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Vilnius University

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Founded in 1579 during the Catholic Counter Reformation, Vilnius University was run by Jesuits for two centuries. During the 19th century it became one of Europe's greatest centres of learning, and the university survived shutdown by Tsar Nicholas I, rebranding under Soviet rule and closure by the Nazis. Its spectacular architectural ensemble includes a 64m bell tower, baroque church, courtyard and fresco-laden hall, all of which are open to visitors.

Today it has more than 20,000 students and Lithuania’s oldest library, shelving five million books (including one of two originals of The Catechism by Martynas Mažvydas, the first book ever published in Lithuanian).

Don't miss the Grand Courtyard with its melange of Baroque, Classical and neoclassical architecture, or the Littera bookstore with its wonderful ceiling frescoes.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Vilnius Cathedral

    Vilnius Cathedral

    0.18 MILES

    Stately Vilnius Cathedral, divorced from its freestanding belfry, is a national symbol and the city's most instantly recognisable building. Known in full…

  • 500px Photo ID: 58761488 -

    Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

    0.2 MILES

    If you only see one museum in Vilnius, make it this one. On a site that has been settled since the 4th century AD stands the latest in a procession of…

  • Lithuania, Vilnius, Names Of Victims On Wall Of Museum Of Genocide Victims, Formerly KGB Headquarters

    Museum of Genocide Victims

    0.75 MILES

    This former headquarters of the KGB (and before them the Gestapo, Polish occupiers and Tsarist judiciary) houses a museum dedicated to thousands of…

  • 500px Photo ID: 125987715 -

    Cathedral Bell Tower

    0.17 MILES

    Climb the creaky stairs into the free-standing belfry of Vilnius Cathedral, once part of the city's 13th-century defences. Towering 57m high, it's one of…

  • Mindaugas

    Mindaugas

    0.29 MILES

    This landmark statue depicts the early unifier of the Lithuanian tribes in the mid-13th century and the country's first king.

  • Trakai Castle

    Trakai Castle

    14.35 MILES

    Stepping across the wooden walkway to Trakai's Gothic castle is like tripping into a fairy tale. The castle is estimated to date from around 1400, when…

  • Europos Parkas Sculpture Park

    Europos Parkas Sculpture Park

    10.44 MILES

    Some 21km north of Vilnius, off the Utena road, is Europos Parkas. Leading contemporary sculptors, including Sol LeWitt and Dennis Oppenheim, show over…

  • Cathedral Square

    Cathedral Square

    0.14 MILES

    Katedros aikštė buzzes with local life. In the 19th century markets and fairs were held here and a moat ran around what is now the square’s perimeter so…

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Nearby Vilnius attractions

1. Sarbievijus Courtyard

0.01 MILES

This smaller courtyard of Vilnius University is named for a 17th-century Professor of Rhetoric.

2. Presidential Palace

0.05 MILES

The Bishops of Vilnius’ Palace in the 16th century, this classical edifice now houses the president and chancellery. It gained its current Russian empire…

4. Sts Johns' Church

0.07 MILES

The full name is 'Church of St Johns, St John the Baptist and St John the Apostle and Evangelist', but 'Sts Johns' (plural) will do nicely. Founded in…

5. Grand Courtyard

0.07 MILES

The gallery of the courtyard – the largest of the 13 that comprise Vilnius University's 'architectural ensemble' – features plaques commemorating the…

6. House of Signatories

0.11 MILES

Lithuania's Declaration of Independence was signed here on 16 February 1918. Today, across 14 rooms of this 18th-century house, you'll find a reverent…

7. Amber Museum-Gallery

0.14 MILES

Dedicated to Baltic gold and the beautiful things it can be crafted into, this enthusiastic little museum occupies a 17th-century baroque house. Upstairs…

8. Cathedral Square

0.14 MILES

Katedros aikštė buzzes with local life. In the 19th century markets and fairs were held here and a moat ran around what is now the square’s perimeter so…

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