VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

I was in Vilnius with my brother in a trip around de Baltic Status, from Helsinki. We did traveling by bus. We slept in a good young hostel close to the historic center of the city.

We meet a Spanishs guys who are living in Edinburgh and were traveling like us, and we went out together. We didn´t found any good place to drink some beers and at the end we finish in something like a bar- restaurant.

The waitress call to the boss when she heart us to speak in Spanish and he coming to speak with us. He was also Spanish. He was telling us that he is a DJ in a famous disco in the city and he invited us to go that night, so we were to the disco.

We enjoyed so much this night. But anyway we also were visiting the city during the day, and is a place that really worth it to visit it.

Vilnius is a cosmopolitan city with diverse architecture. There are more than 40 churches in Vilnius. Restaurants, hotels and museums have sprouted since Lithuania declared independence, and young Vilnius residents are building the city's reputation for being the most hospitable in the world, as evidenced by an active participation in the Hospitality Club.

Like most medieval towns, Vilnius was developed around its Town Hall. The main artery, Pilies Street, links the royal palace and the Town Hall.

Other streets meander through the palaces of feudal lords and landlords, churches, shops and craftsmen's workrooms. Narrow, curved streets and intimate courtyards developed in the radial layout of medieval Vilnius.

The Old Town, the historical centre of Vilnius, is one of the largest in Europe (3.6 km²). The most valuable historic and cultural sites are concentrated here. The buildings in the old town — there are nearly 1,500 — were built over several centuries, creating a splendid blend of many different architectural styles.

Although Vilnius is known as a Baroque city, there are examples of Gothic (e.g. St Anne's Church), Renaissance, and other styles. The main sights of the city are Gediminas Castle and Cathedral Square, symbols of the capital. Their combination is also a gateway to the historic centre of the capital.

Owing to its uniqueness, the Old Town of Vilnius was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. In 1995, the first bronze cast of Frank Zappa in the world was installed near the center of Vilnius with the permission of the government.


March 2007

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Write by: AN - Monday, June 2, 2008