It was 20 years ago this week that the first In Your Pocket hit the streets of Vilnius, in Lithuania.
Issue N°1 of Vilnius In Your Pocket rolled off the presses at a time when the Soviet Union was considerably more than just a memory and the height of sophistication was owning anything that didn’t have Made in CCCP written on it. How times have changed. Despite the current economic gloom, the Lithuanian capital is unrecognisable from how it appeared two decades ago. There’s food in the shops, galleries are bursting with art that’s no longer required to conform to the strangulating requirements of Socialist Realism and you don’t have to hand over your coat to a geriatric every time you visit a restaurant.
The brainchild of German Matthias Lufkens and Belgian brothers George, Oliver and Nicolas Ortiz, In Your Pocket was conceived over several beers on a cold December evening in 1991 in the famous Stikliai beer hall. At the time, Vilnius was a town that did not even have a telephone directory. The four set out to conquer the world armed only with a dream and a laptop: they still have the dream, and they still have the laptop.
Over the past 20 years In Your Pocket has grown to become Europe’s leading provider of urban information, supplying locally produced, practical information for over 100 cities all over the region, available at the travel portal inyourpocket.com and in more than 70 publication guide books, published in 23 countries.
In Your Pocket’s lively, honest style has received consistent praise from, among others, Le Monde, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Guardian, the Sunday Times, the BBC, Rough Guides and Lonely Planet. We are, indeed, the best. Take a look at our press clippings here.
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I never leave home without a free in your pocket download. I was in Vilnius in March 2012 – the guide was great, as was the city.
I couldn’t help but come up with a blog post inspired by this photo.
http://kootvela.blogspot.com/2012/05/bubble-city.html
I live in Vilnius and constantly turn to the IYP guide for information about new places to go and things to do. The reviews are usually spot on and the information is valuable for visitors and locals alike. You guys do a great job and I wish you many, many years of success.
I loved the InYourPockt in the 90′s, but nowadays I’ve got the feeling that it has become, sadly, a main streamer.
I love your guides and they are invaluable when visiting lesser known cities! Keep up the great work.