The Old Town of Vilnius ( lt, Vilniaus senamiestis, pl, Stare Miasto w Wilnie, be, Стары горад у Вільнюсе, russian: Старый город в Вильнюсe), one of the largest surviving

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

old towns in both Northern and Central Europe, has an area of 3.59 square kilometres (887 acres). It encompasses 74 quarters, with 70 streets and lanes numbering 1487 buildings with a total floor area of 1,497,000 square meters. According to the archaeological research, the first traces of a city are found in Vilnius during the reign of

Traidenis Traidenis ( pl, Trojden, be, Трайдзень) (died 1282) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1270 (or 1269) until 1282. He is the second most prominent, after Mindaugas, Grand Duke of Lithuania in the 13th century. His reign ended a seven-y ...

and

Vytenis Vytenis ( be, Віцень, Vicień; pl, Witenes) was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from c. 1295 to c. 1316. He became the first of the Gediminid dynasty to rule for a considerable amount of time. In the early 14th century his reputation outshon ...

rule. There is some scientific debate whether Vilnius was already a city at the times of king of Lithuania

Mindaugas Mindaugas (german: Myndowen, la, Mindowe, orv, Мендог, be, Міндоўг, pl, Mendog, c. 1203–1263) is the first known Grand Duke of Lithuania and the only crowned King of Lithuania. Little is known of his origins, early life, or ...

. It was first mentioned in the written sources in the letters of

Gediminas Gediminas ( la, Gedeminne, ; – December 1341) was the king or Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death. He is credited with founding this political entity and expanding its territory which later spanned the area ranging from t ...

. The Magdeburg rights were granted by the Lithuanian Grand Duke and King of Poland Jogaila in 1387. It is the oldest part of the Lithuanian capital of

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

, it had been developed over the course of many centuries, and has been shaped by the city's history and a constantly changing cultural influence. It is a place where some of Europe's greatest architectural styles

gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

, baroque and neoclassicalstand side by side and complement each other. There are many

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

and

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

churches, residential houses, cultural and architectural monuments, museums in the Old Town.

Pilies Street Pilies Street (literally, "Castle Street"; lt, Pilies gatvė) is one of the main streets in the Old Town of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It is a rather short street, running from Cathedral Square to the Town Hall Square. Out of several l ...

is the Old Town's main artery and the hub of cafe and street market life. The main street of Vilnius, Gediminas Avenue, is partially located in the Old Town. The central squares in the Old Town are the Cathedral Square and the Town Hall Square. One of the most elaborate architectural complexes is the

Vilnius University Vilnius University ( lt, Vilniaus universitetas) is a public research university, oldest in the Baltic states and in Northern Europe outside the United Kingdom (or 6th overall following foundations of Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow and ...

Architectural Ensemble, which occupies a large part of the Old Town and has 13 courtyards. It was selected to represent Lithuania in the

Mini-Europe Mini-Europe is a miniature park located in ''Bruparck'', at the foot of the Atomium, in Brussels, Belgium. Mini-Europe has reproductions of monuments in the European Union and other countries within the continent of Europe on display, at a scale o ...

Park in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

. In 1994 the Vilnius Old Town was included as a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

(No. 541) in recognition of its universal value and originality. It has been recognised as one of the most beautiful cities of the Old Continent that also has the largest baroque Old Town in the whole of Eastern and Central Europe. The definition of "historic center" itself has a broader meaning than the Old Town, formerly encircled with defensive walls. It embraces the valuable historical suburbs of Vilnius, such as

Užupis Užupis ( yi, זארעטשע, be, Зарэчча, russian: Заречье, pl, Zarzecze) is a neighborhood in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, largely located in Vilnius's old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Užupis means "beyond the r ...

, which historically used to be outside the city boundaries. Therefore Užupis is often considered a part of the Old Town of Vilnius. 352 ha Vilnius Old Town (Senamiestis) as the

should not be confused with one of 21 elderships (boroughs) of Vilnius – Senamiestis (the one with a slightly larger territory – 440 ha).

Landmarks

There are more monuments of interest in the Old Town than in any other part of Vilnius; they include:

Palaces

* Presidential Palace *

Slushko Palace Slushko Palace ( lt, Sluškų rūmai, pl, Pałac Słuszków) in Vilnius, Lithuania is a Baroque palace situated on the left bank of Neris River in the Old Town elderate, former Antakalnis suburb of the city. The palace was erected in 1690–1 ...

* Radziwiłł Palace *

Tyzenhaus Palace Tyzenhaus Palace ( Lithuanian ''Tyzenhauzų rūmai'') is an 18th-century mansion located in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania. History The historical sources of 1579 mention an International Gothic building in the same place. However, it later fell ...

Vilnius Castle Complex The Vilnius Castle Complex ( lt, Vilniaus pilių kompleksas or ) is a group of cultural, and historic structures on the left bank of the Neris River, near its confluence with the Vilnia River, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The buildings, which evolved ...

with the

Gediminas Tower Gediminas' Tower ( lt, Gedimino pilies bokštas) is the remaining part of the Upper Castle in Vilnius, Lithuania. The first wooden fortifications were built by Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania. The first brick castle was completed in 1409 ...

and Royal Palace

Religious monuments

* St. Anne's Church * Church of St. Francis and St. Bernard * St. Michael the Archangel Church * Church of St. Johns * Church of St. Casimir *

Vilnius Cathedral The Cathedral Basilica of St Stanislaus and St Ladislaus of Vilnius ( lt, Vilniaus Šv. Stanislovo ir Šv. Vladislovo arkikatedra bazilika; pl, Bazylika archikatedralna św. Stanisława Biskupa i św. Władysława, historical: ''Kościół Kated ...

in Cathedral Square * St. Nicholas Church * All Saints Church * Church of St. Theresa *

Gate of Dawn The Gate of Dawn ( lt, Aušros vartai), or Sharp Gate ( pl, Ostra Brama, la, Porta Acialis, be, Вострая Брама, lt, Ašmens vartai, russian: Острая брама) is a city gate in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, and one of ...

Three Crosses Three Crosses ( lt, Trys kryžiai, pl, Góra Trzykrzyska) is a prominent monument in Vilnius, Lithuania, on the Hill of Three Crosses, originally known as the Bald Hill ( lt, Plikasis kalnas), in Kalnai Park. According to a legend, which find ...

* Church of St. Catherine * Church of St. Philip and St. Jacob * Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit * Monastery of the Holy Trinity * Cathedral of the Theotokos * St. Nicholas Church * St. Paraskeva Church

Other places of interest

House of the Signatories The House of the Signatories ( lt, Signatarų namai, previously known as ''Sztral's House'') is a Lithuanian historic landmark on Pilies Street, Vilnius, where on February 16, 1918, the Act of Independence of Lithuania was signed by twenty member ...

National Museum of Lithuania The National Museum of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos nacionalinis muziejus), established in 1952, is a state-sponsored historical museum that encompasses several significant structures and a wide collection of written materials and artifacts. It also or ...

* Lithuanian National Drama Theatre * Fragments of the Vilnius city wall * Vilnius dungeons *

References

External links

Vilnius Old Town in postage stampsVilnius Old Town - Lithuania Travel
{{Vilnius elderates Neighbourhoods of Vilnius World Heritage Sites in Lithuania Landmarks in Vilnius Tourist attractions in Vilnius