The Knight Street in Vilnius

Town Hall Square has been a market place since very early times, and it today dominated by the Town Hall which was formerly a court, with the basement being used as prison cellsThe Town Hall back-side. The present building was constructed between 1785 and 1799 by the Classical architect Lithuanian Laurynas Stuoka-Gucevičius The square in front of the Town Hall is the venue for an annual three-day crafts market on the weekend closest to March 4th, St. Casimir's DayAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

The church was originally Gothic but in 1750-1755 it was restored according to design by Franz Ignatius Hoffer and acquired some late Baroque and Rococo featuresNearby the church building stand the 17th-18th-century buildings of the Carmelite Monastery which had a rich archive and library. A study centre opereted there. In 1797-1944 it housed the Ecclesiastical Seminary  Today the buildings are used by the Centre for Book Research and Libraries, and the church is closed to the publicAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

A small doorway in a plain building at Pilies (Castle) Street leads through a vaulted passage into a large yard. The yard was the original place of the Botanical Garden of the Vilnius University. It was founded by a French botanist, Jean Gilibert, in 1782The Botanical Garden remained in this yard for 10 years when it was transferred to Sereikiškių Park, and as well as provided accommodation for the university professors. Before becoming the Botanic Garden, the buildings around had been a college for noblemen. After the university was closed in the mid-19th century, the buildings were used by the Medical AcademyThe yard is the best and most probably the single place in Vilnius from where to admire the spectacularly decorated top of the apse of the Church of St. John's (the church in the grand courtyard of the University of Vilnius)All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav ...

A geographical centre of Europe - 25 km far from Vilnius. From 2015 Summer You will get a special Certificate that you have visited the Geographical center of Europe. Don't miss the chance to get it for freeThe Baltic States of Europe - Estonia, Latvia & LithuaniaVytis (The Knight) - The Coat of Arm of both historical Grand Duchy of Lithuania and present-day the Republic of LithuaniaOrigins of images: Facebook, Twitter, Wikimedia, Wikipedia, Flickr, Google, Imageinjection & Pinterest.Read our Disclaimer/Legal Statement!Donate to Support UsWe would like to ask you to consider a small donation to help our team keep working.

Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania is a national cultural institution open to all users, active in the areas of dissemination of information, culture, science, and education, performing library activities and ensuring implementation of the national information policy falling within its competence The mission of the library is to be the Lithuanian space of knowledge-creating value for the public The vision of the library: to become an integral part of the state's information policy, culture, education, science, and economic progressAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

Monument to the Gaon of Vilnius Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (1720-1797) called "Jewish Saga". The monument is located on the place where he lived. The house was destroyed during WWII and it was not restored. Nearby the monument there is a memorial plaque in Lithuanian and Hebrew on a building at Žydų (Jewish) Street Antokolski Street in Vilnius Old Town's Jewish Quarter. In this street the famous 19th century sculptor Mark Antokolski lived in 1843-1862. It was here he created his first sculptors depicting the inhabitants of his native quarter, which later gained recognitionMėsinių Street in Vilnius Old Town. That was one of the longest and most important street in the Jewish QuarterAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

The main altar with Late Baroque forms, made from dark woodInterior of Church of St. Francis and St. BernardineWhile restoring the church, one of the largest mural paintings from the Late Gothic and Renaissance periods was discovered. They depict scenes from the Bible, Franciscan legends and symbolic imagesAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

Vilnius University was the first observatory center in Eastern Europe and the 4th in the worldWhite Hall now houses unique astronomical instruments and a reading roomThe narrow staircase leads to the observatory tower, which reveals a panorama of the Vilnius Old TownAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2023

Tour № 1 – Šventaragis ValleyCathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus & St. VladislausCathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus & St. Vladislaus (inside, including the Chapel of St. Casimir, the Chapel of Deportees, the Gasztołd Chapel, the Royal Chapel, St. Wladislaw/Vladislaus/Ladislav Chapel, High alter, Memorial plague to the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas Magnus, the Sapieha Madona’s picture, etc)Cathedral Basilica Bell TowerRoyal Palace of Lithuania (the Palace of Grand Dukes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania)Upper CastleUpper Castle’s West (Gediminas) TowerOld Arsenal – Museum of Applied ArtNew Arsenal – Lithuanian National MuseumMonument to King Mindaugas (1236-1263: Crowned King on July 6th, 1253)Monument to Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas (1316-1341: the founder of Gediminian-Jagiellonian ruling dynasty)Tour № 2 – Vilnius University & Monastery QuarterVilnius University – Historical Campus (est. 1579)Vilnius University – the Bronze door of the Central LibraryVilnius University – Historical Campus (inside, including 12 university’s courtyards, Domus Philologiae, Smuglevičius Hall, White (Observatory) ...

The Church of the Assumption is one of the Vilnius' most beautiful Baroque churches and most mature building of the Vilnius' Baroque schoolConstruction on the church began in 1695 and the final work was carried out by Vilnius' Baroque architect Johann Christoph Glaubitz (1700-1767) in 1750-1756The front façade is adorned by a domical rotunda vestibule, and two elegant towers with clocks All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

Choral Synagogue is the place of the only working synagogue and school "Tarahat Hakodesh" in Vilnius This synagogue is built in the Oriental Moorish style and is only survived one out of some 105 before WWII synagogues and other Judaic prayer housesThe exterior contains an inscription in Hebrew "A prayer house is sacred for all nations", and above the pediment the tablets with the Ten Divine Commandments are representedAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

End of Stiklų St. on the intersection with Dominikonų St. and Šv. Ignoto St. in the Old Town in VilniusIn Stiklų St. No. 4 stands a typical building with a so-called Courtyard of the Printing House. Its history goes back to the 15th century. In the 16th century it held the Mamonichi printing house. A Gothic building in the courtyard with the exterior and fragments of the interior was reconstructed in 1974. In front of it a sculpture of "The Chronicler" is erected in 1973Wall (right) of the former Russian Orthodox church in Stiklų St. No. 17All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

This is the first Evangelical Lutheran Church (Kirche) built-in Vilnius in 1555 on the initiative of the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Nicholas Radziwiłł the Black. In front of the church, there is a monument erected to Martin Luther The church was rebuilt in 1662 and substantially reconstructed in 1738-1744. In 1944 it was closed down. In 1993 it was returned to the parishioners and renovatedThe church has a single nave and an original pentagonal shape. Its magnificent high altar was designed by German Protestant architect Jan (Johan) Krzysztof GlaubitzAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

At the egde of Vingio Park, stands a Classical chapel built by Governor Nikolai Repnin for his wife in 1799-1800Behind the chapel, one can find the restored graves of the German, Russian, Polish, Turkish and Austro-Hungarian soldiers killed in both world wars A monument to the soldiers of the Central Powers killed in WWI in Vingio ParkAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

The church is endowed by Juliana, the wife of Lithuania's Grand Duke Algirdas (1345-1377) and mother of Lithuania's and Poland's ruler Jogaila. Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila baptized Lithuania in 1387. She was buried in the churchFragments of Gothic masonry have survived in the bottom part and in some segments up to the top. The present façades and the cupola imitate Georgian medieval architectureIn 1415 the church was transformed into a cathedral. In 1511-1522 it was reconstructed by Prince Constantine Ostrogsky. In 1516 Helen (a Russian Orthodox), wife of Alexander Jagiellon (Polish King and Lithuanian Grand Duke) was buried there. In 1609 the cathedral was given to the Uniates (Greek Catholics). In 1865-1868 it rendered its present appearance, and it began to function as a church again All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

There were formerly two separate Gothic houses. Both were built before 1514 and belonged to clergy, goldsmiths, a surgeon and pharmacists. During the 1655-1661 war with Russia they were damaged and handed over to the capitulary of the Cathedral, which had them rebuilt in the Baroque styleThe building were severely damaged during the Second World War and renovated in 1957-1960Decorative Gothic façades and cylindrical vaults in the basement and on the ground floor have been reconstructed All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

Earlier in this courtyard was an artillery school. The Rector of the Vilnius University S. Malewski as well as lived in the building of this courtyardA poet Adam Mickiewicz spent much time with his son in their house in 1818-1819. As the first-year student, he lived in one of those buildings. Later, it became a gathering place of the PhilomatsThe courtyard is surrounded by two-storey buildings. A Gothic façade of one of them is facing Pilies StreetAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2023

The building in Vilnius Street in Vilnius No. 25 in which Jonas Basanavičius died in hospital on February 16th, 1927. The day of his death coincided with the anniversary of the Independence Act in 1918A memorial plaque on the building informs that in this building in 1909 the Editorial Board of the oldest Lithuanian newspaper "Lithuanian News" started to work Another memorial plague on the building as this building housed a music school, where the famous violinist Jascha Heifetz studied in 1905-1909 All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2022

The church was financed by Grand Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Grand Hetman, and Vilnius Voivode - Lew Sapieha, who had converted to Roman Catholicism from Calvinism. He was one of the most influential nobles in the Grand Duchy of LithuaniaLew Sapieha gave the church and surrounding buildings for the Bernardine nuns to have a convent and built a Sapieha family mausoleum in the churchThe convent was also a place where the daughters of rich aristocrats were taught. Today, the Church Heritage Museum operates in the churchAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

It was not until 1503 when Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Alexander Jagiellon granted a privilege that the construction of the wall began. The year 1522 is considered to mark the end of the construction, when Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund the Old exempted the residents of Vilnius from the duty of keeping guard at the castle and ordered 24 guards to be posted at the city gatesThe length of the defensive wall was 2,5 kilometres having 10 gates. The wall surrounded the territory of today's Old Town, approximatelly 100 hectars. The foundation of the defensive wall was built of stone, and bricks were mainly used at the level of loopholes and higher. The was was adapted for defence with gunpoweder-operated firearms Until the late-18th century, the Vilnius defensive wall was frequently renovated. The wall served for the last time in 1794 during the uprising led by ...