Last Updated on 15/05/2024 by kami
Vilnius is a multicultural city, with big communities of Polish, Russian or Belorussian inhabitants. Every second house on the Old Town has an information saying that someone important of these orgins used to live/work here. There’s a strong multicultural vibe in the city but still the Old Town feels familiar and cosy, perfect for strolling down and wander around calmly, for exploring it peacefully.
The best place to admire the Old Town with its red roofs and numerous beautiful baroque churches is from one of the surrounding hills. They’re all worth a hike up to the top as the view is simply breathtaking. I can spend way too much time, just staring at the city below, it’s so pretty!
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I know a lot of people prefer other nearby cities over Vilnius and well, it’s true, Tallinn is much more beautiful. But I would never cross off Lithuanian capital! It might be not as beautiful as its neighbours but it definitely has some charm and hides a lot of history. Since 1994 Vilnius’ Old Town has been on UNESCO World Heritage List and it’s definitely there for a reason!
Have you been to Vilnius? Would you like to visit it?
Further reading
I published many articles about Lithuania that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:
- Guide to Soviet Architecture in Vilnius, Lithuania
- A mini guide to things to do in Vilnius, Lithuania
- Mini guide to quirky, alternative Vilnius
- 29 Great Things to Do in Kaunas, Lithuania
- Guide to Impressive Modernist Architecture in Kaunas, Lithuania
- and more!
If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in Eastern Europe and ask your questions there.
If you think of visiting Lithuania or just want to read more about the country take a look what else I wrote about it!
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11 Comments
kethra
19/08/2015 at 10:50I have a question: can you suggest a good hotel/hostel in Vilnus with a parking space?
kami
03/09/2015 at 21:47sorry for the late answer! I don’t know about the parking space (should be plenty there though) but Downtown Forest Hostel was pretty amazing, I really loved it
karung99
29/11/2016 at 02:10I love old town Vilnius, a lot of good food and very pretty.
kami
03/12/2016 at 21:05Indeed!
David
01/01/2018 at 10:04I am lucky to be staying in Vilnius with a friend this July 3018. I am rely looking forward to it. Tbsnk you for your information.
David
01/01/2018 at 10:05Please excuse the spelling!
kami
04/01/2018 at 22:15I’m sure you will have a great time! July is a great time to visit Lithuania!
Zal
29/05/2018 at 05:39Love your very short description and awesome photos of Vilnius. Let me please mention some very important historical facts about this beautiful city where I was born and grew up.
Vilnius before WWII was called Wilno, since it belonged to Poland.
It had 45% Jewish population(100,000), and 55% Polish and Russian.(in 1945 only 5000 jews have remained).
Wilno was a predominantly Polish and Jewish city since the Polish-Lithuanian borders were accepted in 1922 by the League of Nations.
The protocols of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact had partitioned Lithuania and Poland into German and Soviet spheres of interest.
On 19 September 1939, Vilnius was seized by the Soviet Union( and annexed in 1940). Wilno was transferred to Lithuania in October, according to the Soviet–Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty. Two years later, the German Army entered Wilno on 26 June 1941.
The beautiful Old part of the city used to be a Jewish Quarter, for many centuries. And this is where the Vilnius Ghetto was established by Nazis right at the beginning of their occupation on June 24, 1941. The Ghettos was liquidated by Germans in 1943 together with all its inhabitants.
This is just a tiny part of Vilnius history, thought visitors to your blog to have a better understanding the past of this city.
kami
31/05/2018 at 08:06Thank you for your great input to this post, I highly appreciate it!
Kim
02/04/2019 at 22:59I will be visiting Vilnius for a week and am looking forward to it
kami
05/04/2019 at 21:00I hope you will like it, Vilnius is such a gem. Have a good trip!