I really wanted to touch on how safe Vilnius feels as a capital – and Lithuania more generally.
I haven’t been to all the cities or towns here. My experience is limited to Klaipėda during the Sea Festival (Jūros šventė)weekend, Palanga in winter, Varėna, and a few smaller towns here and there.
Most of my observations come from Vilnius – particularly from early evening through to early morning.
I’m also not especially well travelled, so I can’t compare to other European cities. My only real comparison point is the UK – specifically London and its suburbs, population of which is 8 million and counting. My comparison thus, is based on my subjective experiences.
There are places in London that immediately make me feel uncomfortable.
That feeling isn’t random – it’s based on situations that are regularly in the news and well documented: stabbings on public transport and in the streets, gang crime, phone and watch snatching, pickpocketing, open drug use, and drunk behaviour that can quickly turn violent.
Pick your poison, really.
Most importantly for me, though, was Inga’s increasing discomfort – her fear around getting home safely as a woman. This is something that’s very real and very well documented, often through heart breaking stories.
So naturally, I carried those expectations with me when I arrived here.
What do I see on the streets in Vilnius?
Honestly – nothing alarming.
After four months of night driving around the city, I’ve seen none of the things I would expect to see back in the UK.
What I do see is a population that enjoys going out – bars, restaurants, a few drinks after work, conversation, catching up – and then going home safely.
Happy.
Weekends were the biggest surprise.
That’s when the highest volume of people are out until the early hours, and initially I was quite resistant to driving at those times. That feeling came entirely from my experience of UK drinking culture.
But I was completely wrong.
It’s actually a pleasure to pick people up.
Yes, people are drunk – but they are not chaotic, not disrespectful, and definitely not dangerous or looking for a fight. They’ve had a good night and simply want to go home and sleep.
What stands out the most to me is the number of women of all ages I pick up alone at all hours of the morning.
For me, that’s a clear sign that your city works.
And it’s a real credit to the people here – the level of respect, particularly towards women.
Another thing I’ve noticed is what I don’t see.
I don’t see groups of people hanging around openly drinking or taking drugs.
Now, I’m not sure if that’s cultural, or down to effective policing – I would imagine it’s a combination of both. But I’m open to being wrong.
Maybe people simply have better things to do. Maybe there’s stronger infrastructure, or better support and direction for young people.
I’ve actually asked a few customers about this, and some of them told me that many of the criminal groups left years ago when opportunities opened up abroad.
An interesting perspective.
It’s also reassuring to see that the police maintain a visible presence.
They’re there – but never intrusive. Just present enough that you know they’re not far away if needed (while on the topic… Have you seen Lithuanian Police short videos? They are goofy and highly entertaining!).
Of course, I know crime exists.
And I would imagine there are still difficult situations happening behind closed doors that never get reported. No place is perfect, and every country has its challenges.
But from what I see, safety in the city doesn’t feel like an issue.
Inga and I would have no problem walking home alone at night, at any hour, without fear of being attacked or robbed.
And that, for me, says a lot.
What has your experience been? Drop me a line or comment bellow.