Streets squares and districts to visit Vilnius & Area

It was here, at the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia rivers, that the formation of the city of Vilnius began. It was also a place for lovers' meetings, a market place and a fairground in the 19th century, and became the centre of popular gatherings at the time of independence. At the foot of the belfry is the "Stebuklas", which means "miracle". In 1989, the Baltic Way, a human chain of almost 600 km from Vilnius to Riga and Tallinn, began on this slab and rekindled the struggle for independence from the USSR. You can stand on the slab, make a wish and turn around three times to make it come true. At the end of the square, an equestrian statue of Grand Duke Gediminas, the founder of Vilnius, was unveiled in September 1996 on an ancient pagan site.

Built of wood in the 13th century,on an ancient pagan site honoring Perkūnas (the god of Thunder), the cathedral (Arkikatedra Bazilika) found its present form at the time of Grand Duke Vytautas in the 15th century. It was originally built in Gothic style and has been restored many times. The statues on the north side are of saints and apostles. The south wing houses the Chapel of St. Casimir (protector of the country), under which lie the remains of Lithuanian royalty and nobility. During the Soviet period, the cathedral became a painting gallery. Since independence, the large white building in the centre of the city has resumed its daily religious services. About 100 meters from the cathedral, in the long building of the former arsenal, is the National Museum. A little further on, in Arsenalo 3a, you can visit the Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts (Taikomosios dailės ir dizaino muziejus) - open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm, Sundays until 4pm (tapestries, jewellery and ceramics).

Separated from the cathedral, the bell tower recalls the line of the moat that surrounded the square until the 19th century and the destruction of the low castle by the Russians. It is 57 m high. In the 17th century, a clock was installed there (open from May to September from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm, from October to April until 6 pm). Today, behind the cathedral, the remains of the castle and the excavations can be visited.

Behind the Cathedral Square (after the statue of Gediminas), a paved path climbs up the park to Mount Gediminas(kalnas).

At the end of the Cathedral, at the end of the park, you can take the rue Pilies (Pilies gatvė). The old town with its narrow streets and internal courtyards dating back to the th century is going back to the shopping and pedestrian streets.

The city is proud of its churches; there were more than two hundred years ago, and now only are still there. On the Vokiečių Boulevard with wide perspectives, the evangelical Lutheran church is completely invisible from the street. Further afield, in the far west of the old town, the baroque churches of the Holy Spirit (Aušros Vartų 10) and Sainte-Catherine (Vilnius gatvė) are set up. Outside the old town, on Antakalnio at No. 1 (take the bus), the church Saints-Pierre-et-Paul, built in the th on the ancient pagan site of the goddess of Love, dominates the horizon. In Baroque style, with its countless sculptures, it deserves a visit. Other Places of Worship: in Basanavičiaus, the church of the Romanov built in 1913, Russian Orthodox Sanctuary; and, on Liubarto (north bank, near Vingis Park), the Kenessa, church of the Karaites people of Lithuania.

First mentioned in 1524, it is one of the symbols of Vilnius. In the ^17th century, a wooden chapel was built to house an image of the Virgin Mary, who, according to custom, was supposed to protect the city. After a fire, a stone chapel was built in its place. The miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary is one of the finest examples of Renaissance painting in Lithuania. It is venerated by Catholics, Orthodox and Uniates alike, with numerous ex-votos.

In the extension of Pilies street, Didžiooji Street opens on the square of the old town hall, the place Rotušòs (pronounced rtoutchesse), now invaded by foreign brands. Right of town hall has been built a centre of contemporary art. Near the square Rotusos, the oldest church in the city, the Baroque church Saint-Casimir, set up by the Jesuits at the beginning of the th century, was converted to the czars in the Orthodox Church and transformed by the Sociétiques into the Atheism Museum!

This alley connects Užupis Street with the Vilnius Academy of Arts - obviously for an artists' district! Surmounted by metal pillars at its start, the walls that delimit the alley are tagged by various artists before leading to staircases, a wasteland and the banks of the Vilnia river. Named after Jonas Mekas, the Lithuanian writer and filmmaker who emigrated to the United States and was a friend of Andy Warhol. Extend your walk to the Fluxus Bridge, a tribute to Jurgis George Mačiūnas, founder of this artistic movement.