While the typical tourist kitsch of shot glasses and refrigerator magnets can be found on every street corner in Vilnius Old Town, shopping for the more discerning tourist proved to be a bit difficult. I should actually say that shopping in Vilnius and Lithuania is great for those not afraid of a little challenge. Because the types of things I shop for (Soviet kitsch, really random religious knick knacks, etc.) took some sleuthing to unearth in Lithuania’s vibrant capital (and surroundings) .
I should start with the Hill of Crosses, which surely deserves its own post, for all its quirkiness. The Hill of Crosses had the best gift shop in all of the Baltics. Hands down, bar none.
It also had the most expensive bathroom (0.50 Euro! Outlandish!), but it was worth it for the shopping treasures. They sell these awesome wooden crosses that most people purchase to stick somewhere on the hill itself. Not this guy, no. We bought three and brought them back to use as lawn ornaments. Because we get sacrilegious like that.
They also have these fantastic glow in the dark Virgin Mary statues that are also magnets. We needed a new night light in the bathroom, so why not get a little salvation when you take your pee break at 3am?
So we’ve established that the Hill of Crosses is THE place to go if you’re into religious crap. Or if you’re into appropriating religious crap for non-religious purposes around your house (as we are). What about the Soviet kitsch? Being a good little researcher about such things, I posited the question to tripadvisor forums way back in June or so and was met with a response that the purchase and sale of items with Soviet slogans or emblems is illegal in Lithuania – so it was clear I was going to have to get creative.
The first place to look was at the sprawling Kalvariju turgus, on the north side of the river, about a kilometer from Old Town. So we went, ate some great somsa from some delightful Russian ladies (what is it about the flea markets and Russian diaspora?), but found no kitsch. No old Russian banners, pins, flags, or maps. The market is still definitely worth a trip, especially if you’re looking for some counterfeit jeans or local apples, just not for souvenirs.
We then trucked back toward our Airbnb, to Halės Turgavietė – Vilnius’ answer to Riga’s Centraltirgus, located just outside the Gates of Dawn (to the south). And again, nothing. We started to think we were going to come up empty when we ambled across Lazdynų Pelėdos skveras, just north of Halės Turgavietė. It’s a park where folks come set up little stalls. I hear that it is most happening in the mornings, and we were there around 2pm, just as people were starting to close up shop. But we found some gems – an old Russian camera, and some postcards. Not the great loot I was hoping for, but great nonetheless.
Just when we had given up on our grand kitsch shopping ambitions did we happen upon Eddie’s Antique Bazaar. We wouldn’t have seen it at all if we hadn’t been on our way to the KGB museum – it is in the same building! There we found many kitschy things to buy, including the pins, propaganda posters, and lunch pails we’d been looking for all day. Apparently, as of early September, the store was still brand new (located down some steps from street level), and we were among the first people to shop there. Eddie himself is Armenian, and we spoke briefly about David and my trip there the previous winter. And, we walked away with a ton of loot.
So there you have it, the definitive guide to shopping for kitsch in Vilnius (and beyond!) – definitely not as plentiful or easily visible as in the other Baltic capitals of Riga and Tallinn, but there if you know where to look. Happy hunting!
Are you an avid shopper when you travel? What types of things do you collect?
2 comments
Very cool to heater about Eddie’s Antique Bazaar! I’ve never been but plan on heading that way later this week. I’ll have to stop in.
It was a great place to stumble across! Eddie (or who I assume is the eponymous Eddie) was super chill and nice, too.
I hope I did your city justice in this post! 🙂