Along with being an opportunity to experience the true joys of Christmas early, this one-day event also provides a calmer, off-beat alternative to other European cities that suffer from overcrowding and overtourism during the festive season.

A European Travel Commission study this year found that 55% of travelers are looking for niche, less-crowded locations, with 11% saying that avoiding crowds is their top priority. This can be a challenge over the Christmas period, where popular festive destinations like London, Berlin and Amsterdam experience an influx of visitors.

Vilnius offers a refreshing alternative, having received a total of 1.2 million visitors over the whole of last year, compared to over 20 million visitors in cities like London and Paris. Over the festive period, locals will outnumber tourists and guests can discover authentic living local traditions.

The inaugural Vilnius Christmas Before Christmas event has a full agenda of activities and performances that recreate the magic of Christmas as a five-year-old. Highlights include:

1. A Christmas currency. For December 13 only, Vilnius will have a unique Christmas currency in the form of festive tokens reminiscent of childhood treasures. These tokens, which are directly issued by the Bank of Lithuania, can be obtained at 5 special Christmas Currency Banks and exchanged for hot chocolates, cups of tea, or sweet treats in participating cafes, restaurants, and venues.
2. Free guided tours. Christmas-themed tours will allow visitors to discover Vilnius’ Christmas traditions. Tour participants will explore the city's enchanting Old Town, learning about local festive traditions in some of the city's merriest and most historic locations. Topics covered on these free-of-charge tours will include legends about Vilnius, how the nobility celebrated Christmas, and different holiday traditions.
3. International Christmas Square. At Sirvydas Square, 144 Christmas trees will be displayed, each representing an international community living in Vilnius.
4. A free-of-charge Christmas card postal service. Visitors can send free Christmas cards from Vilnius back to anywhere in the world using special stations across the Old Town. They simply write a message, add the recipient’s address, drop the card into a festive Christmas letterbox, and Vilnius’ Christmas elves will take care of the rest.
5. A mass Christmas choir. Singers of all levels can join a mass Christmas choir in the Town Hall Square, including rehearsals and a performance on and around the ice rink.
6. Activities across the city. From free cinema screenings of It’s a Wonderful Life to carousel rides, ice skating, and craft workshops, there will be a wide range of activities to keep the whole family entertained.
7. Gingerbread rides and choirs onboard. Special buses will fill the city with festive cheer for both residents and visitors. A storybook-style gingerbread bus will be running free-of-charge around the city center. Meanwhile, the 3G bus route from the airport to the center will feature live choir recitals, turning everyday journeys into moving Christmas concerts.

A season of authentic festivities

The Christmas magic will extend across the holiday season in Vilnius until January 6. Enchanting Christmas markets offer visitors a chance to buy unique gifts made by local artists and artisans, including traditional handwoven woolen gloves. They are also perfect for sampling local delicacies, including chocolate mushrooms, dried mushrooms, and šakočiai, a traditional Lithuanian "branch" cake. Other festive highlights running throughout the season include an artisan-made two-storey Christmas carousel, an ice rink in Town Hall Square, and a Christmas train through Vilnius' sparkling Old Town streets.

These festive activities, coupled with fewer crowds than other European capitals, make Vilnius the perfect destination for anyone seeking an authentic, intimate, and heartfelt Christmas.

Easy to access

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.