Bleisure travel — that quiet blending of business and leisure — is no longer a novelty. Across Europe and beyond, it has become a pragmatic response to a changing work culture, one where flexibility, autonomy, and balance matter as much as productivity. Nearly one in five Europeans now divide their working time between home and another location, while globally, an estimated 50 million professionals identify as digital nomads. Winter, once considered an off-season for travel, has unexpectedly become one of bleisure’s most appealing moments.
There is something about cold weather and shorter days that lends itself to this slower, more intentional rhythm: work in the morning, wander in the afternoon, markets at dusk, and evenings that feel earned rather than rushed. Christmas destinations, in particular, offer a rare combination of structure and softness — predictable schedules paired with seasonal warmth.
In this context, Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, steps forward with quiet confidence. As the 2025 European Christmas Capital, the city has become one of Europe’s most compelling winter destinations for remote workers, offering festive immersion without requiring time away from professional responsibilities.
What makes Vilnius especially appealing is not spectacle, but practicality wrapped in atmosphere. Lithuania boasts some of the fastest broadband speeds in the European Union. It ranks first globally for public Wi-Fi speed, enabling remote work almost anywhere — in cafés glowing with holiday lights, in coworking spaces humming gently rather than loudly, or even between stops on public transport. Work does not need to be paused for the season; it simply adapts.
“Spending a Christmas workation in Vilnius comes with unique advantages,” says Gintarė Verbickaitė, CEO of Unicorns Lithuania, an association uniting more than 130 Lithuanian startups, tech companies, and the country’s unicorns. “Many cafés and coworking spaces embrace a warm holiday atmosphere that makes working feel more pleasant, while nature escapes, spa experiences, and historical sites are only minutes away.”
This closeness — between work and rest, city and nature — defines the Vilnius experience. Remote workers often gravitate toward spaces like Tech Zity, which offers a range of environments, from central urban offices to quieter locations on the city’s outskirts, surrounded by greenery even in winter.
According to Verbickaitė, this flexibility reflects a broader cultural attitude. Lithuanian startups tend to maintain the same approach during the holidays as they do throughout the year: progressive, trust-based, and attentive to work–life balance. Remote and hybrid work models are standard, as are workations and additional benefits designed to support employee well-being, rather than merely productivity.
Once the Christmas markets wind down, Vilnius does not retreat into hibernation. Instead, the city offers another layer of winter experience, rooted in warmth rather than celebration. Saunas become destinations in themselves, ranging from traditional forest-surrounded bathhouses at Pilaitė Mill, where ancient spa traditions are still practiced, to more unconventional settings, such as a sauna at Vytautas Beats the Gong, housed in the former Lukiškės Prison. For those seeking elegance, the Baroque-style spa in the 17th-century Pacai Hotel offers a quieter, more refined retreat.
This balance between intensity and ease is mirrored in Vilnius’s coworking culture. The city is among the fastest-growing startup ecosystems in the world, expanding at a 22% year-on-year rate, and has been ranked the number one tech city in the EU. Infrastructure follows ambition here: fast Wi-Fi extends beyond coworking hubs into hotels, cafés, public spaces, and even trains. The airport’s proximity—just seven minutes by train from the central railway station—further simplifies arrival and departure, reducing friction often associated with winter travel.
“Remote employees can stay in the compact city centre and choose from more than 20 coworking spaces and plenty of work-friendly cafés, all with fast Wi-Fi and easy transport connections,” says Lauryna Girėnienė, Head of Talent Acquisition at Nord Security, one of Lithuania’s unicorn companies. “December tends to be a bit softer here. Offices slow down, teams wrap up projects before the holidays, and managers are often more flexible about letting people work from home, another city, or even another country, as long as expectations are clear.”
Connectivity, however, remains the backbone of any successful workation. Matas Cenys, Head of Product at Saily, an eSIM service developed by Nord Security, points out that Lithuania’s digital infrastructure consistently ranks among the strongest globally.
“According to Saily’s Internet Connectivity Index, Lithuania ranks eighth out of 96 countries for affordability, quality, freedom, and cybersecurity,” Cenys notes. “Vilnius is also affordable. Compared with many other festive destinations, hotels, food, and even mulled wine are fairly priced. Most people speak English, the airport is close to the city, and the time zone works perfectly for European teams, with an afternoon overlap for North American ones.”
For remote workers considering a winter base that does not compromise on work—life balance, focus, or atmosphere, Vilnius offers a compelling answer. Coworking spaces such as Talent Garden in the Old Town, AltSpace, and Workland along Gediminas Avenue provide structure and community, while the city itself supplies the seasonal texture.
In Vilnius, winter does not interrupt work. It reframes it — softer, slower, and more human.
