Travel Bug was on his holidays to Riga recently. When he checked the local Bug Bus timetable, he realised he could hop a ride to Vilnius in Lithuania for a day’s exploring.

After ditching his humans in a local cafe (they can’t fly and they hold him back…), he unearthed these fascinating facts:

Vilnius is one of the only cities in Europe where people can take to the skies in a hot air balloon. The Travel Bug isn’t sure how feels about this.  He quite likes flying around without trying to avoid humans in balloons.

He’d much rather humans did their flying somewhere he doesn’t want to visit.  Like Chernobyl.  Or Dundee.

The University of Vilnius was the first uni in Eastern Europe. It was founded waaaay back in 1579 (before Travel Bug’s humans were even born…).  One of it’s most famous honorary Doctors is form Czechoslovakian and Czech Republic President, Vaclav Havel.

The River Vilnele is dyed bright green each year in celebration of St Patrick’s Day. The idea started in Chicago in the 1960s, when a harmless way of colouring the water was discovered, ironically, by Irishmen.

St Paddy’s Day is very popular in Vilnius (probably because of all the beer) and Lithuanians celebrate with parades around the city.  TTB thinks he might have to come back and take part next year.