"Villainous Vilnius, Nah!" a Vilnius Travel Page by Ramonq

Strolling down Gediminas Avenue, the main street in Vilnius, is wonderful. This street was once called Adolf Hitler Street during the Nazi occupation and Stalin and later Lenin Street during the Soviet era, which signifies that this is the most important thoroughfare in the city. The street holds many of Lithuania's most important buildings including the government, parliamentary, legal, cultural and its largest financial and commercial organisations. These institutions are housed inside some of the most beautiful and impressive buildings in the land. Start from one end at the Neris River and work your way up passing by Lukiškės and Municipality Square until you reach the very striking Cathedral Square, which is known for its stand-alone white church bell tower and the cathedral's classical Greek architecture. The cathedral and its bell tower are Vilnius's iconic landmarks where it has become a most popular meeting place for the city's residents. Public gatherings and fairs are held here and during the festive season, the largest Christmas tree in the whole of Lithuania is installed in the square.

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Vilnius Cathedral and Bell Tower

Fascinating History

Tales of a pagan king having dreams of a howling iron wolf and crusader knights invading the town to steal the princess are the some of the most fascinating and earliest known history of Vilnius. The city was one of the last in Europe to convert to Christianity from paganism when the Lithuanian king was baptised in Krakow in the late 14th century, when soon after the Vilnius Cathedral was built. This act began the long union of Poland and Lithuania and Vilnius played a major role in governing the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until the Russians conquered the city in 1798. Napoleon Bonaparte briefly invaded Vilnius and stayed at the Presidential Palace. All these conquests and invasions have made Vilnius different from the rest of Lithuania. Unlike in the rural areas, a vast majority of the citizens of Vilnius spoke non-Lithuanian languages especially Polish which was the language of the nobility. Vilnius also endured the "russification" of its culture, but when communism fell and the Soviets left, many ethnic Lithuanians have moved to Vilnius to stake their claim on the city.

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Gediminas Street in Winter

The Old and the New

The best way to appreciate the history of Vilnius is to wander around the old city which was formerly surrounded by a wall. There you will see the President's Palace where Napoleon stayed; the Vilnius ghetto where Jews were rounded up for extermination; the University which played an important role in the development of Vilnius; the beautiful Town Hall square; many old Catholic and Orthodox churches; and preserved homes which once housed the nobilities. It's so easy to lose yourself inside the old town because there are so much interesting sights. However, to get an idea of how Vilnius has grown into a sophisticated modern European city, go to the Vilnius Television Tower where there is a revolving coffee shop. This tower played a crucial role in the independence of Lithuania from the Soviets where heroes were shot defending it. Up above the tower, you will get a bird's eyeview of the old and the new city with skyscrapers, parks, and Soviet style housing blocs. Then you will understand why this land has been conquered and invaded a lot by neighbouring countries.