Sightseeing in Vilnius

A guide to the best tourist sites, landmarks and places of interest

Exclusively throughout the year, Vamos Travel can arrange private guided city tours, which can range from 3 – 5 hours. If you would like a private guide at your disposal, to gain a deeper insight into Vilnius and to guarantee a fabulous sightseeing adventure then we suggest you add this to your enquiry form and contact Vamos Travel today.

The focal point of the city is the Cathedral Square and the area of parks, trees and greenery that surrounds it. Cathedral Square is not just the most lively and important centre of the city but it’s the symbol of the Lithuanian state. Cathedral Square is the crossing of the main city streets, fairs and gatherings of townspeople, military parades, public events, concerts and New Year’s celebrations. This is without a doubt, one of the key locations of public life in the capital and a perfect place to begin your Vilnius weekend breaks holiday adventures. Free standing in the Cathedral Square is the 57 metre high Bell tower, a favourite holiday landmark to photograph. Cathedral Square also honours the city’s founder with a large statue of Grand Duke Gediminas, who ruled Lithuania from 1316 to 1341.

A major tourist attraction and the spiritual centre to the country is Vilnius Cathedral. This impress structure is architecturally inspiring and has stood on this site since the 14th Century. Strangely, the cathedral resembles more like a Roman temple, due to the huge column entrance and statue studded exterior. It’s a fantastic sight to see and will certainly make you curious about what’s inside. The interior of the Cathedral is very rich; there are more than 40 artworks to be found, all from various centuries. In the Cathedral's catacombs, Lithuania holidays explorers can find a museum that exhibits the history of the cathedral, from its pagan temple origins to the present day. Another popular Baltic tourist attraction is the baroque chapel of St. Casimir that was built by King Sigismundus Vasa.

The Old Town is the largest preserved Old Town in Eastern Europe and is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. It is here, in this magical ancient town, where clients having a weekends break in Lithuania can discover some of the most important attractions. Without a doubt, the Old town is the main reason to have holidays in Vilnius. The medieval town stretches south from the cathedral square, encompassing hundreds of historical buildings, churches, hidden courtyards and quiet streets, all waiting to be discovered on your day excursions. During your explorations of the city you’ll marvel at the numerous landmarks, some will include; the University (oldest in Eastern Europe), the presidents palace, the Jewish quarter and many impressive churches. The old town is a romantic and magical place to experience and has to be one of the most intriguing places to explore in the Baltic States, certainly Eastern Europe and possibly the world. We organise Vilnius city tours, private guides and offer free informational packs to our clients. Discover this Baltic State gem with Vamos Travel, we guarantee the most unforgettable weekends stay. Whatever your travelling life style, we’ll make a short breaks package to suit your budget.

Vilnius University was founded in 1579 and if you visit this place of higher education, you'll find a fine collection of buildings encompassing several hundred year's worth of different architectural styles. Of particular interest is St Johns Church founded over 600 years ago. It too has a bell tower that is separate to the main body of the church. The baroque style architecture of the building is extraordinarily impressive and it has one of the most unique alters in the whole of the Baltic States. At present the church hosts concerts, services and has an in house museum. St John’s church is one of the major religious landmarks and the university is a lovely architectural ensemble, so we highly recommended you take a visit to them and absorb the beautiful sights.

We suggest you visit the Amber Museum and Gallery. There you will be acquainted with the Baltics amber history and its usage throughout the ages. You will see amber morphology in the exhibits of various forms, size and colour. As well as amber jewellery, shaped amber and chunks of natural amber, the museum has numerous pieces of amber with preserved insects in them, just like in Jurassic Park. The amber museum is a perfect little excursion for your short breaks stay in the Baltic States.

The Jewish State Museum has a rich collection of photographs, fine arts, historical artifacts, writings and even sculptures. The museum is definitely an insightful and cultural place to investigate. The museum was established to preserve Judaic culture and to honour the memory of those who died in the Nazi concentration camps. The National Museum is the oldest museum in the country dating back to 1855. There are six specialized departments of: History, Archaeology, Ethnography, Numismatics, and Iconography, with over 800,000 exhibits. Some of these exhibits are; paintings, weapons, jewelry, furniture, clothes, medals, and many other historical documents. For lovers of art and history the Museum offers an impressive collection of works and is definitely worth a look while on holiday in Vilnius. The exhibits are thoughtfully organised, varied and extremely interesting.

St. Anne's Church is one of the most beautiful and famous buildings in the capital, it is considered to be the masterpiece of late Lithuanian gothic. It is presumed that the original (wooden) St. Anne's Church was built in the 14th century by Ona, the wife of Vytautas the Great. The first historical reference to St. Anne's Church dates back to 1394 and has reached our time almost unchanged and has become one of the symbols of the city. Don’t miss the opportunity to see this popular tourist attraction in all its glory; it will be a significant moment during your weekends stay. The church is surrounded by so many legends, our favourite ‘most told story’ is that Napoleon upon seeing St. Anne's Church, said that he would like to place it in the palm of his hand and move it to Paris. This miniature church amazes its visitors with the courage and ingenuity of the masters who erected it. Come see it for yourselves.

The oldest surviving church is St Nicholas. This modest gothic red brick building was built in the 14th century, at a time when the country was almost entirely still Pagan. One of the most perfect early baroque buildings is the graceful and tall St. Theresa's Church. The Church is the most outstanding example of the early Baroque architecture in the city. St Michaels Church which dates from the 16th century holds a small architecture museum. Its freestanding bell tower was built later in the 18th century and on top of the tower, is an iron weathervane depicting the Archangel Michael treading on the devil. The four main Orthodox churches in Vilnius are; the Holy Mother of God, which has stood on the banks of the Vilnele River since the 14th century, The Orthodox Church of the Holy spirit, which was built by the brotherhood of the Holy Trinity in 1567, thirdly is St. Parasceve's or Piatnickaya Church which has been around since 1345 and finally the Church of St Nicholas the Wonder Worker. All of these fabulous churches are apart of Vilnius’s unique architectural symphony and are a joy to find and explore.

The Gates of Dawn (or in Lithuanian, ‘Ausros Vartu’) are the last remaining gates of the cities old defensive walls and should be on the list of what to see in Vilnius. The Gates of Dawn are a symbol of Lithuania, therefore should be viewed and respected. In 1993, the late Pope John Paul II offered prayers and greetings to the people from the window of the Gate of Dawn. Since then the gates have become a place of pilgrimage for Catholics. Whether religious or not, the gates are a fabulous weekend breaks attraction and easy to find, as they’re the main entrance to Vilnius’ old town. We hope you discover the Gates of Dawn and feel the history as you enter or depart the old town. Contact the Lithuania travel specialists or browse through our amazing short breaks details on-line.

Before World War II, the capital was a centre of Yiddish learning and home to a thriving Jewish community that made up 40 percent of Vilnius’ population. The city boasted 100 synagogues and many Jewish businesses, community and cultural organizations. That was all lost during the Nazi occupation. First, a Jewish ghetto was set up in the city; then, 94 percent of the country’s 220,000 Jews were murdered. Most of the buildings in the Jewish quarter were devastated by the Nazis. The shells that remained were razed by the Communist regime during the 1950s. Today, the capital has planned to reconstruct the former Jewish quarter using old documents and photographs. At the heart of the plan is the rebuilding of the huge, 17th-century Great Synagogue, one of Europe’s largest, in the courtyard. Remembering the Holocaust victims remains a top priority of the Jewish community and each year solemn ceremonies are held on 23rd September, the Day of Remembrance for the Holocaust in Lithuania. The Jewish Gaon State Museum, founded in 1989, has a permanent exhibition about the Holocaust, among various other temporary exhibitions.

Once you have explored the cobbled winding streets and discovered the countless hidden courtyards it is worth taking a look at the Old Town from a different perspective. The Three Cross Hill is a long-standing Lithuania holiday landmark, as it offers superb views over the Old Town. To get there, head east from the Cathedral Square, crossing the Vilnia River to the Kalnu Parkas (Hill Park). It’s a place for locals and foreign guests to relax and enjoy a space of peace & tranquility. From the top of the hill one can enjoy breathtaking panoramic views over the city. The Three Cross hill is a lovely diversion to capture a glimpse of the city from another angle. Seeing the beautiful Vilnius from a completely different perspective will deepen your love for this wonderful country.

The 17th century, domed Church of Saints Peter and Paul, has a fantastic interior that should be seen. There are literally thousands of sculpted figures and interesting frescoes to be seen. The fence surrounding the churchyard and four chapels were built in the second half of the 17th century. The square in front of the church is named John Paul II Square, in memory of the late Pope's visit to the capital. Without a doubt the churches most valuable asset is its interior, with thousands of hand sculptures, a beautiful dome and inspiring chapels. A weekend break in Vilnius wouldn’t be complete without a few pictures of these interiors, for the Lithuanian holiday scrap book.

One must-see tourist attraction is Gediminas castle. Its history roots back to 1230, when the first castle was built from wood. After the city was proclaimed as the capital of Lithuania, by the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Gediminas, the castle was reinforced with brick walls. However, throughout the course of history and especially the soviet occupation, the castle walls were severely damaged. Today, the castle has been heavily restored and is an excellent tourist hot spot. The remaining tower in Gediminas castle is open for people to enjoy and take some fantastic photographs of the historic district.

St. Francis' & Bernadine Church is one of the biggest gothic sacral buildings in the country. It is much higher and more archaic than the St. Anne's Church with which it forms an interesting and unique pair. The stellar and crystal vaults of the northern nave and sacristy are worthy of special attention, as are the many rococo style altars, which are decorated with an abundance of beautiful wooden sculptures and possesses the oldest known crucifix in the southern Baltic states. It is buildings such as this church and its invaluable treasures that make Vilnius the most popular luxury holiday destination, for culture, art and history.

The dome of the St. Casimir's Church is one of the dominating structures in the panorama of the Old Town. This was the very first baroque church, built during the early 17th century and designed after a famous foremost baroque church in Rome. Both the insides and outsides of this church are exquisite and definitely worth investigating whilst sightseeing.

West of the old Town lies the capitals New Town, which was mostly built in the 19th century. If exploring this area, then we suggest a visit to the Museum of Genocide Victims in the former building of KGB in Vilnius, on 40 Gediminas Ave. It was behind the walls of this building, that hundreds of prisoners were executed and tortured. Today, visitors of the museum have an opportunity to see 19 common wards, punishment rooms, the soft & wet cells which were used for torture. Although, this is not an uplifting experience, we feel it is important to acknowledge and remember the worst times of human history in order to not repeat our inhuman mistakes in the future.

A major holiday site of interest is the Vilnius Television tower. It’s the tallest building in the country (326m) and offers the best panoramic views over the capital. For some excellent holidays snapshots, work your way to the top of the tower and enjoy the panoramic views. You won’t regret it. Around the tower there are many monuments dedicated to the civilians who lost their lives in an unprovoked attack by Soviet tanks. The Frank Zappa monument is a unique feature to Vilnius, erected in 1995 and is a dedication to the world famous American composer, guitarist and singer.