Vilnius Favorite Tips by HORSCHECK Top 5 Page for this destination

Stebuklas

Favorite thing: The Stebuklas (Miracle) is a special pavement block in the Cathedral Square (Katedros aikste) which bears the word Stebuklas in coloured letters under a glass cover. Unfortunately the glass was a bit cloudy when we were there in 2006. In 2011 we realised that it had been replaced by a Stebuklas made of stone.

The Stebuklas marks the place where in 1989 the human chain of about 2 million Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians ended. The chain was formed to protest against the Soviet occupation and began in the 650 km far away Tallinn (Estonia).

If you want one of your wishes come true then stand on the stone, think of the wish and turn clockwise 360 degrees. I haven't tried it, so I can't say if it really works ....

Directions:
The Stebuklas can be found in the Cathedral Square (Katedros aikste) somewhere between the Cathedral and the belfry.

Vilnius by night

Favorite thing: Most of Vilnius' churches and main sights are beautifully illuminated at night; especially around the touristy city centre.

So a stroll in the darkness is highly recommended, especially when the weather during the day was grey.

Among the well worth seeing buildings at night are first of all the Cathedral and the belfry, but also the St. Catherine's Church, St. John's Church, St. Casimir Church as well as the building of the National Philharmonics are well worth seeing at night.

Belmontas

Favorite thing: Belmontas is nowadays a recreation and entertainment centre just outside of the city. In the 14th century this area used to be a mill complex, which was run by French aristocrats.

All buildings were beautifully restored and now many of them house restaurants, bars or cafes. They are often used for wedding receptions.

On a stroll along the river and through the adjacent forest one can discover water falls, several bridges, fountains and the historic authenic buildings.

We visited Belmontas with VT member Raimix who drove us here and also showed us around. At the end of our visit we had a drink and a snack at the Joana Carinova's Inn Restaurant, where I had tasty Potato Pancakes with a bacon crisps sauce for 11,90 Litas.

Directions:
Belomontas is situated about 5 km east of Vilnius' city centre, somewhere east of the Uzupis district. As far as I know it can't be reached by public transport, so you have to either go by taxi or have a VT friend who takes you there.

Website: http://www.belmontas.lt/

Churches of Vilnius

Favorite thing: Vilnius is also called "City of Churches" due to the fact that you can find about 40 churches of different architectural styles in the central part of the city.

On our trip we visited quite a few of these churches. I have listed them under "Things to do", but there were some more churches which we had a quick look at.

Among them were:

The Church of the Holy Mother of God is a gothic-style orthodox church which underwent several renovations since its construction in the 14th century. It also served as university building, barracks, warehouse and even a smithery. Location: Maironio gatve 12

The oldest Baroque Church in Vilnius is the St. Casimir Church which was founded in 1604 by the Jesuits. During the Soviet occupation it was used as the museum of atheism. Location: Didzioji gatve 34

The white St. Bartholomew Church is a Catholic church which was built in its current style in the early 19th century. It can be found in Vilnius' Uzupis district.

New town

Favorite thing: A complete contrast to the baroque Old Town of Vilnius is the so called New Town which was created after Lithuania's break from the Soviet Union.

Besides a modern shopping centre it is also home to the tallest skyscraper of the Baltic States.

The Europa Tower has a height of 148 m and was officially opened on the 1st May 2004 which was the day when Lithuania joined the European Union.

Another building which dominates the skyline of the New Town is the newly renovated 22-storey Reval Hotel Lietuva. It is the largest hotel in Vilnius and includes a Sky Bar which offers panoramic views of the city.

Directions:
The New Town is situated on the right bank of the Neris River in the Snipiskes district of Vilnius.

Uzupis district

Favorite thing: Uzupis is a bohemian district of Vilnius where, since the last couple of years, artists dreamers and writers have settled down. During Soviet times it was one of the most run down areas in the city, with many buildings in decay.

After Lithuania's independence, Uzupis also declared itself as an independent republic (Uzupio Respublika) with its own constitution. The people of Uzupis even celebrate their unofficial independence day on the 1st of April.

The most famous sights in the district are the mermaid statue by the river and the Uzupis Angel at the main square, but you definitely shouldn't miss having a closer look in some of the courtyards of the run down houses.

Unfortunately there are already rumours that Uzupis will sooner or later be turned from an alternative to a trendy district. So better visit it right now ...

Directions:
Uzupis is located on the Eastern side of the Vilnia river, therefore the name of the district is literally translated as "on the other side of the river".