History in Vilnius

Basilica of the Visitation, Trakai

Vilnius

The Basilica of the Visitation stands on a hill in the centre of Trakai, Lithuania's medieval capital. It was founded in 1409 by Vytautas the Great, one of the most powerful rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and originally built in the Gothic style. Over the centuries the church was substantially rebuilt, and its current appearance is largely defined by Baroque alterations. The main altarpiece contains the icon of Our Lady of Trakai, a venerated miraculous image that draws pilgrims from across Lithuania. As a Basilica Minor, it carries a special title from the Holy See. Set close to Trakai's famous lakes and island castle, it forms a natural part of one of the country's most beautiful day-trip destinations.

Bernardinai Garden

Vilnius

Bernardine Cemetery Vilnius

Vilnius

The Bernardine Cemetery in the Užupis district is one of the three oldest cemeteries in Vilnius, established in 1810 by the Bernardine (Franciscan) monks of St. Francis of Assisi church. The reason for its founding was a Tsarist decree forbidding burials near churches, which forced the monks to create a new burial ground on the edge of the city, on the embankment of the Vilnia river. It covers about 38,000 square metres with an estimated 14,000 burial sites. The cemetery is a listed historical and cultural monument set within the atmospheric Užupis artists' quarter.

Cathedral of the Theotokos

Vilnius

The Cathedral of the Theotokos in Vilnius is the episcopal seat of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Lithuania. Dating back to the 14th century, it reflects the long presence of Orthodox Christianity in the Baltic region. The cathedral serves as the spiritual heart of the Russian Orthodox community in Lithuania and features the characteristic iconostases and frescoes of the Eastern tradition. It stands as a symbol of Vilnius religious pluralism, where Catholic, Orthodox, Jewish, and other traditions have coexisted for centuries. The cathedral remains an active place of worship today.

Choral Synagogue Vilnius

Vilnius

The Choral Synagogue of Vilnius, officially known as Taharat Ha-Kodesh, was completed in 1903 based on designs by architect Dawid Rozenhaus. The building combines Romanesque structural elements with Moorish decorative details, a stylistic blend typical of synagogue architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is today the only active Jewish house of worship in Vilnius. Before World War II, Vilnius was known as the Jerusalem of Europe, home to a thriving Jewish community; the Holocaust nearly completely destroyed that community. The synagogue's survival is therefore a profound historical testimony. The congregation actively maintains Jewish traditions and welcomes visitors interested in the history of Jews in the Baltics.

Didzioji Street

Vilnius

Didzioji gatve is a roughly 600-metre-long street at the heart of the Old Town districts of Senamiestis and Naujamiestis in Vilnius. It connects Pilies Street with Ausros Vartu Street and wraps around Vilnius Town Hall. In the past it was visited by remarkable figures: Napoleon passed through on his 1812 Russian campaign, and Fyodor Dostoevsky lived nearby for a time. Today the Art Museum in the New Town Hall and the FOTOKUNST gallery line up beneath historic facades. The street forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Old Town of Vilnius.

Lithuanian National Museum of Art

Vilnius

The Lithuanian National Museum of Art was founded in 1933 as the Vilnius city museum and today holds over 40,000 paintings and drawings — the largest art collection in Lithuania. The museum manages several branches in Vilnius and other cities, displaying Lithuanian art from the Middle Ages to the present. As the country's foremost cultural anchor, it provides deep insight into Lithuanian identity and artistic tradition.

Vilnius Railway Station

Vilnius

Vilnius Central Railway Station has served as Lithuania's main rail hub since 1861, sitting at the southern edge of the old town between the Naujininkai and Naujamiestis neighbourhoods. The state railway operator Lietuvos geležinkeliai has its headquarters here. The neoclassical building has been rebuilt and extended over the decades; a freight yard lies to the west and a coach station connects directly to the complex. Trains run to Kaunas, Riga, and Warsaw, making this the departure point for travel across the Baltic region.

Vokieciu Street

Vilnius

Vokieciu gatve – German Street in translation – is one of the oldest streets in the Old Town of Vilnius, Lithuania. It takes its name from German merchants and craftsmen who settled here in the 14th century and shaped the neighbourhood. In the 16th century the Vilnius Mint was located in this street, and it was considered the city's finest, already lined with many brick buildings. Today it houses the Centre for Contemporary Art, an institute of Vilnius University, and an Evangelical Lutheran church – an unusual mix of medieval heritage, trading tradition, and contemporary culture.

Abejučių piliakalnis

Vilnius

Arnionių dvaro sodyba

Vilnius

Baluošos piliakalnis

Vilnius

Bendžiukų piliakalnis

Vilnius

Jasiuliškių piliakalnis

Vilnius

Jonėnų piliakalnis

Vilnius

Raudondvario dvaras

Vilnius

St. George catholic church (1769)

Vilnius

Gaukeliškių piliakalnis

Vilnius