After the colour and chaos of Kaunas’ four‑kilometre market the day before (read about that on last week's Sunday Stories blog), we woke the next day with a different energy.
Kaunas was still buzzing, but we didn’t feel the need to conquer every stall in one go. Instead, the day unfolded gently, wandering around Kaunas Castle before catching our train to Vilnius the next morning.
🏰 Kaunas Castle & Ghostly Knights
Kaunas Castle sits at the meeting of the Nemunas and Neris rivers, a 14th‑century Gothic fortress built to defend Lithuania from the Teutonic Order.
Legend has it that if Russia ever attacks again, the spirits of heroic knights rise from the castle walls to defend the city.
Who needs mobile alerts and air raid sirens, turns out we'll alright because if Russia attacks we'll be in good supernatural hands!
🧵 Market Treasures & Tapestry Ribbons
We meant to be “tourists”, but the market pulled us back in like a magnet. With the public holiday over, more shops were open, including a fabric shop I absolutely had to drag Graham into.
I emerged triumphantly with lengths of tapestry ribbon inspired by traditional Lithuanian folk dress. They’ll become something beautiful for Hen’s Tooth. A little Lithuanian magic woven into future creations.
🎨 A Courtyard Gallery Full of Surprises
We also ducked into a quirky contemporary courtyard gallery. Tucked in behind the houses, it was the kind of place where the more you look, the more you see. Sculptures tucked into corners, murals layered over old plaster, every surface decorated with random fun. Lithuania does creativity with such honesty and charm.
🥟 A Slow Lunch & A Local Kombucha
Worn out from walking (again), we surrendered to a long lunch at a traditional Lithuanian restaurant. Potato pancakes, dumplings, pickles, mushrooms - Lithuanian food is shaped by centuries of preserving, fermenting, and making the most of short northern summers. I ordered a locally brewed kombucha, fermented drinks have deep roots here.
By the time we wandered back to our apartment, we’d already established our “local” bar. Just two doors down, with friendly staff, cold beer, and that comforting feeling of being recognised even when you’re far from home.
🚉 The Morning of the Journey
We packed the night before, ready for an early start.
The plan: bus to the station, find breakfast, ease into the day.
Reality: nothing open. Just a coffee vending machine.
So I left Graham guarding the bags and backtracked to a supermarket bakery for cinnamon rolls.
We sat in the vast, tiled atrium of the 1950s art‑deco station on wooden benches, with high ceilings and echoes of old‑world travel - eating pastries and sipping surprisingly good machine coffee.
(Still better than the tragic cappuccino I had at Bristol Airport. Truly dire.)
Two first‑class return tickets from Kaunas to Vilnius: €24 total. Every time we travel in mainland Europe, I’m reminded how wildly overpriced public transport is in the UK.
In fact, whenever we travel in mainland Europe I lament on how much better the pace and quality of life is compared to the UK. And yes, I will die on my pro‑EU, pro‑rail hill.
🌲 On the Train: A Moving Meditation
The train was already waiting in the siding, so we boarded early and settled into our seats with snacks and cold water. I love train journeys. The gentle rhythm, the sense of being carried, the way landscapes unfold like slow‑turning pages.
The route followed the river for a while, sunlight shimmering on the water, framed by pines and fields. Industrial edges of the city gave way to forests, then to scattered wooden cabins painted in soft pastels. Charmingly shabby, and more Scandinavian‑feeling than I expected.
Lithuania’s history is deeply entwined with Poland, but the language is strikingly different.
We’ve only mastered “thank you” - ačiū - which is easy to remember as a Brit because it sounds like a polite sneeze. Whenever we travel I always like to learn that one essential word in any language 'thank you'. Even if I fail miserably at any other attempts to use the local language, at least by always saying thank you I'll leave a positive impression wherever I go.
Pine and birch forests stretched endlessly, fresh leaves glowing acid‑green in the spring sun. I'm surprised by the lack of tagging and litter in Lithuania, just a quiet respect for shared spaces (unlike in the UK).
Find rare find Inspired by our adventures in Lithuania in the 'Love Lithuania Mini Edit' collection.
🏙️ Arriving in Vilnius
Vilnius greeted us with grandeur. It's bigger, busier, more ornate than Kaunas.
Our apartment was modern, spacious, and beautifully designed… inside. The outside, however, was like being in a Cold War spy movie: Brutalist concrete, crumbling balconies, melamine doors with heavy bolts.
Such a contrast to the elegant churches and historic buildings surrounding it.
We spent the evening wandering the golden‑hour streets, taking photos, eating potato pancakes with curd cheese, and sampling gira - a traditional fermented bread drink (Kvass) that tastes far nicer than it sounds.
Tomorrow would be a big day, and the start of our Vilnius chapter.
Find rare find Inspired by our adventures in Lithuania in the 'Love Lithuania Mini Edit' collection.