http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/30600 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/30600 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/29205 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/29205 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28858 The prison downstairs is still intact and makes for grim viewing.
One interesting point is that while the building was controlled by the Gestapo between 1941 - 1944 from where they ran the Holocaust in Lithuania with their Lithuanian accomplices, very little coverage is given to this in the museum.
Still an essential part of your visit to Vilnius.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28858 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28857 As with all pubs we visited, very relaxed and friendly.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28857 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28856 As the name suggests, very much influenced by Italy.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28856 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28855 A memorial comprising 19 stones (one for each of the years of his short life) is laid out in the park.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28855 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28854 Pints from £1 and mains from £3-£4, there were no complaints here.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28854 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28853 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28853 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28852 Very friendly and we paid 40€ a night when we booked.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28852 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28851 Pints at about £1.
And one other thing. The name is short for Blue Orange.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28851 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28850 The restaurant itself resembles a Medieval manor house.
When we were there in November the menu included roe deer sausage, wild boar as well as game. Fish was also on menu.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28850 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28820 The pity is that it has killed trade in the centre of the town especially on the main avenue Laisves aleja.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28820 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28819 Food is nothing special (though cheap by UK standards) but a great place for a drink or coffee.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28819 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28818 Favourites is the Svyturys brand (from Klaipeda on the coast).
Only £1 a pint in Lithuania.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28818 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28817 However its claim to infamy is as a site of mass murder of the Jews by the Nazis and their Lithuanian helpers.
Figures of the number of people murdered here differ but anything upwards of 30,000 were killed and buried in pits on this site.
It was not just Lithuanian Jews killed here but also Jews from France.
One of the original prison buildings remains as well as a giant Soviet era memorial to those killed here. Within the prison building you will see where Abraham Wechsler of Limoges etched into the wall before his untimely death: 'We are 500 Frenchmen.'
On your way you will probably pass through the old Jewish ghetto area on the west bank of the Neris river bounded by Jurbarko, Paneriu and Demokratu streets.
Interesting article by Jonathan Freedland when he visited this site:
www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/14/double-genocide-lithuania-holocaust-communism]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28817 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28815 Vilnius is only two hours away from Kaunas by train and costs about £4 each way.
Having said that Kaunas is worth a visit itself for it's old town and Nazi era Ninth Fort concentration camp.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28815 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28745 Vilnius is only 1.5 - 2 hours away from Kaunas by train and costs about £4 each way.
Having said that Kaunas is worth a visit itself for it's old town and Nazi era 9th Fort concentration camp.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28745 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28744 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28744 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28609 Even better, they are free and can be downloaded as PDFs from the website.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28609 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27006 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27006