Vilnius, a city in the Vilnius Lake District, on the Neris River, at the mouth of the Vileyka River, in the south of the country, close to the border with Belarus. Vilnius is the capital of the Republic of Lithuania. The population including the agglomeration is approximately 800,000. Vilnius is the main economic, cultural and scientific centre of Lithuania. The mayor of the city since 2023 is Valdas Benkunskas.
The city is a twin city of Lublin. The letter of intent as of 4 February 2019 was signed by the Mayors of both cities in Vilnius.
History:
The city was first mentioned in 1323, when the founder of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Gediminas, built a wooden castle (called Vysoky) on Castle Hill and moved the capital from Trakai to Vilnius. Lithuanian Grand Duke and Polish King Władysław Jagiełło granted the city Magdeburg rights in 1387 and began to bring in settlers. In 1441, Casimir IV Jagiellon confirmed the town's rights. Between 1503 and 1522, fortified walls were built. The most splendid period in the city's history was the Sigismund era. A mint, an arsenal, mills, a bridge over the Vileyka River, numerous hospitals and palaces were built at that time. Vilnius became a city of many nationalities. In 1579, King Stefan Batory founded the Jesuit-run Academy, which became the nucleus of Vilnius University. Since 17 September 1991 Vilnius has been the capital of independent Lithuania.
Culture:
Vilnius is a thriving cultural centre. Art lovers can enjoy a wide range of theatres, galleries, museums and other art centres. The city's rich cultural offer is evidenced by the fact that it was awarded the title of European Capital of Culture 2009. The Old Town of Vilnius is a historic part of the city founded in 1387 by Władysław Jagiełło under the Magdeburg Law. In 1994, the Old Town was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Cyclical cultural events:
- MARCH: Kaziuki of Vilnius – the celebration of the patron saint of Lithuania – St. Casimir. For the duration of the event, the streets of the Old Town of Vilnius fill up with colourful stands, stalls displaying works of Lithuanian craftsmen and folk art
Vilnius International Film Festival "Film Spring" - MAY: Street Music Day
The Night of Museums - JUNE: International Symphonic Music Festival "Vilnius Festival"
Midsummer Night (Midsummer Rose Festival) - JULY: Lithuanian Songs of the World Festival
Coronation of Mindaugas – State Day (6 July, public holiday) - JULY – AUGUST: International Music Festival "Christopher's Summer Festival"
- AUGUST: St Bartholomew's Fair
- SAUGUST – SEPTEMBER: Capital Days
- OCTOBER: Vilnius Jazz Festival
Monuments:
- There are 40 churches in Vilnius, the most impressive of which are the Baroque Church of St Peter and St Paul in Antokol (1668-1676) containing more than 2,000 sculptures, the chapel of the Gates of Dawn (Medininkai Gate) with the famous painting of Our Lady of the Dawn Gate, and the Gothic St Anne's Cathedral built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries.
- In addition, worth a visit are: Lithuanian National Museum, the Museum of Victims of Genocide, the Adam Mickiewicz Museum, the Money Museum at the National Bank of Lithuania, the New Arsenal, the Museum of Energy and Technology, the Lower Castle, Gediminas Tower, the Town Hall and the Radvilas Palace.
- SEE VILNIUS TOURIST OFFER
Universities:
- Vilnius University (Lithuanian: Vilniaus Universitetas) – the oldest university in Lithuania, founded in 1579 by Stefan Batory as Vilnius Academy and University. The university offers studies at 12 faculties, has a botanical garden, an astronomical observatory and a computing and research centre
- Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences
- Faculty of Economics and Information Technology of the University of Bialystok – Vilnius Branch
- Gediminas Technical University of Vilnius
- Vilnius Academy of Arts
- ISM University of Management and Economics
- Michal Römer University
- Baltic Aviation Academy
- Vilnius Jesuit College
- Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre
- European Humanities University (a Lithuanian-Belarusian higher education institution)
Famous residents:
- Laurynas Stuoka-Gucevičius – architect, representative of classicism in Lithuania
- Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas – writer, spokesman, literary historian, critic, public figure, educator, priest
- Simonas Stanevičius – writer, fabulist
- Žemaitė – writer, publicist, playwright, social activist, representative of critical realism, defender of women's rights
- Simonas Daukantas – historian, writer, educator, one of the first ideologists of the national revival
- Liudas Gira – poet, playwright, critic, publicist, translator
- Petras Cvirka – writer, political figure
- Jascha Heifetz – world-famous violinist
- Mikelis Marksas – founder of the British fashion chain Marks&Spencer
- Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis – Lithuanian composer, painter and graphic artist
- Andrzej Dąbrowski – singer, racer
- Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński – poet
- Mieczysław Karłowicz – composer
- Tadeusz Konwicki – writer, filmmaker
- Józef Ignacy Kraszewski – writer, publicist, publisher, historian, social and political activist
- Joachim Lelewel – historian
- Józef Łukaszewicz – Polish physicist and geologist
- Adam Mickiewicz – poet, political activist and publicist
- Czesław Miłosz – poet, writer, Nobel Prize winner
- Stanisław Moniuszko – Polish composer, organist
- Szimon Peres – politician, President of the State of Israel from 2007 to 2014, twice Prime Minister of Israel
- Józef Piłsudski – the first Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army, founder of the Polish Legions, politician, statesman
- Emilia Plater – heroine of the November Uprising
- Ignacy Potocki – politician, patriotic activist, publicist and writer, Grand Marshal of Lithuania, Napoleonic officer
- Piotr Skarga – theologian, writer, first rector of the Vilnius Academy
- Juliusz Słowacki – poet
- Danuta Szaflarska – actress
- Chaim Weizmann – President of the World Zionist Organisation, first President of Israel, chemist