Vilnius is bounding into its seventh century like the iron wolf of its creation myth. The largest (yet still compact) city in the Baltics, Lithuania’s capital earns accolades and honours with an aplomb reserved for cities many times its size, most recently European Hospitality City 2025 and European Sleep Capital. Momentum into the next decade is fierce: Construction of the €100-billion Tech Zity is underway, set to be Europe’s largest tech hub by the end of 2027 – a natural fit for a hard-working labour force (#12) that also happens to be the second-most educated in Europe. The business ecosystem (#18) crackles with IT, web, and fintech innovation. Global unicorns, like cybersecurity firm Nord Security, call this city home, alongside used clothing disruptor Vinted and Europe’s first international Blockchain centre.
Yet, Vilnius knows there’s more to life than work. There’s hardly a better reminder than its UNESCO-protected city centre, replete with Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance beauty. New cultural assets are imminent. Construction on the new National Concert Hall kicked off in 2024, on track to light up Tauras Hill by 2028. Meanwhile, the city is taking submissions for a new, landmark Congress Centre. Targeted launch: 2031.