Vilnius tour in pictures
Do not forget to look at the sight after you took a picture of It.
How long should you plan for the Vilnius tour?
I would say, you can spend a week here. My friend came for a few days and decided to spend his entire life here. But, most probably 3 days in Vilnius would be the right choice for an experienced traveler. Another common question is when is the best time to visit Vilnius.
Well, my favorite time is in June for almost white nights, when you can enjoy sixteen-hour daylight and can really make a lot from it. Another amazing time is in October for the Indian summer beauty and cold mixed with nice sunny weather.
On Baltic tours, the Vilnius tour usually is only a day and a half visit, which is fine for the major city attractions, but you will not feel the side vibes.
Day trips from Vilnius
If you come for a longer time, you will know what are Vilnius day tours. My best suggestion would be a combination of Trakai, Neries Regional Park, and Kernave. Another great shot is to drive to Labanoras National Park, to see rural Lithuania. Dubingiai village gives you a beautiful perspective of Lithuanian lakeside. You can see a video episode here.
Now back to Vilnius with its pictures
#1 Every tour in Vilnius goes to the Townhall square
Vilnius got rights of a city in the late 14th century, and since then it has a town hall and a market square. If you look around, do not miss an elaborately decorated Baroque or even Roccoco church on the backside of the square. It is Saint Kazimir church, and it was built about three hundred years ago. Originally it was a catholic temple, then was turned into a Russian orthodox, then to the Museum and finally was restored into a catholic church. You will notice a crown on top of the central dome roof. It was added in 1943 to honor Nobleman Kazimir.
#2 This frame cannot be found today
The picture shows a statue of an agronomе and a countrywoman. This statue was one of four of a kind, which decorated the oldest bridge in Vilnius. Today, locals call it the green bridge, as it is a dark green color. The city authorities reconstructed after each disaster, and the last time it was after WWII. It connects Vilnius Old Town and the modern city located around Constitution Avenue.
Many pictures are done with this bridge at sunset, as the Neris river crosses the city from east to west, and this is one of the top places to enjoy the evening.
#3 In Vilnius University
There are hundreds of pictures of Vilnius University. But this one a special one from the insider. You can walk in the five hundred years old campus in the very center of the Old City, but you have to go inside the Baltic languages faculty to see the frescoes. Petras Repshis made it in a problematic stucco technique in the late 1970′. The name of the artwork is Four seasons. It covers walls of a small corridor of the former convent. From Winter to Spring, Summer, and fall, you see the circle of life of Baltic tribes and their habits. All the characters are naked, which eliminated the connection to a period or status. It is hard to describe, but you can spend time in this room.
#4 Vilnius Jewish history
Vilnius always was a global city and had a sufficient Jewish community among other minorities. In the late nineteenth century, Jews constituted about 46 percent of the total population. So you can imagine that there are a lot of places connected with Jewish history in Vilnius. In this picture, you can see the medieval streets of the Jewish ghetto in Vilnius. There was a period of decay in the Old City, and all the roads were grey and not attractive. Luckily, Unesco noticed Vilnius’ potential, and this was a start for several initiatives of renovations. Step by step, the process reached smaller streets too, and today former Jewish Quarter is the area of boutique shops, coffee places, restaurants, and art galleries. At the same time, it keeps the atmosphere of authenticity.
#5 foodie experiences in Vilnius
If you are about an alternative Vilnius tour, I would suggest going for a street art adventure. But if you are getting hungry, then a Vilnius food tour is the best option to feed the body and soul. There are many new open eateries in the city; you just need to go where the crowd goes. Food courts became popular lately. Burger places replaced Chinese food flood. A lot of chefs go for fusion cuisine. And tens f cute coffee places make Vilnius city into a not overcrowded paradise for a foodie.
#6 Vilnius Christmas market period
Vilnius at Christmas is magic because locals admire the tradition and winter holidays. Every vendor decorates his place and prepares gifts for the customers. Municipalities compete to erect the most impressive Christmas tree. In Vilnius, there are two main ones: on the Townhall square and Cathedral Square. The Christmas market is everywhere you go, and it lasts for a month. It might not be the best time to visit Vilnius, as it is cold, and the day is concise, but such holidays are good for a romantic weekend in the boutique hotel and not too much time spent running around. Take 2-3 hours Vilnius city tour, and then all time is yours. There are also several “free walking tour Vilnius” options available.
What to see in Vilnius?
People travel, google things, watch youtube about almost everything. The world was always colorful, but now even more than once. There are thousands of Vilnius pictures on Shutterstock and other online resources, and it was not my aim to choose the best-taken image of the city I live in. I tried to pick imperfect pictures and to show you the real Vilnius and the one after a photoshop improvement.
It does not matter whether you will walk with Vilnius tour guide or alone, I believe you will have many great frames to send home.
We also highly recommend to visit Neries National Park just outside the city.