Lithuania – Vilnius

My trip to Vilnius, Lithuania was part of my 10 day trip to visit the three capitals of the Baltic States.

I flew into Tallinn, Estonia, for a 3 day stay in the capital of Estonia. Click here for my post on Tallinn.

From here I then took the Lux bus to Riga, Latvia, Click here for my post on my Tallinn to Riga LuxExpress bus experience

Riga, the capital of Latvia was another marvellous stay of three days. Click here for my post on Riga.

From Riga I then travelled onwards, again by Lux bus, to Vilnius in Lithuania. Click here for the Lux Express Riga to Vilnius post.

I stayed in Vilnius, the small but enchanting capital of Lithuania for 3 memorable days. Read, in this post, about my stay in this small but beautiful city.

At the end of this wonderful ten day trip I flew from Vilnius back to the UK.

The unknown charm of Vilnius

Vilnius was to be my last city to explore on my 9-day trip around the three Baltic States.

It was by far, the capital, of the three, that I knew the least about. I knew something about Tallinn – the encompassing city walls and that it was a major port. I knew that Riga had a famous House of the Blackheads building and impressive Old Town. However, to my shame I knew nothing about Vilnius.

I researched the city and saw pics of wonderful medieval and 17th Century buildings, street upon street of churches, an old castle, a ducal Palace, a magnificent Cathedral and remnants of bastions in the ancient city walls. I read reports that the city was relatively undiscovered by the masses, even tourist free in some areas … is that even possible?!

I was looking forward to this city the most, of the three on my trip, purely because I would be walking into the unknown (to me). The thought of personal discovery was exciting.

A few facts on Vilnius and Lithuania

So, as always with my posts, let’s delve a little into the founding and growth of this city over the centuries to give us a bit of perspective on its present form.

Today the city is the largest in Lithuania and, by the latest surveys I have seen, is the largest of the Baltic capitals. Interestingly, of the three Baltic States, Lithuania is also geographically the biggest country, with the highest population (some place it second however). It also has the  highest GDP, biggest military, and has the highest population density. Just to top it all it also has the tallest building of the three countries.

WOW, quite some figures for a country that until recently for me was not quite on my radar when I knew far more about the other two Baltic States.

These figures astounded me when I read them later. The city is a hub of beautiful, atmospheric low rise buildings, often only one or two stories high even in the midst of the city. It has history aplenty but modernisation of the environment has been kept well away from the ancient centre of the city.

A little history on Vilnius

So where did it all start and how.

The name of the city reputedly comes from the River Vilnia, which flows through the city before it joins the bigger Neris River in the north of the capital. Vilnia means “ripple” or “surge”.

It was established by the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Gediminas, (read more on him here), around 1323 and the reason it was built here is an interesting one.

Gediminas decided to camp here, near the confluence of the Neris and Vilnia river, after a hunting trip. That night he had a dream of an Iron wolf howling from a high hill. The dream was interpreted by the local priest as meaning that Gediminas will establish a castle and capital city (the iron wolf) here on this spot.

He duly did exactly this and the castle and city remain here on that spot to this day …. interesting story eh?

Gediminas is seen today as a hero of Lithuanian history and culture – his dynasty went on to rule much of Poland and Hungary. His dukedom included what is now Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania and bordering parts of Russia – quite a chunk of land!

A huge statue of him stands in Cathedral Square

So, Vilnius was established and steadily grew, but in 1390 it was laid to siege by their rivals the Teutonic Knights and, of all people, the future Henry IV of England. That surprised me!. An English noble, well away from his homeland being involved in battles in Lithuania. The siege however was unsuccessful – he even tried a second time 2 years later and was similarly repelled.

The remnants of the castle on the high hill, (still here today), surrounded by the city walls survived

Gediminas (the name is still a popular boy’s name in Lithuania), grew the city by marriages and alliances but it was burnt down in a civil war between his grandsons. It regrew and by 1533 the city had built massive fortifications with nine entry gates and three towers.

The Polish king (now also the Grand Duke of Lithuania) moved his Court to Vilnius in 1544 and an important University was founded in 1579. It was now an important city of trade and royalty. It became a multi-cultured and ethnically diverse city with a mixture of many European and Arabic languages spoken and centres of several religious orders. In fact it became the largest centre of Jewish population, in Eastern Europe, for centuries.

Destruction and rebuilding 

How the city survived for the next 200 years is amazing. It was burnt down 5 times alone between 1715-49. It was looted and the population massacred twice, once by invading forces in 1654 and then by Russians in 1720. It was even decimated by plague in 1710. Clearly the population and the fame of the city declined during these tumultuous times.

Russians, Prussians and Austrians continued to fight over the city, demolishing and retreating from it. It’s amazing anyone stayed around here all this time.

Napoleon captured it in 1815, and lost it back to the Russians who repressed the city in 1863, closed the University, banned all languages except Russian, banned civil rights etc and it went into decline again. I’m beginning to understand why no tall buildings i.e. taller than around 3-4  storeys survive today – the city just kept getting demolished!

The first Russian revolution of 1905 gave Lithuanians the first chance to declare independence, it was conceded by the Russians more as autonomy. They got their language, alphabet and culture back but not outright independence. They actually set their first “Parliament” in the Lithuanian National Philharmonic building, which still survives today.

We all know what happened next. WW1 and German invasion in 1915. It stifled Lithuania’s independence. Lithuania’s fate (upon German invasion), was the same as the other two Baltic States on my trip.

The Germans lost the war and in 1918 Lithuania gained its independence. The next period is a tumultuous period of freedom, rule by Poland, takeover by Russia, a coup etc etc. Lithuania, as we know it today, was not yet formed and the capital was actually moved to Kaunas for 19 years. Effectively the country was played as a ping-pong ball between rival factions.

It didn’t help that the Russians reinvaded in 1940 and instigated brutal repression, The Germans took it in WW2 in 1941, Remember that I said that Vilnius was one of the biggest centres of Jewish population in Europe? Well about 95% of the 265,000-strong Jewish population of Lithuania was murdered by the Germans and Lithuanian Nazi collaborators.

After the collapse of Germany at the end of WW2, the Russians retook it in 1945 and they stayed till 1988, enforcing yet again a brutal repression. However, massive industrial plants and Sovietisation happened in Vilnius and it grew. Huge housing estates were built  and the city expanded.

Finally a new Independence came in 1990 with a breakaway by the Lithuanians, despite attacks from the Russians they finally gained it in 1991.

It is now a rapidly expanding European city within the EU, NATO and UN. A new modern business and commercial centre is in the north of the city away from the historic centre. No, I didn’t go there unfortunately, but saw it from the castle ramparts.

Where to stay in Vilnius

Vilnius is small enough that unless you are wanting to stay in some wilderness Spa style hotel in a forest on the outskirts of the city, you will find plenty of hotels in the city centre.

Basically there are three zones that I would consider.

• A. The Old Town centre has many hotels and by far the biggest concentration of them. This is the opposite to my findings in Riga, Latvia where I was  the day before. They tend to be in old classical palaces or grand buildings and thus many are non regimented rooms that have adapted to the buildings. They tend to exude a little more charm and cuteness than a modern built hotel but are surprisingly affordable. Unless you are going for the five star ones here, they will be at a decent price (as are most things in Lithuania). You will be within a short or 10 mins walk at most from most of the central places to visit and also have the benefit of being near the bars/restaurants/entertainment places. A lot of the town centre is pedestrianised so walking will also be the best form of transport.

• B. North of the Neris River is the new modern business district of Vilnius and many of the hotels here will be global brands, big and modern, Marriott, Best Western, Ibis etc. They tend to cater to the business traveller so on-site restaurants/bars/conference rooms are big here. Less “Olde Worlde” charm (in fact none), but bigger, brighter, spanking new rooms and  buildings if that is what you want. There are less street restaurants etc and you may want to catch a taxi to the centre as you are further out.

• C. To the west of the centre is another more modern but maybe 70’s look area. Bigger, modern hotels are here also and the walk into the centre is nearer along long, straight Avenues where there may be more bus lines or a taxi if you need one. Few restaurant etc around here though, as it is also residential but you will see supermarkets and local bars if you need to get out of the hotel.

I would advise staying in the city centre, It is quiet at night (so far, as mass tourism hasn’t hit yet) and you can walk and save on taxi fares. 3-4 star hotels here  are not that much more than ones further out. There are some classic Grand Dame hotels here (they are quite a bit more price-wise however).

Where I stayed

On this trip I wanted to avoid a hotel room. Somehow after months of travel I had become bored with the four walls syndrome of living out of a bedroom.

I decided to look for an apartment before I got here and did a lot of research. I had booked an apartment in Riga, Latvia for the three days previous and luckily had enjoyed that freedom of cooking my meals and having a more homely feel in a superbly modern and comfortable apartment.

I did the research and found the one I wanted. If my experience in Riga was anything to go by, then I should enjoy the homely feel again

The apartment I chose was in the Old Town area on the edge and thus only 5-6 mins walk to the Town Hall Square. I could walk to everything from here – remember that I love my walking. The route even took me along old narrow streets somewhat needing renovations to some abandoned buildings but full of charm and history.

Barbacan Apartments

I guess the name of the apartments comes from the fact that they are opposite, (and in some apartments), with a view of the next-door Bastion of the remnants of the old city walls. Seeing it dates from 1503 and is now a Museum it lent an historical feel to where I would be sleeping nearby.

The apartment was superb. Spacious, modern, clean and tidy and so comfortable. Wifi was great and they came with a complete kitchen and dining table and even a washing machine. I noticed that some have been updated since I was there but at the time they were perfectly fine (the bathroom a little dated but perfect otherwise).

The guy who manages the apartments, Dmitri was very helpful. He welcomed me in, showed me around and checked if I needed anything else. He gave me a street map and explained where the main sights were and some recommendations for restaurants and bars and where the nearest supermarket was.

He also arranged to store my bag after I checked out as I had an evening flight later. He even gave me his mobile number to call if there was any issues or if I needed any further advice. That made the trip even more amazing

A short walk and I was wherever I wanted to be. There is a café next door, a supermarket down the road and restaurants are a 5 mins walk away (and a great number and choice of them too). The apartment was quiet and effectively had everything I wanted.

Town Hall Square

My apartment was only a few mins walk away from the Town Hall Square, one of two main squares in the Old Town.

This long rectangular shaped square has many of the buildings renovated. It looks beautiful but the buildings are clearly too perfect to be a few hundred years old. They however do make a wonderful setting and the various number of open air cafes on the square shows how a past era can be brought back to life commercially.

It has been thoughtfully resurfaced and landscaped and the buildings that fringe it are a mixture of up-market shops

Today the square is used for open-air festivals and events, as it has been for centuries. The city’s Christmas tree is placed here every year with craft stalls.

Old Town Hall

This building has its origins in a gothic style building from 1432, though only its undervaults exist today.

It has been rebuilt several times and what we see today was the rebuild of 1799.  It is no longer the Town hall and it was superseded by a big new building further out of town. Today it is used for Exhibitions, meetings and even as a reception building for visiting Heads of State. The undercroft can be visited and it’s worth checking out if a travelling exhibition is on when you are there.

Just across the road is the rather plain and unsightly concrete Contemporary Arts Centre. There was little of great importance here so I gave it a miss. I thought I may catch up with it at the end of my visit if I had time ….. I didn’t.

Right next to it, in contrast, is the rather grand and impressive looking Radisson Blu Royal Astorija Hotel. This hotel may buck the trend for what I said earlier about prices of hotels being relatively cheaper here than most European capitals. The setting of the café at the front of the hotel however is enticing.

On another side of the square near the Town Hall is:

Roman Catholic Church of St Casimir

This church with its pink painted exterior is one of those fairy-tale looking churches. Pink walls and ornate embellishment on the outside, it sits perfectly on the square. It position is such that you can get some great shots of its entirety from the square.

I mention it here because it is famed as being the oldest (discuss?!) church in Vilnius and certainly the first in a Baroque style of architecture.

Finished in 1618 it is named after the saintly Prince Casimir, (1458-84) who was known for his piety and generosity towards the sick and poor. He was the son of a Grand Duke of Lithuania (who was also King of Poland0, but died at the age of 25 and is buried, in his own chapel, in Vilnius cathedral.

During its history it has been overtaken by other religious denominations. At times has been a Russian Orthodox, an Evangelical Lutheran church and even a Museum of Atheism by the Soviets. It only returned to church services in 1991.

The interior is equally colourful. Again coloured marble abounds, (we get to see a lot of that in Catholic churches in Vilnius) which is set off against white-washed walls

I now turned back on myself and walked back to the little square in front of the 5 star Ramada Imperial Hotel (can’t seem to find a name for this Square). In Summer the square is almost full of tables and chairs under canopies for al fresco dining and coffee stops.

Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall

On one side of the square stands the present day Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall. Click here for events, tickets etc 

This building was where the first Lithuanian Parliament held its sessions. Today Parliament is in a different building in another part of the city. The Symphony Orchestra here has built up a solid series of performances. One of its most famous performances was at the Great Guild building in Riga that I had just seen a few days earlier.

The road that I needed to takes was called Ausros Vartu Street – the right hand one of the fork off the square next to the well-known Etno Dvarnas restaurant.

Here was an easy win – three churches (four if you count the chapel in the Gates of Dawn) and the big, old entrance to what’s left of the city walls.

The Catholic Basilian Church of the Holy Trinity

You can’t miss the colourful entrance way with its cobbled walkway through the building. Its called the Great Basilius Gate (built 1761 ) and leads through to the Holy Trinity Uniate Church. It was undergoing extensive restorations as there were workmen, building materials and general major works in progress on my visit.

However people were allowed inside the church but the adjoining Monastery building, dormitories, bell towers etc were off-limits

The site is supposed to be where the first Christian Martyrs were killed in Lithuania in 1347 and was of a wooden construction. It was rebuilt in stone in 1514. However, after a fire  it was remodelled and adopted a more Rococo style with the addition of its bell towers.

The monks were banished from their adjoining buildings in 1821 and their rooms converted to a prison, which can be visited.

For 0ver 200 years the church was famous as the location of the Vilna icon of Theotokos Hodegetria. This was reputedly painted  by St Luke (who wrote texts now in the modern Bible).

The painting, of Mary with Jesus as a baby, was moved here from Moscow when Tsar Ivan III gave it as a present, when his daughter married into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It, however, was moved to safe keeping during WW1 but disappeared completely. Such a pity, Can you imagine the attraction it would have been!

Renovations inside were clearly major. The ceiling was suffering from rain infiltration, walls were seriously peeling of their paint and  the floor was covered in hardboard to protect it. The pews were replaced by those metal and fabric chairs you see in doctors waiting rooms or at the library and even wooden benches.

The altar was still in use, with a pretty cloth over a table and candles and flowers around but it was a sorry state to see.

These works should restore this place to a grand condition. as it was such an intimately small, but picturesque building. One day I will be back to see the finished product!

Back outside and into the main street next door, Ausros Vartu Street has many up-market restaurants.

Medininkai House Restaurant

If you are looking for somewhere to eat day or evening, then the small square I mentioned beforehand and this street, has some of the quaintest, traditional eateries in town.

What I thought was a church from the outside, (it looked like several I had seen in Riga and Warsaw), with it stepped triangular pediment and brick flat columns was, in fact, a restaurant. It had never been a church, just a merchants House and the reports I’ve seen say how traditional and pretty its courtyard and interior is.

Medininkai House is its name and its supposed to be one of the best for Lithuanian up-market food and service.

The next door 4-star hotel similarly has a well-known restaurant and bar – take your pick as there is no shortage of eating places in Vilnius!

Walking further up this street you will come to a wide arched portico set back from the road and in colourful plaster, There is even a pedstal on the pavement with a brief description of the church here, so you shouldn’t miss it!

Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit

Walk through the heavy pointed archway and you enter into very quiet grounds of the church.

Again like the previous church there used to be a wooden church here in 1638. It was replaced with a stone Baroque one in 1753 after being gutted by a fire – history repeats itself like in the previous church we just visited. The rich blues and greens and ornateness of the interior contrast with what is quite a plain exterior.

If the sun is shining you will see it streaming in through the windows in the dome, illuminating the massive altarpiece. If you can, take a visit to the crypt. Here lie the remains of three saints. Depending if there is a festival on they will be covered in cloaks of a colour that depicts that festival.

Take time to wander around this church. It is very ornate, colourful and with lots of wall icons and floor monuments. It reminded me of a somewhat embellished Italian church but the strong greens and blues definitely marked it out as having a Russian connection.

On your way out walk into the gardens, somewhat unkept, as there is a very tall bell tower in the gardens. In fact, I could see the top of this tower from my apartment’s balcony.

Church of St Teresa

This post was not meant to be a review of Vilnius’s churches but they are some of the most elegant in the Baltics. The city has so many and, as I witnessed, many are being refurbished and renovated. This street just contains so many and so beautiful, almost in a row, that it would be unfair to skip them.

This church could not be missed, as anyone heading up the main street to see the famous Gates of Dawn, would walk past them. The church is actually connected to the Gate house and its famous Chapel but I first went in through the main entrance to visit it,

Again it resembled an Italian Venetian church. Probably the Baroque and Rococo styles of Italy being so heavily used in churches here reminded me of sights in Italy.

It originated as a monastery from 1624, dedicated to the barefoot Carmelites Catholic order. A small wooden church (that wooden theme comes up again!), was built next door three years later. This is turn was replaced with a stone version in 1654.

The hugely ornate altar section was completed in 1765. The great altar contains the picture portraying St Theresa with a bleeding heart, while the side altars contain the pictures of St Peter, St John and St Nicholas.

It was almost destroyed when Napoleon took over Vilnius and over the centuries has been restored many times after fire, war and neglect.

Today the gold, pink and white colour themes have turned the interior into a masterpiece.

Gate of Dawn

At the end of Ausros Vardu Street, (Gate of Dawn Street), lies the only remaining city gate of the fortified walls that encompassed the city. There were originally nine gates but the others were taken down, when not needed for defensive purposes, in the 18th Century.

The gate dates from 1522.

The gate entrance itself is not very wide and the city side is very classical in style with its portico and columns. Go outside and take a look up at it.  You will see a plainer style. At the top are the city arms in a decorative fresco.

Inside is an icon, in the Chapel. Religious icons were often placed inside city gates as an extra protection and this gate was no exception.

It contains a large painting from 1630 of the Virgin Mary “Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn”, which is said to have miraculous powers. The painting is covered in a gold embossed panel that reveals only the face and hands of Mary. It is also revered as one of the holiest sites in Lithuania (for Catholic and Orthodox) and is part pf a pilgrimage route for believers.

Over half a million people visit this site every year, The entrance you take from the street was actually built by a local devotee in 1830. Previously females were not allowed in, as the old entrance was through the Carmelite monastery next door, that forbade women to enter it premises.

Offerings in the form of silver were give over the centuries and were then melted down. A panel nearby, depicting a reformed display of the melted silver, can be seen.

The power of the icon is supposed to have made the gates fall over during the 1702 Swedish occupation, thus allowing the Lithuanian-Polish army to attack and enter the city here. In fact a Swedish soldier shot at the painting and the hole is still there to see.

Pope John Paul II visited Vilnius in 1998 and this was one of the places he stopped off at in the city to pray. We will be visiting another place he went to later in this post too.

I had arrived early in the city and by now it was the beginning of the evening so I felt I had achieved and seen a lot in that short time. The apartment was not far and I needed to get back to rest and eat. On the way there was a small but up market basement supermarket in Town hall Square, where I stopped off the pick up a few things for my meal.

Thus, ended my first day and I did feel a bit “Churched-out”. I had not meant it to be such a day for seeing mainly Christian places of worship but they are all next to each other. They were also all fascinating in their own way so I felt the time spent on one theme had been worth it.

Next day and I was back into Town Hall Square within a few mins of leaving the apartment. I realised now that the apartment’s location was even more beneficial to get to the centre and the walk into the centre was quiet and quick.

German Street, Vilnius

Off Town Hall Square lies “German Street” or Vokiecuy Street in Lithuanian. This the widest street in the Old Town area. With is wide central grassed and tree lined area cutting right down the centre of the street it was good to see more greenery in the city. Either side are grand apartment buildings with stores below and the usual cafes galore.

At the beginning of the street is a modern statue, erected in 1982 when Lithuania was under Soviet control. It was known to represent Barbara Radziwiłł – a controversial wife of the Grand Duke of Lithuania and future Queen of Poland.

The Soviets never admitted it was of her but locals did and it became known as the Barbara Statue.  An imaginative sculpture on the walkway and worth a stop to see.

The buildings along this road, as I said, are grand, some not so due to maintenance issues. The central walkway gives it a very French/Spanish feel (think mini Ramblas of Barcelona) and further along is also a modern fountain

Walk the length of this street – there are plenty of cafes and coffee shops here if you need a stop-off – till you get to where it narrows opposite the modern school.

Take the right-hand street, Dominikonu Street a and head up this street.

Sorry to say it but I’m visiting another church now! I had read this was a beautiful one inside (it is rather unassuming on the outside).

Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit Vilnius 

The exterior cannot be missed on the outside as its entrance juts onto the walkway and the decorative portico gives it away. The rest is rather plain but look up and you can see the church walls built into the surrounding buildings as one.

The towers rise above the street and actually look down on the adjoining buildings. It looks as if the church was built side on to the street and where the entrance was is now blocked by a building.

Remember that I said Pope John Paul visited several sites in Vilnius when he was here on a visit in 1998? Well here is another of those places.

There is even a small embossed plaque on the wall with his profile and a description underneath commemorating it.

If you are after over-the-top church decorations then this one certainly fulfils that desire.

The interiors are gloriously Baroque, embellished with white sculptured marble, gold framed paintings, ornate carved columns and altarpieces and a general opulence.

Look up at the ceiling and see the pinks and white carving and decorations – it does seem a bit too much.

The Lutheran churches tend to be very plain but this Dominican definitely was not.

It is thought that the original wooden church dated from around 1408. It was expanded in 1688 but the present ornate interior dates from 1760.

At one time, in 1807, it was used as a prison and there are dungeons in the vaults. Here are also mummified remains of humans from the 18-19th centuries. Tests reveal that these were probably wealthy citizens buried here.

We now continue walking down Dominican Street and passing yet more architecturally impressive and varied buildings on the way. The street turns a corner and here are some of the old University buildings that are spread sporadically across the Old Town area.

The curved building here is actually a pharmacy, with the Faculty of Medicine next door.

Follow the curve of the building along the road and continue down past yet more beautifully restored buildings and you end up walking beside one side of the next building. You will arrive at a large opening/square and look left to see the next site.

Office of the President of Lithuania

Its old name was Bishop’s Palace due to the fact it was built by the then Bishop of Vilnius in the 14th Century, from land donated by the Grand Duke of Lithuania.

It has charged shape over the centuries, being ravaged by fire twice and remodelling in 1750 and 1834. Two Russian Tsars have used it as their official residence and even Napoleon occupied it during his 1812 invasion of Russia. From 1918 to around 1990, it has been used as a ministry building, news agency offices, an Officers club and an artist’s centre.

It is today the offices and residence of the President.

The buildings around the square in front of the Palace were equally grand and it was interesting to see that there was a semi-permanent protest tent and placards nearby.

I was unsure what the protest by the single person was about as the placards were mostly in Lithuanian but it was heartening to see a newish country allowing dissent in front of a public office.

The surrounding area contains a small grassed area and trees and in front of the Palace stands the classical portico of what once was another Noble’s Palace.

Walk down the road with this palace to your left and it will end in what is possibly Vilnius’s best known sight and square. On the way you will pass the Kempinski 5-star hotel so if you really want an opulent rest stop for coffee here is the place.

Alternatively the are many cafes on the square and surrounding streets. Some serving lunches on terraces, or tables and chairs under canopies, from the buildings facing the Cathedral.

Cathedral Square, apart from being huge, is placed at a strategic location on the city. On one side sits the Castle, on another the river facing the new area, It has Pilies Street on the other, with many more places to see lining its route. However on the other side was where I was headed – Gedimino Prospektas.

This could be called the new part of Vilnius’s Old Town and definitely has a more 19th Century planned feel to it. The buildings are large, heavy looking and imposing. many are presently offices, govt buildings or huge stately apartment blocks with elegant shops on their ground floor.

Gedimino Prospektas, Vilnius

This long, wide boulevard eventually leads up to the Modern (but bland and somewhat ugly, in my view) Parliament building.

It is lined with commercial shops, mainly clothes and designer brands with a couple of shopping malls thrown in. It is busy with locals shopping, so you do get a flavour of what a less tourist-driven area is all about for the city residents. You will pass by a couple of Museums that were of low interest to me.

I popped into a Mall but found it somewhat bland with lots of smallish units on a multi-level environment. Interesting to see but not that different from many usual international malls.

The Lithuanian National Drama Theatre was on the way. Its “Three Musses” sculpture above the entrance way was surprising. Slightly sombre in its black design with gold enhancements – it merited a pic just for how unusual it was and how it stood out against the modern street.

Just past the G09 Shopping Mall is a large tree covered square with a paved centre. In the middle of the square you will find a statue

Vincas Kudirka Statue

The man represented here is regarded as a national hero. He studied Medicine in Warsaw and was seen as a bit of a rebel there, (being expelled for owning a copy of Karl Marx’s Das Capital work).

He set up a clandestine newspaper that he edited for many years and in it published a poem in 1989. The poem was set to music by Vincas himself and eventually became Lithuania’s national anthem in 1918.

He wrote a lot of poetry and published satirical works and songs. His statue here was unveiled in 2009 and stands opposite a large modern govt building that faces the square.

Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre

Coincidently the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre is just off the square in a large flat, glass and concrete building.

The company’s origins are from the 1920’s but this 1974 building now hosts performances by both schools. Whilst being well maintained and impressively large its design certainly comes from the 1970’s. Plain, functional and undecorated, it stands out in the area.

It resembles more a conference centre or corporate head office with its frontage of glass and black and white solid walls of brick .

The repertoire is international but it is famous for scheduling Lithuanian Opera from local born composers. Click here for tickets, info etc. I noticed ticket prices for major performances start at 15 Euros to a max of 60 Euros for the best seats in the house. Pretty good prices for where I come from!

I walked back down Gedimino Avenue to Cathedral Square once again, where I was to visit probably the most iconic viewpoint in all of Vilnius.

Vilnius Catholic Cathedral

Like so many churches in Vilnius and the region it suffered, fires, demolitions, enlargements and remodelling over the centuries (too many to mention here).  Its bell tower (still in place on the Square today), was actually built on a tower in the lower defensive walls of the castle nearby.

What we see today is the last version of remodelling from 1783 in a Neoclassical style. The rebuilding was necessary after a southern tower collapsed, smashing much of the church and killing 6 people in 1769.

Some of the original flooring still exists from 1387 and a 14th Century fresco (the oldest in Lithuania) still remains on an underground wall.

Under the occupying Soviets it was used as a warehouse (they have a history of converting Christian churches and buildings into functional state buildings). It was eventually restored to Catholic Cathedral status in 1989 with services starting the year before when Communism fell in the USSR.

The main nave is somewhat plain but high value, old paintings line its walls between the arches. The only embellishments are the vaulted embossed ceilings.

However, go into the side chapels and that scenery is totally reversed.

Highly decorative, patterned and coloured marble is everywhere. Statues, altar pieces, and frescos adorn the walls. Several are quite dark in their colours and artificial light is needed to see it all in its glory. One chapel is particularly sombre and almost oppressive in its opulence of figures and carvings.

Flash photography was not allowed in the rooms, but it was sorely needed to get a pic, as the rooms were so darkly lit with such sombre colour scenes too. Here are the  best I could do with no flash!.

These are certainly rooms that leave a lasting impression – I felt I was in a Roman villa of marble from the decoration I encountered.

Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania Vilnius

Across the way at the other side of the square stands a very imposing building. I have to let the secret out now, that this building is actually a new reconstruction finished in 2018, taking 16 years to build.

Its history is long and important, being the seat of power and Palace of successive Dukes, and Kings. The first opera in Lithuania was performed here, coronations were held and throne rooms established. Power was centred here from the 1400’s right through to around 1660 when it was destroyed by the invading Polish army and abandoned.

Parts survived and were incorporated into nearby buildings but everything was totally demolished in 1801, leaving one wall.

It has been rebuilt and remodelled in many styles appropriate to the age and the original foundations are still here in the basement to view.

During the world wars, as we know, Lithuania and Vilnius itself were overtaken by the rival armies of the Polish, Russians and Germans who used the remains as storage rooms, barracks and military offices.

So, basically, what we see today is a modern rebuilt Palace, copying an old style. To be honest I did wonder how it looked so pristine – now I know.

Its rebuilding was a great cause of constant argument. There were Officials that said it would affect the look of Vilnius’s UNESCO listed Old Town Area. Others argued against building over ancient foundations. Other argued that the cost was too much given all the other needs for the fledging, reborn Lithuania.

It was even argued over what the eventual use would be – a presidential Palace, an Art Gallery, a Museum,

Well, today here it is, a kind of copy in keeping with a past design and it is an Museum. It does have rooms for holding events of international importance and receiving visiting Heads of State. The basement contains an amazing glass and wood walkway over the original huge foundations

Objects on display here include much associated with the history of the city and the Palace. I found the models of the Castle and lower ward containing the Palace and Cathedral over the centuries to be really interesting. You see how small the city was originally and where the original moat was (now covered in) and how the city walls surrounded the area.

There is even a showcase with the Royal crowns and regalia (copies). Click here for opening hours, ticket info etc

The day was beginning to come to an end and I certainly felt it was time to get back to the apartment for a rest and to eat.

However, my route home would take me along one of Vilnius’s Old Town’s oldest and most picturesque streets. It would also take me past a couple of sites to see and I could then be content in calling it a day.

Pilies (Castle) Street, Vilnius

The whole street is full of a myriad of architectural styles from over the centuries. The pics here show just a few but the street is lined with hotels, eateries, artisan shops, stores and general tourist shops.

Yes, it gets very busy and it doesn’t help that every restaurant/cafe seems to have expanded onto the street with tables and chairs making the pedestrianised walking area a bit cramped given the numbers of people in the area.

If you want something to eat, be it a snack or full meal, then this street is one of the busiest and probably most varied for you to chose from. The restaurants are a mixture of international and some well-known Lithuanian food eateries.

You can even take a look at each place and their menus to keep in mind for coming back in the evening, as this street is popular at night with locals and tourists alike. The bars get full and in the height of Summer a reservation would be advisable, especially if you want to be seated outside.

About halfway up Pilies Street, going towards the Town Hall Square, lies two interconnecting buildings that were my final stops for the day.

Church and belltower of St. Johns, Vilnius 

The main attraction here is the high bell tower that stands seperate to the actual church next door.

The church was built in 1388–1426, but reconstructed in the 16th and 17th centuries and was principally the church for students and lecturers of the next-door University.

The tower, separate from the church itself, was built in the 16th century and is much more impressive than the church. The church’s interior is impressively ornate but similar to many I have seen in Vilnius – or have I seen so many churches here that any more attempts to impress me with their glory will be lost on me?

There is a fee to enter and go up the bell tower. You can wait and take the lift and then ascend the last part via the stairs or you can do as I did, and use the enormously long staircase.

A word of warning. While it may be more authentic to take the stairs they are not so wide in many areas (but interesting). There are countless steps and although I am fairly fit, by the time I got to the top, my legs were complaining! Mind you I had been walking all day so maybe that was more the reason.

So I climbed all …. dunno … hundreds of wooden steps and negotiated the final section which feels more like a ladder to get to the top. The stairs are clearly ancient but the thick timbers give it an historical feel.

Was it worth it …. you bet!

I could see right out to the suburbs and the hills on the outskirts.

The terracotta rooftops spread out below me and the cream and white painted facades of buildings shone back in the sunlight. I could make out the lay of the city and it looked like a model village below me.

I realised how the city is quite low rise and the Old Town area was looking so resplendent and well maintained

Really worth the effort and fee, so don’t miss it.

This is one of two high-level viewpoints over the city. The other being from the castle mound. I would definitely say do both as the view from the castle has a different aspect and you see a few things that you cannot see from the the bell tower …. more on that later when we visit the castle mound.

Vilnius University and bookshop

Right next door to the church is Vilnius University with its lecture rooms around the courtyard facing the church and belltower. The buildings have been carefully restored and resemble a 17th century Spanish Plaza. The beige walls and terracotta tiled roofs melt into each other and where one building starts and another finishes is lost in the blending.

The library here dates from 1570, founded by the Jesuits and holds over 5.4 million items. It contains some of the most valuable manuscripts in Eastern Europe

You can walk through the various courtyards and arches although entry to the actual buildings seemed restricted – I didn’t try to enter any of them.

There is one attraction here that is so different and I’m not sure if it is really as old as it looks.

The university bookshop is off-set to one side of a courtyard and entrance is free (pretend to be looking to buy a book. The big interest here is not the books but the painted and decorated ceiling and walls.

They appear a few centuries old but could be reproductions …. I don’t know and I could find little info on it. The design of the room mimics many of the old rooms of the university which are similarly painted, so they may be originals.

It felt a bit like walking through a Harry Potter set in its surrealism. Books are mounted on modern shelving but with an amazing backdrop. Worth a detour to see.

Home was now just a walk to the end of the street to Town Hall Square and a left turn down the lane from there that led to my flat.

Next day I was up bright and early. I wanted to see the last sights and get back to the apartment early so I could catch up on my emails and messages to folks back home. I particularly wanted to get them all jealous of my stay, not only in the amazing Baltics so far, but to show them the flavour of the gorgeous city of Vilnius.

I traced my previous day’s footsteps back along Town Hall Square and Pilies Street to Cathedral Square again.

Gediminas Castle, Vilnius 

It dates back to the 9th Century when there were  wooden defensive walls on the hill. In the 13th century the hilltop was surrounded by additional stone walls with towers.

As we heard before, Gediminas established the city proper in 1323. A statue to him sits on cathedral Square below.  A period of expansion that ended in 1422 is what we see today in the buildings that remain.

The castle and its walls stood until 1655 when it was finally overrun and severely damaged by invading Russians, only to be recaptured by the Lithuanian-Polish army six years later.

It has thus been relatively unused since and much of the original walls and towers have all but disappeared.

Whilst Gediminas Tower (a western tower that was once one of the city walls’ towers) remains, it is actually not that impressive. Being mainly a shell, it is hard to imagine the original walls and buildings. Which is why I loved seeing the model of the castle, walls and towers in the Ducal Palace below, to get an idea of the past layout of the fortifications.

You can access the top of the castle by a funicular that rises up along the steep slope .

The alternative method, and the one I took, is by foot. Walk through the small gardens to the side of Cathedral Square and follow the path around the base of the mound to the opposite side.

Here at the base, you will see the long winding road that follows the contour of the mound up to the top. One of the advantages of taking the walkway is that you are subjected to a steady rise in the view as you ascend the cobblestoned path.

Arrival at the top will give you astounding views over the city. You can see the hillside on the other side of the small Vilnia River where martyrs have three crosses erected to their memory.

You can see across the Ducal Palace to the Old Town area and on another side you can see probably the only high view of the modern business area and the modern arched bridge over the Neris River.

The slope upwards is not too steep but it is long as it follows the curve of the hill so give yourself plenty of time to include the long walk up and down, unless you take the funicular.

Bernardine Gardens, Vilnius

At the bottom of the castle mound and to the side of the Ducal Palace is where the beautiful gardens start.

There is an area of formal walkways with trees and a couple of cute statues – this one of the dogs caught my attention. I’ve no idea what they represent or why they are there but they were cute and worth a snap.

Take the road alongside the row of shops and apartments and you arrive at the formal entrance. Inside is the Lithuanian National Culture Centre to one side but there is so much more here.

The walkways in the sun completely take you away from the city scene. The gardens are super quiet – in fact just the squealing of a few kids as they enjoy the run-around can be heard. There are a couple of kiddie’s playgrounds here and there are loads of families strolling and enjoying the open air. The gardens are superbly maintained with lawns, trees, bushes, benches and a link system of large ponds with illuminated fountains.

If you want to get really authentic then take a walk down to the river’s edge. The River Vilnia, remember, is where the city gets its name from, so you just have to see that!

There are several ornamental fountains and one that plays a round of water displays and sprays. The central one is quite big and you can’t miss it as its on the main walkway into the central area. This plays a water display accompanied by music at various times.

There is a cafe and toilets here and even a drinking water fountain if you want to fill up your water bottle.

Further in is a linked waterway with a low-level bridge. This fountain is illuminated, even during the day. The plays of water and splashing sounds in the quiet of the park was refreshing after the exertion of effort in climbing the castle mound nearby.

Benches are scattered throughout and I did take the opportunity to sit, rest, relax and take in the peace and quiet. Maybe it was a non-busy day but I felt the solitude and peacefulness of the area.

Walk on through the gardens past the small lakes that I mentioned and round the bend in the river. Eventually, ahead, on the opposite bank of the river, will be the more modern buildings of the University and Art Gallery. On your side of the river, further along the riverbank, will be a wide walkway that eventually leads to wrought iron railings on your right and the beginnings of buildings ahead to the right.

You will come out at a small grassed area in front and the sudden appearance of ecclesiastical buildings to the right. Keep walking till you get to the front of the red brick churches.

This is a small ensemble of buildings and at first they seem juxtaposed against each other and rather huddled together. They are in fact two churches virtually built into each other

St Anne’s and St Francis’ Churches

The larger one is St Francis of Assisi and St Bernard of Siena Roman Catholic Church – to give it its full title. It dates from 1516 and at one time was actually incorporated into the city walls. The forecourt felt more Dutch and its cobbled floor gave it a very western European feel.

Funny story here. As I entered the churches precincts I noticed several burly guys in dark suits and sunglasses. I immediately thought that they looked like the Russian bodyguards of rich people that I had seen often in Moscow not long before.

There were three or four dark SUV;s with blacked out windows parked nearby too. What was going on I wondered? I walked into the church and saw a tall slender man in a suit talking to a fully adorned dress-wise priest and another couple of “bodyguards” near them watching outwards towards any visitors….. curious !

The atmosphere felt strange and controlled and people were keeping well away from the priest and the tall guy.  I heard two young people nearby talking in Lithuanian and in the hope that they spoke English I asked them if they did, to which they said yes. Then I asked what was going on.

The reply was that the President of Lithuania was with the ambassador of Denmark in the chapel talking to the priest – presumably some kind of official visit. I hung around longer to see if anything happened but they all then left, quickly got into their cars and sped away.

Had I just seen the President and the Danish ambassador? …. apparently I had … my only claim to fame in Vilnius ….. exciting.

Outside, the next-door St Anne’s Church is of a gothic design entirely in brick, Even the swirling columns were in brick and everything, except the window panes, were in the reddish brick colour. Again, it felt very Flemish or Dutch in design and definitely different from the over-the-top Baroque or Rococo styles that I had seen much of here in Vilnius.

Statue of Adam Mickiewicz

See photo above.

Just outside the two churches on that grassy area that I mentioned before is a granite. 4.5 metre high statue of a man leaning on a broken column. The man in question is Adam Mickiewicz, 1798-1855, a Lithuanian poet, dramatist, publisher and political activist from what is now Belarus.

He is regarded as a national hero in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus and has written some of the most famous and well-known verses and works in this part of Europe. He is said to be comparable to the English poet Byron and the German writer Goethe.

Mickiewicz lived a while in St Petersburg and befriended the famous Russian poet Pushkin but became increasingly patriotic to his native Lithuania/Polish area in his writings.

He is claimed as Polish by Poland, born in (now) Belarus of possible Russian and Lithuanian parentage but heralded by Lithuanians as a great folk hero.

The statue here was were unveiled in 1984. Apparently the people forging an independent Lithuania gathered around the statue here in 1989. This was seen as the first official meeting of the movement that would go on to create Lithuania’s independence from the Soviet Union. some years later

The quirkiest thing in Vilnius has been left to last.

I had heard about this symbolic declaration of independence by an area of the city – a bit like Christiania in Copenhagen.

They had created their own flag, currency, President, Government, Constitution, national anthem, army (11 men) and country borders, Ambassadors were even established. Now whilst in reality it is no where near a country, or even anything like one, it was quirky enough to want to visit. It was called Uzupis.

Uzupis 

Uzupis means “beyond the river” and it is literally that. Its area, housing around 7000 inhabitants, is smaller than even a suburb, and is just over the Vilnia river from the Old Town area. The area used to be industrial under Soviet rule although historically it was a Jewish settled area of the city.

The Jews were killed in the WW2 holocaust and industry moved out after the collapse of communism. It was later seen as a very arty, bohemian area with a similar laissez-faire attitude, full of squatters in dilapidated houses. That’s not quite so nowadays, but that was what I was looking for, having seen Christiania in Copenhagen in a similar situation.

On April 1, 1998, the district declared itself independent, as The Republic of Uzupis. It is a crazy tongue-in-cheek set up but many also feel it symbolic and real.

The area is fairly quiet and somewhat rundown but felt very safe. It was weirdly quiet and solitary as I was often the only person walking the street. You would not think you are anywhere else but an East European city suburb however.

You can see the flag and written Constitution engraved on the official “presentation area”, (a normal street).

The Constitution is weird but funny. It’s made up of a list of 41 sentences, some normal like “Everyone has the right to love” and “Everyone has the right to be individual”.

However, I think it is right to point out that it is a fun but poignant statement when it also states “A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of need” and “Everyone has the right to live by the River Vilnelė, and the River Vilnelė has the right to flow by everyone”

Yep, there is stuff that makes you laugh and think but it is an ideal rather than a fact of history.

You can walk from one end of the “country” to the other in about 10 mins and there are signs on the bridges over the Vilnia stream as you enter Uzupis that you are going into the “Republic”.

I even spotted a small wall post-box with the flag of Uzupis on it – you can post your postcard here from the Republic!

I suppose the pic that most represents the Republic was this one – a cat lazily resting , enjoying the sunshine, in a box of books for sale outside a small artisan shop.
It was a fun half an hour to wander around the area, see the angel column in the main square and the somewhat empty and average looking streets – many houses needing refurbishment and a lack of real business in the area.

So, my big question now is ….. can I class this as a country and add it to the list of “countries visited”?

I wouldn’t want to offend the President of the Republic of Uzupis by saying no. However, I would thus offend the President of Lithuania (who ignores this Republic and are actually now building on land nearby) by saying yes.

A quandary to mull about as I left the area, crossing the wooden bridge out of the “Republic” and heading home to my apartment which I could now see at the top of the nearby bastion hill.

Vilnius was now complete – there were parts I had not seen but they were minor in my view.

The city is choc-full of amazing churches – apologies if it felt like a religious walkthrough town. I have been enchanted by this city, by its small glorious Old Town area, its remodelled and renovated buildings and its general air of good maintenance and care of its history. It was very different to what I was expecting – industrial and run down, and maybe that is so on the outskirts.

Tomorrow I would be back in the UK after a late wake up and exit from the apartment. The owners allowed me to store my bag at the reception while I made one final walkabout to have coffee in a nearby café before I caught the bus from the nearby modern bus station to the airport.

If you get the chance this is a great backwater city to visit for history and culture. It’s clearly getting busier here as the budget airlines now fly in from the UK.

Sept 2017

Below are some related posts on nearby places to visit. Click on the pic to view.