4

Vilnius is a city that takes a little getting used to. At first glance, Lithuania’s capital appears to be all Baroque churches, cobbled streets and grand squares, with the occasional medieval tower providing a reminder of a turbulent past. But stay a little longer and another Vilnius emerges: eccentric, youthful and distinctly fond of eating and drinking.

This is a city where you can explore a self-declared republic in the morning, cycle beside a river in the afternoon, taste some of Lithuania’s finest cheese before dinner and end the evening sampling obscure craft beers. There is even a beer spa where you can soak in the stuff. It is an unusually effective combination.

The historic centre is the obvious place to begin. Vilnius Old Town is one of Europe’s largest surviving medieval old towns and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, although its architecture has been reshaped repeatedly over the centuries. Baroque churches dominate the skyline, narrow lanes lead unexpectedly into courtyards, and Gediminas’ Tower sits above the city on its hill.

But rather than spending the whole day looking upwards, I decide to investigate what goes into the Lithuanian stomach.

The Beer Library

My education begins at Alaus Biblioteka, the Beer Library, where the name is almost too good to be true. This is a bar for people who regard beer as a subject worthy of serious study. Shelves are packed with bottles and cans, and the choice extends well beyond Lithuania’s traditional lagers into the increasingly adventurous world of craft brewing.

The staff are effectively librarians of liquid knowledge, able to explain the differences between styles and suggest something based on personal taste. Tastings provide an introduction to Lithuanian brewing traditions as well as the modern craft-beer revolution.

Lithuania has a particularly strong farmhouse brewing heritage, with regional traditions surviving alongside contemporary breweries. Modern producers have taken those traditions and experimented with hops, yeast, fruit and darker malts. The result is a beer scene that is considerably more interesting than the standard lager served in many European capitals.

And every September there’s the PUTOJA beer festival, where not only Lithuanian brews are available, but brands from all over the world. It runs for two days in an old factory just outside town and is  a  great opportunity to get to grips with what’s new in beer.

Cheese

Obviously cheese is the perfect companion for beer and at the Džiugas House, I discover another side of Lithuanian gastronomy. They produce a hard, matured cheese made from cow’s milk, and the tasting is organised around different stages of ageing. I get to try 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 months. The younger cheese is relatively gentle, while the older versions become progressively firmer, drier and more intense.

The transformation is impressive. With age, the cheese develops nutty, savoury and slightly caramelised flavours, together with the crystalline texture that makes a well-matured hard cheese so addictive. It is the sort of cheese that encourages you to take another piece simply to check whether the flavour really was that good.

Cycling Vilnius

The next morning I swap beer for bicycles. Vilnius is sufficiently compact to explore on foot, but a bicycle gives a different perspective. The centre can be crossed quickly, leaving more time to follow the Neris and Vilnia rivers, explore greener neighbourhoods and venture beyond the urban core.

A guided cycling tour is an excellent way to get your bearings. Rather than concentrating solely on the postcard sights, the bike allows the journey to weave between the Old Town and the city’s more contemporary districts. The cycling becomes particularly rewarding when heading out towards Trakai.

The historic town lies around 28 kilometres west of Vilnius and is easily incorporated into a day trip. One option is to cycle part of the way before taking the train, allowing the journey to become a mixture of rail, bicycle and walking. As the city disappears behind me, the landscape becomes increasingly green. Forest replaces buildings, lakes begin appearing between the trees and the pace slows considerably.

 Trakai 

Trakai was once the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and is now famous for its spectacular island castle. Built on an island in Lake Galvė, the red-brick fortress appears almost improbably picturesque, particularly when approached across the water.

The area remains closely associated with Lithuania’s Karaite community, descendants of a Turkic-speaking people brought here in the late 14th century by Grand Duke Vytautas. Their distinctive wooden houses still line the town, and their traditional Kibinai, crescent-shaped pastries usually filled with meat, provide exactly the sort of substantial snack required after a long cycle.

Beer 

Back in Vilnius, I discover that the city’s obsession with beer has gone considerably further than drinking it. At Beer Spa Vilnius, beer becomes a bathing experience. In a historic building in the Old Town, wooden tubs are filled with warm water and ingredients associated with brewing, including hops, malt and brewer’s yeast.

It sounds like a joke until you are sitting in the tub. The idea is to combine the traditional ingredients of beer with the rituals of a spa treatment, followed by relaxation and, appropriately enough, beer to drink. After a day spent cycling through the countryside, it is surprisingly relaxing. The hops provide the atmosphere, the warm water does the hard work and the beer waiting afterwards ensures that the circle is neatly completed.

By now I have begun to understand Vilnius through its food and drink as much as through its monuments. The churches and castles tell the story of Lithuania’s political and religious history, but beer, cheese and cycling reveal something about the city today. Come for the Baroque, stay for the beer, take a bicycle to Trakai, eat some cheese and, if you are feeling particularly adventurous, have a bath in the beer itself.

There are worse ways to discover a capital.

Factfile

GO: Wizzair flies to Vilnius from Luton and Ryanair from Stansted.

The Stansted Express is the fastest way to the airport from central London.

Bike Vilnius Velotakasg has guided tours of the city

INFO: Go Vilnius has information about the city.

STAY: Artagonist Hotel is a comfortable base in the old down

EAT: Desertų Klubas is good for brunch

Džiaugsmas is Michelin starred and has an excellent tasting menu.

Momo Grill is good for a taste of Lithuania..

Deep Roots is Michelin starred, try their tasting menu

Senoji Kibininė is a traditional restaurant in Trakai, best known for kibinai.

Džiugas House does cheese tastings.

Beer Spa is a unique experience.

Alaus Biblioteka does beer tastings.

Beer festival PUTOJA takes place every September.