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Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania and at the same time a city with an atmosphere that is a nice mix of the Baltic area and Central Europe. Baroque building style and, not least, countless churches characterize the narrow and pleasant streets of the city center, but it is not far to modern neighborhoods which add a cosmopolitan touch.
Small and large squares are all around the old center. And there are many interesting museums, monuments and other sights to enjoy. Shopping, culture and gastronomy are something else that are parts of the Vilnius experience.
A special sight is the elegant cathedral of the city and the ridges that rise east of the cathedral and the river Neris. Here are landmarks as Gediminas Tower, the former royal palace, the national museum and other fine and interesting things.
In the vicinity of Vilnius there are many beautiful places. The geographical center of Europe is marked a short drive north of the city, and to the west is the mighty Trakai Island Castle. A bit further you come to the Soviet city of Elektrenai and the country’s second largest city, Kaunas. The distances are not long, and all the sights are great place for a day trip.
In the middle of the Cathedral Square in Vilnius, the city’s cathedral stands majestically with its free-standing tower. Grand Duke Mindaugas built the original church in 1251, but it has since been rebuilt several times due to either fires or the desire to renew the architectural style.
The cathedral is the main Roman Catholic church in Lithuania. It is dedicated to Stanislaus of Kraków and Ladislaus I of Hungary. Stanislaus of Kraków was bishop of Kraków in the 11th century, while contemporary Ladislaus also hailed from Kraków and became Hungarian king from 1077 to 1095.
It is believed that the Lithuanian thunder god Perkūnas was worshiped at this place before Mindaugas’s christening in 1251, which he marked with the construction of the cathedral. Mindaugas died in 1263, and his church was then used for pagan worship. Lithuania was Christianized in 1387, and in the same year the construction of a new cathedral started as a replacement for Mindaugas’ first construction.
The second cathedral burned in 1419, and Vytautas had a new cathedral built from 1429 as part of the preparations for his coronation as Lithuanian king. Vytautas was not crowned king, but parts of his great Gothic cathedral are preserved in the structure of the building that can still be seen today.
The cathedral was rebuilt to its current form in the years 1779-1783 in strict classicist style with six Doric columns on the facade and sculptures by the Italian sculptor Righi as decoration. The church is decorated inside with more than 40 works of art from the 16th-19th centuries.
The church room is very interesting, and it has laid floors for both coronations and funerals of grand dukes. Thus, you can also see several chapels built for the church, several of which are the tombs of grand dukes. The best-known chapel is St. Kasimir’s Chapel, which was built 1623-1636 and reconstructed 1691-1692. The chapel contains frescoes by Michelangelo Palloni and stucco and altar by Pietro Perti.
The church’s 57 meter high bell tower is also built on the foundations of a former defensive structure from the 13th century. The appearance of the current tower dates from 1801.
Historically, Vilnius and Lithuania have for a time been a significant power in the region with grand dukes and kings on the throne. Their residence was in the Royal Palace of Lithuania, originally built in the 15th century, and the castle was one of the political centers of Lithuanian and Polish politics for centuries until the castle was demolished in 1801.
The castle is believed to have been built after a fire in the neighborhood in 1419, and existing buildings on the site were removed. The architectural style was Gothic, but already in the 16th century the complex was rebuilt in the Renaissance of the time. The following century, the castle was rebuilt once again; this time with inspiration from the Baroque.
Over time, many events took place at the royal palace. Kings were crowned here and the later Pope Clement VIII visited the place. It was also here that the first opera in Lithuania was performed; it happened in 1634.
From the latter half of the 17th century, the royal palace was increasingly abandoned and it had fallen into such disrepair that the Russian administration ordered the remaining buildings demolished in 1801, leaving Vilnius without its castle for over 200 years.
The newly independent Lithuania decided in the 1990s that the country’s old royal palace should be rebuilt, and with that decision began a great deal of work to study previous designs and materials that could help the reconstruction. The construction of the castle started in 2002, and the new castle was inaugurated in 2013. Today, the castle thus stands again in its old place and forms a fine part of the cityscape of the Lithuanian capital.
In 1409, Grand Duke Vytautas built the first stone castle on top of Vilnius. It replaced an earlier wooden fortification that dates from the time of Grand Duke Gediminas. Of Vytautas’ large historic castle complex, only Gediminas Tower is partially rebuilt. It was opened as a museum in 1960, and it has since become part of the Lithuanian National Museum.
The exhibition in the museum shows reconstructions of the castle complex as it looked in the 14th and 17th centuries respectively. All around you can see the ruins of some of the preserved parts of the castle’s facilities, and the 20-metre-high Gediminas Tower itself is equipped with an observation deck on top. From here there is a fantastic view of Vilnius.
Gediminas may also have enjoyed this view. According to the stories, the Grand Duke was hunting, and it was here that he had killed a bull and became so exhausted that he had to spend the night on the hill. At night he dreamed of an iron wolf howling like a hundred ordinary wolves. He then asked what this dream meant, and the explanation, according to the lore of the time, was that Gediminas was to found a city here. This city would become a great city and the capital of the country.
You can take the nice walk up to the top of the hill and Gedimino’s Tower, and you can also choose to take the funicular, which since 2003 has run from the National Museum’s closed yard and 71 meters up the hill.
With a height of 326.5 metres, Vilnius’ TV tower is one of the tallest buildings in Eastern Europe. At a height of 165 metres, there is a restaurant and an observation deck, from which there is a formidable panoramic view of Vilnius and the surrounding area.
The tower was built in 1974-1980, and during Lithuania’s independence process battles took place at the foot of the tower in 1991. This is commemorated outside and inside the tower with a special exhibition.
Saint Anne’s Church is one of Vilnius’ landmarks. It is a late Gothic masterpiece without many parallels in the world in its mixture of several trends in the Gothic building style. On the site there used to be a church built for Anna, who was Vytautas the Great’s first wife. This first church was destroyed by fire in 1419.
The current church was built in the years 1495-1500, and it has been largely preserved without changes to the exterior. However, after a fire in 1582, the interior had to be reconstructed. At the church you can also see the newer bell tower, which was completed in 1873.
One of the stories about Saint Annæ Church is that when Napoleon saw the church in 1812, he said because of its beauty that he would like to carry it in his hand to Paris. You can experience the same impression by seeing for yourself, and in the church room you can see, among other things, a beautiful baroque altar and fine mosaic windows.
The Gate of Dawn is the name of Vilnius’ main entrance from the south through the now historic city wall. The gate was quite an integral part of the city’s defenses, and it is now the only surviving one of the original nine city gates. Next to the gate there is a preserved part of the medieval city wall.
The Gate of Dawn was built 1503-1522 in a style that was primarily inspired by the Renaissance. As was often the case in the 16th century, a religious space was built into the city gate, which was supposed to protect the city from attack. Above the entrance of the gate is thus the site’s famous chapel, where you can see the Madonna of Vilnius. On the way to the chapel, you typically meet some of the many Catholic and Orthodox believers who regard the place as a shrine.
All Saints’ Church was built in the years 1620-1630 in a beautiful late baroque style. The church tower, which stands next to the church building, was only built in 1743. Today, you can enjoy the church’s fine exterior and a beautiful church room with stucco, paintings, works of art and other decorations.
The place was originally a Carmelite church, which also got an associated monastery building in the latter half of the 17th century. In the 18th century, there was also a library here, and over time a number of valuable objects were collected under this auspices. In 1819, a school was also opened in connection with the church.
The Carmelite church was closed in the period 1832-1886, whereby the congregation was dispersed. In 1904, the church was reopened, and in 1991 the site again came under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Church.
St. Kazimir’s Church is a beautiful baroque church that was the first in this style in Vilnius. The church was built by the Jesuits in the years 1604-1618. Saint Casimir is the national saint of Lithuania, and he had been canonized just two years before the church was started. The building was also specifically dedicated to the saint.
The church got the beautiful lantern dome in the 18th century, and it was the only church in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with this architectural detail. Behind the fine baroque facade and under the dome, a large, bright and elegantly decorated church room is revealed, one of the most impressive in Vilnius.
During the Russian tsarist era, Saint Kazimir Church was converted into a Russian Orthodox church and dedicated to Saint Michael. In 1917, Germany occupied Vilnius, and in that connection the church was fitted out for the Protestant garrison. The church was partially destroyed during World War II and reopened as a museum of atheism in 1961. Since 1989, the church has once again belonged to the country’s Catholic congregation.
This is Vilnius’ town hall and thus the center of the city’s political governance. The town hall has been here since the 15th century, when the original building was built in the Gothic style. Since then, the town hall has been rebuilt many times, and it was destroyed by fire in 1748.
After the fire, the current raw house was built. It was built in the years 1785-1799 in neoclassical style according to the design of Laurynas Gucevičius. After approximately 150, the town hall was set up as a theatre, as it had gradually become too small to house the city’s administration. It was also an exhibition building for a transition, but today it is used again for some of the city’s representational purposes.
In front of the town hall is the Town Hall Square, which over time has formed the framework for part of Vilnius’ commercial and activity life. Small shops already encircled the square in the 15th century, and the square formed a market. Over time, there have also been performances with, for example, acrobats and bears here.
The Presidential Palace is the official residence of the President of Lithuania, a status the house has had since 1997. However, the history of the building goes all the way back to the 14th century, when Grand Duke Jogaila let this piece of land belong to the episcopate of Vilnius, so that in time a residence of the future bishop.
At the end of the 14th century, construction began under the city’s first bishop, Andrzej Wasilko. Over time, the mansion was expanded and a park was created around it. The 18th century brought many changes. The last bishop moved, and both in 1737 and 1748 the then building burned down.
In 1750, the mansion was rebuilt and it became the residence of various prominent people. Many notables spent the night in the mansion over time; for example Tsar Pavel I in 1796, the later King Louis XVIII of France in 1804 and both Napoleon Bonaparte and Russia’s Tsar Alexander I in 1812.
In the years 1824-1834, the building was rebuilt into the current palace. The well-known architect from Saint Petersburg, Vasily Stasov, was responsible for the work, and the style is the Russian Empire style of the time.
Užupis is the name of a neighborhood located immediately east of the Old Town of Vilnius. Užupis means “on the other side of the river” in Lithuanian, and the name refers to the fact that Užupis is located on the other side of the river Vilnia, after which Vilnius is named.
Užupis is Vilnius’ bohemian quarter, and many artists live in the streets, and this leaves its mark on the district. At the beginning of the 1990s, it was one of Vilnius’ most dilapidated areas, and it attracted, among other things, homeless people and prostitutes. Today, Užupis has undergone a huge transformation, and it can be seen in the neighborhood.
Perhaps you hear about the Republic of Užupis, which is a self-proclaimed republic that includes this very neighborhood. The Republic was proclaimed in 1997 and it celebrates its day on April 1st.
The highlight of Užupis is simply enjoying the atmosphere. Among the attractions, you can see Užupis’ Angel, which was erected in the central square of the neighborhood as a symbol of the artistic resurrection of Užupis. You can also visit Saint Bartholomew’s Church/Świętego Bartłomieja (Užupio gatve 17a).
On a hill above Vilnius, according to tradition, three crosses were first erected in honor of 14 killed monks in the 17th century. The crosses are still there in a newer version and form one of Vilnius’ well-known sights.
Legend has it that fourteen Franciscan monks were invited to Lithuania in the 14th century. They began to spread the message of the Christian god and were thus in opposition to the then Lithuanian gods. It was a time when Lithuania had not yet been Christianized, which formally happened in 1387. Seven of the fourteen monks were killed by angry citizens on the hill where the crosses stand, and the other seven were crucified and then thrown into the river Neris.
The wooden crosses were continuously replaced until this was banned by the authorities in 1869. A new concrete monument was erected in 1916, but this was demolished in 1950. The current monument with the three crosses was made by the artist Henrikas Šilgalis in 1989. From the crosses can you also enjoy a fine view of Vilnius.
This is the main building of the Lithuanian National Museum, where you can experience an extensive archaeological, ethnographic and historical collection depicting Lithuania through exhibitions in various themes. A visit is an educational and interesting encounter with Lithuania, and you can also enjoy the setting. The museum is housed in the New Arsenal in the city’s historic castle complex.
The history of the museum started with the establishment of an antiquities museum in Vilnius in 1855. This museum aimed to depict the culture and history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania over the years, and therefore it was the natural predecessor of the country’s National Museum, founded in 1952.
Lithuania’s parliament is called the Seimas, and it has existed since 1992, when it officially replaced the Supreme Soviet as the country’s main parliamentary assembly. Parliament is the political assembly in the country’s unicameral system, and the members are elected for four years at a time.
The Seimas has its seat in the Seimas Palace/Seimo Rūmai, a modern building constructed in 1976-1980 as the seat of the government of the Lithuanian Soviet Republic; The Supreme Soviet. It was in this building that Lithuania’s independence from the Soviet Union was adopted in a vote on March 11, 1990.
In January 1991, the Parliament of Lithuania was the scene of part of the freedom movement against independent Lithuania, which had been adopted in the Seimas on 11 March 1990. In front of the Parliament, barricades were built on 13 January 1991 as a defense against Soviet tanks in the streets.
This house was the headquarters of the Soviet security service KGB in Vilnius during the time of the Soviet Union in the latter half of the 20th century. The building was built in 1899 as a court, and during the First World War German institutions used the building, which from 1920 became a court during the then Polish rule.
After being the headquarters of the Gestapo in 1941-1944, the KGB moved in until 1991. During this period, a prison was also set up in the building. Today, a museum has been set up that sheds light on the time from Lithuania’s entry into the Soviet Union to the years when, among other things, the KGB was active in the country.
This beautiful church belongs to the Orthodox congregation and was consecrated in 1903 after its construction on the initiative of the Orthodox Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit. The brotherhood had collected funds in the Russian Empire for the construction.
The church was not closed during either World War I or World War II, and it became an ordinary parish church during the Soviet era in 1948. Today, you can experience a noble restored church, whose architecture and interior design are typical of Russian Orthodox churches with several domes and an exterior in Byzantine inspiration.
Trakai’s beautiful water castle is the central building in the city. It was built from the 14th century in the middle of the large, beautiful lake area, which it is itself completely surrounded by. Construction was initiated by Grand Duke Kęstutis, who moved his residence here, and thus the country was ruled from here. The castle was expanded in several phases and both strengthened as a fortress and as a castle in the 15th century, when the water level in the lake was several meters higher than today, which made the castle even better protected.
After the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, Trakai Borg lost its originally intended military-strategic significance, but for a period it continued to be built and resided here. Grand Duke Vytautus the Great lived here and he died on Trakai in 1430.
Later, the remote location was used as a prison, but over time the buildings became increasingly dilapidated.
From the end of the 19th century, the first initiatives to preserve and reconstruct Trakai Borg started. The most extensive renovation and reconstruction was carried out after the Second World War. Work began in the 1950s, and the castle was completed in the style from the 15th century in 1961.
Today, Trakai Borg is almost complete and newly built. It is a very interesting experience, and since 1962 a historical museum has been set up in the buildings.
Many will probably be surprised that Lithuania is the geographical center of Europe, but according to a calculation from 1989 by France’s National Geographic Institute, the center of the continent lies precisely at the position 54°54′N 25°19′E, which corresponds to this place northeast of the Lithuanian capital. The French define the extremes of Europe as Svalbard to the north, the Urals to the east, the Canary Islands to the south and the Azores to the west.
The site is marked by a granite column crowned with stars, which is to symbolize Lithuania’s historical and current connection to Europe. In the area, you can also visit the Europaparken/Europos Parkas, a green area that was created in 1991 to mark Lithuania in Europe and the country as the geographical center of the European continent.
The village of Kernavė is considered to be Lithuania’s oldest capital. The town was mentioned for the first time in 1279, when it was the Grand Duke’s residence. The town’s population is believed to have been as high as 10,000, and thus it was very important at the time.
Kernavė’s main attraction is the medieval castle, the remains of which were found a few decades ago by a farmer. Since then, major archaeological excavations have been carried out, and today you can walk around the historic ramparts.
Elektrėnai is a very different city and experience from the old cultural city of Vilnius, as it was built on the bare land in the 1960s around a newly constructed power plant. The city’s name comes from the word elektra, which means electricity and alludes to the power plant.
Elektrėnai was a model city in Soviet urban planning, where housing, businesses, green areas and cultural institutions were established so that the power plant’s workers could live a good and healthy life here together with their families.
The city is like no other and is worth a visit. The buildings are Soviet block buildings, and the unifying institutions such as the city’s church from 1966 are built in exciting, modern architecture.
The village of Rumšiškės is beautifully situated by the lake Kauno Marios, which was once dammed for Kanuas’ hydroelectric power plant. Rumšiškės is home to Lithuania’s ethnographic open-air museum, which displays various parts of the country’s way of life and building style from the 18th century to the present day.
There are four themed areas in the 176-hectare park, Aukštaitija, Dzūkija, Suvalkija and Žemaitija. Each of the areas focuses on a region in Lithuania; both with the built houses, but also with culture and the flora of the places.
Kaunas is an old town which is dominated by houses built in Gothic and Renaissance architecture. With the center around the fine town hall square in the old town, pleasant streets lead in all directions, where you will find churches, monasteries, museums and Kaunas Castle. The town hall is in itself a great sight on the square.
To the east of the town hall you find the newer parts of the city, which offer both fine boulevards and beautiful buildings from the recent centuries. The Garrison Church stands as the centerpiece of this part of the city, which has the pedestrian street, Laisvės alėja, as its central axis and the connection between the church and the old town.
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The capital Vilnius is one of Lithuania’s oldest cities, and the area is believed to have been inhabited since at least the early Middle Ages; Excavations, however, have shown traces of settlements in the area, dating back to around the year 100.
Vilnius is first mentioned by Duke Gediminas in 1323, which is considered the city’s foundation, and from that time the settlement on the banks of the Neris River developed.
The capital of the area was before Gediminas Kernave northwest of Vilnius, but when the duke, during a hunt, found Trakai’s beautiful lake area, he built a castle and moved the capital to it. According to legend, he had to spend another night at Vilnius’ current location, where he had a dream of once again founding the new capital at this particular place, what he did with the construction of two castles.
After its founding in 1323, just two years later, Gediminas wrote to Germans and Jews in the Hanseatic cities along the Baltic Sea that everyone was welcome in his town to settle down to trade and craft. However, it was not until later in the 1300s that foreign merchants and craftsmen moved in earnest.
The year 1387 became an important year for Vilnius and Lithuania. The country was christened as the last pagan land in Europe by Władysław II Jagiełło, the Lithuanian Grand Duke and Polish King. In the same year the construction of Vilnius’ cathedral began, and the city was also granted commercial property rights in precisely 1387; however, these only applied in the part of the city where the Catholic bishop was leader.
The ancient Vilnius developed over the centuries, and the more than 1,200 preserved historic buildings are one of the largest numbers in Eastern and Central Europe. Urban planning adapted to nature with the river and the hilly area.
Many cultures flowed to Vilnius, known for its tolerance of religion. Over time, among other things, Baroque-style Orthodox and Catholic churches have been erected and Renaissance-style synagogues. Already from the end of the 1300s and through the 1400s there was a lot of construction activity, and after inspiration from other European cities, Vilnius’ craftsmen joined in low during this period.
The diversity of cultures was reflected in the architecture, which you can still see in the richly ornamented buildings in the city. Vilnius’ population groups also established themselves in separate neighborhoods; the Orthodox Christians lived to the east, while Germans and Jews lived to the west. Increasingly, Poles also came to the city.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the Crimean Tatars posed a threat to Vilnius, and between 1503 and 1522 the city was expanded with fortress walls, which had three defense towers and nine city gates.
Vilnius reached a peak in 1544, when Sigismund II August, as Lithuanian Grand Duke and Polish King, moved the court to Vilnius. Sigismund stayed extensively in Vilnius, which strengthened the city’s growth and political status.
With the court in Vilnius, more Poles continued to come to Vilnius, and over time a significant Polish influence on life and the country happened. This development had just started with the arrival of Polish clergy in the late 1300s, but through the 16th century the development took off.
In terms of construction, it was the period after the Gothic period, and through the 16th century a number of Renaissance buildings were erected before Vilnius’ special Baroque style broke through in many church and mansion buildings.
With the Lublin Union in 1569, Poland and Lithuania transitioned from having a personal union to forming a real union. In the first half of the 16th century, Lithuania had a territory that stretched from the Baltic to the Ottoman Empire a little south of Kiev, but by the 1560s a large part had passed to the Polish crown. With the union, Vilnius and Krakow became the main cities until 1793, when Warsaw achieved this status until the union’s final in 1795.
The first time in the real union was a period of great flourishing for Vilnius. In 1579, the Lithuanian Grand Duke and the Polish King founded a university in the city, which became the leading educational and research site in the region. The city’s social and cultural life shone and the city received many new migrants.
In 1610, Vilnius was ravaged by a major fire and some reconstruction was to be completed. In 1655, Russian forces conquered Vilnius during the Russian-Polish War, which took place in the years 1654-1667. During the war and fighting in Vilnius, part of the city was destroyed, and the result of the whole war was in the long run that Russia conquered lands to the west and thereby to the Polish-Lithuanian territory. On that occasion, Vilnius’ growth was halted for a time.
Throughout the latter half of the 18th century, classicism dominated the architecture of Vilnius. That and much else was changed in the 1790s, when Warsaw first became the capital in 1793, and in 1795 Poland-Lithuania was dissolved.
Through the so-called third division of Poland-Lithuania, Vilnius and Lithuania became part of the tsar’s Russia, and it became infected in many areas; obviously political, but also cultural and architectural. During the Russian era, part of the city’s many churches and monasteries were closed down and Byzantine-style churches were erected instead.
Vilnius again became the capital; this time in the Russian government in Lithuania. A few years later, the city walls were demolished to allow the city to grow again. The Czar allowed the Polish university to reopen in 1803, and there was again some development in the city.
Vilnius developed industrially through the 19th century, and this happened not least after the opening of the rail link from Saint Petersburg to Warsaw in 1860. The route passed through Vilnius, which led to increased traffic and trade.
In the 19th century, the Lithuanian desire for independence grew, and several Lithuanian institutions eventually emerged. These included the Vilniaus žinios newspaper, which was published in 1904 following the lifting of a ban on Lithuanian press in Latin letters.
During World War I, Vilnius was occupied by German troops for over three years before the country declared its independence on February 16, 1918. However, the fighting was not over at that time. The German troops withdrew on January 1, 1919, leaving the city to a Polish garrison.
Four days later, the Bolsheviks invaded Vilnius, and they declared the city the capital of the Lithuanian-Belarusian Socialist Soviet Republic. Later, both Poland and the Soviet Union regained Vilnius. On July 12, 1920, a peace treaty between the Soviet Union and Lithuania was signed and Lithuania gained recognition as an independent country. However, while the rest of Lithuania became independent, Vilnius became part of Poland. Kaunas became the capital of Lithuania, while Vilnius became the seat of a regional Polish government.
Between 1920 and 1939, Poles made up about 65% of Vilnius’s population, while the Jewish share was 28%. There were only about 1% Lithuanians left in the city.
During the Polish era, Vilnius underwent some development. Factories were built and a new trade fair saw the light of day in 1928. A modern department store was opened for consumers and the university in the city was re-created.
In 1939, World War II broke out, and with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Vilnius region became a Soviet sphere of interest. The Red Army quickly overcame the Polish defense of Vilnius in September 1939, and the city was subjugated to the Belarusian Socialist Soviet Republic.
The Soviet Union had occupied Vilnius, but in October a Lithuanian delegation flew to Moscow for a dialogue and the area. An agreement was reached between the Soviet leadership and Lithuania, which returned Vilnius to independent Lithuania.
With almost 200,000 inhabitants in the 1930s, Vilnius had been one of Poland’s largest cities, but after 1939 the population of the population changed. Tens of thousands of Lithuanians were moved to the city, where it was actively sought to dispose of all Polish and, in part, also Jewish in favor of Lithuanian. Among other things, Poles in the city were formally made foreigners.
In 1940, Vilnius, along with the rest of Lithuania, became the Lithuanian Soviet Republic with the capital of precisely Vilnius. The following year, the city and the country were occupied by German troops, and Germany created Jewish ghettos in the city. The German occupation lasted until July 1944, when advancing Soviet troops liberated the country and Vilnius, which in turn became the capital of the Lithuanian Soviet Republic.
After the end of World War II, a massive urbanization occurred in the 1960s-1980s, resulting in large-scale newly built suburbs. Culturally, Vilnius flourished, the university was renovated and major city-building projects included the city’s opera and TV tower.
In Vilnius there were demonstrations in the streets in the late 1980s. The protesters wanted Lithuanian independence from the Soviet Union, and on March 11, 1990, the country’s parliament declared Lithuania independent.
On January 13, fighting between Lithuanians and the Soviet military moved into Vilnius. In August of that year, the Soviet Union recognized Lithuania’s independence and Vilnius remained the capital.
In 2004, Lithuania became a member of the European Union and its capital has undergone major changes since the 1990s. Today, Vilnius stands beautifully renovated and inviting for tourists who want to discover the beautiful old town that stretches through a long time of the history of the Lithuanian capital.
Vilnius, Lithuania[/caption]
Overview of Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania and at the same time a city with an atmosphere that is a nice mix of the Baltic area and Central Europe. Baroque building style and, not least, countless churches characterize the narrow and pleasant streets of the city center, but it is not far to modern neighborhoods which add a cosmopolitan touch.
Small and large squares are all around the old center. And there are many interesting museums, monuments and other sights to enjoy. Shopping, culture and gastronomy are something else that are parts of the Vilnius experience.
A special sight is the elegant cathedral of the city and the ridges that rise east of the cathedral and the river Neris. Here are landmarks as Gediminas Tower, the former royal palace, the national museum and other fine and interesting things.
About the Whitehorse travel guide
Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
Published: Released soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English
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The Gate of Dawn is the name of Vilnius’ main entrance from the south through the now historic city wall. The gate was quite an integral part of the city’s defenses, and it is now the only surviving one of the original nine city gates. Next to the gate there is a preserved part of the medieval city wall.
The Gate of Dawn was built 1503-1522 in a style that was primarily inspired by the Renaissance. As was often the case in the 16th century, a religious space was built into the city gate, which was supposed to protect the city from attack. Above the entrance of the gate is thus the site’s famous chapel, where you can see the Madonna of Vilnius. On the way to the chapel, you typically meet some of the many Catholic and Orthodox believers who regard the place as a shrine.
All Saints’ Church was built in the years 1620-1630 in a beautiful late baroque style. The church tower, which stands next to the church building, was only built in 1743. Today, you can enjoy the church’s fine exterior and a beautiful church room with stucco, paintings, works of art and other decorations.
The place was originally a Carmelite church, which also got an associated monastery building in the latter half of the 17th century. In the 18th century, there was also a library here, and over time a number of valuable objects were collected under this auspices. In 1819, a school was also opened in connection with the church.
The Carmelite church was closed in the period 1832-1886, whereby the congregation was dispersed. In 1904, the church was reopened, and in 1991 the site again came under the jurisdiction of the Catholic Church.
St. Kazimir’s Church is a beautiful baroque church that was the first in this style in Vilnius. The church was built by the Jesuits in the years 1604-1618. Saint Casimir is the national saint of Lithuania, and he had been canonized just two years before the church was started. The building was also specifically dedicated to the saint.
The church got the beautiful lantern dome in the 18th century, and it was the only church in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with this architectural detail. Behind the fine baroque facade and under the dome, a large, bright and elegantly decorated church room is revealed, one of the most impressive in Vilnius.
During the Russian tsarist era, Saint Kazimir Church was converted into a Russian Orthodox church and dedicated to Saint Michael. In 1917, Germany occupied Vilnius, and in that connection the church was fitted out for the Protestant garrison. The church was partially destroyed during World War II and reopened as a museum of atheism in 1961. Since 1989, the church has once again belonged to the country’s Catholic congregation.
This is Vilnius’ town hall and thus the center of the city’s political governance. The town hall has been here since the 15th century, when the original building was built in the Gothic style. Since then, the town hall has been rebuilt many times, and it was destroyed by fire in 1748.
After the fire, the current raw house was built. It was built in the years 1785-1799 in neoclassical style according to the design of Laurynas Gucevičius. After approximately 150, the town hall was set up as a theatre, as it had gradually become too small to house the city’s administration. It was also an exhibition building for a transition, but today it is used again for some of the city’s representational purposes.
In front of the town hall is the Town Hall Square, which over time has formed the framework for part of Vilnius’ commercial and activity life. Small shops already encircled the square in the 15th century, and the square formed a market. Over time, there have also been performances with, for example, acrobats and bears here.
The Presidential Palace is the official residence of the President of Lithuania, a status the house has had since 1997. However, the history of the building goes all the way back to the 14th century, when Grand Duke Jogaila let this piece of land belong to the episcopate of Vilnius, so that in time a residence of the future bishop.
At the end of the 14th century, construction began under the city’s first bishop, Andrzej Wasilko. Over time, the mansion was expanded and a park was created around it. The 18th century brought many changes. The last bishop moved, and both in 1737 and 1748 the then building burned down.
In 1750, the mansion was rebuilt and it became the residence of various prominent people. Many notables spent the night in the mansion over time; for example Tsar Pavel I in 1796, the later King Louis XVIII of France in 1804 and both Napoleon Bonaparte and Russia’s Tsar Alexander I in 1812.
In the years 1824-1834, the building was rebuilt into the current palace. The well-known architect from Saint Petersburg, Vasily Stasov, was responsible for the work, and the style is the Russian Empire style of the time.
Užupis is the name of a neighborhood located immediately east of the Old Town of Vilnius. Užupis means “on the other side of the river” in Lithuanian, and the name refers to the fact that Užupis is located on the other side of the river Vilnia, after which Vilnius is named.
Užupis is Vilnius’ bohemian quarter, and many artists live in the streets, and this leaves its mark on the district. At the beginning of the 1990s, it was one of Vilnius’ most dilapidated areas, and it attracted, among other things, homeless people and prostitutes. Today, Užupis has undergone a huge transformation, and it can be seen in the neighborhood.
Perhaps you hear about the Republic of Užupis, which is a self-proclaimed republic that includes this very neighborhood. The Republic was proclaimed in 1997 and it celebrates its day on April 1st.
The highlight of Užupis is simply enjoying the atmosphere. Among the attractions, you can see Užupis’ Angel, which was erected in the central square of the neighborhood as a symbol of the artistic resurrection of Užupis. You can also visit Saint Bartholomew’s Church/Świętego Bartłomieja (Užupio gatve 17a).
On a hill above Vilnius, according to tradition, three crosses were first erected in honor of 14 killed monks in the 17th century. The crosses are still there in a newer version and form one of Vilnius’ well-known sights.
Legend has it that fourteen Franciscan monks were invited to Lithuania in the 14th century. They began to spread the message of the Christian god and were thus in opposition to the then Lithuanian gods. It was a time when Lithuania had not yet been Christianized, which formally happened in 1387. Seven of the fourteen monks were killed by angry citizens on the hill where the crosses stand, and the other seven were crucified and then thrown into the river Neris.
The wooden crosses were continuously replaced until this was banned by the authorities in 1869. A new concrete monument was erected in 1916, but this was demolished in 1950. The current monument with the three crosses was made by the artist Henrikas Šilgalis in 1989. From the crosses can you also enjoy a fine view of Vilnius.
This is the main building of the Lithuanian National Museum, where you can experience an extensive archaeological, ethnographic and historical collection depicting Lithuania through exhibitions in various themes. A visit is an educational and interesting encounter with Lithuania, and you can also enjoy the setting. The museum is housed in the New Arsenal in the city’s historic castle complex.
The history of the museum started with the establishment of an antiquities museum in Vilnius in 1855. This museum aimed to depict the culture and history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania over the years, and therefore it was the natural predecessor of the country’s National Museum, founded in 1952.
Lithuania’s parliament is called the Seimas, and it has existed since 1992, when it officially replaced the Supreme Soviet as the country’s main parliamentary assembly. Parliament is the political assembly in the country’s unicameral system, and the members are elected for four years at a time.
The Seimas has its seat in the Seimas Palace/Seimo Rūmai, a modern building constructed in 1976-1980 as the seat of the government of the Lithuanian Soviet Republic; The Supreme Soviet. It was in this building that Lithuania’s independence from the Soviet Union was adopted in a vote on March 11, 1990.
In January 1991, the Parliament of Lithuania was the scene of part of the freedom movement against independent Lithuania, which had been adopted in the Seimas on 11 March 1990. In front of the Parliament, barricades were built on 13 January 1991 as a defense against Soviet tanks in the streets.
This house was the headquarters of the Soviet security service KGB in Vilnius during the time of the Soviet Union in the latter half of the 20th century. The building was built in 1899 as a court, and during the First World War German institutions used the building, which from 1920 became a court during the then Polish rule.
After being the headquarters of the Gestapo in 1941-1944, the KGB moved in until 1991. During this period, a prison was also set up in the building. Today, a museum has been set up that sheds light on the time from Lithuania’s entry into the Soviet Union to the years when, among other things, the KGB was active in the country.
This beautiful church belongs to the Orthodox congregation and was consecrated in 1903 after its construction on the initiative of the Orthodox Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit. The brotherhood had collected funds in the Russian Empire for the construction.
The church was not closed during either World War I or World War II, and it became an ordinary parish church during the Soviet era in 1948. Today, you can experience a noble restored church, whose architecture and interior design are typical of Russian Orthodox churches with several domes and an exterior in Byzantine inspiration.
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