Vilnius has a population of approximately 600,000.



The official language is Lithuanian. Russian and English are also widely spoken.

Island Castle is a natural attraction 23 km west of Vilnius and accessible by bus or boat. One of the oldest castles in Lithuania, it situated on Lake Galves near the old capital of Trakai. The 14th century castle lies in a setting of forests and lakes in Trakai National Park. You can also find the ruins of the Peninsula Castle and the site of Old Trakai Castle within this beautiful national park.

The old Jewish quarter and ghetto is a cultural attraction. Vilnius was originally a city with 100 000 Jewish residents. After WWII only 6000 Jews had survived with only 1 synagogue out of an original 105. The Lithuanian State Jewish depicts the Yiddish culture in Lithuania and the tragedy of the Holocaust. The Genocide Memorial is a 15 minute train trip away in Panerial. A total of 70 000 Jews were killed and buried here in mass graves.

South of Cathedral Square, this old town is wonderful to explore. Its has winding streets and courtyards it is a city that captures your interest by just wondering around. Just through the gates, enter the first door on the right to the 17th century Chapel of the Gates of Dawn.

Lithuanians like to eat nice, tasty and filling foods. Traditional cuisine took shape over many centuries and was much influenced by cultural contacts with neighbouring nations. There seems to be an inexhaustible number of restaurants to choose from in Vilnius, with cuisine available from all around the globe. However, be warned that many Lithuanian restaurants tend to serve extra large portions fit for a small army.

The nightlife, it must be said, is positively pumping, and the Vilnius locals are always up for a decent session of hard partying.

Locals are typically a friendly bunch, happy to help out visitors to their city.

Featuring a relatively temperate climate, Vilnius has the best weather in the months of June to August where the average temperature is 22. It rarely gets above 4 between November and March, dropping to below zero in January.