The Independent Takes the Plunge into Vilnius and Kaunas

The Independent has named Vilnius and Kaunas the perfect city break duo. Travel writer Christopher Beanland praises Vilnius for its green spaces, wild swimming and quiet Old Town, and Kaunas for its interwar architecture and street art.

Christopher Beanland’s piece for the British daily The Independent opens mid-air, with a running jump into Lake Balžis at Green Lakes, a fifteen-minute bus ride from central Vilnius. Surfacing, the author is left wondering how many European cities would envy such clean water and parkland so close to their centre.

Beanland counts Vilnius among Europe’s greenest capitals, with sprawling parks, electric trolleybuses and river beaches. Valakampiai on the Neris even carries an EU Blue Flag. The UNESCO-listed Old Town is in such good condition that it is a wonder it is not swarming with tourists, and a quiet coffee outside the Eureka Bookshop comes with no tourist tat in sight. Vilnius also ranks among the best-value destinations in Europe, and the €0.90 airport train is, in his words, hard to beat anywhere.

Kaunas, a little over an hour away by bus, completes the pairing. As the capital of interwar Lithuania, it still wears that era’s architecture, from the Post Office to the Milk Company headquarters. Today it hums with students, street art and lively brewpubs. A short ride out of town leads to Pažaislis Monastery, the largest in Lithuania, which doubled as a set for HBO’s Catherine the Great.

Getting there is also easier than ever. Since Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia standardised their rail timetables in 2025, direct trains run to Vilnius from Riga and Tallinn, and flights from the UK start at £47 return. Beanland leaves with a vow to return.