Vilnius Launches Christmas Currency, Inviting Residents And City Guests To Relive Childhood Joy

One-day currency is launched as part of Vilnius Christmas Before Christmas event, designed to evoke the magic of childhood Christmas.

Vilnius became the first city to launch an official currency based on emotions, continuing its role as the European Christmas Capital of 2025. The city's festive celebrations, focused on sentiment and authenticity, reached a peak on December 13. On that day, thousands of residents and visitors shared childhood memories in exchange for limited-edition notes, launched in partnership with Bank of Lithuania, the country's central bank, as part of the Vilnius Christmas Before Christmas event.

Christmas currency in partnership with Bank of Lithuania

A ceremonial "first minting" by the Governor of the Bank of Lithuania outside the central bank's Money Museum launched Vilnius' Christmas currency. The first units of the currency were pine cones, reminiscent of the tokens children swap with one another. Then, in exchange for completing a small task based on their childhood memories, visitors and residents were able to acquire the currency in note form at five locations across the city, including the Money Museum and Christmas market. The notes, which were valid only on December 13, could be swapped for a range of tasty treats like hot chocolate, tea, and sweets at over 40 participating cafes, restaurants, and venues.

Speaking at the ceremony, Gediminas Šimkus, Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania, said: "This is a rare moment that is simultaneously serious and playful, when the world of finance meets a city in festive celebration. I hope that this new currency will not only circulate today, but will also continue to spread good cheer and remind us that the most important things in life are not measured in numbers, but in warmth, attention, and togetherness."

Ongoing celebrations as European Christmas capital

The Vilnius Christmas Before Christmas event for which the currency was created is a new highlight in the Lithuanian capital's festive calendar. It was created to mark Vilnius being the European Christmas Capital 2025, and is expected to become a regular fixture for the city.

Although the event is now concluded, the festivities will continue in Vilnius, with Christmas markets, an ice rink, an artisan-built carousel, and the centerpiece Christmas tree all continuing to sparkle until the festive season concludes on January 6.

Over 200 voices unite in a choir, making Vilnius feel “like one extended family”

"On December 13, we wanted to show that Christmas can be both a family celebration and a city-wide one. Vilnius residents and visitors came together to celebrate as one extended family. From Cathedral Square to the TV Tower, the whole city came alive with the Christmas spirit, including the inspiring choir of over 200 participants. We hope this is just the beginning of a new Vilnius tradition, one which adds richly to the story of Vilnius as a city that brings people together at Christmas time," said Eglė Girdzijauskaitė, Head of Communication at Go Vilnius.

Giant sledge and other activities to reconnect with childhood memories

The unique currency and Christmas choir were just two of the many events that took place in Vilnius on December 13 for Vilnius Christmas Before Christmas. Another highlight was the transformation of Sirvydas Square into an International Christmas Square featuring 144 decorated fir trees. Each tree is dedicated to a different international community living in Vilnius, with every continent represented including communities from Mexico, Ghana, Ukraine, and many others. Visitors can scan a QR code to watch videos of community representatives sharing their childhood memories of Christmas and winter from around the world. The square also features a giant red sleigh that can hold many people, offering the perfect photo opportunity along with a chance to relive the playfulness of childhood winters.

Visitors and residents also took advantage of a free-of-charge postal service. They simply wrote their message, added an address, and posted the card at various stations around the city, and Vilnius' Christmas elves took care of the rest. Other cost-free events visitors enjoyed on the day included festive tours of the city, film screenings, carousel trips and skating on the ice rink.

Barcelona named European Christmas Capital 2026

During the Vilnius Christmas Before Christmas event, at a ceremony on the Town Hall Square ice rink, Barcelona was announced as the European Christmas Capital 2026. The jury cited the Catalan city's rich traditions in history and art, and its commitment to sustainable Christmas decorations and celebration of local traditions like Tió de Nadal and Els Pastorets, as reasons for its selection.

Europe's Christmas Capital 2025 within easy reach

Vilnius is easily accessible by direct flight from Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Helsinki, and other major cities across Europe, and also serves as a perfect base for exploring the region.

Special Christmas trains featuring fairy-tale-inspired carriages are running throughout the festive period, connecting travellers to Mockava, from where they can continue their journey by rail on daily services to Warsaw and Krakow. Enchantingly decorated train carriages can also be found on local services to Kaunas, Klaipėda and Trakai, and Vilnius also has convenient rail links to Riga and Tallinn.

Vilnius: Europe's Green Capital 2025 Shines In Fall Colours, Offers Unique City-Forest Feeling

Vilnius, Lithuania, was recently awarded the prestigious title of Europe's Green Capital for 2025 by the European Commission. It’s a city that boasts numerous trees, parks, and green spaces that are especially eye-catching in the fall.

In fact, the autumn season transforms Vilnius into a painter's palette, offering a captivating blend of colors. Historical buildings and green spaces are embellished with the fiery shades of autumn leaves, creating a picturesque scenery for cozy walks around the city.

Here, we present the selection of locations to experience Vilnius in autumn colors.

Bernardine Garden — a historical garden where pagan rituals once took place. Located at the base of Gediminas Tower and by the Vilnelė River, this urban park that took shape in the 15th century used to be a sacred oak tree forest in pagan times. The last country in Europe to adopt Christianity, Lithuania is still close to its pagan roots, and the park features the city’s oldest oak tree, which is 450 years old. The Bernardine monks, who took over in XV century, created a landscaped garden, where they grew flowers, medicinal plants, and vegetables. The monks also built St. Anne’s Church — a Gothic architectural jewel.

Located in the historical city center, today Bernardine Garden is a perfect place to admire the fall foliage from different vantage points.

Paupys — the Venice of Vilnius 200 years ago. A hidden gem, nestled on the right bank of the Vilnelė River, and adjacent to the Old Town, Paupys is renowned for its beautifully restored formally-industrial architecture. Up until the Soviet occupation, Paupys was primarily an industrial center, featuring mills and factories. The industrialization was cut short by the occupation, and recently Paupys has been revived as one of the most attractive new Vilnius districts, a residential and business area featuring innovative modern architecture buildings, Paupys Market, restaurants, and bars, located alongside the Vilnelė banks and surrounded by nature.

Cathedral and the Grand Duke's Palace Square — royal history in a modern context. Vilnius Cathedral, stands as Lithuania's primary Catholic church, built in 1251 during King Mindaugas' baptism. According to historical facts, a pagan temple once stood in its place. The adjacent Palace of the Grand Dukes, after being demolished in the 19th century by the Tsarist regime, was meticulously reconstructed in 2013, and now provides visitors with a unique historical experience. The Palace exhibition welcomes guests to explore the chronological progression of the castle's interior, its architectural narrative, and the daily life of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. The Cathedral and Palace Square are a vibrant testament to Vilnius' history, particularly inviting during the autumn season when some of the big city events take place, such as Kaziukas (St. Casimir) Fair.

Neris Riverbank — peaceful escape from the urban hustle and bustle. In the heart of Vilnius city, Neris Riverbank creates a perfect fusion of nature's beauty and urban charm, offering an opportunity to explore a significant part of the city center, whether one prefers walking, scooting, skating, or biking.

Taking the route along the Neris River, covering a distance of 7,082 steps, offers a fresh viewpoint to appreciate the Vilnius Old Town. Riverbank invites to explore an expansive exhibition of urban art, relax at a riverside coffee shop, or exchange greetings with people on kayaks and boats gliding past. Exploring beneath the Riverbank bridge offers an encounter with modern sculptures beneath each structure.

Three Crosses Hill — the old town's ultimate panoramic view. The crosses stand on the top of a crooked hill, approximately 64-65 meters high from the base and 75-76 meters above sea level — atop the scenic city of Vilnius. This memorial offers one of the most breathtaking panoramic views of the Old Town, which can be reached by just under an hour's hike. Original Three Crosses monument, built in 1916 and demolished by the Soviets in 1950, was rebuilt in 1988, immediately after gaining the independence.

The memorial of Three Crosses is now serving as both a historical monument and a symbol of resilience, and autumn is a great time to embark on the scenic hike to the famous Hill. The trail, bordered by trees, offers a pleasant urban forest experience in Vilnius and invites visitors to enjoy the changing foliage and the crisp, cool atmosphere, complete with the views of the Neris River, Cathedral Square, and the Old Town streets from atop.

Lithuanian Capital Of Vilnius Presents A Unique Christmas Tree And Digital Festivities

As the most awaited holidays draw nearer, the official opening of the season of celebrations is usually marked by lighting public Christmas trees. In 2019 Vilnius Christmas tree was awarded the title of the Most Beautiful Christmas Tree in Europe. And this time around the Christmas tree is bound to be a reflection of the exceptional year. Instead of inviting the masses to a magical Christmas town like in the past, this year it has been designed to be safely admired at a distance. While the outside is modern, the inside of the installation reveals a traditional tree assuring everyone that, notwithstanding the changes brought by the pandemic, the Christmas spirit, like always, stays the same.

Visually, the Christmas tree looks like a surrealist picture - a modern 24-meter tall composition is surrounded by 6,000 live and fragrant branches decorated with almost 4 km of colour-changing RGB Christmas lights, 800 silver ornaments, and 150 sq. m of shining mirrors. The state-of-the-art installation is actually twofold: the spatial placement of metal structures creates several mirror-adorned areas while the inside is made to look cosy, home-like, and intimate with a live Christmas tree decorated with pine cones and lanterns. To make it eco-friendly, the lights are powered with electricity generated by processing old coffee grounds. “Although we have already faced many challenges throughout this eventful year, our community has become stronger, closer, and ready for an exceptional Christmas. Vilnius Christmas tree is exactly that - surreal, unexpected yet amazing nevertheless,” says Remigijus Šimašius, Mayor of Vilnius. This year Vilnius is also determined to keep the Christmas spirit alive by introducing alternative and responsible ways to decorate and celebrate in the city: for example, beautifully decorated areas of the city invite one to take a relaxed stroll whilst maintaining social distancing, and virtual Christmas fairs are bound to replace mass gatherings and bring the holiday spirit closer to home.

To exercise a safe and responsible environment, at the same time preserving the Christmas cheer, Vilnius has made a difficult decision to temporarily cancel some of the festive events – a traditional mass Christmas tree lighting ceremony, 3D fairy tales, Christmas train - and move others to digital platforms (live-broadcasted lighting event, e-Christmas Fair). The city has also given a lot of thought on light decorations: holiday lights will adorn the streets from the Old Town, the center, and the parks, to the neighbouring houses and shop windows, and even more remote areas of the city. Moreover, having regrouped in the endeavours to combat the coronavirus by recalling all mass gatherings, Vilnius brings in innovative solutions by exploiting the benefits of virtual reality and moving traditional Christmas fairs online – to an e-Christmas Fair. Shoppers will have the chance to purchase original gifts and products that would have been sold in a real Christmas Town around the Christmas tree. This makes the arrangement ideal for participating in Vilnius Christmas fairs without even setting one’s foot out of the house. So, this year Vilnius puts all efforts into having a safe Christmas in the hopes of making sure that next year all visitors will be able to return to the city for Christmas events in full force. Go Vilnius | the Official Development Agency of the City of Vilnius www.govilnius.lt

Japan Funds Save Lithuania Museum On Diplomat Who Saved Jews

This handout photo provided by Chiune Sugihara Memorial Museum, shows Chiune Sugihara memorial museum in Kaunas, Lithuania, Tuesday, May 12, 2020. A museum in Lithuania dedicated to a Japanese diplomat who saved thousands of Jews in the early hours of World War II, that saw the number of visitors drop due to corona virus outbreak, has been saved by people in Japan, officials said Friday, July 31, 2020. (Chiune Sugihara Memorial Museum via AP)

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — A museum in Lithuania dedicated to a Japanese diplomat who helped thousands of Jews flee Europe in the early years of World War II has been extended an economic lifeline by people in Japan, officials said Friday.

The memorial museum in Lithuania’s former capital recounts the story of Chiune Sugihara, who was a vice-consul diplomat based at the Japanese Consulate in Kaunas during 1939-1940. Its small collection is housed in the villa that once served as the consulate.

The brake the coronavirus pandemic slammed on international travel has put the small museum, like other cultural institutions and tourist destinations around the world, under intense economic pressure.

“Tickets sales are our main income resource. Japanese used to make up 85% of the visitors. Now, the visitors from Japan are gone, so is our income” museum director Ramunas Janulaitis said.

However, people from Gifu Prefecture on the Japanese island of Honshu, where Sugihara was born, raised some 30,000 euros (about $35,600) to help the museum survive the pandemic.

“We expect to raise another 40,000 (euros) in the autumn” Japanese Ambassador Shiro Yamasaki said.

Both the Soviet Union and Germany occupied Lithuania during the war. The Soviets annexed the Baltic nation, which become independent in 1990.

During his time at the consulate in Kaunas, Sugihara issued transit visas to Japan to nearly 6,000 Jewish refugees, mainly from neighboring Poland. The 10-day visas he supplied without the approval of Japan’s Foreign Ministry enabled the refugees to escape and survive the Holocaust.

Sugihara was reassigned elsewhere in Europe, and when he returned to Japan in 1947, he was fired. He died in 1986.

Created in 1999, the museum honoring his courageous actions exhibits the life and work of Sugihara, The villa was decorated to recreate what it looked like during his time serving there. The names of Jews to whom he is known to have granted visas also are displayed.

The government in Lithuania, the southernmost Baltic country that once was the home to a large Jewish community, has declared 2020 as “the year of Chiune Sugihara.”