Two hour Guided Tour of Vilnius Old Town
Vilnius Old Town a protected UNESCO world heritage site and Vilnius the European Capital of Culture in 2009.
During the tour you will get to know the town whose Classical style monuments amaze with perfect proportion and grace, the churches bloom with Baroque blossoms, the Vilnius University yards dwell Renaissanse, the foundations of the town and pointed Gothic church towers let us smell the dust of the Gothic age - 15th century Vilnius.
Vilnius is the metropolitan capital of Lithuania, it's the largest city and a cultural, and scientific centre having the largest surviving old town in Eastern Europe since World War II.
There are about 550 thousands people living in Vilnius - 58 percent of the inhabitants are of Lithuanians origin, 19 percent Polish origin, 14 - Russian origin , 4 - Belarusian origin, 0,5 Jewish origin and 5 percent originating from other nationalities. Vilnius has always been a multicultural town - the Duke Gediminas after transferring his capital from Trakai to Vilnius, at once started writing letters to Western Europe inviting craftsman and merchants to his capital - royal town of Vilnius.
The Route:
- The Cathedral
- Gediminas Tower (Vilnius Castle)
- Royal Palace of Lithuania
- Pilies Gatvė (Castle Street)
- St.Ann's Church
- Bernardine Church
- Vilnius University Ensemble and St. John's Church
- Presidential Palace
- gates to the Jewish quarter
- Town Hall (Rotušė) and Square
- Gate of Dawn (Aušros Vartai)
The tour starts at Vilnius Cathedral where the Šventaragis valley once lay - when the sacred fire on the pagan altar was burning with infinite flames. You will become to know the history of the Vilnius Castles: the old High Castle western tower remembers the times of Duke Gediminas' and the fierce Crusaders attacks which always ended in failure for the invaders; the Lower Castle with the recently reconstructed Royal Palace of Lithuania will tell a love story of Barbora Radvilaitė, the beautiful daughter of powerful magnate of Lithuania and the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Žygimantas Augustas (Sigismund II August) during the most prosperous times, the Golden age of the city.
Pilies Gatvė (Castle Street) is the main bustling Vilnius Old Town street, which will lead us to the net of beautiful winding narrow side streets, to the heart of the old city. We will stop to marvel with pleasure at the view of the thin and detailed St.Anns church and strong, prepared for defence Bernardines church beside it, we will visit the ensemble of Vilnius University, one of the oldest universities in Europe, where students still studying in the same buildings, where the University was established in 1579. We will have a glimpse at the Presidential Palace and then will enter through the now non-existent gates to the Jewish quarter, where a ghetto was established during the Holocaust of World War II. Through the narrow streets we will reach the Town Hall Square and will finish the tour at the Gate of Dawn (Aušros Vartai)- the only gate which survived the ages from the beginning of 16th century, that was never demolished because of the Chapel and Shrine which was built above the Gates of Dawn which has a miraculous painting of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn.
Vilnius, one of the oldest Baltic cities will charm you with it's impressive architecture from all ages and styles, the honorable history, with cosines and refreshing nature, parks in the center of the town, the abundance of events and friendliness of people.
