Day 290: More Walking in Vilnius

Weather Update: Sunny High 22c

Elevation: 112 Metres 367 ft

Day 4:

I had a restless night, but I still managed to sleep in until 8:30 a.m. After finishing yesterday’s blog, I headed out around 10:30 am toward Three Crosses Hill. It was a solid 2 km walk followed by a steep climb through the forest. The heat, a balmy 22 °C, felt warm compared to the cool, cloudy weather Vilnius has had lately. What slowed me most, however, were the relentless mosquitoes along the path.

Three Crosses Hill

The hill’s story stretches back centuries. A wooden castle once stood here in the 12th and 13th centuries, before being replaced by a settlement. Its name comes from a tragic episode: three Franciscan monks were martyred when pagans tied them to crosses and hurled them down the hill.

Monuments have stood here in their memory ever since. In 1950, the Soviets demolished the Three Crosses — an act of ideological suppression, aimed at erasing symbols of faith and national identity. When Lithuania regained independence, a new monument was erected in 1989, and today it stands tall again as a proud emblem of resilience.

I made my way down by the road to avoid the insects, only to stumble upon crews setting up a stage at the amphitheatre for Vilnius’ weekend jazz festival. Musicians from across the region, including Belarus, are gathering here — a reminder of the city’s deep love of music.

Gediminas’ Tower

From there, I turned my steps to Gediminas’ Castle Tower, hoping to take the funicular to the top. Unfortunately, it was out of service, so I circled the base to find the road and staircase. The climb under the sun was tiring but worth it. At the top, the view stretched across Vilnius — rooftops, rivers, and, in the distance, the Three Crosses where I had stood earlier. The tower itself carries powerful legends and history. According to one tale, Grand Duke Gediminas dreamt of an iron wolf howling from this hill, a prophecy of the great city that would be built here. He raised a wooden castle on the spot, and by 1409, his successor, Vytautas, built the first brick castle. Over the centuries, the tower served many purposes — even housing the city’s first telegraph office in 1838. Today it is a museum and a national symbol: it was here, a century ago, that the Lithuanian flag first flew.

A Lazy Beer by the River

I left the tower in search of the Užupis passport stamp, following the river. When I saw on the map that it curved widely, I cut across a park instead. The park, too, was alive with tents, small stages, and cameras — more signs of the jazz festival about to begin.

Eventually, I found myself sitting outside by the Vilnia River, sipping a cold beer in the sunshine. Retired life can seem lazy, but travel has its own demands: trains and buses to book, beds to find, meals to cook, blogs and hostel reviews to write. It’s tiring, both mentally and physically, yet deeply rewarding.

Uzupis Passport Stamp

The quirky self-declared Republic of Užupis has its own "border control" and information centre near the main bridge. There, visitors can collect an unofficial passport stamp — a whimsical souvenir of this artistic community known for its playful constitution.

Technically, unofficial stamps could cause trouble in some countries if immigration officers scrutinise them, but in truth, who is going to go hunting through every page of stamps? I got mine stamped anyway — one more memory pressed into my journey.

Reflections

When I first left New Zealand, two days in the city felt like enough. Then it stretched to three. Now, in Vilnius, I’ve found four days barely covers the surface — and that’s with a day’s travel tucked in as well. After quieter weeks in Poland, these last few days of walking, climbing, and exploring have left me tired, but in the best possible way. Vilnius has proved to be not just a stop along the way, but a place that surprises, challenges, and lingers in the memory.

Next stop:

Now I find myself in Latvia, in its beautiful capital, Riga. I’ve travelled more than 35,000 km so far, yet strangely it doesn’t feel like it. I hope that this journey offers you a window into other cultures and ways of life. Sometimes I think of the great explorers of the past — Livingstone in Africa, Columbus crossing to the New World, or James Cook charting Australia and New Zealand. I don’t compare myself to them, of course, but in my own way I’m exploring a modern world — not one of uncharted maps, but the world we often glimpse only through films or television.

Another blog done and dusted, Lithuania, now being left behind. Glad you are still here, let's see what Riga has to offer.

Andrew inspireseniorstravel.com