Top 25 Vilnius Attractions, Lithuania

There are cities in Europe that are bright, brilliant and noisy, and there are cities like Vilnius - at first glance, modest, inconspicuous, but with a special atmosphere, interesting history and their own secrets. The tourist route here is not limited to a small area of ​​the traditional Old Town. It leads further - to the bohemian district of Uzupis, in the fortress of the heyday of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and magnificent baroque churches.

Vilnius was a prosperous city already in the 15th-16th centuries. Markets were noisy here, missionaries of Catholic orders were preaching, and princes were administering state affairs. Many architectural monuments have survived from those times, and each of them can tell its own unique story.

What to see and where to go in Vilnius?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.

Old city

The streets and squares of the Old Town are the place where the history of Vilnius began. Temples, souvenir shops, restaurants are hidden in the depths of the medieval quarters. The main attractions of the Lithuanian capital are concentrated here. The historical centers of the cities of Northern Europe are somewhat similar to each other, but each has its own characteristics, so a walk through the old part of Vilnius will bring real pleasure to tourists.

Tower of Gediminas

The tower is located on the Castle Hill and rises almost 50 meters above the city. The building is considered one of the symbols of the Lithuanian capital. Gediminas Tower is the remains of the Upper Castle of the XIV-XV centuries. Inside there is a branch of the Lithuanian National Museum, where you can learn many interesting facts from the history of the city.

sharp brama

One of the main attractions of Vilnius, a historical monument and a place of pilgrimage for Catholics from all over the Baltics. The sharp gate (another name is the gate of Aushros) is a preserved part of the city wall with a chapel, which houses an important Christian shrine - the image of the Mother of God. The gates were erected at the beginning of the 16th century, in 1671 a wooden chapel appeared, later rebuilt from stone.

town hall

The building of the city administration, executed in a rather modest classical manner. In the 19th century, concerts, balls, ceremonial receptions and performances were held here. The building is mentioned in the records of the 16th century, but at that time it looked more like the Gothic buildings of Northern Europe. The Town Hall stands on one of the oldest squares in Vilnius. Town Hall Square is surrounded by historic buildings and medieval streets.

Gediminas Avenue

The central street of Vilnius, which connects the four main squares of the capital: Lukishskaya, Municipality, Independence and Cathedral. The avenue was built in the middle of the 19th century, during the Soviet era it was named after Stalin and Lenin, then it was renamed in honor of Prince Gedemin. Mainly administrative and government offices are located on the street.

Pilies street

The oldest street in Vilnius, which runs through the whole city in the direction of Moscow. Kings, foreign guests and state ambassadors, as well as a traveling circus and touring musicians, entered the city along it. Piles Street is small - only 500 meters long, but this small square houses many attractions. There are galleries, shops, museums and historical buildings.

Presidential palace

The official residence of the President of Lithuania, which used to house the higher clergy of Vilnius. The building was built at the end of the 18th century according to the design of L. Gucevičius in the architectural style of the late classics. After Lithuania fell under the protectorate of the Russian Empire, the office of the Russian governor settled in the palace. It was visited by Russian, Polish and Prussian monarchs.

Vilnius University

The oldest university in Eastern Europe. Many famous personalities studied there: poets Juliusz Slovacki and Adam Mickiewicz, astronomer Igor Gavrilov and others. The complex of university buildings is a mixture of Gothic, Classicism, Baroque and Renaissance. On the territory there is an old library, a botanical garden and a Catholic church. All these places can be visited with a guided tour.

Palace of the Radziwills

The complex is located in the Old Town on Vilniaus street. It is sometimes called the "Lithuanian Louvre", as the art museum is located on the territory, where masterpieces of European fine art are exhibited. The palace was built in the late Renaissance style. It belonged to the most noble family of the Principality of Lithuania - the Radziwills. This family was one of the very first in the state to receive the title.

Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

The royal residence of the rulers of the Lithuanian state. The complex was first built near the Castle Hill in the 15th century, but years of devastating wars almost wiped it off the face of the earth. The palace was restored in the 2000s. in its historical appearance, a museum was opened on its territory. It was the largest restoration project on a national scale, as it was associated with the revival of the statehood of Lithuania.

Cathedral of Saint Stanislaus

The main Catholic cathedral in Vilnius has the status of a "minor basilica" granted by the Vatican. The temple is located in the city center next to the Castle Hill. On the territory of the cathedral, the coronations of Lithuanian rulers took place, starting with Prince Vitovt. The architectural ensemble of the temple resembles the Greek pantheon; a powerful octagonal bell tower with a clock stands out against its background. It is assumed that earlier there was an altar of the pagan god of thunder Perkunas.

Church of St. Anne and Bernardine Church

A picturesque gothic temple that adorns the Lithuanian capital with its flying and graceful architecture. The first wooden building of the church was built in the XIV century, later it was destroyed and rebuilt more than once. At the beginning of the 19th century, the temple was declared a historical monument. Nearby is the Bernardine Church of St. Francis of Asia, founded by the Franciscans in the 15th century. It is made in the Lithuanian Gothic architectural style.

Church of Saints Peter and Paul

An architectural monument in the Lithuanian Baroque style. In the place of the temple in the pagan era there was a sanctuary of the goddess Milda. The Christian temple was founded on this site by the will of the Grand Duke Jagiello, the founder of the Jagiellonian dynasty. The modern building of the church was erected in the 17th century at the expense of the local magnate Kazimir Pac. The interior of the temple is distinguished by grace and beauty.

Church of St. Catherine

The late Baroque church was built between the 17th and 19th centuries. The church belonged to the Benedictine order. In Soviet times, there was a warehouse on its territory, so the building fell into severe disrepair. After the formation of an independent Lithuanian state, large-scale restoration work began to restore the historical appearance of the temple. Nowadays, the Church of St. Catherine is the cultural center of Vilnius.

Church of St. Casimir

The church is an architectural monument in the early baroque style. The facade of the temple is decorated with decorative elements that give the building an elegant and festive look. The church dome is crowned with a crown - a copy of the royal crown of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. The church is named after the canonized representative of the Jagiellonian dynasty, Casimir, who is considered the patron saint of Poland and Lithuania.

Church of Saint John

Temple located on the territory of Vilnius University. It was built in the 15th century, the work continued for more than 40 years. Since the 16th century, the church has belonged to the Jesuit order. The building is crowned with a bell tower 68 meters high. On the territory of the temple, not only worship services were held, but also student protests, honoring kings, and theatrical performances.

Church of the Holy Spirit

Church at the Orthodox monastery, the main cathedral of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church. At the end of the 16th century, a wooden church stood here, built at the expense of the wives of the Smolensk and Brest governors. After the adoption of the union, this temple remained the only Orthodox monastery on the territory of Vilna. At the beginning of the 18th century, Swedish troops destroyed the church, but it was restored thanks to Peter I. In the middle of the 18th century, the temple burned down, but was revived again.

National Museum of Lithuania

The museum exposition was founded in the middle of the 19th century by the famous cultural figure E. Tyszkiewicz. By the end of the century, more than 15 thousand exhibits had already been collected in the funds. During numerous wars and redistribution of the territory of Lithuania, the main part of the collection came to Moscow. In the period between the two World Wars, almost the entire exposition had to be reassembled.

Lithuanian Art Museum

The museum complex includes several main branches: the National Art Gallery, the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts, the Vilnius Art Gallery and the Radziwill Palace. As well as branches in other cities of Lithuania. Each branch and department has its own interesting exposition and functions as an independent museum.

Museum of Genocide Victims

Museum located in the former buildings of the NKVD and the KGB. It is known that each European country of the former Socialist bloc has its own museum, exposing the period when the state was under the rule of the USSR or in allied relations with it. Vilnius is no exception - the museum displays materials that testify to repression and persecution of dissidents. There is also an extensive outreach activity.

three crosses

Religious monument located in the city park on Bald Mountain. It is very symbolic for Lithuania. The monument was erected in honor of the Franciscan monks who accepted death from the pagans (this version has not been confirmed, there is only a legend). The first wooden crosses were erected at the beginning of the 17th century, then in 1740, 1916 and 1989. they were rebuilt from stone.

Vilnius TV tower

The TV tower is the center of Lithuanian radio and TV broadcasting. The construction is located on the territory of a residential area, reaches a height of 326.5 meters. Inside there is a panoramic restaurant, from where, in good weather, you can see the surroundings of Vilnius for tens of kilometers around. The TV tower was erected in the 1980s and is still the tallest structure in Lithuania.

Užupis

One of the oldest quarters of Vilnius, where creative and outrageous people prefer to settle. Since the 16th century, the city's poor, artisans, the working class and the poorest citizens have lived here. After the collapse of the USSR in the 90s. it was scary even to look at the territory of Užupis. Over time, dilapidated and empty buildings were chosen by artists, poets, actors, musicians, so the area has changed. Now it is poetically called "Republic of Užupis".

Europa Park

The park is located outside Vilnius in the geographical center of Europe. It is an open-air museum complex, where dozens of sculptural compositions are exhibited. Masters from different countries took part in the creation of the exposition. The park covers an area of ​​55 hectares. In order to view the entire collection of sculptures, you need to travel by bicycle.

Trakai castle

At the beginning of the XIV century, Trakai was the capital of the Lithuanian principality. The grandiose and powerful princely castle reminds of those times. The building stands on an island, surrounded by incredibly beautiful natural landscapes. The castle was built in the medieval Romanesque style, the fortress walls are 3.5 meters thick, and the harsh outlines of the towers remind of the past power of the Lithuanian lands.