Vilnius rewards thin wallets: most of its Baroque interiors, its self-declared artists' republic and its finest viewpoints charge nothing at all. Add a €5 market lunch and a €1 bus ticket, and three full days here cost less than one dinner in Paris.
The self-declared artists' republic across the Vilnelė footbridge charges nothing to enter. Its 41-article Constitution hangs on Paupio street in more than 30 languages, including the line 'a dog has the right to be a dog'.
A 15-minute climb through Kalnai Park reaches the white concrete crosses rebuilt in 1989 after the Soviets bulldozed and buried the originals. The terrace gives the classic Old Town panorama. No gate, no ticket, open around the clock.
A narrow lane off Pilies street where over 200 small metal, glass and ceramic plaques honour writers connected to Lithuania, from Mickiewicz to Miłosz. Artists began mounting them in 2008 and keep adding. Viewable any hour, entirely free.
Antakalnis hides roughly 2,000 white stucco figures carved by Italian masters between 1668 and 1676, plus a boat-shaped glass chandelier. Entry costs nothing — only a donation box by the door. Open daily until about 18:30.
Vilnius's covered market has traded since 1906 at Pylimo 58. Stalls sell smoked pork, dark rye, curd and forest berries; the food counters at the back serve soups and dumplings for €4-6. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 07:00, Sunday to 15:00.
A cluttered wooden tavern on Užupio street pouring farmhouse beers from small Lithuanian brewers at roughly €3 a half-litre. Cold beetroot soup, potato pancakes and fried bread with cheese sauce all land under €7. No reservations, locals-heavy.
An open-air farmers' market on Maironio street beside the river, running Thursday afternoons and Saturday mornings only. Growers sell honey, farm cheese, cold-pressed oils and seasonal berries, with grill stands doing sausages around €4.
The Užupis smokehouse known for the Trump-Putin kiss mural painted on its outside wall. Smoked pork burgers and ribs run €7-10, portions are large, and the terrace fills fast after 19:00. Order and pay at the counter before sitting.
Lithuania's tallest exposure rises 65 metres above the Vilnelė inside Pavilniai Regional Park, twenty minutes from the centre by bus. Marked forest trails, a wooden viewing deck and a ruined gunpowder mill sit below. No entrance fee.
Downstream from the exposure, the Vilnelė drops over a restored mill weir into a wooded gorge crossed by wooden footbridges. The falls, paths and picnic clearings cost nothing; the on-site restaurants are priced for weddings, so bring market food.
The Baroque Sapieha Palace grounds in Antakalnis reopened after a long restoration, with formal parterres, a pond, gravel avenues and shaded benches. Free to enter from Antakalnio street, open through daylight hours, and rarely crowded.
A small stone terrace on Subačiaus street looking straight across the Vilnelė valley at Užupis, the Old Town roofline and the hills behind it. Unstaffed and unlit, so it stays quiet at sunset while the castle terraces are packed.