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 Kaunas at the Monk’s Bunk.
But now I needed a place where I could get some work done and have a private room for a couple of nights with no other tourists or backpackers to bother me. Working on the move now requires me to have this mix and the Litinterp had a spare single room with a shared bathroom and kitchen, but as it was off season, I luckily had the kitchen and bathroom to myself!
The plan was to do a bus tour with Vilnius City Tour, explore the Republic of Uzupis, try some local food, visit the old football stadium and get some writing done. I arrived by train from Kaunas, walked to the heart of the Old Town and checked into the Litinterp with the lovely Viktoria on reception to check me in.
Here are five reasons why I loved my stay here at Litinterp:
1. Private Rooms
If you want a private single room for the night, then this is the place to stay in town. No dorms, no swanky 4 stars, just a cool private room to relax in. Clean and with tea and coffee in the shared kitchen and a spotless hot shower. Towels, soap, shampoo and even a biscuit and a coffee are included in the room price.
2. Wifi and Bloggers Desk
I had my own desk in the room and was able to get all my articles typed up. The wifi is fast and reliable at Litinterp.
3. Local Restaurant – Forto Dvaras
Round the corner is the place where I first tried authentic Lithuanian cuisine – Forto Dvaras, a fantastic local restaurant with a good range of Lithuanian food and drinks in a pretty building.
4. Tourist Information
The hotel manager Ceslovas is a hive of information on Lithuania. After chatting to him, I realised that there is a lot to see and do in Lithuania and my week here was nowhere near enough even though I bunged a lot in.
Ceslovas has some cool tourist information about places that are way off the tourist trail. Hailing from a small town in the north, Ceslovas is on hand to provide some great tips if you want to see the real Lithuania, away from the city life of Kaunas and Vilnius. You also get maps, In your pocket guides on all parts of Lithuania here at the Litinterp – planning your onward adventure is easy!
5. Old Town Location
All the key sights of Vilnius that I wanted to see were in and around the Old Town. From the Litinterp Guest House, you can walk to Cathedral Square, Town Hall Square, the Parliament and even the Republic of Uzupis all very quickly within 5-10 minutes.
A perfect spot and I totally loved my time in Vilnius, a city which has a lot to offer and one of my favourite cities in the former USSR. I hope to write more about Lithuania again soon.
Here are the details for booking Litinterp Guesthouse:
Bernardinų str. 7
LT-01124 Vilnius
Tel.: 370 5 2123850
Mob.: +370 689 98517
Fax.: 370 5 2123559
E-mail: [email protected]
Reservation manager: Ms. Greta Maksimavičiūtė
Manager assistant: Ms. Jovita Chmelevskytė
Here is a video of my room at Litinterp:
Lithuanian wifi is the fastest on our globe, or one of the fastest. Now almost every newsagent’s offers free wifi if you stay close enough to them to catch the signal. We realize it’s a human right.
Forto Davars isn’t half bad but on the more expensive side. Traditional food can be found at Cili and Forest establishments but Forto Dvaras has a location you cannot beat.
Ele recently posted…O kada Jūsų miestelio bažnyčioje atidarys kavinę?
Hi Ele – thanks for the comment. Yes I ate at Cili too and loved it. But for me it was the interior decor and vibe of Forto Dvaras that I liked! The wifi was fast – amazing! Great country you have – hope to meet you someday. Safe travels, Jonny