Vilnius Christmas Market 2025: Everything You Need To Know

The Vilnius Christmas market at Cathedral Square is one of Europe’s most unique Christmas markets. Named the European Christmas Capital for 2025. I wasn’t sure what that meant before I visited Vilnius, but after spending December here, I get it.

The city goes big for Christmas. Every business seems to be in a silent competition for the most OTT decorations, the Old Town is covered in lights, the Christmas market is genuinely different from the ones you’ve probably been to and there’s even a festive train. It’s freezing, sometimes snowing, christmas music blasting and there’s mulled wine everywhere, it’s exactly what December should feel like.

Here’s what you need to know about visiting Vilnius at Christmas.

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Vilnius In December – What To Expect

I was not expecting Vilnius at Christmas to be so magical. The decorations that businesses put up are spectacular, it’s almost like there’s a deck the halls type situation where they are all competing for the most rambunctiously festive display. I loved it.

The weather is ice cold with a strong possibility of snow. Which of course adds to the festive feels. Expect temperatures between 0°C (32°F) and -7°C (19.4°F), along with a spells of light rain. The sky is pretty gloomy but it doesn’t matter much when the streets are so glitzy from the decorations.

Vilnius Christmas Markets

Cathedral Square Christmas Market

The main Vilnius Christmas Market is located at Cathedral Square. It’s a small market that is different to the other christmas markets I’ve visited around Europe. The food is mostly sweet you won’t find any bratwurst or langos here, I’ve listed the food in a section below.

There is christmas music playing and the atmosphere is really uplifting. It’s not somewhere you’ll stay for hours but it’s a nice place to walk through.

It’s best to visit at night to see the tree in all its glory, but if you want to skip the queues 4:30PM is a good time with fewer people but still see the market once it’s dark.

Here is what to expect.

The Vilnius Christmas Tree

Possibly the most famous Christmas tree in Europe. The Vilnius Christmas tree is revered for its creative design year on year Since 2023 the city uses a real tree, whereas other years it was made of different reusable materials like glass and metal.

In 2019 it won the most beautiful tree in Europe with a theme of chess, the tree was a queen chess piece surrounded by pawns. Other themes have been 2022’s700 Jubilee (Baroque, multi-tiered cake with 700 candles), 2021’s frosty white theme with 96 giant snowflakes and mirror surface, and 2024’s giant bubble ornament encasing a the 15 metre tree.

The 2025 tree is a more simpler and traditional style tree. It’s less about the creative design and more about the tree itself. A beautiful real tree featuring red and gold colours, 25,000 twinkling warm white LED lights and 400 ornaments. There is a viewing platform that you can climb to get close to the tree. Initially I was disappointed that the tree isn’t an elaborate super unique design, but actually after a few visits I loved how simple it is. It reminded me of trees from my childhood – simple, glittering, warm and traditional.

Food At Vilnius Christmas Market

As mentioned above, the food at Vilnius Christmas Market is super sweet. Gone are the aromas of smokey grilled meat, instead it’s all sugar. I’d be lying if I said I was ok with this, I was so ready for fluffy langos, crispy potato pancakes and juicy bratwurst. However, I am partial to a sugar overdose so my disappointment was over pretty fast.

These are the foods you can find at Vilnius Market.

Varskes Spurgos

Varskes Spurgos are small sugar dusted donuts that are made from cottage cheese and flour. I actually expected they would be filled with soft cottage cheese but they are a little dry inside. I recommend getting a sauce like nutella, biscoff or pistachio on top.

Prices: €5 small, €8 medium, €18 large

Oscypek

This a salted sheep’s cheese that is smoked and sliced. They look like little ornaments due to the decorative carvings along the edges. It tastes a little salty but pairs great with bacon and cranberry.

Prices: €3 including cranberry.

Hot Chocolate In An Edible Cup

Winter and a warm cup of hot chocolate go hand in hand. What is better than a hot chocolate at a christmas market? A hot chocolate in an edible cup, you basically get two treats for the price of one, it’s economics 101.

The hot chocolate is sweet but not too much where it ruins the flavour and is topped with oreos or dubai chocolate style with kadayif and pistachio cream. Served in a cup that is a thick crunchy biscuit, once you drink enough you can snap off pieces to dunk in your drink.

Price: €6

Chocolate Covered Chilli Pepper

Apples, strawberries, bananas and marshmallows covered in chocolate sound perfectly delicious, but I wanted something different. That’s when the curly red chilli pepper caught my eye.

It tastes exactly as you might think, slightly spicy with the sweetness of the chocolate softening the blow. I certainly got a few glances proudly munching on my chilli pepper

Price: €2

Mulled Wine

If you don’t have mulled wine at a christmas market, did you even go? Lithuania has a slightly different spin on the typical mulled wine, here they include orange juice which gives it a much sweeter taste. It has become my favourite way to drink mulled wine, and honestly, I was never a fan before.

You can also find apple punch, cherry beer with honey and non-alcoholic options like cocoa and raspberry tea.

The smell of cinnamon really draws me in, and before you know it I’m holding a warm cup of mulled wine.

Price: €5 – 7

Pancakes

Of course there are crepes, what kind of market do you think this is? Flavours include cheese, chocolate and pistachio. The cheese filling is the best one, it’s savoury and pairs well with all the sugar you’ll inevitably consume.

Price: €5 – 7

Christmas Carousel at Cathedral Square

The only fairground ride is the pretty two storey carousel. I saw lots of adults on it, often I’m the only adult so it was nice not to feel insane.

It lasted around 5 minutes which I found was a long time compared to my other experiences on carousels.

Price: €6 per person.

Craft Stalls

The stalls here sell traditional crafts like candles made from honey and handmade christmas ornaments. My favourite stall had 3D pictures where it looked like the figure was climbing out at the frame, it reminded me of the infamous Gladis portrait in Friends.

There aren’t any clothing stalls selling cosy hats and scarfs but you can find a nice souvenir or unique gift for someone.

Vilnius Christmas Train

Running until 6th January, you can take a festive journey around the main christmas destinations in Vilnius. Departing from Cathedral Square, the train goes in a loop along Šventaragio St. – Pilies St. – Didžioji St. – Šv. Jono St. and Universiteto St. Some notable places you pass by are Vilnius University and Presidential Palace Grounds.

Inside, the train is cosy, dimly lit with Christmas jingles playing. The best time is when it’s darker so you can see the lights along the streets, we grabbed a mulled wine from the christmas market which made the ride even more cosy.

Honestly, I would only recommend doing this if you are with kids. It’s a little lacklustre as an adult as it’s very slow and only goes around the places you have likely already walked.

Opening hours: Monday, Thursday + Sunday: 12 – 8 PM, Friday + Saturday: 11 AM – 10 PM

Price: €5 per person and free for under 2 for a 20 minute journey.

Ice Skating In Vilnius At Christmas

After cathedral square, the next christmassy location is the ice skating rink at town hall square. The rink is approximately 900 square metres and is in the shape of a wave.

There are a few stalls beside selling mulled wine, cottage cheese donuts, paninis and a MILKA stall. There isn’t much room to stand around when compared to Cathedral Square.

Opening hours: 30 November to 26 January. Sessions are 45 minutes and occur hourly from 10 AM to 10 PM Fridays and Saturdays until 23:00.

Price: tickets cost € 5-7, with free skating sessions every day at 10:00 and 23:15 for everybody. You must book tickets in advance here.

Lukiskes Prison

If you want something different, this next place is not your typical Christmas venue, but Lukiskes Prison transforms for the holidays. This former prison (1904-2019) carries a haunting history, the Gestapo used it to detain thousands of Jews and Polish resistance members before their execution at Ponary.

Today, reborn as Lukiškės Prison 2.0, it’s home to over 550 artists and hosts concerts, exhibitions, and festivals year-round. Each December, the prison courtyard comes alive with a Christmas gastro fair featuring around 40 vendors with local food, festive drinks, and holiday treats, along with live music. Proof that even the darkest spaces can find new light.

Opening hours: 11 – 14 December, 4 – 10 PM Thursday + Friday, 12 – 10 PM Saturday + Sunday.

Price: entrance is free

Christmas Before Christmas

Can’t wait for December 25th? Vilnius throws a full-blown Christmas celebration on December 13th called “Christmas Before Christmas”. This is a new tradition introduced this year. For one day, the city introduces its own Christmas currency that you can spend on hot chocolate, doughnuts, and other treats at cafes around town. There’s a gingerbread-shaped bus that takes you through the prettiest Christmas spots (some routes have a choir singing onboard), and Konstantinas Sirvydas Square has 144 decorated trees, each one representing a different international community in the city.

The whole thing is designed to make you feel like a kid again. A 200-person choir performs carols, there are 13 free walking tours about local Christmas traditions, and you can send free Christmas cards to anywhere in the world. It’s basically Christmas morning two weeks early, without any of the stress of the actual day, the whole city just leans into the magic of it all.

Opening hours: all day 13th December

Price: free

Glass Quarter Christmas Decorations

Take a walk down the charming cobblestones of the Glass Quarter (Stiklo kvartalas). Although many businesses in Vilnius make a big effort with their decorations, the Glass Quarter is extra special.

Start at Poniu Laime where they’ve gone full polar bear express this year with their decorations. Grab their macarons, then head to Leo’s mulled wine stall around the corner, one of the best in the city. End at Augustas & Barbora (not Christmas themed but the year-round fairytale vibes fit perfectly) or pop into Senatoriu Pasazas where a large tree twinkles in the festive courtyard and outdoor fires roar.

Is Vilnius Christmas Market Worth Visiting?

Vilnius christmas market is pretty small compared to other European Christmas markets, so if you are visiting just for the market then I would suggest heading elsewhere. However, if the market is just part of your trip, Vilnius in December is magical. Decorations, cute streets and lots of mulled wine just adds to the already brilliant city.

How To Get Around Vilnius

Vilnius is a walkable city, it’s not too large and the streets are very pretty with historic churches, cobblestones and parks.

For the odd time you need to take transport, then there is a great bus network. You can purchase tickets by tapping your bank card as you board or by using the app TRAFI, however you need to spend a minimum of €5 but can have multiple active tickets at once which might be suitable for small groups. Tickets are in 30 minutes (€1) and 60 minutes (€1.25) intervals.

Taxis are also affordable, I recommend downloading the WOLT app.

Best Place To Stay in Vilnius At Christmas

I recommend staying in Vilnius old town during December as it’s really magical with lights, decorations and an upbeat atmosphere. You are surrounded by restaurants, cafes and bars along with all the top attractions. The christmas market is also located here.

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