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Vilnius city tour (duration 3 hours)
The capital of Lithuania, Vilnius,
is one of the oldest cities in Europe. In the 14th century,
at the foot of the hill, where majestic Gediminas Castle rose,
the town started to develop. In 1503, Vilnius was surrounded
by the defensive wall and since then the town was growing
outside. Thus, the time was stopped in the historic center
of Vilnius. Now in the modern rapidly developing city there
is a medieval small town with classic narrow streets, small
cozy yards, red-tiled houses, gothic churches and magnificent
baroque buildings. Old Town of Vilnius is not only one of
the most beautiful, but one of the biggest in Europe. It occupies
the territory of 360 hectares.
The heart of Vilnius, Old Town, is
a mixture of different epochs and architectural styles. Light
and elegant town architecture is presented by the gothic buildings:
Church of St Francis, Church of St Anne, and others. Austere
Renaissance buildings - Gates of Dawn, St Michael Church,
some of the university buildings - add classical sounding
to the Old Town ensemble. The Noble Cathedral and Tower Hall,
the outstanding examples of Classicism, dominate the Cathedral
Square. But the majority of the buildings in Vilnius is in
baroque style (Vilnius is often called the town of Baroque).
The masterpiece of Vilnius baroque by right is considered
to be St Peter and St Paul's Church. There are more than one
thousand archeological, historical, architectural and cultural
monuments in the Old Town. That's why in 1994 Vilnius was
included in the list of UNESCO world cultural heritage.
The program of the city tour includes:
Vilnius Cathedral and Town Hall Square. Originally, this place
was a center of heathen worship, and instead of Cathedral,
there was a pagan temple to Perkunas, the thunder god. After
the christening of Lithuania, on this site the first church
was erected.
Vilnius University. It was established by Jesuits in 1579
and considered to be the oldest in Eastern Europe. The university
consists of 12 buildings, constructed in different periods
and in different architectural styles: gothic, renaissance,
baroque and classicism.
St Anne's and Bernardine Churches. St Anne's church is
an architectural masterpiece of late Gothic. The main facade,
constructed from 33 types of red bricks, has become a symbol
of Vilnius.
Gate of Dawn. It the only extant gate of the city defensive
wall. The chapel in the Gate of Dawn contains miracle-working
icon "The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy" by
the unknown master of the beginning of the 17th century. The
painting is known to all the Catholics of the world. You can
find the copies of the painting in churches of various countries,
even in the Church of St. Severin in Paris and in the Basilica
of St. Peter in Rome.
St Peter and Paul's Church. The pearl of Vilnius baroque
appeared in the city in the second half of the 18th century.
The splendid interior of the church doesn't have analogues
in the world. The walls are crowded with over two thousand
stucco moldings of biblical, historical, allegorical and mythological
figures, fantastic and demonic beings, plants and animals.
Car
1-2 pax
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M-bus
3-5 pax
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M-bus
up to16 pax
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Coach |
Guide
service |
Duration |
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| 66 |
114 |
144 |
252 |
66 |
3 hrs |
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All prices in EURO.
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tours 
