Travel to Vilnius - Lithuania's capital! Sightseeing tips

     Yes, Lithuania! Although it is located in Eastern Europe on the shore of Baltic Sea, neighbouring Poland, Latvia, Belarus and Russia(Kaliningrad Oblast), there are many people who are not aware of this country. I think there are two main reasons for this: it is not big (65 300 km² and just over 3 millions people) and it has recovered it's independancy from Soviet Union in 1990. Nevertheless it is a country with it's own culture and spirit.

     Vilnius - Lithuania's capital. I've already wrote that in the hub name? Just checking if you are reading ;D It is located in the southeast of the country and is the largest city. It has around 550 thousand residents.
     The interesting thing is that 43.9% of Vilnius' territory are woods. Also, Vilnius' Old Town is one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, has an area of 3.59 square kilometres and it has been included into UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. In 2009 Vilnius was European Capital of Culture along with Linz (Austria).

Let me review the main sites you might want to visit whilst being in Vilnius.
Vilnius TV tower - it's construction was finished on 1980 and by this day it is the tallest structure in Lithuania with 326.5m height. The TV tower played a major role in the events of 13 January 1991, when 14 unarmed civilians lost their lives and 700 were injured opposing the Soviet military seizure of the tower. A museum dedicated to this event is on the ground floor and there's a cafe "Milky Way" in the observation deck. Bungee jumps are also available from the top of the observation deck for the daredevils.
You can find the TV tower in Vilnius Karoliniškės microdistrict.

     Gediminas' Tower. Unfortunately, that is the only remaining part of Upper Castle in Vilnius. There is nothing much to say if we don't mind that an absolutely marvellous view opens up from atop the tower. You can admire the panorama of Vilnius' Old Town, visit an exposition of archealogical findings. This tower is the hystoric symbol not only of Vilnius but Lithuania itself. Truly it is a must-visit.
     It's address is Arsenalo st. 5. By the way, as it is located on top of the hill, you can either walk or take a funicular.

     The Three Crosses. It is thought that on Three Crosses hill pagans once tortured seven Franciscans, nailed them to crosses and threw into a river... Now, there stands a monument, monument designed by Polish-Lithuanian architect and sculptor Antoni Wiwulski in 1916. In 1950 it has been destroyed by Soviet Union orders but in 1989 Henrikas Šilgalis designed a new monument.

     St. Anne's Church is a good example of Gothic style structures and is well-known all over the world. St. Anne's Church is part of an ensemble, comprising the much larger Gothic Church of St. Francis and Bernardine, as well as a monastery.
According to a well-known legend, Emperor Napoleon, after seeing the church during the Franco-Russian war in 1812, expressed a wish to carry the church home with him to Paris 'in the palm of his hand'.

     National Museum should not be forgotten. It is the oldest museum in Lithuania, roots dating back to 1855. Also, biggest national heritage is being kept there. The museum has five main departments: History and Latest History, Archaeology, Ethnography, Numismatics, and Iconography, containing a total of 800,000 items.

     Vilnius Cathedral is somewhat remarkable. It lies in the heart of Vilnius' Old Town and astonishes both tourists and local people. It is believed that Cathedral has been built on the place where pagans' god Perkūnas was worshiped. The Cathedral has been burnt, damaged and reconstructed several times. Originally it was built as King Mindaugas converted to Christianity.

     The Gate of Dawn is one of the most important historical, cultural and religious monuments in Vilnius. It was built between 1503 and 1522 as part of defensive fortifications. The Gate of Dawn is widely known because of the icon of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy, which is said to have miraculous powers.

     Of course not, there are a lot of other places of interest in Vilnius. Every day you can see something new. There are lots of sculptures, restaurants, pubs, hotels, hostels, parks to visit and you can go on and on :) A few examples are in the pictures nearby. And the best thing is.. You're always welcome here!