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City

Vilnius

A baroque old town, a republic of artists and the Jerusalem of the North.

12 museums
All museums ↓
📷 Zairon · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Vilnius has one of the largest old towns in Eastern Europe, full of baroque churches, courtyards and cafés.

The story of Vilnius

Walk from the Gate of Dawn through the old town to the Cathedral and the Palace of the Grand Dukes, then climb to Gediminas' Tower for the view. Cross the bridge to Užupis, a self-declared republic of artists with its own constitution on a wall. See modern Lithuanian art at the MO Museum and learn about the Jewish life of 'the Jerusalem of the North' at the Vilna Gaon Jewish History Museum.

  • 1994the old town on the UNESCO list
  • 1579Vilnius University is founded

Vilnius through time

The big moments, and where to see them today.

  1. 1323Gediminas names Vilnius his capital.See it: Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
  2. 1991Crowds defend the TV tower and parliament.See it: Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights

What to do in Vilnius

  1. 01

    Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

    The palace of Lithuania's rulers, rebuilt on its old walls.

    Vilnius2 hours
  2. 02

    MO Museum

    Lithuanian art from the 1960s to today.

    Vilnius1 to 2 hours
  3. 03

    Lithuanian National Museum

    Lithuania's history and folk art.

    Vilnius1 to 2 hours
  4. 04

    Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights

    The former KGB building and its prison cells.

    Vilnius1 to 2 hours
Getting there

Getting to Vilnius

From the airport to the city centre by public transport, then the trains and local lines to the museums.

Arriving by plane

VNO
Vilnius AirportVilnius · Trakai

Getting around Vilnius

Lines and timetables change. Check the operator’s website before you travel.

On the map

Route ↗
Hidden story

The Republic of Užupis

A district of Vilnius declared itself a republic.

Read the storyClose

In 1997 the artists of Užupis, the old district across the Vilnia river, declared their own republic, with a president, a flag and a constitution. Its articles, such as 'Everyone has the right to be happy' and 'A cat is not obliged to love its owner', are written on a wall in dozens of languages.