Lithuania’s capital city has remained fairly under the radar as a design destination, but this will undoubtedly change with the debut this week of the MO Modern Art Museum, the first privately funded modern and contemporary art museum in the country, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. “This is a classic European town which hasn’t been marred by Soviet intervention, so it retains a quality unlike many other cities that the Soviet Union destroyed,” observes the much-lauded architect, who originally hails from Poland. The museum is situated at the border of the Old Town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the new, gleaming white “articulated box” contains over 4,000 works of art by 226 Lithuanian artists, dating from the 1960s to the present day. It was amassed in a relatively short period of time by financier and philanthropist Viktoras Butkus and his wife, Danguole Butkiene, who saw an “urgent need” to create this collection and make it available to the public. This is a first for the country, as it is not a state-owned museum. It is also the first time Libeskind has incorporated a spiral staircase into a design. “I always avoided it because they always look the same,” he says of the architectural element, “but this is geometric and angular—it was an epiphany.”
Visitors to this city of about 500,000 may also experience an epiphany of sorts while wandering the streets, with their varied architectural styles from the baroque of the Old Town to the numerous Gothic churches to the brutalist structures built by the Soviets. Here, we present a design roadmap of Vilnius, a city that, Libeskind comments, has changed more in the past five years than it did in the previous 20, with more to come.
WHERE TO STAY
The Hotel Pacai, Lithuania’s first proper Design Hotel, opened over the summer in a renovated 17th century Baroque palace that, over the years, hosted the likes of Napoleon Bonaparte and Russian czars Peter I and Alexander I. The meticulously restored and renovated structure successfully blends the old (exposed original walls, some with frescoes) with the new, 104 rooms and suites with contemporary furnishings, marble bathrooms, and views of either the hotel’s own intimate courtyard or the city’s Old Town.
For traditionalists, the Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square is perched on an enviable spot in the center of the city, directly opposite the soaring, neoclassical cathedral and within walking distance from pretty much everything from the best shopping to museums. Interiors here, done by Stockholm’s Living Design, are the more expected version of upscale contemporary.
WHAT TO DO
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The brand new MO Modern Art Museum is a must-visit. It’s a feast for the eyes indoor and out, with a sculpture garden connected to a rooftop terrace as well as a bookstore and cafe. A couple blocks away is the Contemporary Art Center, the home of the Baltic Triennial of International Art as well as the world’s largest collection of Fluxus works by the movement’s most famous artists, including George Maciunas and Yoko Ono. Both of these, and most of the best shops, are located in the city’s Old Town. While it’s the largest in Europe, its narrow, cobblestoned streets are still very manageable by foot. Avid travelers often shun organized tours, but fans of street art who want to see the most in the least amount of time should book the Alternative Vilnius tour to be expertly guided to pieces by the likes of Milos, Os Gemeos, and the famous Putin-Trump kiss by Mindaugas Bonanu in the most efficient manner. Bonus: Milo’s piece spans an entire building across the street from Hales Market, with dozens of stalls where one can sample everything from halva to homemade pickles to local sausages, and even nosh on what many say are the city’s best bagels. Finally, Vilnius is one of the only European cities to allow hot air balloon tours, providing incomparable panoramic views of the truly stunning surrounding landscape of forests, lakes, and castles, even when covered in snow.
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK
Many consider Sweet Root to be the best restaurant in the city, earning praise for its “seven courses plus seven one-bite stories” vegetable-focused tasting menu, creatively created from local seasonal ingredients, many grown on the restaurant's farm just outside the city. Newcomer 14 Horses Brasserie’s menu also focuses on local and seasonal ingredients for its dishes inspired by Lithuanian and Baltic traditions.
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Saint Germain is a local favorite for European bistro food (predominantly French and Italian) in a casual, rustic setting, with a great wine list but no cocktails. For barrel-aged negronis, Manhattans, oddly good spicy (pepper) margaritas and the like, head to Apoteka bar, but be sure to reserve a table in this intimate space in advance. If booked, the Hotel Pacai’s Sofija bar, named for the countess who once hosted parties in this very spot three centuries ago, is more spacious and comfortable, with generous, upholstered bar stools, tufted sofas, and cocktails served in beautiful barware.
WHERE TO SHOP
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Lithuania is known as producing some of the finest linen in the world, and in Linen Tales’s tiny Old City shop you’ll find ridiculously soft sheets in a variety of colors stacked on shelves, as well as waffle-weave linen hand towels and a small selection of clothing. The most sophisticated selection of home goods by Lithuanian designers will be found at Locals, an upscale lifestyle boutique that feels a bit like Barneys New York, despite being in a mall.
The selection here is heavy on ceramics, tabletop, linens, and candles, mixed in with minimal fashions and accessories for men and women. Rastine Cafe’s name is misleading because while, yes, you can get coffee and matcha tea here, it is really an incredibly sophisticated stationery shop focusing on Japanese brands—from paperclips in the shape of animals to Blackwing pencils to colorful yet utilitarian pouches by Nähe Dritt. This is, by far, one of the best-curated shops in Vilnius and is located just around the corner from the MO Museum.
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