Vilnius-Sightseeng Guided Tours

Tour № 1 – Šventaragis Valley

Cathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus & St. Vladislaus
Cathedral 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 Tower
Royal Palace of Lithuania (the Palace of Grand Dukes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania)
Upper Castle
Upper Castle’s West (Gediminas) Tower
Old Arsenal – Museum of Applied Art
New Arsenal – Lithuanian National Museum
Monument 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 Quarter

Vilnius University – Historical Campus (est. 1579)
Vilnius University – the Bronze door of the Central Library
Vilnius University – Historical Campus (inside, including 12 university’s courtyards, Domus Philologiae, Smuglevičius Hall, White (Observatory) Hall, Lelewel Hall, Lithuanian Philology Centre, etc)
Vilnius University – Science Museum
St. Johns’ Church in the Great (Skarga) university’s Courtyard
St. Johns’ Church in the Great (Skarga) university’s Courtyard (inside, including Great alter, Altar of Maria of Loretto, Chapel of St. Anne, Altar of St. Victorino, Organ, several memorial plagues and frescos, etc)
St. Johns’ Church in the Great (Skarga) university’s Courtyard – Bell Tower
Dominican Street
University Street
St. John Street
Church of the Holy Cross and former Hospitaller Monastery
Monument to Laurinas Gucevičius (1753-1798)
Presidential Palace (Prezidentura)
Alumni (Alumnatas) Courtyard
Sanctuary of Divine Mercy
Church of the Holy Spirit and former Dominican Monastery
St. Ignatius Church and former Jesuit novitiate
Plaque for Righteous Among the Nations
Monument to Stanislaw Moniuszko (1819-1872)
St. Catherine’s Church and former Benedictine Monastery

Tour № 3 – From the Cathedral Basilica to Town Hall Square

Buildings of Pilies Street
House of the Signatories
Marija and Jurgis Šlapelis House Museum
Paraskeva Russian Orthodox Church
Pilies Street souvenir open market – What should you buy in Vilnius
Buildings of Didžioji (Great) Street
Vilnius Picture Gallery (Chodkiewicz Palace)
Stendhal House
Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church
Historical Town Hall
Buildings around the Square of Historical Town Hall
Former printing house of Francysk Skaryna (1486-1551) – the Magistrate House
Buildings of Savičiaus Street
Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis’ (1875-1911) Memorial Flat Museum
Church of Blessed Mary the Comforter and the Augustine Monastery
Kazys Varnelis’ (1917-2010) House Museum – Great and Small Guilds
Casimir Church
Buildings of Subačius Street
Bastion – an artillery fortification
Church of the Assumption and former Missionary Monastery

Tour № 4 – Quarter of Three Confessions

Buildings of Aušros Street
Radisson SAS Astorijos Hotel (former Italia hotel)
Building of National Philharmonic
Monument to Jonas Basanavičius (1851-1927) on the square in front of National Philharmonic
Memorial plaque to Ignacy Domeyko (1802-1889)
Baroque gate to Uniate Church of the Holy Trinity and former Basilian Monastery
Uniate Church of the Holy Trinity and former Basilian Monastery
Memorial plaque to Josaphat Kuncevic (St. Josaphat, 1580-1623)
Memorial plaque on the building of former Basilian Monastery where Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855) was imprisoned
Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit and monastery
Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit (inside, including the remains of the Three Vilnius Martyrs kept under a wooden canopy in front of the iconostasis)
Church of St. Teresa (of Ávila, Spain) and former Carmelite Monastery
Church of St. Teresa (of Ávila, Spain) (inside, including the church’s mural paintings, the Chapel of Pac’s family’s mausoleum, impressive, gently-curved church’s pulpit and the altar)
Chapel of the Gate of Dawn (Medininkų Gate)
The sacred picture of the Holy Virgin Mary in the Chapel of the Gate of Dawn (Medininkų Gate)
Votive objects in the Chapel of the Gate of Dawn (Medininkų Gate)
The Gate of Dawn (Medininkų Gate) from the southern side with a Renaissance composition of Vytis

Tour № 5 – Jewish Quarter

Small and Large Vilnius Jewish Ghettos
Monument to the Vilna Gaon
Mark Antokolski (1840-1902) House
Former Mattityahu Strashun (1817-1885) Jewish Library
Vokiečių gatvė (German Street)
Contemporary Art Centre
„Barbara“ sculpture
Monument in remembrance of Vilnius Ghetto martyrs and fighters in 1941-1943
Church of St. Nicholas
A sculpture of Vilnius Patron Saint Christopher in the yard of the Church of St. Nicholas
Evangelical Lutheran Church
Amatų gildija (Artisan guild) open ceramic workshop and gallery
Former Vilnius ghetto theatre 1941-1943
Former Gothic façade at Karmelitų gatvę (Carmelite Street)
Closed courtyards with open galleries, characteristic of Old Town architecture
Church of All Saints and former Carmelite Monastery
A section of Vilnius historical defensive wall
The sculpture named „Egg“
Monument to Tzemach Shabad (1864-1935)
Choral Synagogue
Church of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary and former Franciscan Monastery
Sculpture of the Holy Virgin Mary (The White Mother of God)
Suzin’s built Baroque-style family mausoleum chapel
A monument to Jozef Montwiłł (1850-1911)

Tour № 6 – Bends of the River Vilnia

Adam Mickiewicz’s Memorial Flat Museum
Church of St. Anne
Church of St. Francis and St. Bernardine
Chapel of the Holy Steps
Monument to Adam Mickiewicz
Church of St. Michael the Archangel
Adam Mickiewitz’s House
Sereikiškių Park
Amber Museum
Russian Orthodox Church of the Blessed Mother of God
„Angel of Užupis“ sculpture
Constitution of the „Republic of Užupis“
Church of St. Bartholomew
Bernardinų Cemetery

Tour № 7 – City Centre

Three Crosses Monument on the Three Crosses Hill
Church of St. Peter and St. Paul
Petras Vileišis Estate
Tuskulėnų Park with columbarium
A building of Lithuanian Energy
A building of Lithuanian Theatre, Music and Film (A Small Radziwiłł Palace)
A Great Radziwiłł Palace
Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum
Sculpture or Roman Gary
A monument to Frank Zappa
Museum of Genocide Victims (former KGB Headquarters)
A plaque to Chiune Sugihara

All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic

Literatų Street

An idea to designate this small street a memorial site to writers began to be implemented in 2008Literatų Street No. 5: The Piasecki house built in the late 18th century. In 1823, having arrived from Kaunas, Adam Mickiewicz resided here at the invitation of the parents of his friend Kazimierz Piasecki. On the pediment of the entry arch a memorial plaque with a Polish inscription is set up; plaques with Lithuanian and Russian inscriptions are set below on both sides of the arch In the 19th century there were many bookshops on this street, hence its nameAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

The Ensemble of the Verkiai Estate

In 1780, Vilnius Bishop Ignacy Massalski settled in Verkiai. He commissioned Lithuanian architect Laurynas Gucevičius to reconstruct an earlier palace. The general plan and maintenance buildings were designed by Lithuanian architect Martin KnackfussThe ensemble encompasses the park of 36 ha. Situated on two terraces, the park consisted of two parts - the upper and the great park. A view of Vilnius and the Neris River is exposed from a steep slopeSince 1960 the ensemble belongs to the Lithuanian Academy of Science and is gradually renovatedAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2021

Church of St. Theresa and the Monastery of the Barefoot Carmelites

It was built from 1633 to 1654 under the patronage of the Vice-Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Stephen Pac. Most probably the exterior was designed by Italian Constantino Tencalla. The exterior of the Church of St. Theresa is designed according to the models of Roman architecture: it is noble and harmonious, built along with the vertical principle with volutes and side obelisksThe St. Theresa Church (left) is located at Dawn St. nearby the Gate of Dawn (at the top) that is famous for its miraculous image of the Mother of Mercy (or Mary of Vilnius)The chapel is built by the Barefoot Carmelite monks for the miraculous picture of Mary of Vilnius in 1671. The St. Theresa Church was built with a large Barefoot Carmelite Monastery, established near Vilnius' defensive wall All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

Church of Our Lord Jesus and the Trinitarian Monastery

The interior sculptural décor was created by Pietro Perti (Italian master) in 1700-1705. Twin towers were built on in the 18th century. It was built by the efforts of Casimir Sapieha the Younger (1637-1720) in 1694-1717 On the façade frieze two Christian soldiers taken into captivity by the Muslims are represented. The main goal of the Trinitarian Order was returning such captives to their homelands The church has an impressive cupola (dome), the interior is adorned with stucco relief works and sculptures - a large part of them is survived. The church is a "sister" to the Church of St. Peter and St Paul in Vilnius (Antakalnis)All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

Chapel of St. Casimir (interior)

The silver cofin of St. Casimir is under a plaster canopy accompanied by relics. Under the cofin is a miraculous painting in a silver frame, with a silver statue with the saint's attributes placed on the cofin. The relief features a very rare depiction of a smiling Blessed Virgin Mary with Baby JesusIn the chapel there are eight silver-plated wooden Baroque statues of the Kings and Grand Dukes of Poland and Lithuania from the Gediminid and Jagiellon dynasties from the 17th centuryThree-Handed Image of St. Casimir c. 1520. This painting is considered to be miraculous. In 1743 the painting was put into a silver, gold-plated framing. St. Casimir is holding lilies and a rosary, which are his symbolsAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

The Observatory Courtyard of the Vilnius University

One of the Latin inscriptions: "This house is that of Urania: be gone profane worries! Here the humble Earth is scorned: from here one rises to the stars"Here it was a Jesuit pharmacy. Medical herbs were grown in the courtyardThe buildings of the Observatory Courtyard are the oldest in the university ensembleAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

Church of the Assumption

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

Church of Blessed Mary the Comforter and the Augustine Monastery

The Augustines established themselves on this site in Vilnius Old Town after 1661. The monastery date from the late 18th centuryIn 1833-1842 the monastery housed the Vilnius Spiritual Academy. In 1859 it was converted into a Russian Orthodox Church of St. AndrewIn 1918 the church was returned to the Roman Catholics and renovated. After WWII the interior was destroyed during the installation of a ferroconcrete ceiling; the church was used as a warehouse in the Soviet timeAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

The Vilnius Picture Gallery (Chodkiewicz Palace)

The family of the noblemen Chodkiewicz bought a house that stood on this site, and transformed it into a Renaissance residenceGrand Hall of the Vilnius Picture Gallery in former Chodkiewicz PalaceThe Classicist interior of the palace is a notable feature of the building of former Chodkiewicz Palace, today the Vilnius Picture GalleryAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

The Kenessa of Vilnius – Karaite sanctuary

The architect Michail Prozorov designed the rectangular building with three-walled apse according to the requirements of Karaim liturgyThe oriental-style exterior has a protruding central part and the onion-shaped dome over it. The distinctive exterior of the building emphasises its unique purposeIn 1949, the Kenessa, along with many other sacral buildings, was nationalized and closed down. In 1988, it was returned to the Karaim community. In 1993, it was re-consecrated and has remained open sinceAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

The Russian Orthodox Church of St. Michael and St. Constantine

It is one of the most attractive Russian Orthodox churches in Vilnius: the exterior is a profusion of shining onion-shape domes; but the interior is remarkably serene. The interior's simplicity is interupted only by an elaborate iconostasis The internal space is created by two huge pairs of parallel semi-circular arches, intersecting at the top under the central dome which is also the main source of lightA panel on the right of the iconostatis depicts the two saints, both from noble families in the Middle Ages, to whom the church is dedicatedAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

The Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences

The Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences was established in 1941 together with the Academy of Sciences, in the building of the former State Wróblewski LibraryBetween two world wars, State Wróblewski Library was one of the largest libraries in Vilnius. It was founded by lower Tadeusz Wróblewski. In 1941, the new Library inherited from it some 163.000 volumes, more than 35.000 manuscripts, large collections of numismatics, cartography, and artworksAfter WWII, the Library was supplemented by extensive collections from other libraries. Today, its stocks count more than 3.77 mln itemsAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

Royal Palace – Inner Courtyard

The Royal Palace at the foot of the Castle Hill was a residence of the Grand Duke of LithuaniaThe Lower Castle is related with the times of Sigismund the Old and Sigismund August, Qween Nona and Barbora Radvilaitė (16th century)In the 16th century the Royal Palace with its Inner Courtyard was an Italian-style palace with four wings and attics. The building around encircled the Inner Courtyard of 2,500 square metres and were connected to the eastern wall of the Cathedral Basilica by a roofed galleryAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

The Russian Street in Vilnius

The Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund (1432-1440), who ruled briefly after the death of his brother Vytautas the Great (died in 1430), granted equal rights to the Russian Orthodox believers living in the capital-city of Vilnius - before long they came to constitute one half of the members of the city board and guild elders In the Middle Ages Vilnius (today Old Town) was increasingly multy-national as it was the case with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania as well. The city was, in fact, divided into four quarters according to the ethnic and religious belonging of its citizens: the German Quarter, the Russian Quarter, the Jewish Quarter, and the Tartar Quarter. Each of these city quarters had the main street named according to the ethnic belonging of their inhabitantsThe Russian Street in Old Town of Vilnius ends with the Russian Orthodox Cathedral (Sobor) of the Dormition of the Holy Mother ...

Trakų Street in Vilnius

Trakų St. finishes where it meets Pylimo St, which runs along the course of the old city wall. There used to be a gate here, which was pulled down together with the wall at the very beginning of the 19th century. In the niche of the Umiastowski estate (Trakų St. 2) there is a Statue of "The City Guard" (1973) In Trakų Street, there is the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption that was founded here by the noble Goštautas family in 1387, the same year as Lithuania became converted to Christianity. However, it is believed that the church with the monastery existed even earlierOne of courtyards of the buildings in Trakų StreetAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020

Vilnius Panorama of the Neris River

Mindaugas Bridge is constructed in 2003. It has the name of the only Lithuanian King crowned on July 6th, 1253On the foothill on the left riverside of Neris, there is a Renaissance building of Old Arsenal followed by the buildings of House of the Castle Keeper and New Arsenal On the right riverside of Neris, a new business center of Vilnius is growing during the last two decadesAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

Vilnius Old Town Hall

The Town Hall hosted a court, archive, weapons depository, as well as a prison for artisans that had broken the law. Burgomasters also held meetings in the Town Hall, as did the Council of Merchants Since 1991, Vilnius Old Town Hall once again is functioning as a place for holding important events like art exhibitions, concerts, conferences, meetings, etcIn the Middle Ages, the Town Hall Square was a place where physical punishment was carried out. There were gallows and a scaffold nearby, where executions were carried outAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

Dominican Church of the Holy Spirit (Interior)

The organ, made by famous German master Adam G. Casparini in 1776, is one of the most valuable cultural monuments of Lithuania. The organ itself is the only surviving original 18th-century instrument in LithuaniaThe church has many Baroque frescoes. In the cupola, there is a multi-figural composition "Apotheosis of the Holy Spirit" (neo-Baroque, 19th century)The altars and the pulpit are lavishly decorated with round and relief sculptures and ornamentation All photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2018

The House of Signatories (Karol Sztral’s House)

A museum operates today in the House of Signatories, along with a memorial hall where the act of Lithuania's independence was signed on February 16th, 1918 when Lithuania was under the German occupation and administration during WWI (1915-1918)The first floor of the house with statues symbolizing agriculture and fishing is very decorative. Niches on the second floor hold two male bustsHaving acquired this house in the late 19th century, Karol Sztral reconstructed it according to architect Aleksei Polozov's project in the style of HistoricismAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2019

The Old Arsenal in Vilnius

In 1986 the east winf of the Old Arsenal was restored. It houses the Museum of Applied Art and Design. The Old Arsenal enables the visitors to feel the ambience of the Renaissance Vilnius The building of the Old Arsenal was remodelled by Sigismund Augustus (second half of the 16th century) in the Renaissance style, mainly by adding a third floor (the attic), decorated in double arch niches. In was an enormous building, reputed to be the largest in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth The Old Arsenal was badly damaged during the war with Russia in 1655-1661, and remained a virtual ruin until the late 18th century when in 1780 was rebuilt and burned down at the end of WWIIAll photos are copyrighted by Vladislav B. Sotirovic© Vladislav B. Sotirovic 2020