Cities are the places where technical innovations first make their way and take root. Scientific institutions, industry, the constant change of ideas, communication between cultures, developed infrastructure, and trade all occur in cities, and Vilnius is no exception.
The capital has often been the first city in Lithuania to receive the latest fashions in art and architectural styles, fresh scientific ideas, and the latest technologies. As the city developed, expanded, and modernised, iron constructions replaced wooden bridges, and electricity lit up the ‘age of the sapwood’; the telephone took over from the postman, and grand multi-storey buildings replaced modest wooden houses. It is important to remember that technical developments are accompanied by changes in everyday life, in the cityscape, and in people’s lifestyles and habits.
We invite you to take a stroll along a route that introduces you to the most important and interesting objects that mark the technical development of Vilnius – witnesses of the constant change and modernisation of society.
What will you learn/see on this route?
- Where was the first light bulb lit in Vilnius?
- What was the first book published in Lithuania about?
- What were the challenges for a candidate to become a member of the first Lithuanian Guild of Craftsmen?
- Which building in Vilnius was the first to receive central heating?
