Located in the south of Lithuania, the second-most-populous city in the Baltic states, the residents of Vilnius seriously know how to celebrate Christmas.

It’s a city where every street and shop is adorned with twinkling lights, baubles, presents and any other type of decoration you can think of. The streets are lined with Christmas trees, buskers are playing songs on their guitars and everyone is sipping hot wine and getting in the festive spirits.

The city has been named as the ‘Capital of Christmas’ and it’s easy to see why – they do not hold back when it comes to their decorations.

I visited the magical city and I was in pure festive bliss. The city has a magical feeling about it, where you can really feel the Christmas spirit. As I explored the city, there was a coating of snow falling, the twinkling fairy lights and decorations flowing over the shop fronts, that are so good you have to stop and have a look.

Within a few hours after a short flight from London City airport (with return fares from £33), I’m in a bustling and magical Baltic city that is full of a rich history and is home to more than fifty churches, as well underground spas, multiple museums and an arts quarter. While it’s also been used as a part of Netflix’s huge series Stranger Things where parts of series four was filmed – including in the now closed 100-year-old prison.

Vilnius is notable for the architecture of its Old Town, and is considered one of Europe’s largest and best-preserved old towns which saw it declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. This makes the old town the prime spot for its iconic Christmas market too.

The city was named Capital of Christmas by the European Parliament’s Christmas Cities Network in large part thanks to its iconic Christmas trees, which have become internationally renowned. The Vilnius Christmas tree was ranked first by European Best Destinations for two consecutive years.

And for me, it was the postcard-worthy Christmas markets that have brought me here. The main Christmas market is located in the magical Cathedral Square, in the old town, and is famous for its beautiful and award-winning Christmas tree – an authentic 205-square-metre installation that is 20 meters high. The market features a number of charming wooden stalls mostly selling sweet treats, mulled wine and festive crafts.

You can pick up a mulled wine for €7 or a hot chocolate, also for €7, but if you return your mug, you are awarded a €2 refund, making it a pretty cheap festive tipple at €5 (approximately £4.60). 

If all the walking around gets you in the mood for some traditional Lithuanian cuisine, you can try some of the local delicacies from the stalls including local “kaladinis” chimney cakes, sweet curd donuts and lots of dessert type food such as sweets, gingerbread, donuts, hot chocolate and of course hot wine. The stalls also sell lots of handcrafted items and local products homemade for Christmas.

With fairy lights sprinkled over the market, and the huge twinkling tree, the main Christmas market is seriously impressive, but in true Vilnius style, one market is not enough and the city hosts ten different ones over the city. When you have had enough of strolling the stalls, make sure to visit the beautiful Jewish quarter in the Old Town district.

Or if you are looking for somewhere for dinner, you can head to Lokys, the oldest family-run restaurant in the city, which serves bright pink cold beetroot soup and potatoes, as well as beaver stew – and real local delicacies of the city.

The Christmas market opened on 29th November and will stay in the square until 6th January, while you can find the other markets in the train station, Hale Market and a very alternative market in Lukiškių prison (yes, really!)

The city loves Christmas so much, the national bank even launched Vilnius’ own Christmas currency, where you can buy items from the Christmas markets with the festive currency which was announced as red pine cones.

Another festive highlight in the square is the two-storey Christmas carousel which stands 10 meters high and has been created by Italian artisans in a traditional style, while other fun features in Vilnius to look out for include the ice rink in Town Hall Square and the Christmas train that transports visitors on a 20 minute ride through Vilnius’ sparkling Old Town streets for just €1.80.

Book the holiday 

LOT Polish Airlines offers direct flights to Vilnius from London City airport. Ryanair and Wizz Air also offer direct flights from the UK. 

Find out more about Vilnius at govilnius.lt.