Dazzled by Vilnius, a diamond made from centuries of pressure

The Herald Scotland

a day ago

Vilnius is in every way a city that's a product of its turbulent past while looking towards a happier, and greener, future. The capital of Lithuania, the largest of the Baltic states, it has been occupied repeatedly, first by Russia then the Swedes, after that by the French, the Nazis and finally by the Soviets before finally gaining independence in 1991. Vilnius itself is a patchwork of all the history that has gone before, though not as a morbid rumination on an unspeakably difficult past, each remnant of history feels like celebration of the nation's independence and its citizens' strength and resilience.
Read more by Kerry Hudson
Perhaps one of the most touching manifestations of this is the "Miracle Tile" – literally a small red stone paving block where it is said if you stand on it, close your eyes, and turn clockwise your wish will come true. This is believed to be the place dreams come true because it marked the end of the "Baltic Way" a peaceful protest against Soviet occupation consisting of two million people forming a human chain across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania which finally led to independence for the Baltic states. It is hard to imagine coordinating such a thing back then, purely through grassroots activism and radio broadcasts. Our guide, a former ballerina, showed me a picture of her uncle, one of the key organisers of the resistance standing in that very spot. Just another example of how Vilnius is filled with living history that Lithuanians will willingly share.
The Lithuanian pride in their capital is well-founded. It was awarded Unesco World Heritage status in 1994 with Unesco stating the city is "an exceptional illustration of a Central European town which evolved organically over a period of five centuries". In fact, it has one of the largest and best-preserved Old Towns in Europe, featuring a mosaic of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical architecture.
With a few exceptions, I am typically not a fan of Old Towns, finding them heaving with tourist traps, stag dos and escape rooms. But while you'll find souvenir shops and some restaurants with laminated menus in English, Vilnius Old Town doesn't feel completely given over to tourism just yet – there are still Vilnians living there, there are artisanal and artist workshops and, thanks to its size, it's still possible to get completely lost in its magnificent backstreets.
While Vilnius pays due honour and attention to its past it is also looking forward. In 2025 Vilnius was awarded the title of European Green Capital 2025 with aims to become carbon neutral by 2030. Their campaign for sustainability and a greener city focuses specifically on citizen engagement and happiness as one of its priorities – and it shows. There is a warmth and a friendliness, an ease about the city, that confounds your expectations for a country with such a turbulent past.
In the past three years €510,000 was allocated for installation of outdoor classrooms, with 120 schools and 34 kindergartens benefiting from the initiative. Even to an outsider it makes perfect sense to utilise the outdoor environment when 48% of the city is taken up with forest, so much so, that there is an annual tree inspection – at the time of writing the city had surveyed 500,000 trees to ensure protection of the city's green canopy for both citizens and wildlife.
Other projects and investments towards a greener Vilnius include the purchase of 73 electric trolleybuses in July and project Breathe Vilnius, a range of "relaxation and wellbeing" recordings voiced by famous Lithuanians including the singer and songwriter Gabrielė Vilkickytė, who voices the "Meditation on a trolleybus" guided meditation. Other recordings include "Meditation in a traffic jam", "Meditation in Vilnius Old Town" and "Meditation for a rushing Vilnius resident". While they are, of course, in Lithuanian I found them incredibly soothing to listen to.
Vilnius celebrated its 700th anniversary in 2023. (Image: PA)
Certainly, walking around Vilnius there is a sense of old and new thriving alongside each other. It is a city that respects history and tradition while also understanding that their youth will have a whole new set of interests and priorities. With this balance, deep cultural roots and striving innovations, it's perhaps no surprise that Lithuania made the top spot in the 2024 World Happiness for under-30s.
Take my advice or better still take the advice of handsome barista Lukas, and go to Vilnius. Luxuriate in the plentiful green spaces, find resonance in the friendly Vilnians quiet pride in their city and their history, make a wish on the "Magic Tile", allow yourself to overawed by more beautiful architecture than you shake a stick, or indeed a camera, at.
When it's all done, satisfy yourself with the Lithuanian national dish of Cepelinia, gelatinous potato dumplings the size and heft of a rock filled with bacon and garlic, served with huge dollops of sour cream and fried onions. Not since the Munchie Box has there been a dish more targeted for the average hungry Scot.
With its history, thriving contemporary initiatives, architecture, art and culinary scene, Vilnius, a diamond made from centuries of pressure, is worth visiting. Just don't wait 15 years like I did.
Kerry Hudson is an award-winning novelist and memoirist and a member of the British Guild of Travel Writers. You can find her on Instagram and on Threads @ThatKerryHudson.