Did you know that there is a place where it is mandatory to be happy and the constitution is written in a language no-one understands? Welcome to the Republic of Užupis in Lithuania.
During a guided tour in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, we are being told that we are going to visit a separate republic inside the city. We pass a corner and see a bridge over a river with something that might look like a border crossing sign. At the top of the sign it says Užupio res publika, and Užupis can be directly translated into “place beyond the river”. Below are four images: a smiley, the number 20, Mona Lisa and a car about to enter the river. These images represent four important rules to follow in the republic (ironically not in line with the constitution):
- You have to smile and be happy
- The speed limit is 20 km/t
- You have to be an artist or appreciate art
- If the first three rules are not followed, the inhabitants have the right to throw your car in the river
This is not the usual set of rules you are presented when entering a country, so what exactly is Užupis? The “Republic” was founded in 1997 when the inhabitants of the district Užupis decided to become independent. The Republic is recognised by exactly zero countries, for good reasons. It has a fun approach to most things, but despite being a “fun” republic it has surprisingly many elements that you will find in “real” nations. It’s own national day (Užupis Day), flag, military (around 11 men strong), currency, president and constitution is just some of the things they have in place. You can even get your passport stamped here.
After crossing the bridge … we meant to say border, the guide takes us along the river for a walk. One of the first sights that meets us is a statue of Backpacker Jesus because … Well, why not? Strange and fun things like this is common in the area, and the district itself is very artistic with colourful buildings and sculptures. Walking into a side road we see numerous large plaques; it’s the Užupis constitution written in 23 languages. Even though some laws are serious, like “Everyone has the right to hot water, heating in winter and a tiled roof” the majority are laws you are unlikely to find anywhere else. Here are some of our favourites:
- A dog has the right to be a dog
- A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of need
- No one has the right to have a design on eternity
- Everyone shall remember their name
- Everyone has the right to idle
- Sometimes everyone has the right to be unaware of their duties
Among the 23 languages the constitution is written in, one is written in a totally unknown language. Neither the language itself or the alphabet used is known, and it’s even unknown if the translations is real or just gibberish.
If you are visiting Vilnius, Užupis should definitively be on your agenda. We recommend to visit as a part of a guided tour, as you’ll get to know a lot more about the history and understand more of what you are seing. We used Yellow Free Tour which is free, but tipping is naturally expected. These tours, which we’ve also tried in Latvia, are a lot more casual and fun than your usual guided tours and an awesome way to see the city.
Many people travel to Riga, which is a nice city, but in our opinion Vilnius is even nicer and even cheaper. We paid less than 30 euro per night for a hotel and got a room that was modern and with excellent WiFi. However, it should be mentioned that we got what by far is the smallest room we’ve ever had. Everything was compressed into 6 square meters, including a double bed and separate bathroom. But if you are like us and prefer seing the city instead of the hotel then this is perfect; check out Stay Express Hotel.
Once you have taken the trip to Vilnius, why stop there? Riga is only a four hour bus ride away, and getting there will only cost you around 18 euro. We used Lux Express and which was a good choice. Thanks to EU membership of both countries crossing the border is no problem (the border is actually crossing a farmer’s field; we still wonder to this day which country the farmer lives in).
PS: We are not a super popular blog and sponsors are not lining up to through money at us (unfortunately). Therefore everything mentioned here, like hotel and buses, are of our own opinions and not sponsored 🙂
