How long should I go for?
We would recommend spending 1-2 days in Vilnius.
Home to cobbled streets, Baroque churches and a defensive wall, you’ll find many different architectural styles standing side by side in the Old Town. Pilies Street, otherwise known as Castle Street, is one of the main streets in the district. If you look closely, you can see remains of Gedimina’s Castle forming part of the alley’s architecture. Stickliu Street in the Jewish Quarter is also worth a visit! Here, you’ll find plaques commemorating the city’s Jewish history. Don’t forget to visit the Cathedral and Cathedral Square and take a tour of the crypts.
Once the residence of a nobleman, the Presidential Palace is now the Office of the Lithuanian President. Set in the grand Simonas Daukantas Square, the Palace is adorned with Baroque towers, classical balconies and a coat of arms. A flag hoisting ceremony takes place weekly on a Sunday, featuring members of the Honour Guard Company of the Lithuanian Armed Force dressed in ceremonial uniforms and medieval armour. If you’re visiting the palace and want to know if the President is home, look out for the flag. If the flag is lowered, it means the President has left the country.
As the last surviving gate of 10 original gates in the city wall, the Gates of Dawn have become a symbol of the Lithuanian capital. The gates have been made famous by the picture of Mary in the wooden chapel near to the gates. The painting is the most famous Renaissance painting in Lithuania. Regarded as magical by many Lithuanian residents, the picture is worshiped by Catholics, Russian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox believers.
Getting there:
Bus Services from Tallinn, Kaunas, Warsaw, St Petersburg, Riga and other destinations across Europe, run to and from Vilnius. There are also trains to St Petersburg, Moscow, Kaliningrad, and Minsk from the main station.
Getting around:
The old town can be explored on foot, however if you would prefer not to walk, buses and trolleybuses do connect areas throughout the city. When you change buses you need to buy a new paper ticket, and remember to validate your ticket when you get on.
