You need to prepare not only for Christmas, but also for the anticipation of it. Therefore, for those who do not know where or how to look for that magical Christmas feeling, “Neakivaizdinis Vilnius” suggests trying a few keys. Perhaps by unlocking Vilnius, you will also unlock Christmas. To help both locals and city guests, the project brings together the magic of numbers, a map of the most Instagrammable Christmas spots in Vilnius, an angel route, a collection of Christmas trees and decorations across neighborhoods, and the traditional annual city news quiz. So get ready, focus… Christmas!
Neakivaizdinis Vilnius keys: unlock Christmas by unlocking Vilnius. During the festive season, Vilnius seems to become even more magical through its stories, experiences, and newly illuminated hidden corners. Therefore, this year we invite everyone to find a key to their own Vilnius and their own Christmas. How can you do that? Simply keep exploring the city in winter, pay closer attention to its stories, visit at least one new neighborhood, and finally find the best spot for a photo in a special place. This is the wish shared by Sonata Griškienė, head of the “Neakivaizdinis Vilnius” project and senior advisor at the Vilnius City Municipality’s Foreign Relations and Tourism Division.
Christmas in Vilnius
24 steps to Christmas
Do you believe in the magic of numbers? Throughout December, followers of “Neakivaizdinis Vilnius” will look for buildings and other locations marked with numbers from 1 to 24 across different neighborhoods of the capital. Each place tells stories that connect directly or indirectly to the winter holidays. Moreover, these stories will appear daily on social media and on the website. Behind seemingly simple numbers, you will find the only wooden house of worship in Vilnius. You will also discover the place where the first Lithuanian-language newspaper began publication on Christmas Eve. As well as a neighborhood decorated with an angel that winter failed to chase away.
Endless photos
Explore the center of Vilnius through a camera lens. For those who want to discover the most decorated and Instagrammable places in the city this year, a special map awaits. “Click and Christmas! TOP photo spots.” With it, you will not miss a Christmas tree decorated with real mandarins. You will also see snowballs that never melt, child-sized elves, a seven-meter-tall blue moon, and decorations inspired by trips to Venice and other destinations around the world.
9 angels
If you feel that someone is watching you while walking around Vilnius, it might be the angels guarding the city. If you have already walked every familiar route, invite your loved ones to try the new themed “Neakivaizdinis Vilnius” route, “Angelic stories. Otherworldly beings of Vilnius.” This route includes nine stops and nine stories. They will lift you slightly above everyday life, from an angel swinging on a weather vane to the legend of black angels.
More than 24 Christmas trees
An impressive Christmas tree stands not only in the city center, but also in every neighborhood of Vilnius. In fact, some areas feature several Christmas trees and additional decorations. They light up at different times until December 20, when the Užupis tree will shine. Therefore, the map of Christmas trees and decorations across Vilnius neighborhoods will be updated continuously with descriptions and photos. It will guide visitors both to the jazz-inspired tree in Grigiškės and to the sustainably decorated tree near Halė Market.
12 questions
For the most loyal city explorers, the traditional Vilnius annual news quiz returns with 12 questions. Those who answer most accurately will receive prizes.
13 tours
“Neakivaizdinis Vilnius” also joins the Christmasiest Day in Vilnius, announced for the first time on December 13. On that day, the project offers 13 free tours around the festive capital. These include “Christmas in Vilnius palaces,” “Vilnius Christmas traditions and stories,” “Along the path of Vilnius legends,” and “The diary of Christmas secrets: hear, smell, touch…!” among others. Important: registration for the tours opens on December 10 at 10:00.
More information about the Christmas-themed “Neakivaizdinis Vilnius” city exploration offers under “Unlock Christmas by unlocking Vilnius” is available on the official website.
