Accommodation
Vilnius has a reasonable amount of hotels, although budget choices are relatively thin on the ground and should be booked well in advance, especially in summer. The growing crop of moderate-to-expensive hotels are modern, business-oriented affairs, but there's also a nice choice of characterful, cosy places in stylishly restored old buildings. The Old Town is a good place to look, or the area around Naujamiestis ("New Town") and Gedimino prospektas just to the west, which is within easy walking distance of the attractions. There are also a few options on the rapidly developing north bank of the river Neris.
Other inexpensive options include an increasing number of hostels and B&Bs – the cheapest way of staying close to the Old Town. Hostels are basic compared to their counterparts in Western Europe: rooms are often cramped and very simply furnished, though invariably clean, and the staff usually enthusiastic and friendly.
Cathedral Square
Cathedral Square is dominated by the Neoclassical cathedral, dating from the thirteenth century when a wooden church was built here on the site of a temple dedicated to Perkųnas, the god of thunder. The highlight of the airy, vaulted interior is the opulent Chapel of St Casimir, the patron saint of Lithuania. Next to the cathedral on the square is the white belfry, once part of the fortifications of the vanished Lower Castle. Between the cathedral and the belfry lies a small coloured tile with stebuklas (miracle) written on it, marking the spot from where, in 1989, two million people formed a human chain that stretched all the way to Tallinn, Estonia, to protest against Soviet occupation.
Immediately behind the cathedral stands the Grand Dukes’ Palace (Valdovu rumai), a 21st-century reconstruction of a Renaissance palace that fell into ruin at the end of the eighteenth century. Rebuilt more-or-less accurately by following old paintings and drawings, the courtyard-edged complex now holds a sumptuous collection of furnishings and artworks displayed in over thirty rooms, reflecting the opulent style in which Lithuania’s Grand Dukes might once have lived. Opened in summer 2013, it’s one of Lithuania’s best-labelled and best-presented collections, and also comes with gift shop and café.
Drinking and nightlife
Watering holes in central Vilnius, especially in the Old Town, range from faux-rustic taverns with wooden benches to swish designer bars with minimalist decor. Most places serve a wide range of food, and the locals are as likely to visit them for lunch or dinner as for a session of serious drinking. A few close at 11pm or midnight, although the majority stay open into the early hours, especially at weekends.
Vilinius has several large mainstream clubs attracting a friendly, relaxed crowd with an unsophisticated mixture of Western, commercial dance tunes and Lithuanian and Russian techno. In addition, many of the establishments have DJs or live music at weekends. Entry fees can be anything between 10 and 35Lt.
Vilnius's theatre scene is interesting and varied, although performances are invariably in Lithuanian (or Russian) except on the rare occasions when visiting companies are in town. However, the language barrier shouldn't prevent you from from enjoying shows by the best of the contemporary drama companies, from whom movement and stagecraft are often just as important as the text.
Eating
Vilnius has a rapidly growing choice of restaurants, offering everything from Lithuanian to Lebanese cuisine in all budgets. Many Vilnius restaurants serve the kind of cuisine you find in most northern European countries: meat-and-potatoes, schnitzels and chops. An increasing number, however, are serving traditional Lithuanian food, such as cepelinai, koldunai and blynai, in folksy surroundings. In addition there's no end of pizzerias and a handful of ethnic restaurants around the centre.
Many of Vilnius's cafés offer much the same food as those places that call themselves restaurants, but in more informal surroundings and at sometimes significantly cheaper prices.