“Those little grey cells” – Hercule Poirot. In 2015 for the first time in my life, I backpacked through Lithuania, visiting Kaunas, Pažaislis Monastery, Vilnius, Siauliai, Kryziu Kalnas and even the Republic of Uzupis (“the sink is full of fishes, she’s got dirty dishes on the brain” – Noel Gallagher) It was my first time…
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I have thrice backpacked Uzupis. In 2015 once and in 2021 twice. It is a fully separate republic that borders Lithuania in the city of Vilnius, where Iain “Iain Dowie” Dowie Dowied back in 1993. The Republic of Užupis is quite small and isolated, being only about 148 acres (0.60 km2) in size; it has…
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“I used to think that the day would never come” – New Order. When I flew from Amsterdam Schiphol till Warszawa Chopin airport on the 22nd of February 2020, I had no idea that it would be 19 months before my next trip abroad. That Amsterdam flight was part of a triple connection from Cape…
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Lithuania is awesome. That’s your starting point. Now you want to try the local food, meet the people, learn the history, cross the border into the Republic of Uzupis and be the only backpacker in Siauliai. Well you can, and quite comfortably. Lithuania asks for nothing from you, but leaves you with it’s soul. “I’ll…
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“The sink is full of fishes, she got dirty dishes on the brain” – Noel Gallagher. I’ve been to some off the wall / off the wheaten craic destinations on my travels. Countries that are unknown to many such as Nagorno Karabakh, Transnistria, Kosovo , Romkerhall, Austenasia, Druze, Adammia, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Christiania and East…
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This edition of World Borders is slightly wacky and different from the usual suspects. The reason is I crossed into the self declared arty Republic of Uzupis whilst remaining all the time within the same city, Vilnius housed in the country of Lithuania. The Republic of Uzupis has been in existence since 1998. It has…
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While backpacking in Uzupis, you might have been aware I checked out the top 12 sights in this unknown self declared crazy Republic, after crossing the border across a bridge within the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. One of the key sights is checking out the constitution, which is written on the wall on Paupio Gatve…
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You’ll hear me say this all the time but it always always rings true – no matter where I go I am constantly inspired and impressed by places. I honestly had no idea what an impression little Lithuania would leave on me and I was overaud by it all. Having kicked things off in Kaunas,…
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Backpacking in Lithuania in wintertime is ice cool. Less icy tourists about, fresh cold weather and some chilling sights to see without crackloads of tourists. I looked up a few hostels and hotels in the capital city of Vilnius and decided to stay at Litinterp Guesthouse. I had already had a cosy hostel experience in…
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