What to see in Vilnius

Vilnius is smaller than most European capitals and easier to get through because of it. The Old Town, the castle hill and the river are all within twenty minutes of each other on foot. You can see the main things in two days without hurrying — and the city rewards you for slowing down.

Everything below is reachable from our apartments by trolleybus in under half an hour.

10 min by trolleybus

The Old Town

One of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.

Vilnius grew without a grand plan, and it shows in the best possible way. Streets bend around courtyards, baroque façades sit beside plain brick walls, and almost every gateway opens into a yard worth stepping into.

Start at Pilies Street and let yourself drift. The stretch between the Cathedral and the Gates of Dawn takes about twenty minutes if you walk straight through — and most of an afternoon if you do it properly.

The courtyards of Vilnius University are open to visitors for a small fee. Thirteen of them, connected like a small town of their own.

15 min by trolleybus

Gediminas Castle Tower

The red brick tower on the hill is what is left of the Upper Castle, and it gives you the whole city in one look.

The climb up the path takes about ten minutes and is steeper than it looks. A funicular runs from the courtyard of the National Museum if you would rather save your legs.

Go at the end of the day. From the top you see the Old Town roofs on one side and the glass towers of the new centre on the other — the two halves of Vilnius in a single frame.

The funicular is closed in strong wind. Check before you count on it.

20 min by trolleybus

Užupis

A neighbourhood across the river that declared itself a republic in 1997, complete with a constitution, a flag and an army of about a dozen people.

The constitution is mounted on a wall on Paupio Street in more than thirty languages. It is worth reading — "A dog has the right to be a dog" and "Everyone has the right to be happy" sit next to each other without irony.

Beyond the joke, Užupis is a genuinely pleasant place to spend an hour: galleries, small workshops, riverside benches and some of the best coffee in the city.

April 1st is Užupis Independence Day, when the border posts are staffed and passports get stamped.

15 min by trolleybus

Cathedral Square

The open square at the foot of the castle hill, and the place the city uses whenever it needs to gather.

The Cathedral itself is unusual for Lithuania — neoclassical, closer to a Greek temple than to the baroque churches around it. The bell tower stands separately, which is rarer still.

Look for the Stebuklas tile in the paving: it marks the end of the Baltic Way, the human chain of two million people that stretched from here to Tallinn in 1989.

Tradition says you stand on the tile, turn around clockwise and make a wish.

18 min by trolleybus

St. Anne's Church

Late gothic, built from thirty-three different shapes of brick, and small enough to take in from one spot.

The story goes that Napoleon wanted to carry it back to Paris in the palm of his hand. Probably invented, but you understand the sentiment once you see the façade.

The Bernardine Church and monastery stand right behind it, and the Bernardine Garden beyond that — an easy place to sit down after a morning of walking.

20 min by trolleybus

Hill of Three Crosses

White crosses on a green hill above the Old Town, and the best free view in Vilnius.

The monument was torn down in 1950 and rebuilt in 1989 — the fragments of the original still lie at the base of the hill, left there deliberately.

The walk up from Kalnai Park takes fifteen minutes on stairs and forest path. It is quieter than Gediminas Tower and, most evenings, the better viewpoint.

Bring shoes with grip. The path gets slick after rain.

Also worth your time

MO Museum

Lithuanian modern art in a Daniel Libeskind building. The rooftop terrace and café are open without a ticket.

Halės Market

The covered market since 1906. Smoked meats, rye bread and curd cheese in the morning, food stalls the rest of the day. Closed Mondays.

Bernardine Garden

The park behind St. Anne's, along the river. The easiest place in the Old Town to sit down and do nothing.

Vilnius TV Tower

A revolving café 165 metres up, and the widest view you will get of the city and the forests around it.

Before you come

Getting around

Buses and trolleybuses cover the city well. Buy a Vilniečio kortelė at any kiosk, or pay by card on board. The Old Town is comfortably walkable end to end.

When to come

May to September is warm and long-evening bright. Winter is cold but the Old Town in snow is worth the extra layer, and prices are lower.

How long you need

Two days covers the Old Town and one viewpoint without rushing. Four lets you add Užupis, a museum and a day outside the city.

Worth the detour

Trakai Island Castle is 40 minutes by train and makes an easy half-day. Trains leave from the central station roughly every hour.

Somewhere to come back to

Our apartments sit a short trolleybus ride from everything on this page — fully equipped, with self check-in and no agency in between.

See our apartments

Photos: Pexels