Vilnius
Vilnius is one of several European capital cities at the crossroads between West and East, South and North. This special position is reflected not only by the variety of its architectural styles, but also by the spirit of the city. Tranquil streets of the Old Town abut onto the remnants of the city’s defensive walls and castles, which provide panoramic views of the city’s churches of various styles – Gothic, Renaissance, Classic, and Baroque. These stand alongside noblemen’s mansions of different eras, while buildings of the modernist and socialist realism era are overshadowed by modern skyscrapers.
Vilnius is Lithuania’s capital and also its most important city. It is the seat of Lithuania’s major institutions: the Seimas (Parliament), the Presidency, the Government, the Bank of Lithuania, the Supreme Court, and the Constitutional Court. The population of Vilnius is just over half a million (554,000). The heart of Vilnius is built around certain hills, including one that is home to the basic architectural symbol of Lithuania – the tower of Gediminas’ Castle. Vilnius hides a host of surprise discoveries, something for everybody: all different and unique.
Vilnius is currently one of the most visited cities in Eastern Europe. In 1994 the Old Town of Vilnius was included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage List. But Vilnius is attractive not just for its unique architecture. At any time of the year there is a variety of events taking place of various scope and format in the cultural, music, cinema, theatre, and art fields, including fashion festivals. Among the plethora of restaurants, bars, cafés and clubs of different styles, every guest will find something that he/she wants to return to again more than once in the future.
Vilnius is the kind of city that one always wishes to return to.
