnius still looked very festive and I realised there would be plenty of photo opportunities ahead.
We arrived at Hotel Relais and Châteaux Stikliai at around midday.
https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=a8193aAZFvT
We were able to check in straightaway which was brilliant. We had booked a suite (it was reasonably priced considering) and soon got settled in. The receptionist was super helpful when we went back downstairs, nothing was too much trouble. He helped us with a map and suggested a walking route for us to go around the city.
Outside the hotel there were lots of lovely decorations at their sister venue: bakery and cafe PONIŲ LAIMĖ. This had been beautifully decorated outside.
We headed towards the main square, passing the presidential palace and the University of Lithuania. Cathedral Square was home to a lovely Christmas tree surrounded by wooden huts. We climbed up the presents surrounding the tree using some hidden metal steps. Here were got a good view of the surrounding area. In the wooden huts we saw various people selling waffles, pastries, mulled wine and other local produce. Also in the square was the magnificent Cathedral Basilica and the Palace of the Grand Dukes. Next to the Basilica was a beautiful white Bell Tower, something we are going to explore another time.
Our next destination, which was situated a couple of hundred yards away, was the Gediminas Tower, situated on a hill. The funicular was out of action, which didn’t really matter. Instead we walked up a moderately steep pathway made of cobbled stones. This is when good sturdy boots are a must, particularly when wet or icy. There is a handrail to help with the tricky bits too. It’s worth the 15 minute hike to the top, where there are some spectacular views across the city of Vilnius, including the Hill of Three Crosses (on top of another hill), River Neris, the TV Tower, and various churches. A great place for photo opportunities.
https://lnm.lt/en/museums/gediminas-castle-tower/
After we made our way back down, we headed back towards the Old Town area of Vilnius. It was now raining and we needed to eat. We found a beautiful historical restaurant, called Lokys.
This place prides itself on producing local Lithuanian food. Everything about the place was lovely: the food, decor, service and even the traditional mead.
Once we’d eaten we headed back to the hotel where we had a bit of a chill and forty winks before getting ready to go out again.
We were now heading to the east of the old town, passing the beautiful St Anne’s church along the way. We stopped off at a bar restaurant called Vincent, on Savičiaus, which was themed around the artist Van Gogh. We stayed for a generous glass of red before heading off across the street to a bar called Bromas. This place was much more lively, although smaller. It sold local and international beers, charcuterie plates, beef stew and other local fare. We tried a local IPA and took in the surroundings.
We headed off after this for our evening meal, at a place called Amandus.
This had been recommended to us by our hotel staff after I’d contacted them a few months before. This restaurant gave us a dining experience we had never had before. The owner and award-winning chef, Deivydas Praspaliauskas, was very much hands on, explaining to us that he had learned his craft in Copenhagen. He also said that he likes to be organised and not to work in a loud environment where everyone is shouting at each other. He was excited for us to be there and to try his set tasting menu. The food was cooked in the immaculately presented kitchen which was part of the restaurant. Everything was exquisitely delivered, taken in turns by those in the kitchen. We were given an explanation by the sommelier of the wine pairings that went with the food. Each course was completely different and nothing I had ever come across before. We tried smoked catfish, beetroot and licorice bread, chicken broth ice tea and caramelised beetroot. The final two dessert courses involved blow torches and dry ice, which added to the whole experience.
Deivydas had even considered our leaving gift because we were not local. Everyone else received cakes but we maybe got a better deal by being gifted the restaurant’s own chocolate, as well as his own specially designed chilli and garlic sauce.
I cannot say in words how welcomed we felt being there and how much we enjoyed the experience. I would definitely go again if we had the chance.
jctraveller 
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