Vilnius has really upped its game in Christmas decorations department in the last few years. Our city has won multiple awards for the most beautiful Christmas tree in Europe, including last year. This year definitely feels special, with everything going on, and the city seems to be on a mission to cheer everyone up by installing even more beautiful lights.

On a rather chilly and snowless day I went through the old town to take photos of the beautiful decorations. Enjoy!

First stop is the Presidential Palace. Lovely archway adorns the entrance to the square. The whole building is covered in lights as well. It isn't fully dark yet though for the building to really show off.

Then we stop in an inner courtyard with different food shops. A perfect place to get hot wine, sit and relax for a while. The courtyard has a beautiful Christmas tree and a reindeer made of lights. The place smells really nice as there is natural wood burning in several stoves. You can also catch whips of hot wine being served and barbeques being prepared.

We pass through one of the fanciest streets in Vilnius - Stiklių street. There are many high-end restaurants and hotels here, and some of them go full-on Christmas mode, like this one with the many smaller Christmas trees and some sweet treats too. I love how both the government and private businesses really upped their holiday decorations game recently, not just for Christmas but other holidays as well. Even Halloween got a lot of love from different businesses (it isn't a national holiday in Lithuania, though I enjoy the holiday a lot).

Next we emerge into the Town Hall Square. The Christmas tree here is usually more traditional looking than the main one in Cathedral Square (the one that wins all the awards :), our last stop on this trip). I love how it looks this year, beautiful simplicity and elegance.

I am guessing these are in sign language, not sure but I love it anyway. There are more of these black hearts across the length of the street. Maybe someone can let me know in the comments what is the meaning of these symbols.

We pass through the Gate of Dawn, a major site of Catholic pilgrimage in Lithuania. The Chapel in the Gate of Dawn contains an icon of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy, said to have miraculous powers. You can see the icon in the window when walking through the gate.

Last stop is the Cathedral Square. This is where we find our city's main Christmas tree. It looks much emptier this year as we don't have the usual busy Christmas market. And yet again, the Vilnius Christmas tree won an award! European Best Destinations awarded it as the most beautiful Christmas tree in Europe. The tree is quite different this time, with its surrealist exterior which houses a more traditional tree inside it. I find this contrast between outside and inside quite beautiful.

The heart of the Christmas tree is indeed beautiful, as it reflects in the mirrors around it, creating a unique visual experience.

Thanks for reading, hope it brought some Christmas cheer into your hearts. Happy Holidays!