Vilnius is lesser known than its Baltic counterparts Tallinn and Riga. But the city astounds visitors. Of course there's the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Baroque Old Town. But once entering the narrow streets of Vilnius you'll discover a variety of building styles, from Gothic to Renaissance to Classicism, with a little Modernism thrown in for good measure. The Old Town of Vilnius is one of the largest surviving old town complexes in Northern Europe, but there's more than buildings to marvel at. Vilnius has a thriving cultural, restaurant and bar scene.

Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, Jews, and other more rare religions are all represented in Vilnius. Indeed, Jews were once the city's largest ethnic group. The most impressive place of worship is the Vilnius Cathedral and its bell tower, but the rebuilt Royal Palace of Lithuania is also worth a stop. Vilnius is one of the only European cities that allow hot air balloons directly over the city center, making for a perfect way to get another perspective on the impressive Old Town. On the other side of the river is the artsy Uzupis neighborhood, a tongue-in-cheek self-declared republic with its own constitution, with articles like, "Everyone has the right to be in doubt, but this is not an obligation."