Shop til you drop in Vilnius

Shopping centers, designer stores, boutiques and high fashion. Vilnius has it all and more. Welcome to Lithuania's shopping haven.

If you're fond of shopping, Vilnius is the right place for you. The city is small and cozy, but it still offers a good selection of high-end fashion design shops, both international and local brands. The fact that Vilnius has a reputation for being one of the cheapest big cities in Europe might also come as a big plus.

You don't need to go far to find designer stores in Vilnius, as international brand stores are lined up in the city center. Whether you're looking to buy a classical Armani or Hugo Boss suit, a lovely perfume from Escada or an iconic Burberry bag, you will surely find it here.

Would you rather bring home something unique and extravagant? Then check out one of the many local designer shops. Lithuania's most business-savvy designer, Ramune Piekautaite, offers romantic, sensual and luxurious clothing, designed with love for a fashionable city woman. For something a bit different, pay a visit to Juozas Statkevicius and have a look at some fabulous Haute Couture and unique theatre costumes.

Visit the Vilnius-based brand Julia Janus for some contemporary Baltic fashion. In addition to women's clothing, leather goods and accessories the brand leads a kitchen and home collection. They collaborate with a wide range of artists as a way of conducting and developing their distinctive integrated cultural platform, where fashion meets pottery, woodcarving, jewelry and modern gastronomy.

Vilnius also has many charming boutique stores. Unlabel offers an original style, including everyday coats made from natural materials and relaxed clothing for women. Move on to De'Zavu for some quality vintage shopping, including clothing, accessories and jewelry. This highly popular store actually has the reputation for being the best of its kind in all of Lithuania.

Even though Vilnius is less expensive than many other European cities, it still isn't cheap to buy designer clothing. Luckily, the selection of slightly more affordable stores is also fantastic. There are several huge shopping centers, filled with international stores like Zara, Mexx, Mango, Vero Moda, Only, Gant and Benetton, to name a few. The biggest shopping and entertainment center is Akropolis, only a ten-minute drive from the heart of the city. It is a huge mall with stores, restaurants, cafés, a cinema and bowling alley. Panorama and Ozas are perfect places to visit for families with kids, while Europa Shopping Centre offers more famous brands and designer shops.

Whatever you are looking to buy, it is always nice to bring home some local souvenirs. The most typical ones are linen products, amber and glass objects, such as bowls, vases and platters. All of these can be purchased at the oldest street in the Old Town, the flamboyant Pilies Street, just minutes from Radisson Blu Royal Astorija Hotel, Vilnius. Don't miss out on this charming place, which was originally the main road to the castle and has been mentioned in historical annals as early as 1530. Now it´s a busy shopping street and souvenir market, full of locally produced knitted hats, woolen mittens, wooden jewelry boxes, bracelets and many other Eastern European products.

As you can see, Vilnius has everything you need for a good shopping spree. The city is stylish, peculiar, interesting and probably a bit different from its European neighbors in the west. Now, all you need is a ticket, a budget and some comfortable walking shoes.