Beautiful Baltics Day 5: More Vilnius

Where and when: Vilnius, Lithuania, May 2025

We had half a day to spend in Vilnius before flying back to the UK, so we decided to explore the old town further. Being a Sunday, the narrow cobbled streets were quieter than usual.

Our first stop was Cathedral Square, home to Vilnius Cathedral. Built on the site of former pagan worship, the cathedral dates back to the 14th century and is the equivalent of Westminster Abbey in the UK. Many Grand Dukes of Lithuania were crowned here, and notable figures from Lithuania are buried here as well. Nearby stands the bell tower of the Cathedral, now converted into a museum. Also in the square is the Monument to Grand Duke Gediminas, who ruled Lithuania from 1315/1316 until his death in 1341 and is credited with founding Vilnius.

Vilnius Cathedral and Bell Tower (now a museum)

According to legend, Gediminas was hunting in the forest by the Vilnia River when he fell asleep after a successful day. He dreamt of a huge Iron Wolf standing on a hill, howling as strongly and loudly as a hundred wolves. This led him to found the city around the hill, which he named Vilnius after the river flowing nearby. He built Gediminas Tower and Castle, which we visited yesterday. The descendants of Gediminas’ dynasty went on to rule over Poland, Hungary, and Bohemia, cementing his place in history as a pivotal figure in Eastern European politics.

We also visited the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, located on Cathedral Square between Gediminas Tower and the cathedral. The original structure, whose foundations can still be seen, dates back to the 13th century. The palace served as the seat of power for many Grand Dukes and rulers who occupied Lithuania from the 16th century onwards. However, it gradually fell into ruin and was almost completely destroyed by 1801. After Lithuania’s independence in 1990, the palace was reconstructed between 2002 and 2013. Today, it is open to the public and used for many state occasions.

The museum has much to offer, and you can easily spend a full day here. Given our time constraints, we opted for Tour Route II, which covers some of the palace’s history and its most impressive rooms.

We also had time for a quick look around the University of Vilnius, which was founded in 1579 and is one of the oldest universities in Eastern and Central Europe. The buildings are spread out and integrated into Vilnius’ Old Town. Today, the university has about 25,000 students and is one of the largest research institutions in Lithuania.

As we headed home, I thought about Vilnius. It’s different from the other two Baltic capitals, Riga and Tallinn. All three cities exude European capital charm, with cobblestone streets, castles, parks, history, and Cathedrals. However, Vilnius was probably the most lively and least touristy. Unlike Tallinn and Riga, where the old towns feel somewhat self-contained and reserved for tourists, Vilnius’ old town sprawls out and incorporates the university, presidential palace, and other government buildings. This made it feel like we were exploring a vibrant, living, breathing city, rather than one set aside for tourists.

Of course Vilinius is bigger than just the old town. The new town is across the Neris rover, with many of the Soviet era buildings, which we visited the day before.

Hotel Review

Hotel Review
We stayed at the Neringa Hotel, located on the main trunk road into the city. It was about a 15-minute walk East from there to Cathedral Square, which is at the edge of the Old Town. A few minutes walk west from the hotel brings you to other important sites in Vilnius, such as Lukiškės Square, Museum of Occupation, Parliment and the National Library. 
The hotel is on Gedimino promenade, which is the main road leading to the Old Town and can be busy. But we had a room facing the main road and couldn't hear any noise). The hotel also features a great rooftop bar and plenty of restaurants nearby, with a very short walk to the banks of the Neris River.

This brings an end my series about two of the three Baltic capitals, Vilnius and Riga. If you want to know about my trip to the third Baltic Captial, Tallinn, you can read more here and here.