Top 5 Summer Outdoor Activities In Vilnius, Lithuania

Top 5 Summer Outdoor Activities In Vilnius, Lithuania
Elizabeth
Elizabeth 
Updated
| 4 min read

The winter in Lithuania is long, cold, and dark. The trees are bare, the sky grey, but come May, the flowers bloom and trees bud, luring everyone outside. To make up for the dreary winter, Lithuania always promises a beautiful summer where everyone enjoys outdoor fun.

At the first hint of spring in early to mid-May, tourists flock back to Vilnius and outdoor restaurants pop up all over the city. A slew of other outdoor activities also become available. Read on to learn 5 places where you can enjoy the warm weather in Vilnius.

1) Enjoy live music at Vingis Park

Vingis Park, Vilnius

The largest park in Vilnius, Vingis Park, is located approximately a 35-minute walk from Vilnius’ old town. At Vingis Park you can enjoy a picnic, eat at an outdoor food stand, walk the track, rent a bicycle, watch a free concert, and so much more. There is also a small, slightly unkempt part of Vilnius University Botanical Gardens that is enjoyable to walk around to spot blooming flowers.

In the spring and summer, one of the most exciting things about Vingis Park is its outdoor concert venue. On June 11 and 12, this concert venue is hosting 20 musicians in an outdoor music festival called Summerburst Baltic. The highlights of this festival will be listening to David Guetta, Nervo, Tujamo, and more!

2) Kayak along the Vilnia and Neris Rivers

Kayaking on the Neris River

To get a different perspective of the city, book a kayaking trip for you and your friends. If you kayak along the Vilnia River, you’ll pass underneath the bridges separating Vilnius from Uzupis Republic, by numerous churches, and through Bernardine Park.

Along the Neris, you’ll see the old town to your left and the new town to your right. Both trips are impressive and suitable for kayakers with limited experience.

I’ve kayaked along both rivers several times during my years in Vilnius and I’ve always had the best time. Top tip: bring a GoPro or waterproof camera to catalog your trip.

You can book a kayaking trip with several companies, but I’ve always booked with Upiu Labirintas. Don’t be intimidated by the website (it is only in Lithuanian), just call or email and someone will be able to help you set up a kayaking trip.

3) Let your children play at Bernardine Park

Bernardine Park

Located right in the heart of the old town, Bernardine Park is a favorite amongst families with young children. This massive park has two playgrounds — one for older children and the other for babies — and a river running through it, which is a perfect place to watch ducks. Benches line the walking paths through the park, creating the perfect spot to read a book, eat an ice cream, or chat with friends. There are also two small restaurants in Bernardine Park (La Crepe and Bar Bora), so you can enjoy a meal or snack outdoors (La Crepe has a trampoline and playground). Additionally, there is a carousel for children to ride. This is the best park for families.

Just outside of Bernardine Park, you’ll find one of my favorite cafes — Strange Love. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and also excellent cappuccinos and desserts. This is a great place to stop after playing on the playground or riding the carousel.

4) Take a hot air balloon over Vilnius

Hot air balloons filling up

Another popular activity that is weather dependent is taking a hot air balloon ride over Vilnius. This will give you a bird’s eye view of the city, so be prepared to see terra cotta rooftops, bell towers, rivers, trees and more. Hot air balloon rides start at 99 EUR (approximately 113 USD) for approximately one hour.

If riding in a hot air balloon is not your thing, watch the huge balloons take off from Tymo Turgis (a farmers’ market and small park) on Maironio gatve (gatve means street). Balloon rides are weather dependent, but on sunny days with low wind you can watch them take off at approximately 4 pm or 5 pm. Watching the balloons inflate and take-off is impressive. You can also see the balloons in the sky if you remember to look up at that time!

5) Vilnius University Botanical Garden

Vilnius University Botanical Gardens

Located a short cab ride away from the city center is the main part of the Vilnius University Botanical Garden at the Kairenai Estate. Kairenai is a cultural heritage site and was formerly a large, private estate. Some of the estate’s buildings remain and you can see these while visiting the gardens.

If you visit at the right time of year (early to mid-May) you’ll be treated to a display of lilacs and slightly later you’ll enjoy the showy flowers of many rhododendron species. If you visit the gardens in the fall (approximately in September), you’ll enjoy dahlias in every color of the rainbow. While I could easily stay at the gardens all day, I’d recommend allocating at least two hours to properly wander the large grounds.

Life moves outside in the summer

From approximately May until late September, you’ll find the people of Vilnius enjoying life outdoors. From time spent at the park to enjoying a cappuccino outside, you’ll never want to go indoors. Luckily, the days are long, the sun rises early and sets late.

If you are looking for more ways to enjoy the outdoors, try visiting a farmers’ market, go to Open Kitchen (an outdoor food festival held every Friday in the summer at Tymo Turgis), walk along the Neris River, or take a walking tour. Just get outside and dream of a never ending summer!

Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Elizabeth is a travel writer and grammatical editor currently based in Florence, Italy. She writes on family-friendly, affordable travel with a focus on cultural exchange experiences. You can catch...Read more

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