Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania and it has a lot of spectaculous places to visit. Although it has been rapidly transformed and renovated in recent years, plenty of historically and architecturally important places and buildings remained the same and it makes the city unique.  Vilnius is often called a baroque city but Renaissance, Gothinc, modern and other styles could be found here. The most famous places to visit include Gediminas Castle, Cathedral Square, the largest Old Town in Eastern Europe, Town Hall square, St. Anne‘s Church, Vilnius University, and modern Constitution avenue.

Gediminas Castle

Gediminas Castle is the most famous castle in Lithuania and it is often taken for the symbol of our country. Moreover, all Lithuanians know the legend about Grand Duke Gediminas, who dreamt a dream about the iron wulf, roaring on the hill in the centre of Vilnius city. In the morning his soothsayer Lizdeika explained his dream as a sign for him to build here a city as it will become a well known and widely resounded in all over the World.

Gediminas Castle was built in about 1230. The same as Vilnius city, it was mentioned in 1323 for the first time.

Gediminas Castle has a tower, that can be seen from any place in Vilnius centre and Old Town. This tower nowadays serves as a museum. What is more, the marvelous view to the Vilnius city opens from the hill on which the castle stands.

Vilnius Cathedral

Vilnius Cathedral, the full name of which is Vilnius Cathedral Basilica of St. Stanislav and St. Vladislav, is located below Gediminas Castle in the centre of Vilnius city and it is the most spectaculous masterpeace of classicism style in the capital of Lithuania. Moreover, it is also a historical heritage.

Some ancient manuscripts tell that on the place of Cathedral there was a stone pagan temple to Perkūnas and there animals were sacrifized. The history of this glorious building begun in the middle of the 13th century when the Lithuanian King Mindaugas first erected a christian temple in order to seek a favour from the Livonian order. At that time the Cathedral looked as a Romanesque building. After King Mindaugas died in 1263 it was converted to pagan temple again.It was again renovated in 1387 by the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Jogaila. Cathedral suffered from fires, storms and Soviet brigandage but was rebuilt again and again.

It is very important to mention, that one of the most magnificent historical event, called Baltic road when all three Baltic nations stood shoulder to shoulder creating a live chain in 1989. This was the peaceful political demonstration designed to draw global attention by demonstrating a popular desire for independence for each of the entities.

Every day today mass are held in Vilnius Cathedral and people gather to pray. What is more, excursions there are very popular and professional, including visiting Vilnius Cathedral Dungeon.

The Old Town of Vilnius

The Old Town of Vilnius is the largest on in Eastern Europe and one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europ. It has an area of 360 ha. The buildings in the old town – of which there are about 1.5 thousand – were built over a number of centuries, resulting in a mixture of all European architectural styles. To be more precise, the greatest Europe‘s architectural styles, gothic, renaissance, abroque and neoclassical, mix and complement each other.

The heart of the Vilnius Old town is Pilies Street where street market life is common. The part of Vilnius city main street, Gediminas Avenue, is also located in Vilnius Old Town.

The Old Town of Vilnius was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (No. 541) in recognition of its universal value and originality in  1994.

Vilnius Town Hall

 

Vilnius Town Hall is located in the very centre of the city, in the Town Hall Square. The history of it began in the XVth century. It is mentioned for the first time in 1432.

When Vilnius city got it‘s city rights in 1387 it had to build an administrative office. According to some XVIth century sources, at first Vilnius Town Hall was that of gothic style and had a tower. However, it suffered from fires and invaders so was rebuilt several times. In 1799 Laurynas Gucevičius designed it in neoclassical style and it remained unchanged since then.

It is important to mention that this location has always been important for massing cultural, political and public events.

St. Anne‘s Church

The St. Anne’s Church is a Roman Catholic Church, located in the Vilnius’ Old Town, on the right bank of Vilnia river. Dominating are the Brick Gothic style, the flamboyant Gothic style and the late Lithuanian Gothic style. It will definitely leave an impression for anyone. It is said that Napoleon Bonaparte, while visiting Vilnius during the Franco-Russian War in 1812, was so impressed by this church that he loudly expressed his emotions by saying that if he could, he would take St. Anne’s Church with him to Paris in his own palm.

The St. Anne’s Church was erected in 1394 and was made of wood at first. It is said that the first wooden version of St. Anne’s Church was constructed for Anna, the wife of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great. Later on wooden constructions were replaced with bricks. Some sources tell that St. Anne’s Church is made of 33 different kinds of clay bricks. The design of the church building is attributed to either Michael Enkinger or to Benedikt Rejt. However, neither of the attributions is attested by written sources.

Vilnius University

 

Vilnius University was founded in 1579 and is the oldest university in Lithuania, Baltic states and one of the oldest in Northern Europe. It is located in the Vilnius Old Town. For a very long time Vilnius University was the only university in Lithuania so it had a great impact on Lithuania‘s society and culture.

Vilnius University is a complex of buildings which occupy the whole quarter of the Old Town, including 4 streets (University st. , Castle st. , street of St. John and Kapas st.). This complex of buildings was finally formed in the end of the 18th century and, surprisingly, has not changed until nowadays. Although the arcitecture remained, the history of university is very colourful and unique: it vitnessed growth and decline, revival, and closure.

The Old ensemble includes 12 buildings of gothic, baroque, renaissance, and classicism styles, the Church of Sts. John and a Bell tower. All these buildings were built not all at the same time, but one after another.  They all have their own and unique names and history.

It is necessary to visit Vilnius University when visiting Vilnius, to walk in it‘s surroundings, little squares and feel the power of wisdome that is inbetween these old walls for almost a half of the century.

Vilnius Constitution avenue

Vilnius Constitution avenue is the newest area of Vilnius. It was rebuilt and developed in recent years. A business and commercial was and still is and is expected to become the city’s main administrative and business district on the north side of the Neris river.

Constitution avenue contains modern buildings: offices, shopping centres and block houses. There is 129 m Europa‘s tower which is clearly seen almost from any part of the city centre and nearest areas.

This part of Vilnius shows that it is developing and modern so it is important to visit in order to see the city from the different perspective and understand the modern Lithuanian architecture.