When we visited Vilnius for the first time, we knew we wanted to come back. This time we stopped at Kaunas as well, Lithuania’s second city.

Both cities are beautiful and great for exploring. Vegans are well-catered for in both vegan and non-vegan places, and the food is consistently delicious. 

Kaunas

Kaunas is a small but beautiful city, with lots to explore, and friendly locals who are happy to help tourists. Amazing street art is scattered all over town, and local tourist maps point to their exact locations.

Laisveis is a wide boulevard with many bars, restaurants, and cafés. Join the queue at Spurgine to try a traditional doughnut.

Nearby is the Old Town, which leads to Kaunas Castle. Set in a park, it’s a popular weekend destination. You can also see the confluence of rivers Nemuno and Neries, a nice activity for a sunny day.

Favourite places:

• Vilties Vaistinės Arbatinė: a vegan restaurant serving traditional Lithuanian fare
• Vingiu Dubingiu Aludė: a cool beer shop with drinks from around the world
• We stayed at Kaunas City Hotel, which is in a beautiful location on Laisves Street.

Vilnius 

We spent time exploring the Old Town and visited Gediminas Tower for views over the city.

See and do:

The new MO modern art museum had a great exhibition marking the 700th anniversary of Vilnius, with pieces by local artists.

Uzupis is a bohemian neighbourhood which declared its independence a couple of decades ago. A nice place for a walk in the afternoon. 

Halle Market is a traditional market with stalls offering both local produce and ready-made food. A delicious fresh smoothie costs only 2.50 euros.

The Open Gallery has many amazing street art pieces in an industrial area.

Food and Drink:

• RoseHip Vegan Bistro: a great vegan place with plenty of delicious dishes, including the famous Lithuanian cold beetroot soup. They also have another unit, RoseHip Vegan kebabs, with plenty of other great options
• Vegafe: a cool veggie restaurant with many vegan options, including Lithuanian dishes
• Vieta: a small and popular vegan cafe in the Old Town
• Casa la Familia: a veggie pizzeria with plenty of vegan options
• Snekutis: a fun and popular bar with a large selection of beers on tap
• Alaus Biblioteka (Beer Library): a cool bar with a great selection of local and international beers
• There are lots of nice cafes around. I visited Italala, Backstage, Crustum, Brew, and Caffeine, all of which were great.

Go:

We stayed at the comfortable Grotthuss Hotel, which is ideally located in Vilnius Old Town. 

The train from Kaunas to Vilnius is quick and frequent. Tickets can be booked online through LTG about one month in advance. The trip takes about 1h30.