Location: Vilnius County Map
Vilnius, formerly Vilna, founded by Grand Duke
Gediminas, is the capital of Lithuania. With more than 500,000
inhabitants, it is the most populous city in the country. Vilnius
was, in 2009, one of the two European capitals of culture with Linz
(Austria).
From an architectural point of view, the historic center of Vilnius
was fortunate to be spared by two world wars, and it is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, including the embassy district with its typical
country façades. northern Europe, rather colorful and often
decorated with sculptures. The city is dominated by a beautiful
brick tower easily visible because located on a hill overlooking the
city. Near it is the Polish cemetery na Rossie, where is the heart
of Marshal Józef Piłsudski who ruled Poland between the wars (his
body is buried in Krakow).
Having experienced the state economy for half a century, Vilnius has
found since 1992 the market economy, hence the buildings of glass
and steel under construction whose modernity contrasts with the
ancient trolleybuses and with the Gray concrete housing bars from
the suburbs, which date back to the Soviet era and contrast with the
green landscape of the surrounding countryside. Nevertheless, there
are still traditional houses in these areas: they often keep their
original appearance, lacking the means of their owners to renovate
them.
In the center of Vilnius, on the very bank of the
Neris, there is Gediminas Hill with the ruins of a castle. From here,
Gediminas Avenue, the axis of the New Town, goes west. The old town
(Senamiestis) adjoins the same hill from the south and is built around
the pedestrian street Pilies gatve, which smoothly climbs the hill and
after two kilometers, having changed its name a couple of times, comes
out to the railway not far from the station.
The old town of
Vilnius is quite large. In the north it is bounded by the Neris River,
in the south by the railway, in the east by the small Vilna River, and
in the west by Pylimo gatve street. Unlike other Baltic capitals, the
border between the historical center and the rest of the city on the map
of Vilnius has been completely erased. Travelers will be interested not
only in the Old Town itself, but also in the adjacent areas, including
Užupis, located behind Vilna and known for its informal atmosphere, or
the quiet Žvėrynas, located behind Neris.
1 Vilnius Cathedral (Vilniaus arkikatedra
bazilika) and Cathedral Square (Katedros aikste)
2 Gediminas Tower (You can get there either by using the funicular or
walking up the paved path). It is worth paying attention to the sign
with the visiting time, since the gate through which you can get to the
mountain closes without warning and you can only get out by climbing
over the fence. Entrance fee is 5 litas for adults and 2 for children.
Located on the castle hill. The observation deck offers a panoramic view
of the old city. The tower houses a branch of the Lithuanian National
Museum.
Ensemble of Vilnius University. The ensemble is open for paid
visits in March - October from 9 am to 6 pm, in November - February from
10 am to 5 pm (entrance from the Library courtyard to the Sarbevia
courtyard). The ensemble consists of twelve interconnected buildings
with several buildings, the Church of St. John and the bell tower,
forming 13 courtyards of different sizes and layouts. Occupying almost
the entire quarter of the Old Town, outlined by the boundaries of
Universitet, Shvento Jono, Piles and Skapo streets.
Town Hall
building, Town Hall Square. An architectural monument, the building was
built in the style of classicism and without frills. Exhibitions are
currently taking place in the ground floor foyer. The main hall of the
second floor is used for various special events.
3 Church of St.
Anne. One of the churches in Vilnius, built in the Gothic style.
Although small, it is one of the most beautiful sacred buildings in the
city.
Presidency. Located in the Old Town, next to the Faculty of
Philology of Vilnius University in the building of the former bishop's
palace, later the governor-general's palace. It was rebuilt several
times. In 1824-1832, the palace was rebuilt according to the design of
the St. Petersburg architect V. P. Stasov (1769-1848) with the
introduction of Empire elements and acquired its current appearance.
Until the beginning of the 20th century it served as the residence of
the Vilna governor-general. In 1898, a monument to M. N. Muravyov was
erected in front of the palace; now in its place is an ordinary square.
Bastion of the defensive wall (Barbican).
Sharp gate (Aushros
vartai).
4 Monument to Prince Gediminas. A rather ambiguous monument located
on Cathedral Square. The choice of the monument was left to the
population. It can be described as a typical example of post-Soviet
sculpture in Lithuania.
5 Monument to Adam Mickiewicz.
Memorial
plaques.
Three crosses.
Memorial ensemble in memory of Soviet
soldiers of the Great Patriotic War on Antakalnis. edit
Angel statue.
A gilded statue of an angel blowing a horn mounted on a column. Located
in the Užupis region
6 Monument to Petras Tsvirka. Installed in
1959, sculptor J. Mikenas, architect V. Mikučianis.
7 Monument to
Salome Neris. Installed in 1974, sculptor V. Vildiūnas, architects G.
Baravikas, G. Ramunis.
The area is separated from the old town by the Vilnele River and can be reached through one of 5 bridges. Local newlyweds chose them to perpetuate their relationship, so the railings of the Užupio and Moluna bridges were “overgrown” with locks and padlocks. This quarter was once occupied by artisans and the poor; These days, Užupis is home to art galleries, cafes and shops. Until the mid-1990s, it was an abandoned slum area with a high crime rate. But with the entry into politics of A. Zuokas, who later became the mayor of Vilnius, a gradual revival of the area began. This area has always been very popular among artists, many of them lived in it. At the end of the 1990s, the comic “Independent Užupi Republic” (“Nepriklausoma Užupio Respublika”) was proclaimed by the people of creative professions who lived there. Independence Day of the Republic is celebrated on April 1. The republic has its own constitution, government, flag, anthem, money and other attributes of an independent state.
Church of the Mother of God.
Lazdinai
8 Sculpture
“Morning”, near the building on the street. Architektų, 152. Installed
in 1975, sculptor Gediminas Karalius, architect V. Cekanauskas, in the
1980s. was considered the emblem of the new Vilnius.
9 Weather vane.
The sculpture was installed in 1973. Height 11 meters. Sculptor T.K.
Valaitis.
New city center.
10 TV tower. 10:00-22:00. 21 litas for adults.
Built in 1980. It is the tallest building in the city. There is a cafe
“Paukščiu takas” (Milky Way) which makes one revolution in 45 minutes,
so you can see the entire city from a bird’s eye view. Take the risk of
ordering acorn coffee.
11 Sculpture “First Swallows”, near the
former Museum of the Revolution, current address Konstitucijos
prospektas, 22. Installed in 1987, sculptors J. Mikenas, K. Bogdanas,
architects G. Baravikas, A. Nasvytis.
Statues on the Green Bridge.
Vilnius Planetarium, Konstitucijos pr. 12A. Opened in 1962. There are
interesting lectures.
Botanical Garden of Vilnius University (you can
get there from the Antakalnis roundabout, highways 18, 38, 114 to the
Kairėnai stop). Founded in 1974. From May to October there is a fee to
visit.
Sereykiski.
Vingis. A large park, a place for active recreation
for citizens (running, cycling, skiing when there is snow). The main
attraction of the park is the Bandstand, built in 1965, where song
festivals and various concerts are held. There is also a branch of the
Vilnius University Botanical Garden.
Värkü.
Pavilnis.
National Museum of Lithuania, st. Arsenalo 1 and
Arsenalo 3. ✉ ☎ +370 5 262 9426. May - September Tue–Sat 10.00–17.00,
Sun 10.00–15.00, October - April Wed–Sun 10.00–17.00. adults - 5 Lt, all
others - 2 Lt. The museum is located in two buildings: the Old (Arsenalo
St. 1) and the New (Arsenalo St. 3) Arsenal. The history of Lithuania
and ethnocultural exposition are presented in the building of the old
arsenal. The new arsenal houses a prehistoric exhibition (archaeological
finds from the time the first people appeared on the territory of
Lithuania are exhibited).
Museum of Applied Arts, st. Arsenalo 3A. ✉
Tue–Sat 11.00–18.00, Sun 11.00–16.00. Adults - 6 Lt, others - 3 Lt, free
for preschool children and disabled people. The museum building was
built on the remains of the base of the protective wall of the lower
castle. In the basement you can see fragments of the cultural layers of
early Vilnius. The exhibition changes from time to time. Finds
discovered during excavations and reconstruction of the lower castle are
constantly on display.
House of Signatories, st. Pilies 26. ✉ ☎ +370
5 231 4442. May - September Tue–Sat 10.00–17.00, Sun 10.00–15.00,
October - April Tue–Sat 10.00–17.00. 2 Lt. The historical building in
which the act of restoring the independence of Lithuania was signed on
February 16, 1917. An entire room has been set up to mark this occasion.
Museum of Genocide Victims, st. Auku 2A. ✉ ☎ +370 5 249 6264. Wed–Sat
10.00–18.00, Sun 10.00–17.00. Adults - 6 Lt, children under 7 years old
and disabled people free, others 3 Lt. The museum is organized in the
KGB building.
State Jewish Museum of the Vilna Gaon.
Museums of
Vilnius University.
Railway Museum.
Museum of Church Heritage, st.
Swiss Mikolo 9. ✉ ☎ +370 269 7803, +370 5 269 7800. Tue–Sat 11.00-18.00.
Adults - 9 Lt, pupils, students and pensioners - 5 Lt. The last Friday
of the month admission is free. The exhibition consists of church books,
implements, as well as works of artisans that are not related to
worship.
Museum of Energy and Technology, st. Rinktines 2. ✉ ☎ +370 5
278 2085. Tue–Sat 10.00–17.00. Adults - 10 Lt, children and students - 5
Lt. The museum is located in the building of a former power plant. The
exhibition displays the mechanisms of the same power plant. The other
part of the exhibition is occupied by automobile equipment (Cadillac
1904, Horch 1937, etc.), as well as the history of the country’s
industrialization from the times of artisans to the collapse of the
USSR.
National Art Museum of Lithuania.
Center for
Contemporary Art, Vokiečių 2. ✉ ☎ +370 5 2121945.
Pulse.
Lithuanian Center for Children and Youth
(Lietuvos vaikų ir jaunimo centras), Konstitucijos prospektas, 25.
Sports complex for children (formerly the Palace of Pioneers and
Schoolchildren), but adults can also go at certain times. There is a
25-meter swimming pool.
Scalvia.
Cinema Forum.
Opera and Ballet Theatre.
I'm sorry.
Utenos
pramogu arena.
Palace of Congresses.
Lithuanian National Drama
Theatre, Gedimino pr. 4. Built in 1981, at the same time the sculptural
composition “Feast of the Muses” (sk. S. Kuzma, architects A. and V.
Nasvitis) was installed above the main entrance.
Vilnius University Library. First you need to register
at the entrance. The same ticket will also be valid in MKIC reading
rooms.
MKIC reading room of the Vilnius University library. New
building. Admission is free until 21:00, only registered users can stay
later. Registration is also required to use the computer. The reading
rooms have books in Russian, for example, from Lev Vladimirov’s home
library.
Lithuanian National Library named after Martynas Mažvydas.
Built in 1963. In Soviet times it was the State Republican Library of
the Lithuanian SSR. Restoration was completed in 2016. Admission is
free; registration is required to use the computers. Registration is
also required to order publications. Not all library books are available
through the electronic catalogue: to search for some books, especially
in Russian, you need to use the catalog of card images (Kortelių vaizdų
katalogas), available on the library’s official website, and fill out
the order form by hand.
Adam Mickiewicz Public Library. Founded in
1950. Registered users can borrow books at home for a month. There are
many books in Russian, Soviet.
By plane
Lithuania does not have its own
airline. Aeroflot and UTAir fly from Moscow to Vilnius (2-3 flights
per day), direct flights to St. Petersburg are not available every
day. The best connections are with Air Baltic (Riga), Lufthansa
(Frankfurt am Main), LOT (Warsaw) and Finnair (Helsinki) fly twice a
day. There are flights from SAS (Stockholm, Copenhagen), Austrian
Airlines (Vienna), Turkish Airlines (Istanbul), UIA (Kyiv) and even
Belavia (Minsk). Tallinn-Vilnius flights operated by Air Baltic
(usually twice a day) are designed for quick travel between the two
Baltic capitals and do not create cheap connections.
From
low-cost airlines, the ubiquitous RyanAir flies to Vilnius, although
it also operates in Kaunas. Unlike other Baltic capitals, Vilnius is
also a favorite of WizzAir with flights to all possible destinations
from London and Oslo to Kutaisi and Tel Aviv.
1 Airport (Oro
uostas, IATA:VNO). ☎ 273 9305 +370 5 273 9305. The airport is
located on the southern outskirts of Vilnius and consists of a
modern building attached to the old terminal. Check-in and departure
areas are located in the new building, and arrivals are in the old
one, where it is worth paying attention to the abundant stucco
molding and other attributes of Stalinism, which is rare in the
Baltics. There is also a Narvesen kiosk that sells magazines, coffee
and sundries (including SIM cards), a tourist information desk that
gives free maps, and two similar cafes with moderately expensive
baked goods (there is hot food during the day). In the check-in area
there is another Narvesen and a Pack&Fly baggage packing counter
that provides luggage storage services (€5 for every 5 hours; feel
free to bargain). The departure area is quite spacious, before
passport control there are a couple of counters with coffee and
sandwiches at prices that are slightly higher than in the Old Town,
but still inferior to Western European ones. On the second floor
there are two full-fledged cafes: a pizzeria restaurant and a bar.
Behind passport control there is only one counter where they make
coffee and sell sandwiches; there is nowhere to eat. There is free
Wi-Fi throughout the building.
How to get there:
The train
to the airport runs from the railway station, travel time is 7
minutes, ticket €0.70 (from the conductor). The movement interval is
at least an hour. At the airport, the station is located 100 m from
the terminal (there are signs). Its unintuitive official name
appears in the schedules - Oro uostas, i.e. Airport.
The 3G
express bus, contrary to expectations, does not have Internet
access, but runs every 10-15 minutes, passing along Švitrigailos g.
at some distance from the Old Town and the center
It is more
convenient to take buses No. 1 and 2 to the railway station (the
stop is on the side of the bus station) or No. 88, which makes a
wide loop around the Old Town. True, each of these buses runs only
1-2 times per hour.
The Airport Express minibus runs between the
airport and the bus station at intervals of 20-40 minutes, the
journey takes 10 minutes, ticket: €1 (from the driver).
All
buses stop right in front of the terminal. Regular city tickets and
smart cards are valid on buses (see Transport). You can buy a ticket
from the driver for €1.
A taxi should be taken at the
official parking lot at the exit from the arrival hall: the most
expensive cars in the city are parked there, but at least they are
official. A trip to the city center will cost about €10. Sometimes
there are private traders with whom you need to bargain. The
cheapest way is to order a car from the city.
By train
Trains from Vilnius go to Kaunas, Siauliai, Klaipeda and other
Lithuanian cities. There is also a daily train to Riga (4 hours 20
minutes). Trains to Poland are irregular and, in any case, depart
from Kaunas, not Vilnius.
Railway communications with Russia
and Belarus have been officially terminated. However, all
Kaliningrad trains still make a technical stop in Vilnius without
boarding or disembarking passengers, and the border crossing at the
station is closed. If you are coming from Russia or Belarus, you can
get off the train (if you have documents allowing entry into
Lithuania) at the Kyana border station, from where you can get to
Vilnius by train or taxi.
2 Railway station (Gelezinkelio
stotis), Geležinkelio g. 16. The station is located south of the Old
Town, 2 km from the cathedral, Gediminas’ Tower and other central
objects. In front of the station there is a large square with bus
and trolleybus stops, which you can use to go to residential areas
or travel around the Old Town to the river. The station building was
built after the war and looks quite deserted. There is no waiting
room; you can use any available benches, as well as the Gusto
Blyninė cafe (7:00–20:00), where they serve inexpensive pancakes and
traditional Lithuanian food. Wi-Fi works in the cafe, but it doesn’t
work at the station itself. A traveler will also benefit from a tiny
Maxima supermarket (Mon–Fri 6:00–22:00, Sat–Sun 7:00–21:00) in the
basement and automatic lockers nearby (about €1 for the first 12
hours and then about the same same for every day). Those who want to
while away the time can visit the Lithuanian Railways Museum
(Tue–Fri 9:00–17:00, Sat 9:00–16:00) or look at the models installed
at the station.
By bus
The vast majority of buses
connecting the Baltics with the rest of Europe pass through Vilnius.
The most active destination is Riga, where buses depart every 2
hours (the journey takes 4-4.5 hours). You can travel to the east of
Latvia by daily Moscow bus, passing through Rezekne and Daugavpils.
The journey to Warsaw is 7-9 hours, there are several buses, but
they are mostly passing and go almost one after another. If you need
to go to northern Polish cities like Suwalki and Bialystok, it is
better to go through Kaunas, which is on the direct road to Poland.
It is more convenient to travel in the direction of Minsk by
train. Direct buses run 1-2 times a day to Lida, Baranovichi, Grodno
and other cities of Belarus.
There are few buses to
Kaliningrad (2-3 per day), and they travel even longer than trains
(7 hours).
3 Bus station (Autobusų stotis) , Sodu g. 22. The
bus station is located next to the railway station and looks much
less modern. Most of the building is given over to trade. To the
right of the entrance there is a cash register hall, where there is
also, for example, a kiosk selling gold, and on the second floor
above them there is an unnamed cafe-bar (6:00–19:00), which is in
perfect harmony with all this. To the left of the entrance, at the
end of the corridor, there is a buffet-dining room (7:30–21:00) with
wooden furniture and very reasonable prices. On the second floor
there is an Iki supermarket (7:00–22:00), slightly larger than the
Maxima station. Luggage storage is located in the luggage
compartment, represented by a small pavilion at the far end of the
platforms (Mon 7:00–20:45, Tue–Fri 5:25–20:45, Sat 5:25–21:00, Sun
7:00–21 :00).
By car
Vilnius stands at the intersection of
several main roads. The most convenient way to travel from Moscow is
through Minsk (180 km). The same road, and in the status of an
autobahn, goes further to Klaipeda (300 km). In the direction of
Riga, the highway goes to Panevezys (130 km), then a regular road -
a total distance of about 300 km. It is 400 km to Kaliningrad, and
the best way is along the same Klaipeda highway and further through
Sovetsk. Finally, the road to Warsaw is narrow and two-lane
everywhere, the distance is 450 km.
Ground transportation
There are no trams in
Vilnius and never have been. Ground transport is represented by 19
trolleybus and approximately 60 bus routes, operated by the
municipal operator Vilniaus viešasis transportas. Although the fleet
is gradually being updated, old Czechoslovakian Škoda trolleybuses
can still be seen on the city streets, but the once numerous
Hungarian Ikarus buses seem to have completely disappeared.
The route planner is available on a separate website. Some stops
have electronic signs. There is a constantly updated public
transport map available in several languages, which can be obtained
free of charge from tourist information offices.
Tickets:
Drivers sell paper tickets for €1, but this ticket does not allow
transfers. It is not enough to buy such a ticket; you need to punch
it with a mechanical puncher or mark it with a machine (depending on
which one is installed in the vehicle). If you come to the city for
more than a day, it makes sense to buy a smart card (Vilniečio
kortelė) for €1.5, which works as an electronic wallet with two
types of tickets: for 30 minutes (€0.65) and 60 minutes (€0.90) -
you need to choose between them the moment you touch the card to the
machine on a bus or trolleybus. You can charge the same card with
tickets for several days, valid from 24 hours (€5) to 240 hours
(€15). For long stays and frequent trips, you can charge the card
with a monthly travel card for €29. After charging the travel card,
you need to activate it by placing it on the machine in the vehicle
(a signal should sound), the validity period of the travel card is
counted from the moment of activation. Smart cards are sold and
charged at tourist information offices or at Lietuvos spauda kiosks
found throughout the city.
Some buses have a "G" ending,
indicating a high-speed route, i.e. route with fewer stops. Regular
tickets are valid for these buses.
Opening hours: 5:30–23:00,
you can still leave after 11 pm, but not everywhere. At night on
weekends there are several special routes with three-digit numbers
ending in N.
The Vilnius funicular lifts lazy or simply tired
passengers to Gediminas Hill in the city center. Opening hours:
10:00–18:00, from April to September until 21:00. Ticket: €1 one way
(2016).
Taxi
Taxi prices vary widely: from €0.50 to €1.10
per km. The easiest way to order a taxi is through the Bolt, Uber or
Yandex Go app.
You can also order a taxi by phone (all
operators speak Russian quite fluently).
Ekipažas - 1446
(short number in Omnitel, Bite, Tele2 networks)
Martono taksi -
240 00 04 or short 1422
information - call 1588
Shopping centers
PC Panorama, Saltoniškių g. 9. ✉ ☎ +370 (686)
39060. 8:00-23:00.
VCUP, Konstitucijos pr.16. ✉ ☎ +370 650 38 853.
10:00-22:00. The abbreviation stands for Vilniaus centrinė universalinė
parduotuvė (Vilnius Central Department Store), built in 1973,
reconstructed in 2003.
PC Akropolis, Ozo g. 25. ✉ ☎ 1588, +370 659 53
824, fax: +370 5 249 2771. 8:00-23:00.
PC Ozas, Ozo g. 18. ✉ ☎ +370 5
210 0150, fax: +370 5 210 0151. 8:00-23:00.
Markets
Gariūnai -
st. Gariūnų g, 71
Kalvarijų turgūs market - st. Kalvariju 61
(Kalvarijų g. 61)
Timo market (Tymo turgūs)
Street trading
Quite a lot of works by local craftsmen are sold on the street. Pilies
g. in the heart of the old town.
There is a lot of traditional Lithuanian food in Vilnius; you can try
it in almost every cafe. More often than others you will come across
šaltibarščiai (cold beetroot soup with kefir, served with hot potatoes -
sometimes translated into Russian as borscht, although it has nothing in
common with borscht), cepelinai (zeppelins - large dumplings made from
boiled and mashed potatoes, usually with filling ), balandėliai (stuffed
cabbage rolls) and koldūnai (dumplings - can be boiled or fried). The
traditions of meat dishes are approximately the same as in neighboring
countries, including Russia. Typical local ingredients are wild
mushrooms, berries, cottage cheese and, of course, potatoes, the
quantity of which Lithuania is in no way inferior to Belarus.
Traditional street food is Karaite pies kibinai, made from unleavened
shortcrust pastry with a variety of (usually salty) fillings.
It
is customary to wash down food with beer (alus), the market of which in
Vilnius (and throughout Lithuania) is dominated by local Švyturys and
Belgian Grimbergen brewed under license. There are many good juices
produced locally, kvass (gira) is no less popular than in Russia. Coffee
is brewed everywhere, usually of medium strength (juoda kava - black
coffee), and in more advanced places there are espresso, cappuccino, and
other, more original options. Tea is also very common in Lithuania.
Vilnius catering establishments are somewhat more expensive than in
the Lithuanian province, and in the city center prices, of course,
become even higher, in some places approaching Western European ones.
With the exception of canteens (which are few), expect to pay €3-4 for a
simple hot dish (dumplings, zeppelins), €5-6 for something large and
meaty, €2 for a glass of beer and €1.20-1.50 for a cup of coffee. It
will be more expensive in the center, although for €10-12 it is quite
possible to have dinner there. Reasonably priced cafes can be found
along Pylimo gatve street and in the blocks to the west. During the day
on weekdays, many establishments offer inexpensive business lunches.
Cheap
1 Gero alaus kampelis , Raugyklos g. 5 (next to the
synagogue). Mon–Fri 11:00–23:00, Sat 13:00–23:00, Sun 13:00–22:00. A
small cafe, which in its decor and its peculiar comfort is reminiscent
of wine glasses, khinkali, shawarma shops and other eateries in the
center of St. Petersburg. Good Lithuanian food and several types of
draft beer.
2 Gusto blyninė, Aušros vartų g. 6 (pedestrian street on
the road from the station). 9:00–22:00. A cafe-pancake shop with an
incredible variety of not only fillings, but also the pancakes
themselves: regular, buckwheat, potato, spinach and even chocolate. The
menu amazes with the abundance of prices in the range of €1-2, although
a full portion will cost a little more: both the pancake itself and the
sauce ordered for it have their own price. In addition to pancakes, you
can snack on soups and hot dishes at canteen prices. Another
establishment of the same chain is located at the railway station.
Wi-Fi.
Average cost
3 Belmontas, Belmontas g. 17.
12:00–23:00. A restaurant and entertainment park housed in a converted
old mill in the hills east of the city. The place is interesting in
itself, but visitors don’t recommend it from a culinary standpoint.
4 Forto Dvaras, Pilies g. 16 (on a pedestrian street one block from
Gediminas Hill). 11:00–24:00. Hot: €5-8. A chain restaurant of
Lithuanian cuisine, which has become its standard for most tourists.
Considering the central location, the prices are surprisingly
reasonable, the portions are large, and the dishes themselves are
delicious, but there may not be any free tables at peak times.
5 Leleko , Gedimino pr. 49. Mon–Fri 11:00–23:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–22:00.
Pleasant restaurant serving Ukrainian cuisine. Visitors especially
recommend the borscht, chicken Kiev, and the appetizer of black bread
and lard, which will be served for free if you order the right
combination of alcohol.
Expensive
6 Tbilisi , Naugarduko g.
12. 11:30–22:00, Fri and Sat: until 23:00. Khinkali: €6.50-8, hot: about
€15. A cozy restaurant serving Georgian cuisine, according to some
visitors, the best in Lithuania.
Confectionery
7 Ponių laimė,
Stikliu g. 14. Mon–Fri 9:00–20:00, Sat 10:00–20:00, Sun 11:00–19:00. The
old confectionery shop, which has existed almost since Soviet times, is
noticeable from afar due to its painted shutters. There are many
wonderful sweets here, for a more serious snack there are salads, and
during the day there is also hot food. Prices are moderate by the
standards of the Old Town.
Smoking
Smoking in public places is prohibited. You can smoke on
the street at the entrance to the establishment or in specially equipped
rooms, you can also smoke in street and summer cafes.
Tamsta
Club, Subačiaus g. 11A. III - IV 19:00–02.00 V - VI 19:00–04.00.
Pogo
Baras, Vilniaus g. 12.
The city has a free WiFi network on Cathedral Square, st. Pilies and Vokeciu, Gedeminas Ave., as well as at Lukoil gas stations and in many cafes. In addition, you can connect for free in almost all hotels.
The Old Town is a fairly safe place at any time of the day, which cannot be said about other areas of the city. You should not appear in Šnipiškės, Naujamiestis, Naujaninkai and residential areas of the city at night.
Vilnius is a water-based place name - it is named after the Vilnius river, which flows through the city. The nickname Vilnia is related to the general word Vilnia (the variant Vilnis has taken hold in the common language). The old form of the name Vilnius Vilnia is known in the dialects of eastern Lithuania. Around the 15th century the form of the name Vilnius came into force, which was made according to the same model as Alyta (the name of the river) and Alytus (the name of the city). The transition from feminine to masculine could also be caused by the Polish ending -o (from Wilno), which is usually translated as masculine rather than feminine. It is also possible that the word city itself, being masculine, seems to dictate the need to call it masculine, so that there are no misunderstandings when calling both the river and the city the same. The masculine form of the name Vilnius is already mentioned by M. Daukša in 1595. published catechism. In the Latin language, the old form of the name of Vilnius, Vilna, has survived.
The name comes from the Vilnius river that flows through the city.
The nickname Vilnia is related to the common Lithuanian word vilnia (the
variant vilnis has prevailed in the common language). The old form of
the name Vilnius Vilnia is known in the dialects of eastern Lithuania.
Around the 15th century the form of the name Vilnius came into force,
which was made according to the same model as Alyta (the name of the
river) and Alytus (the name of the city). Forms of the name Vilnius are
recorded in Lithuanian writings of the 16th century. In the Latin
language, the old form of the name of Vilnius, Vilna, has survived.
It is not clear when the Vilnius settlement was founded. The legend
of the Iron Wolf was created about the founding of the city. In the Late
Bronze Age (13th century BC), the Early Iron Age, and at the beginning
of the Roman period (3rd century), as throughout Lithuania east of the
Holy River and in western Belarus, the archeological culture of dashed
pottery prevailed. Her descendants, a tribe of white tribes - the
Highlanders. Vilnius itself was first mentioned in written sources by
the Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania in 1323. in a letter to German
cities. in 1387 March 22 The King of Poland and the Grand Duke of
Lithuania Jogaila Merkinė granted Vilnius the rights of Magdeburg, which
later became an example for many other cities of the Grand Duchy of
Lithuania. 1579 Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Steponas
Batory founded a university in the city. The university quickly became
the most important scientific and cultural center of the region. Vilnius
also became the center of Jewish culture in Northern Europe. 1610
Vilnius was ravaged by fire, Vilnius University, Vilnius University
library and archive were badly damaged.
During the "Flood" in
1655 the Russian tsar entered Vilnius and the city was occupied and
ruled by the Russian army for the first time. The city was looted and
burned for several days, and a large part of the population was killed.
Although the Russians left the city after 13 years, the growth of
Vilnius was stopped for a long time. During the Northern War (1702 and
1707) Vilnius was occupied by the Swedish army. 18th century the growth
of the city was stopped by big fires in 1737, 1748, 1749.
Since
1795 until the First World War, like the whole of Lithuania, Vilnius was
part of the Russian Empire and was the center of the governorate. After
1831 After the uprising, the Russian government closed Vilnius
University as a center of nationalist forces. Vilnius developed as the
capital of a Russian governorate, but it also had regional significance.
Carmečius Vilnius was the capital of the general governorate, the center
of the North-West region.
1915-1918 Vilnius was occupied by the
Germans. 1920 the city was occupied and soon annexed by Poland, the
capital of Lithuania was moved to Kaunas. 1919-1939 The Polish Stephen
Bator University operated in Vilnius. in 1931 the city was hit by a huge
spring flood - the Neris rose 825 cm above the zero mark, even the
basements of the Vilnius Archcathedral were flooded.
in 1939 at
the beginning of the Second World War, the Red Army occupied Vilnius. in
1939 Vilnius was handed over to the Republic of Lithuania. in 1940 In
the summer, together with all of Lithuania, Vilnius was occupied and
annexed by the Soviet Union. in 1941 after the German army occupied
Lithuania in the summer, the vast majority of the Jewish population
became victims of the policy of extermination of Jews carried out by the
National Socialists. Many of them were driven to the ghetto in the old
town of Vilnius, taken to concentration camps and killed there. About
40% of the houses were destroyed during the war.
in 1944 Vilnius
was occupied by the Soviets, it became the capital of the Lithuanian
SSR, rebuilt after the ravages of the war. The construction of apartment
buildings and new districts of Vilnius has begun. When Lithuanian
workers were transferred to the factories being built in Vilnius, a
division of the Soviet Army was stationed in the Northern town of
Vilnius. Since 1963 regional railways became subordinate to the Vilnius
district of the Riga Board of the Baltic Railway.
After the war,
Vilnius economy developed rapidly: machine industry, metal processing,
construction, wood, light, food, chemical industry. Large machine tool
factories ("Komunaras", "Žalgiris"), electrical engineering factory
"Elfa", furniture factories, confectionery factory "Pergalė", sewing
factory "Lelija", plastic, calculating machine factories, machinery
factory were established. The Vilnius thermal power plant was built.
1987-1991 Mass rallies against the Soviet regime took place in
Vilnius. in 1990 March 11 Lithuania declared independence from the
Soviet Union. in 1991 January 9 the Soviets sent soldiers to Vilnius,
who captured the Television Tower on January 13 and killed 14 people.
in 1994 The Old Town of Vilnius is included in the UNESCO World
Cultural Heritage List. in 2009 Vilnius became the cultural capital of
Europe.
It is located in southeastern Lithuania, at the confluence of Vilnius
and Neris, ~20 km south of the geographical center of Europe, 312 km
from the Baltic Sea.
Buildings make up 20.2% of the city's
territory. Forests make up 43.9% of the city, waters 2.1%.
Located in the hilly belt of the Baltic highlands, deeply carved by
the winding Neris valley. In the southeast, the surface rises to the
hilly and valley-like Medininkai upland, in the north - to the lake-like
Aukštaičiai square, the southern edge of which - Riešės upland - rises
at the northwestern edges of the city (starting with Šeškin,
Viršuliškės, Baltupiai, Santariškės). The northeastern part of the city
lies in the Neries-Žeimena lowland. The central part of the city is
located in the wide (~5 km) Neris valley, which descends towards the
river in 8 terraces. The Gilas valley also includes the Vilnia, a
tributary of the Neris. The highlands go down to the mountain range
mainly on steep, horn-carved, spring-fed slopes. In some places, the
highlands come close to the rivers and thus the cliffs open due to
erosion (e.g. Pūčkiori outcrop, Plikakalnis outcrop, Naujaneriu
outcrop).
The lowest point of the city (97 m) is on the banks of
the Neris River, and the highest surface rises (234 m) in Pavilny
(Rokantiškiu hill).
In Šeškinė there is a relic of the Ice Age
accumulation relief, Šeškinė oasis. Other more expressive glacial
landscapes are the Paneriu calvinas, the Gariūnai suphosic cirque, the
Rasų-Ribiškii calvinas.
The city falls into the Neris basin. The river crosses the city.
Vilnia with several short tributaries (Kaukysa, Murle) flows very
meandering from the east to Neris, while the southern edge of the city
is surrounded by another tributary of Neris - Vokė. The Rieše tributary
of the Neris flows along the northern edges, in addition, several other
small streams flow into the Neris in the city territory - Antavilis,
Veržuva, Upelė (with Dvarčione), Verkė, Turniškė, Cedronas, Sudervėlė).
In Neri, there are nameless river islands formed near Gariūnai,
Vingios park, Turniškės, but only one near Žvēryn is officially called
Bebrų island.
There are several lakes: the most lake-like is the
northeastern part, where the Balzis, Antavilis, Juodis, Tapelaii,
Skarbelis lakes are located in the forests of Antaviliai, and in the
north, near Verkių Riešės, there is the Green Lakes (Balsys, Gulbinas,
Mažasis Gulbinai lake, Raistelis, etc.). On the western edge, near
Pilaitė, lakes Gelužė, Salote, Baltieša gather. Several smaller lakes
(Kairėnai Lake, Naujųi Verkių Lake) and ponds (Cedron Pond, Jeruzalė
Pond, Rokantiškių Pond) are located elsewhere in the city.
The
Šeškučiai swamp is located on the northeastern outskirts of Vilnius.
The main massif of greenery in Vilnius is the outskirts of
Lavoriškių-Nemenčinė forests (Antavilių, Valakampių, etc. forests),
where heather prevails. In the north, around the Green Lakes, the forest
of Weeping grows, while in the east-southeast there are forests covering
the tops of morainic quarries (Antakalni, Belmont, Pavilnii, Liepkalni),
where mostly pine and spruce trees prevail. The Paneriai forest
stretches across the southern side of Vilnius, where some of the tallest
fir trees in Lithuania grow, and the Girulii forest begins beyond
Pilaitė and Lazdynai. In the central part of the city, there are smaller
forests and parks: Vingios Park, Kalvarii Park, Bernardin Garden, Kalnai
Park, Missionary Gardens, Sapiegii Palace Park, etc.
There are
old, protected trees (linden tree in Sapiegiu Park, Žvėryna Linden Tree,
linden alley in Vingis Park, Chestnut Circle in Castle Park, Eight Maple
Circle in Vileišiai Homestead, etc.) Many nature reserves have been
established in Verkii regional parks.
The climate is transitional, with warm summers and cold winters. The
average annual temperature is +6.6 °C. It is coldest in January (average
temperature −4 °C), and warmest in July (average temperature 17 °C). The
average amount of precipitation is 688 mm.
Warm summers (>30 °C)
occur. Droughts lasting weeks are possible.
There are cold
winters (-30 °C at night), rivers freeze.
The snow cover in
Vilnius, as in the whole of Eastern Lithuania, is thicker than in other
parts of Lithuania.
Air temperature has been measured since 1770.
(data preserved since 1777), precipitation since 1887.
The city municipality belongs to the Vilnius county. The only city
municipality in Lithuania, which includes not one city (like the
municipalities of other cities), but two cities (Vilnius and Grigiškie)
and three villages (in Grigiškii ward). There are 18 lakes in the
territory of the municipality.
The representative authority of
the municipality is the Vilnius City Municipal Council, the executive
authority is the Vilnius Municipality Administration.
The financial center of the Baltic States. There are many large
Lithuanian companies and all Lithuanian banks in the city. It has the
fastest growth rates, the highest GDP per capita. This is due to the
status of the capital, the location of the authorities, foreign
investments.
in 2020 at the beginning, ~37 thousand were
operating in the city. companies that employed ~358 thousand people.
in 2019 The budget of the Vilnius municipality amounted to ~660
million. euros.
in 2019 4792 residential houses were built in the
city. Of these, 1,998 are residential houses with 1-2 apartments and
2,794 are residential houses with three or more apartments. Completed
construction works, valued at the prices of that time, 915 million. EUR.
in 2018 The GDP per inhabitant in Vilnius County was EUR 23,400.
This was more than twice the indicators of Alytus, Marijampole, Tauragė,
Telšiai and Utena counties. Compared to 2017, the share of created GDP
increased by 1.1%.
18.9 billion was created in the capital
region. euros (41.8%) of Lithuania's GDP. GDP per capita exceeded the
level of the Central and Western Lithuania region by 1.8 times.
in 2018 per capita foreign direct investment at the end of the period
was EUR 20,586 and totaled EUR 11.4 billion. EUR.
16% of
Lithuanian products are produced. 2 thermal power plants and other
important facilities are in operation.
The Vilnius tourism sector
is growing rapidly and significantly supplements the city's budget.
Old town
in 1994 an urbanistic monument included in the UNESCO
World Heritage List. It is sometimes called the largest old town in
Europe. Remaining authentic 14th-19th century buildings. The city is one
of the stops on the European Brick Gothic Road.
Religion
There
are 23 monasteries (most in Lithuania).
Catholics
There are
~40 Catholic churches of various styles (see more about them here,
chapels here):
Divine Providence, St. Parish Church of the Heart
of Jesus;
All Saints Church;
St. Church of the Apostles Philip and
James;
St. Teresa's Church;
St. Archangel Rapolo Church;
Church
of the Holy Spirit
St. Church of Apostles Peter and Paul;
St.
Nicholas Church
St. Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary;
St. Anna's Church
St. John the Baptist and St. John the
Apostle and Evangelist Church;
Vilnius Archcathedral Basilica
Dawn
Gate St. Chapel of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy.
Old people
1825~1830 the ancients settled. One of the largest communities of old
people in the Baltic States. They belong to 1904-1905. built in Vilnius
St. The old church of the Intercessor of the Mother of God, from the
19th century. the beginning of the functioning cemetery.
Other
religions
There is Vilnius Assumption Cathedral, Vilnius St.
Cathedral of the Spirit Monastery with a monastery and other Orthodox
churches (see more of them here), Vilnius Evangelical Lutheran Church,
Vilnius Evangelical Reformed Church, two Jewish religious communities, a
Jewish synagogue built in Morse style, a Sunni Muslim community, etc.
There are Žalgiris Stadium, LFF Stadium, Vingis Park Stadium, Kalnai
Park Stadium, Avia Solutions Group Arena (Siemens Arena until November
2020), Pramogų Arena, Sportima Arena. The largest swimming pool is the
sports, 50-meter Lazdynai pool.
in 2011 September 7-12 The second
round of the XXXVII European Men's Basketball Championship took place at
Siemens Arena.
The city is represented by the Ryto, Sakalų and
Perlo basketball clubs, as well as the Žalgiris football club.