Backpacking in Lithuania: Notes from Vilnius

Reposted: March 31 2021
Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, my 87th country and thus completing the Baltics. All nicely ticked thank you very much.
3 Crosses Hill, a nice view point overlooking the city.
The Frank Zappa Fan Club erected this statue of the music legend:
Perhaps he is known from him being mentioned in the Deep Purple classic, Smoke On The Water:

We all came out to Montreux
On the Lake Geneva shoreline
To make records with a mobile
We didn't have much time
Frank Zappa and the Mothers
Were at the best place around
But some stupid with a flare gun
Burned the place to the ground
The Republic of Užupis is a self-proclaimed area in Vilnius. My friend Jonny Blair who blogs at Don't Stop Living also backpacked the Republic of Uzupis and wrote a great post.
Possible a fun way to get around Vilnius is to hire a bike. With 37 velo stations around the city, how difficult can it be.
And after Vilnius, I went to The Hill of Crosses - Lithuania:
Transport:

Lietuvos Geležinkeliai the state run railway company, has services from Vilnius to Klaipeda, Kaunas and Siaulai. Extra trains run on Fridays and departures are not at the same time everyday. Check the schedule before you turn up at the station.

You can find loads of options for bus travel throughout the Baltics on Info Bus. This is a ticket agency, not the bus company so there is a mark up on all tickets but its listings are comprehensive. So armed with the time table, go the day before to the bus station and buy your ticket. Or book on line with the relevant bus company.
This post has been rewritten for Nomadic Backpacker and is based on my travels to the Baltics in 2018