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Welcome to Vilnius -

A visit to Lithuania invariably begins in Vilnius, the country's capital. Named for the Vilnia River, the city was first mentioned in written sources in 1323 as Vilna. Several buildings clustered in and around the Old Town date back to the 14th century, and the whole neighborhood is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Vilnius Castle -

The most obvious historic landmark is Vilnius Castle, or more specifically the remains of the Upper Castle. Perched on a hill above the city, the site is identified by Gediminas Tower, a major symbol of the city and of the nation itself.

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Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania -

The Lower Castle complex includes the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. Originally constructed in the 15th century, the first palace was demolished in 1801. What you see today is an authentic reconstruction of the building, which today houses an excellent museum of history and art.

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Vilnius Cathedral -

Also part of the Lower Castle complex is Vilnius Cathedral. Serving as the heart of Catholic spiritual life in Lithuania, the columned neoclassical cathedral, consecrated in 1783, is a major tourist attraction for its showpiece Chapel of Saint Casimir.

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Cathedral bell tower -

The cathedral's freestanding belfry was once part of the city's 13th-century defenses, a sturdy 57-m (187 ft) obstacle to any attack. Today's invaders are the tourists who make the long, steep climb to the top for unrivaled rooftop views of the Old Town.

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Gate of Dawn -

The Gate of Dawn is the last surviving example of five 16th-century portals that served as part of the city's defensive fortifications. It still affords a suitably grand entrance into the Old Town.

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Presidential Palace -

Located in the Old Town, the Presidential Palace is the official seat of the president of Lithuania. Major renovations in the mid-19th century resulted in today's magnificent appearance. Guided tours must be booked in advance, but the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony at 6 pm is a free spectacle.

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Vilnius University -

For a more scholarly diversion, tread the hallowed halls of Vilnius University. Founded in 1576, the university became one of the most celebrated seats of learning in the 19th century. The bell tower, Baroque church, spruce courtyard, and fresco-laden hall are all open to the public.

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Museum of Genocide Victims -

A more solemn attraction is the Museum of Genocide Victims. Located in the former KGB building across from Lukiskės Square, the museum documents the 50-year occupation of Lithuania by the Soviet Union; another section is dedicated to the Holocaust. Pictured is a section of the exterior wall inscribed with the names of victims of both.

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St. Anne’s Church -

Flamboyant and compelling in its Brick Gothic design, St. Anne's Church is a particularly significant landmark in the Old Town in that its unique architecture is what ultimately persuaded UNESCO to grant the neighborhood World Heritage status.

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Lithuanian National Museum of Art -

The country's largest museum of art also exhibits historical objects of cultural value and will appeal to anyone drawn to the works of Lithuanian artists and those from other European nations covering the 16th to the 20th centuries. Pictured is 'Emptiness' by Polish artist Ferdynand Ruszczyc (1870–1936).

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Uzupis -

Make sure to include Uzupis on your Vilnius sightseeing itinerary. This delightful neighborhood is appreciated for its bohemian vibe and laissez-faire atmosphere. It's separated from the Old Town by the Vilnia River.

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Trakai -

Lying 28 km (17 miles) west of Vilnius is enchanting Trakai, a historic city and lake resort known principally for Traki Island Castle, one of Lithuania's picture-perfect destinations.

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Trakai Island Castle -

Besides its scenic beauty, the castle is appreciated for its vaulted chapel and a history museum that includes among the exhibits an enticing hoard of medieval golden coins.

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Kaunas -

Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has its own share of standout museums and monuments to entice the visitor.

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Kaunus Castle -

Kaunus Castle is another fine example of Gothic architecture. Completed in the mid-14th century, its strategic position on the banks of the Nemunas River near its confluence with the Neris River made it a target for several attacks by the Teutonic Order.

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Pazaislis Monastery -

Set on a peninsula in the Kaunas Reservoir, this stand-alone gem of a destination is the most renowned example of Baroque architecture in the country. The monastery dates back to 1664 and is a cherished site of Catholic pilgrimage in Lithuania. It also serves as the venue for the annual international Pazaislis Music Festival.

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Ninth Fort -

Part of Kaunus Fortress (not to be confused with the castle), Ninth Fort exudes a far darker atmosphere as a place where prisoners being transported to labor camps were held in transit during the Soviet occupation on Lithuania in 1940–1941. Its sinister reputation was sealed after the subsequent occupation of the country by Nazi Germany, when it became the execution site of Jews, captured Soviets, and other enemies of the Third Reich.

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The Devil’s Museum -

Kaunus boasts dozens of museums, but none quite so bizarre as the Devil's Museum. This extraordinary facility houses around 3,000 horned exhibits from all over the world, mysterious mythological creatures shaped as the personification of evil.

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Curonian Spit National Park -

One of five national parks in Lithuania, Curonian Spit National Park protects the unique ecosystems of the Curonian Spit and Curonian Lagoon, and the fragile habitats of rare flora and fauna. Set within the park's boundaries is Neringa, a scenic spa town. Curonian Spit is a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by Lithuania and Russia.

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Parnidis Dune, Nida -

Parnidis Dune is one of the prime relief formations in the whole Curonian Spit, a 52-m (170 ft) sand mountain crowned by a sundial with a granite obelisk.

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Cormorant and heron colony, Juodkrante -

Juodkrante on the northern reaches of the Curonian Spit is home to one of Europe's largest colonies of cormorants and grey herons. The best time to witness this 6,500-strong mass of beaks and feathers is early May.

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Nemunas Delta Regional Park -

Nemunas Delta Regional Park encompasses a wetland delta of exceptional beauty. A unique landscape created by intertwining rivers and lagoons, Nemunas teems with birdlife: nearly 300 different species have been recorded here. The park administration is on Rusne, the delta's largest island.

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Hill of Crosses, Siauliai -

A site of pilgrimage about 12 km (8 mi) north of the city of Siauliai, Lithuania's fabled Hill of Crosses has been attracting devotees since the first wooden crucifixes were placed here as an act of defiance during the 1831 Uprising, a rebellion also known as the November Insurrection.

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Europos Parkas Sculpture Park -

The Park of Europe open-air museum is located 17 km (10 mi) from Vilnius and worth an excursion to admire the more than 100 sculptures created by artists from 32 different countries erected within its boundaries.

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Lithuanian Ethnocosmology Museum, Kulionys -

The world's first-ever museum dedicated to the study of ethnocosmology is located in the village of Kulionys. It's here that the cosmos' connection to cultural ideas of Hell, Heaven, and Earth is explored under a spaceship-like dome. Two observation towers housing telescopes provide an earthly perspective of the surrounding lakeland.

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Aukstaitija National Park -

Besides the 126 lakes scattered throughout verdant woodland and the extraordinary biodiversity it is famous for, Aukstaitija National Park is also where to admire Paluse Church, built in 1750 and the oldest surviving wooden church in Lithuania.

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Rumsiskes Open-Air Museum -

For a better idea of what much of Lithuania looked like in times gone by, wander through Rumsiskes Open-Air Museum. Here you'll find the buildings of all Lithuanian ethnographic regions, reconstructed to present the domestic life, work, and traditions of Lithuanian rural folk and city dwellers. If you like, it's a miniature version of Lithuania of the 18th–20th centuries.

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Kedainiai Old Town -

Another wonderful example of yesteryear Lithuania is Kedainiai Old Town, one of seven such "Old Town" destinations in the country. The town's history dates back from 1372, though most of the architecture is 17th century in origin.

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Zuvintas Nature Reserve -

The first protected nature reserve established in Lithuania, Zuvintas is named for the lake that is a paradise for water birds. Such is the variety of flora and fauna found here, and the fragility of the habitat, that Zuvintas is a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

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National bird of Lithuania -

A much loved resident of Zuvintas as well as the aforementioned Nemunas Delta Regional Park is the white stork. This graceful creature is the national bird of Lithuania, which has the highest-density stork population in Europe.

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Kernave -

Vilnius wasn't the first capital of Lithuania. That honor belongs to Kernave. Located in the southeast of the country, Kernave was a medieval capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and today is a tourist attraction and an archaeological draw, its popularity boosted by the fact that it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Vilnius Christmas market -

Meanwhile back in Vilnius, if you're visiting Lithuania over the festive season, don't miss the city's wonderfully evocative Christmas market set out over Cathedral Square.

Sources: (UNESCO) (Britannica)

See also: Where to find the most festive Christmas markets in Europe

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