Welcome to Vilnius European Capital of Culture 2009

The Old Town is the heart of the capital, its historical centre. In the early part of the 16th century, it was surrounded by a city wall thus defending the limits of the Old Town. There was a large complex of castles consisting of the Upper (on Gediminas Hill), the Lower (at the foot of the hill) and the Crooked Castle (on the adjacent hill), the Grand Ducal Castle, the Cathedral, the House of Bishops and other buildings. Life of the city was in full swing in the Town Square and the surroundings streets. Craftsmen’s shops, small shops, merchants’ houses, mansions of the nobility were situated there. Buildings and streets beyond the wall formed the suburbs.
Today it is only in our imagination that we can reproduce such a picture… While wandering along the narrow winding streets and squares of the Old Town we can feel the spirit of the old town, seeing the authentic buildings or their fragments.

Tourist Information Centres, which will provide you with a free map of the Old Town and a brochure about places of interest, along with guides will help you become better acquainted with the old Vilnius. If you want to explore Vilnius on your own, it is recommended that you to try the following route.