The day started at a leisurely pace with a lovely breakfast in the hotel. We had a good choice of cold cut meats, cheeses, salad, fruits, pastries and yogurts. There was also a menu if we wanted anything cooked to order, such as omelette or boiled eggs, so plenty to choose from.

We went out late morning without a plan, just to see where our feet took us. There were plenty of people milling about, it was much busier than yesterday.

We headed down towards Bohemian Užupis. This area is dotted with lots of amazing street murals and an angel statue, a riverbank mermaid sculpture, and the constitution of the self-proclaimed “Republic of Užupis,” mounted on wall plaques along the Paupio gatvė. There was plenty to see in this once deprived area and the cold sunny day made it perfect for wandering about for a few hours.

https://uzhupisembassy.eu

https://www.govilnius.lt/visit-vilnius/places/uzupis-district

We also saw many churches, and the Lithuanian capital has a lot of them. The St Anne’s church is particularly notable for its beauty and late Gothic architecture. Legend has it that Napoleon wanted to take the church back with him to Paris in his palm. Next to the church stands a bell tower built in the 19th century, imitating the Gothic style. We entered through the imposing arched door to be hit with the intense aroma of incense. People were worshipping at the alter where there are many authentic facades, interior elements and forms still intact, it was beautiful.

We had a late lunch in a local cafe, All for One, where I had beetroot soup, before heading back towards the main town area. We headed up towards the Gates of Dawn. This is a city wall gate, showing a painting of the Virgin Mary, and is well known as a symbol of Vilnius.

It was getting quite cold so we decided to go to a bar for a hot wine. We could only get seating outside bar restaurant Amatininkų Užeiga, but we did have blankets and an outdoor heater to keep us warm. We had a hot winter cocktail that kept us warm. As it got dark, we also had a traditional coffee with liqueur Krupnikas and cream. I could say it was the Lithuanian version of an Irish coffee. Krupnik is a liqueur made from honey and herbs and has a strength of 35-45% alcohol. It is yellow or gold in colour, has a sweet honey taste and contains about 38% sugar. This liqueur was created in 1593 by Benedictine monks, who were settled in the Radvilai manor in Nesvižius, central west Belarus. It was popular only in Lithuania for a long time, but in the 19th century began to spread in Poland, and later in other countries of the world.

We also tried fried bread and cheese, a local dish. We weren’t sure what to expect but it was literally fingers of bread that were deep fried. This was accompanied by a combination of garlic, fennel, curd cheese, maybe a bit of mozzarella and sour cream. It certainly hit the spot before we decided to go back to the hotel room.

https://www.amatininkai.lt/en/home-2/

We didn’t rush to go out but we wrapped up warm as we had a long night. We tried a couple of new bars in the Old Town. For me, the highlight was trying a new drink, in a place called the Garden Bar. The bar itself was tiny but had a nice feel to it. Hot red wine was not available but I was offered hot white wine instead. I thought I’d give it a try and watched as the barman made it with a lot of love and care. It was a blend of white wine, honey, herbs and was served in a teacup with a small sweet treat.

We chatted with the barman and we talked about our two countries. He said that Lithuania was the g-spot of Europe. He was happy that we liked his country and said that he would like to visit the UK one day.

We left as we needed to eat and this proved a little more challenging. Many restaurants were offering fixed price menus including, say, unlimited Prosecco, for upwards of 80 euros each. We didn’t want to be stuck indoors to see the New Year in, we wanted to experience the whole event.

Eventually we arrived back at Amatininkų Užeiga, where they had a free table as it was less busier than earlier on. After a meat platter starter, I had chicken Kyiv. This version was a little different to what I had eaten before, but nice all the same. It was described as “our worldwide known dish, our recipe prepared since 1992, with peaches, pineapple, carrots, cheese sauce and potato croquettes”.

Feeling suitably stuffed, we left and headed for Cathedral Square. We had eaten late, so it was perfect timing for the celebrations. The crowd wasn’t too busy, and everyone seemed happy drinking maybe a hot wine served at one of the wooden huts, or drinking their own drinks they had brought with them.

The capital was wanting the event to be fireworks free. The Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, is currently discussing stricter restrictions on the sale and use of fireworks.

The aim is to reduce the negative impact of pyrotechnics not only on the environment but also on animals and people’s physical and mental health. The fireworks were being replaced by a light and laser show as the New Year began.

However, as expected, people were setting fireworks off, well before midnight. It didn’t spoil the event, and added a bit of sparkle to the bell tower which was illuminated by projections on its walls. Music also added to the atmosphere, which was brilliant.

There was a regular countdown projected on the bell tower as midnight approached. As New Year 2024 began, so did the light and laser show which was very impressive. Lasers were beamed across the whole square whilst music was being played, it was a great show whilst people sang and danced along to the music. It was a great event that I shall remember for many years to come.

Back at the hotel, their own dinner dance was well underway. Music continued blasting out both inside the hotel and at nearby venues. We didn’t sleep until well after 4am, but at least we knew that we could have a late breakfast on New Year’s Day.