Some are nature-made, some are people-made. Some are just weird and wonderful. But the good news is, since it’s a small country, it’s easy to get to all of the Instagrammable places in Lithuania. And better yet – there’s something about this land that makes every picture guaranteed to look awesome.
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Know before you go: The Lithuanian Government has announced travellers from the UK can visit without the need to isolate during their trip. Discover how you can explore Lithuania safely with the latest advice.
We broke down Instagram-worthy Lithuania into three themes. That way, you can mix and match and create your own picture-perfect holiday feed.
Colourful Culture
From pan houses to pink elephants, Lithuanian culture is – to use quite an understatement – unique. Take a look for yourself.
Hill of Crosses
This pilgrimage site is home to over 200,000 wooden crosses, hand-crafted statues and relics of all shapes and sizes. Put together, they look like a living work of religious art. Taken one by one, they offer endless photo opportunities.
How to get there: To get to this Instagram-worthy Lithuanian tourist attraction, take the 2.5 hour train to Šiauliai. From there, you can find a bus up.
The Pan House
“A place like this must have a story”, you might be thinking. And you’d be right. It’s a fun one, but all you need to know is that it started with a disagreement between a very creative individual and his neighbours. Oh, and that it’s in Žagarė.
How to get there: Drive three hours north from Kaunas, until you’re pretty much on the Latvian border.
The most beautiful Christmas tree in the world
Think hard – can you come up with one that looks more impressive? We can’t. Made of steel and lit up with 5km of lighting, this 27m jolly giant is in Cathedral Square and at the centre of Vilnius Christmas celebrations.
Street art in Vilnius and Kaunas
Some of the most Instagrammable places in Lithuania are its city facades. Pylimo Street in Vilnius and Jonavos Street in Kaunas are particular highlights. But keep your eyes open – a masterpiece might always be around the next corner.
Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant
Want to take a photo in Chernobyl? The closest you’re going to get is by taking a tour of Ignalina Power Plant, the stand-in for the infamous nuclear facility in Chernobyl, HBO’s award-winning series. Expect chills and thrills in equal measure.
How to get there: It’s a bit under 2 hours to get to Ignalina by train. From there, you can find guided tours of the power plant.
This pink elephant in Kaunas
Kaunas is a haven for alternative art forms. This one is a particularly meta example, as it takes its inspiration from another piece of street art, the famous pink elephant that popped up after the Nykoka Street Art Festival. For more local creativity, head to the Courtyard Gallery.
Natural Wonders
Lush hills and forests. Lakes that turn ice blue in winter. Deep blue Baltic coasts. Sweeping sand dunes for miles. And the sunsets, oh my, the sunsets. Lithuania is one big nature photography studio.
Kernavė
If it feels like you’re stepping into an old kingdom, that’s because you are. Kernavė, in addition to making for great pictures and hikes, also takes you back in time to the founding of Lithuania as we know it.
Sand dunes of Nida
This natural wonder – also known as the Sahara of the Baltic – is one of Lithuania’s major tourist attractions. It’s also officially listed (as it should be) among the best 1000 places to see before you die. What might be less known is that it’s also stunning in winter. Head to the lagoon to capture the sunrise, and go to the beach to take in the sunset.
The observation tower of Kirkilai
Sometimes, words fail us. They feel like empty, meaningless sounds. What we’re trying to say is that the view here will leave you speechless. Once you’ve soaked up the beauty of Biržai’s lakes – whose waters can change colour in summer – you can marvel at the beauty of the ship-shape tower itself.
How to get there: It takes around 2.5 hours from either Kaunas or Vilnius.
Druskininkai & Dzūkija National Park
Druskininkai – another famous spa region – is also famous for a cable car that takes you across the River Neman. Dzūkija National Park, on the other hand, is ideal for spotting elks, eagles, and fun-shaped mushrooms.
Anykščiai
The treetop walk in Anykščiai provides a new perspective on Lithuania’s forests. If you want to get the whole picture, you should visit three times. Once in summer, once in autumn to capture the fall colours, and once in winter to see the trees decked with snow. Then, hit the slopes of Anykščiai.
Palanga Beach
Get up early. Head to Palanga’s blue flag beach. If it’s summer, go for a dip that’s sure to wake you up. There’s a sauna on the shore in case you feel chilly after. Then, toward sunset, when the beach crowd is gone, head for Palanga’s iconic bridge for a breath-taking sunset shot.
Zarasai Observation Deck
This circular wooden walkway brings you right out onto the water, giving you a duck’s eye view. And sure, you’re here for the wide open panoramas. But the deck itself is not too bad to look at either.
Landed on where you want to visit? You can find the right hotel(s) for you below:
Sublime Cities
Whether it’s Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda or one of Lithuania’s lesser known towns, you can’t go ten minutes without something that stops you in your tracks.
Gate of Dawn, Vilnius Old Town
The Gate of Dawn, originally built as a defensive structure, knows how to go on a charm offensive. It’s not just the baby blue and white walls that remind you a tiny bit of Rome. It’s also the feeling you get walking under its arches, and the sight of the gold icon of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn.
Trakai Castle, near Vilnius
Among the most Instagrammable places of Lithuania, this one might be number one. Not only can you capture pics that will wow everyone, you can also turn them into an IG fairy tale.
Pazaislis Monastery, near Kaunas
Inside or outside? That’s a difficult question to answer if we’re talking about which part of this monastery is more beautiful. On the one hand, you’re looking at a baroque beauty by the water, in a sea of green. On the other, Palloni-painted frescoes. Tough choice.
Vilnius from above (from a hot air balloon)
Vilnius is one of the few world capitals you can fly over in a hot air balloon. Which makes one of Lithuania’s most Instagrammable places even Instagrammable-er. Find the best flight deals to Vilnius in spring or summer, then fly over the old town. And later, keep the aerial theme going with zeppelins (a.k.a. cepelinai) for dinner.
Vilnius from above (from the TV tower)
Feel a bit dizzy thinking of zooming up in a hot air balloon? You can get an equally good view (and dine at a fine restaurant) by taking the lift up Vilnius TV tower. From 326 metres, you can get a memorable photo – especially if the city’s shrouded in fog.
St. Anne’s Church, Vilnius
A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words. But that’s for an average picture. A photo of this elegant red-brick Gothic church could fill the pages of a novel. It’s love at first sight, but give yourself some time to explore and you’ll see there are plenty of little surprises and interesting touches around this icon.
Elektrenai’s electrifying, eclectic ecclesiastic wonder
You may think the most Instagrammable places in Lithuania – at least the architectural and historic ones – are focused in Vilnius and Kaunas. But this minimalistic church, halfway between the two main cities, is proof that this isn’t true.
The port town of Klaipėda
Yes, it can get windy here. No, the local fish don’t walk. Otherwise, though, it’s magical in Klaipėda. There’s a sailboat in the harbour that looks like it’s about to embark for the 18th century. There’s an old town worth exploring, and unexpected street art too. Also, scenic beaches. As mentioned before; magic.
Get planning your Lithuania trip for real with these articles:
Cheap flights to Lithuania from £18
Whether you want to visit in wonderful winter or in sweet summer, find great flight deals to Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga.
Best dishes to try in Lithuania
To cepelinai and beyond – get the lowdown on how to chow down in Lithuania, from pork-and-potato dumplings to born-for-Instagram beet soups.
The best places to see in Lithuania
Lithuania is like a jar of jam. As in, it fits a lot of sweet stuff into a small space. And you can explore Lithuania’s sweetest sights in this, well, jam-packed guide.
