Vilnius – Looking to the Future while not forgetting the Past..

04.06.2022

Another 4 hour bus ride brought us from Riga to Vilnius, a cool and compact city offering the largest medieval old town in central and eastern Europe. We only stayed there for two short nights but were charmed by its sense of history, impressive architectural heritage, the sartorial elegance of its inhabitants and its bustling café culture.

Like most visitors, we made a bee-line for the hill in the city center which has formed much of the city’s defensive alarm system since the 10th century and is home to Gediminas Tower, the remaining part of the original castle and offering panoramic views of the Old Town below. Unesco-protected, of course, it is a cobbled labyrinth of parks, squares, bars, cafes and restaurants. There is also an array of charming neoclassical and baroque churches, such as the Church of the Ascension.

The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Vladislav is the city’s main religious building and it stands proudly in the main square – with a separate bell tower. We had dinner in the Old Town, a very good restaurant offering typical Lithuanian cuisine and at a very reasonable price.

Early the next morning, we dutifully turned up at the Cathedral Basilica in blazing sunshine to start the 3 hour free walking tour of the Old Town. In the end it was time well spent as we learnt a lot from our guide about the city’s turbulent history and legacy. Lithuania only became independent in 1990, the first Soviet republic to do so. Thanks to its struggles to retain its national identity, it is an incredibly proud country, it seemed that their red, yellow and green national flag was hanging from every possible pillar and post.

The highlights of the tour were the Jewish quarter and Uzupis, a self-declared republic within the city.

There may only be just over 3,000 Jews left in the entirety of Lithuania, but their roots, dating back to the 8th century, can still be seen in throughout the capital, in the form of the Choral Synagogue, the Old Jewish Cemetery and the Flame of Hope sculpture, commemorating the 90 per cent of the city’s Jewish population killed in the Holocaust.

Užupis is a cool and hipster neighborhood on the wrong side of the Vilnia River which declared itself an independent republic on April 1, 1997. The area is full of trendy bars, shops and restaurants. Do have a drink in the country’s “parliament” by the river, where the «state’s» constitution is on display.

Our final stop on our short visit to Vilnius was a visit to the Duke’s palace beside the Basilica Cathedral, now a remarkable museum full of interesting relics, maps, furniture, paintings and interactive displays which recount the whole history of Vilnius and indeed, Lithuania, since the original castle was built there in 1111. Well worth a visit.

Our insider tip:

The Museum of Genocide Victims is recommended as a grim but important visit. As well as dealing with the systematic murder of Jews by the Nazis, it studies the brutal treatment of the nation by the Soviets during both the war and subsequent occupation. Lest we forget...