Map ‘Click, and It’s Christmas!

The most important, the most significant, and this year, the most authentic red-carpet star. For everyone flashing their cameras and posing for selfies, a special red structure has been installed next to the Vilnius Christmas tree. Take your first shot (or, more accurately, your first shots) of this beauty, which looks like it was made to be on the cover of a magazine about Vilnius – the European Christmas Capital 2025!

Just a few steps from the main Christmas tree, and suddenly you’re transported to Venice. The façade of the ‘Grand Hotel Vilnius’ dazzles with striking red curtains and a vintage book, Grand Venezia, showing black-and-white Venetian scenes. The Italian carnival theme by Mantas Petruškevičius continues inside the lobby. The hotel recommends visiting in the morning to avoid crowds. Why not bring a domino mask to add an extra touch of Venetian style to your photos?

Photographer’s tip: To capture the entire façade reminiscent of Italian palazzi, cross the street and shoot near the tourist information sign. If you’re by yourself, why not ask a friendly local or passerby to take the shot? Selfies rarely do the building justice.

Count all the cosy plush teddy bears surrounding Café Rotonda. We doubt you will be able to resist crouching down for a nostalgic shot, evoking memories of childhood and the first gifts you ever received. Soft and cuddly teddy bears remain a beloved Christmas gift worldwide for good reason.

Photographer’s tip: A seat has been arranged among the bears – just sit on the fur-covered chair. For another perspective, step back to capture the café’s brightly lit exterior – it looks gorgeous even from a distance.

Vilnius’ oldest street transforms into a storybook scene at Christmas. First stop: among white rabbits guarding a giant scroll with the entire ‘Grandmother’s Fairytale’ (‘Katpėdėlė’ restaurant). The first stop is to take a photo next to a poem that many Lithuanians were required to learn by heart at school.

Photographer’s tip: Don’t hesitate to pose at an outdoor café table – you’ll capture and convey the café’s atmosphere in your photo.

Next, for the second stop, cross the street to capture huge metallic disco-ball-like ornaments and ribbons (‘Spritz Summer Garden’ bar). Catch your reflection in the ‘mirror’ of a bauble for a perfect Christmas-card shot – all you have to do now is write a message with Christmas greetings.

Just a few steps away is the red bench at the Tourism Information Centre; have a quick sit-down and feel as if you are in a mysterious forest, complete with giant pinecones and rowanberry-like garlands overhead. By the way, have you noticed how many conifer cones there are in the Christmas capital this year? This red bench – the third stop-off point – represents the spirit of the forest.

Further along the street, you will come across straw bells swaying in the wind above fir branches adorned with red apples – a traditional Lithuanian culinary-themed decoration (Etno dvaras’ restaurant). How else could a restaurant presenting traditional Lithuanian cuisine decorate itself if not with ethnic motifs? Don’t miss this fourth step on the trail.

Next, take a break at the historic ‘Narutis Hotel’. Don’t miss the opportunity to take a snapshot of the balcony over the entrance – the Christmas tree here has been decorated with its elegant red baubles. And when you know that this 15–16th century building has hosted famous writers, artists, professors, presidents, and other world-class stars, you’ll want to be among them and pose for a photo with your head held high.

Completely different ‘guests’– antlered forest dwellers – have settled near the ‘Artagonist Hotel’. The reindeer, dressed in their winter coats, are so tall that you have to raise your head to look at them. Don’t miss the opportunity to take a photo with these ‘Rudolphs’ who have radically changed their image.

Did you know that Vilnius was unofficially dubbed the ‘Sleep Capital of Europe’ and officially recognised as the ‘European Capital of Hospitality 2025’? The ‘Pacai Hotel’ was the first in the city to receive the ‘Michelin Keys’ recognition, so stop by one of the most hospitable places in the city that literally sparkles with stylish festive decorations. They will add a mysterious glow to your photos – echoing the splendour of the grand balls once held in honour of French Emperor Napoleon in this 17th-century palace.

Photographer’s tip: the hotel is so magically beautiful that you should try to find the opportunity to take a safe photo standing on the street in front of it or on the other side of the street. Try to ensure that the photo covers as much of the façade as possible for an exceptionally breathtaking background behind you.

Not far from the hotel, you can stop for an extra photoshoot at the colourful hot air balloon that has landed next to the pizzeria ‘Čili Pizza’. It looks like Santa Claus has just arrived! Next to the Christmas trees decorated with candy canes, he has left gifts and bright red stockings.

Perhaps he also sprinkled chocolate candies on the other side of the street? The chocolate-scented shop ‘Rūta’ decorations make your mouth water. Take a photo and see for yourself – it’s a real fairy-tale candy house! Your little ones who are fans of Christmas in Vilnius will undoubtedly love it.

Finish your photo hunt on Didžioji Street by the moon. Yes, yes – the 7-metre-high Art Deco Moon created by artist Agnė Kišonaitė has once again ‘touched down’ at the ‘Radisson Collection Astorija’ Hotel! However, unlike last year when it was golden, this year the moon is blue. So feel free to bring your blue accessories for an even more cosmic photo effect.

There will be no time for twiddling your thumbs in Instagram-friendly Paupys. Even if this winter is on the stingy side snow-wise, you will still find giant snowballs of dazzling whiteness here – they decorate the decorative ice-skating rink in the central square of Paupys, as well as the photogenic Christmas trees, and Paupys Market. You can also take impressive photos at the fountain at the market, which features a sculpture of a melting ice cream – be prepared to freeze in astonishment at the sight and for your heart to melt!

A completely different mood – exotic and full of warmth – awaits at the Italian restaurant ‘Firenze’. The entrance gate and the Christmas tree in the courtyard are decorated with real mandarins – a citrusy twist on festive décor! You will feel the warmth of their orange hues and how they can lift your spirits, brightening your mood. You simply must grab the chance to take a photo with a tree decorated in a unique way. After all, who said that tangerines and clementines only belong in a fruit bowl on the table? Incidentally, for some time, the restaurant has been renowned for its passion for citrus fruits; its interior is adorned with lush lemon trees laden with fruit.

You can take a picture that looks like a winter scene in Town Hall Square. Here, there is not only an open-air ice rink, but also an avenue of Christmas trees sparkling with lights. You will find it near the skate rental point. The 2-3 m tall fir trees are green, and next to the Town Hall columns, you can climb the stairs to take a photo with a great view of the skating rink. Or dare to put on your skates and strike a pose on the ice!

The Glass Makers’ Quarter is one of the most photographed corners of the city during the festive season. The place that sets the tone for the whole street is the ‘Ponių laimė’ café. This year, thanks to Mantas Petruškevičius, it has transformed into a full Christmas Express, with train carriages piled high with suitcases. First stop – Christmas. The next stop might well be Hogwarts. The most magical holiday snapshot awaits right here.

Turn on your heel, and you will see the sparkling ‘Stikliai’ Hotel. Take a seat on the bench beside the decorated Christmas tree, and no one will guess from the photo that you are in Lithuania. Masterfully festooned shutters, a red teddy bear, and reindeer cushions create the feeling that you are wandering through a European Christmas market town abroad.

The exterior of the ‘Augustas ir Barbora love story cafe’, named after the most famous love story in Lithuania, Žygimantas Augustas and Barbora Radvilaitė, stands out with its exotic plants. It practically invites you to sit at the outdoor table for a photo. The floral decorations, inspired by the Garden of Eden, shimmer softly in the evening, making it the perfect spot for a romantic selfie.

Do not pass by the courtyard of the restaurant ‘Lokys’, a true gem of Stiklių Street. Step beneath the tastefully decorated arches into the heart of the courtyard, where a glittering Christmas tree stands beside a wall painting with a hunting theme. It reflects the concept of the restaurant, which specialises in game and forest produce. Pause for a moment. In this courtyard of a former merchant’s house built in the Middle Ages, time feels almost suspended. Perhaps that is precisely what you need to catch the Christmas spirit by the sleeve and hold on to a special moment.

If you are tired of posing alone, invite the lady leaning by the wine bar ‘Vynomanai’ on Stiklių Street into the frame, with a heap of presents in place of a head and bright red legs – a true contemporary Christmas Grannie.

In the courtyard of Senators’ Passage, you will find warmth not only from hot drinks but also from outdoor heaters – all so you can stay a while, lingering to enjoy the natural fir tree, the glowing figures of a reindeer and Santa Claus, and the soft twinkle of garlands. Watching a tall Christmas tree being brought into this enclosed courtyard is quite an event in itself. Try to imagine that moment as you search for the perfect angle for a photo in this cosy festive space.

In only a handful of countries does Santa Claus operate entirely on his own; more often than not, he is helped by all sorts of fairy-tale creatures, from elves and gnomes to animals, witches and mountain spirits. Next to the bar ‘Blusynė’, you will be greeted by a few cheerful elves with pointy ears. They are child-sized, so they will ‘pose’ with little visitors as equals. And their green jackets and hats are said to symbolise the forest, which is yet more proof that the woods have inspired this year’s Christmas in Vilnius.

Return for a moment to that slightly childlike sense of wonder that always comes with the holidays. That is exactly what Simona Filippova aimed to capture when decorating the three ‘Katpėdėlė’ restaurants in Vilnius for Christmas. Each one has its own ‘wow’ element.

Stroll over to the ‘Katpėdėlė’ on Gediminas Avenue. Here you will find a 16-metre-long gingerbread town: rows of icing-trimmed gingerbread houses, tiny trees, stars and mushroom biscuits all lined up like a sugary miniature city. And do not be surprised if, while posing for a photo, those around suddenly think of Kaziuko Mugė, the famous St Casimir’s Fair – a bustling annual celebration of folk arts and crafts held in Springtime that dates back to the 17th century.

After all, this very street becomes its bustling heart, and gingerbread is simply inseparable from it. A truly delicious shot!

And now you can wander back down the Avenue towards the Vilnius Christmas tree in Cathedral Square – this time enjoying the inspiring festive city without looking through a lens!