Sights in Vilnius
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Vilnius Cathedral
At the base of Gediminas Hill sprawls Cathedral Square (Katedros aikštė), dominated by Vilnius Cathedral and its 57m-tall belfry, a Vilnius landmark. The square buzzes with local life, especially during Sunday morning mass. Amuse yourself by hunting for the secret stebuklas (miracle) tile, which if found can grant a wish if you stand on it and turn around clockwise. It marks the spot where the Tallinn-Vilnius human chain ended in 1989.
Vilnius' age-old meeting point, Cathedral Square buzzes with local life. To make your dreams come true, find the tile marked stebuklas (miracle). It marks the spot where the human chain - formed between Tallinn and Vilnius by two million …
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Gediminas Hill
Vilnius was founded on 48m-high Gediminas Hill, topped since the 13th century by Gedimino Tower. Its walls were ruined during the Russian occupation (1655-61), but it was restored in 1930 to house the Upper Castle Museum.
The Renaissance ushered in the Royal Palace (Valdovūrumai), where the first Lithuanian operas were performed.
A quadrangle of four wings enclosing a vast courtyard of 10,000 sq m, the palace buzzed with masked balls, banquets and tournaments in the 16th century. But in 1795 with the Russian occupation of Lithuania the palace - along with the Lower Castle and city defence wall - was demolished.
This palace of incredible dimensions rose from the ashes in…
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Gates of Dawn
The 16th-century Gates of Dawn is the only one of the town wall's original nine gates still intact. The gate houses the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the black-and-gold 'miracle-working' Virgin Mary icon. A gift from the Crimea by Grand Duke Algirdas in 1363, it is one of the holiest icons in Polish Catholicism, and the faithful arrive in droves to offer it whispered prayer.
When the Russians destroyed the old city walls in the 18th century, they spared Aušros Vartai, fearing bad luck if they tampered with the resting place of the Virgin icon. The Soviets likewise refused to touch it. Look up as you're exiting Old Town and you can spot the icon through the window …
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Paneriai Museum
A path leads to the shocking Paneriai Museum. There are two monuments here, one Jewish (marked with the Star of David), the other one Soviet (an obelisk topped with a Soviet star).
From here paths lead to a number of grassed-over pits where, from December 1943, the Nazis lined up 300 to 4000 victims at a time and shot them in the back of the head. After the bodies fell, they were covered with sand to await the next layer of bodies. The Nazis later burnt the exhumed corpses of their victims to hide the evidence of their crimes. One of the deeper pits, according to its sign, was where they kept those who were forced to dig up the corpses and pulverise the bones.
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Memorial
About half the city's Jewish population had already been massacred here by the end of the first three months of the German occupation (June to September 1941) at the hands of Einsatzkommando 9, an SS killing unit of elite Nazi troops. Lithuanian accomplices are accused of doing as much of the killing as their German overseers. The forest entrance is marked by a memorial, the Panerių memorialas.
The text in Russian, dating from the Soviet period, remembers the 100,000 'Soviet citizens' killed here. The memorial plaques in Lithuanian and Hebrew - erected later - honour the 70,000 Jewish victims.
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Orthodox Church of the Apparition
Vilnius' 19th-century New Town boasts a true European boulevard: Gedimino prospektas is a grand road with Vilnius Cathedral at one end and the silver-domed Orthodox Church of the Apparition at the other. Much of Gedimino becomes a pedestrian street outside working hours, when fashionable types flock here to see, be seen and peruse the sundry Western brands on display in the shop fronts.
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Upper Castle Museum
Vilnius was founded on 48m-high Gediminas Hill, topped since the 13th century by the oft-rebuilt tower of ruined Gediminas Castle. There are spectacular views of Old Town from the top of the tower, which houses the Upper Castle Museum. From here you'll also see the white Three Crosses on a hill to the east, erected in memory of three crucified monks.
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Presidential Palace
Formerly the Bishops' Palace, the Presidential Palace was rebuilt in classical Russian Empire style early in the 19th century. It was used by Napoleon during his advance on Moscow, and by his Russian adversary General Kutuzov when he was chasing Napoleon back to Paris. Book guided tours (in Lithuanian) in advance and bring your passport to get in.
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Museum of Genocide Victims
The building facing Lukiškių Aikštė was the notorious KGB headquarters and prison, but is now the Museum of Genocide Victims. Called the 'KGB Museum' by locals, it is Vilnius' most important and most popular museum. It is best taken in with an English-speaking guide (reserve in advance) or headphone audio tour.
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Bust of Gaon Elijahu
For a more casual glimpse of Jewish life, walk down Žydų gatvė to the memorial Bust of Gaon Elijahu, imagining how life once was. There's a map of the two main Jewish ghettos during WWII at Rūdninkų gatvė 18, which used to be the single gate to the largest ghetto.
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Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Gates of Dawn houses the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the black-and-gold 'miracle-working' Virgin Mary icon. A gift from the Crimea by Grand Duke Algirdas in 1363, it is one of the holiest icons in Polish Catholicism, and the faithful arrive in droves to offer it whispered prayer.
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St John's Church
You need to go through the university entrance on Universiteto to access St John's Church, a baroque gem. Founded in 1387 - well before the university arrived - its 17th-century bell tower is the highest structure in Old Town.
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Museum of Applied Arts
Exhibitions on the ambitious Royal Palace reconstruction project fill the must-see Museum of Applied Arts, in the old arsenal at the foot of Gediminas Hill. The museum also has many items from the original palace on display.
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Centre for Stateless Cultures
Vilnius University houses the world's first Centre for Stateless Cultures, established for those cultures that lack statehood, such as Jewish, Roma and Karaimic (Karaite) cultures, in its history faculty.
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Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum of Lithuania, The Tolerance Centre
Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum of Lithuania, the Tolerance Centre, one of three branches of the Jewish State Museum, stages community events and exhibits the works of prominent Lithuanian Jewish artists
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Egg Statue
This oversized egg on a nest of real twigs resided on Užupis' main square until it 'hatched' the Angel of Užupis in 2002 and moved to a grim square west of Old Town.
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Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit
Roughly behind St Teresa's is the big, pink, domed 17th-century Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit, Lithuania's chief Russian Orthodox church and another fine baroque specimen.
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Vilnius University
The students of Vilnius University attend school on a spectacular campus featuring 13 courtyards framed by 15th-century buildings and splashed with 300-year-old frescoes.
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St Casimir's Church
The ravishing St Casimir's Church is the oldest of Vilnius' baroque masterpieces. It was built by Jesuits (1604-15) and under Soviet rule was a museum of atheism.
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Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum of Lithuania, The Green House
Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum of Lithuania, The Green House, is one of the Jewish State Museum's three branches, and dedicated to the holocaust in Lithuania.
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Frank Zappa Memorial
The world's first Zappa statue is oddly situated in a grim, graffiti-splashed courtyard west of Old Town. It was erected in 1995 by the local Zappa fan club.
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Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum of Lithuania
One of three branches of the museum, this centre shares a building with the Jewish Community Centre. The city's Jewish population today numbers about 4000.
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National Museum
The National Museum has ethnographic exhibits, art and other displays looking at Lithuanian life up to WWII. Exhibits are in Lithuanian and Russian.
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The ¿ Building
This dilapidated building with an upside-down question mark dangling from its façade undoubtedly hides secrets behind its boarded-up windows.
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Holy Spirit Church
The Holy Spirit Church is Vilnius' primary Polish church (1679) and has one of the most elaborate baroque interiors you'll find anywhere.
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