The Neris riverside route

Although today’s cathedral, designed by Laurynas Gucevicius, is in the Neo-classical style, there are traces of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque within its walls. The cathedral crypts conceal ceramic glazed tiles dating back to the time of Mindaugas and the oldest fresco in Lithuania (late 14th century) depicting the crucifixion of Christ. The crypt is the final resting place of Duke Alexander, and the wives of Sigismund Augustus – Elizabeth of Austria and Barbara Radziwiłł. St. Casimir, the patron saint of Lithuania and young people, rests in the magnificent Baroque chapel – Casimir is the only Lithuanian saint.

The 16th and 17th centuries are considered to be the golden age of the Palace. Even the Pope’s nuncio, Bishop Bernard Bongiovanni, who visited Sigismund Augustus, marvelled at the jewels, the vast library, and the collections of paintings, tapestries, weapons, and armour. The Italian cultural traditions were later carried on by the rulers of the Vasa dynasty. Duke Władysław Vasa of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was fond of music, especially opera, which was a new genre at the time. Thanks to him, the first opera in Lithuania, ‘The Abduction of Helen’ (Il ratto di Helena), was performed in Italian at the Palace of the Grand Dukes in 1636. We can be proud that the opera was performed in this palace long before it was performed in Paris or London.

The Gediminas Castle Tower has become one of the symbols of freedom for us today. On 1 January 1919, a detachment of Lithuanian volunteers hoisted the Lithuanian tricolour for the first time on Gediminas Castle Tower. To commemorate and honour this feat, every year since Lithuania regained its independence, Lithuanian Flag Day has been celebrated on 1 January. Gediminas Castle tower also marks the beginning of the Baltic Way – from here, on 23 August 1989, people began to join together by holding hands in a human chain stretching from Vilnius to Tallinn. 

The construction of the Seimas Palace on the site of the former youth stadium ‘Žalgiris’ started in 1976 (architects – Algimantas and Vytautas Nasvyčiai). The new building was to be dedicated to the Supreme Soviet. On 11 March 1990, the independence of the Lithuanian State was restored in this palace. In January 1991, thanks to the defenders, the Seimas Palace became a fortress impregnable to Soviet aggression.

The Orthodox church was built in 1903 to a design by the architect Mikhail Prozorov. The land for the church was donated by the founder of Žvėrynas, Vasily Martinson, and the construction work was paid for by donations from the faithful. The church was built to counterbalance the Catholic cathedral that already stood at the other end of St. George’s (now Gediminas) Avenue. The massive church was clearly visible both to those driving along the avenue towards Žvėrynas and to those travelling by river. It was supposed to symbolise the Orthodox (Tsarist) rule of the country.

Designed in 1968 by the architects Gediminas Baravykas and Vytautas Vielius, the building is a fine example of late modernist Lithuanian architecture. The building’s rectangular stone volumes are gracefully set on a clear glass plinth. In 1980, the building housed the Museum of the Revolution. In 1991, the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture and Education handed over the building and its grounds to the Lithuanian Art Museum, which opened its own branch, the National Art Gallery, in 1993.

After the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Chiune Sugihara served as Japanese consul in Kaunas. His issuance of Japanese transit visas saved the lives of some 6,000 Jews. For this feat, in 1985, the State of Israel awarded Chiune Sugihara the title of Righteous Among the Nations. In 2001, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Japanese Consul’s birth, a monument to Sugihara was unveiled at a ceremony held in his honour.

In 1697, the Voivode of Vilnius, Kazimierz Sapieha, was generous to the Jesuits – he donated Šnipiškės. The Jesuits soon began construction of the Church of Archangel Raphael, next to the road to Riga and the only bridge over the Neris River at that time. A wayside shrine with a cross-bearing figure of Christ (demolished in the Soviet era) was erected on a small hill next to the Baroque-style church around 1720. On 14 August 1904, the future President Antanas Smetona and Sofija Chodakauskaitė were married in this church.

The Memorial Complex of the Tuskulėnai Peace Park is located on the territory of Tuskulėnai Manor, which has been known since the 16th century as the land of the royal manor. The magnificent, classical-style manor house, which has survived to this day, was built around 1825. The territory of the manor, which was nationalised during the Soviet occupation, became a place where the crimes of the repressive structures were hidden. In 1944-1947, people who opposed the Soviet totalitarian regime were secretly buried here, having been murdered in the NKGB-MGB internal prison and in the Vilnius area. After the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, the remains of 724 people were found on the territory of the manor and are now resting in the chapel-columbarium of the memorial complex.

Not every district in Vilnius has a beach. But Žirmūnai can boast such a feature! Just off the cycle path, the beach area also has basketball and volleyball courts, outdoor fitness equipment, children’s playgrounds, as well as showers. Žirmūnai Beach was awarded the prestigious Blue Flag in 2021. Only Žirmūnai and Žalieji Lakes (Balsys) beaches in Vilnius have been awarded this distinction. Both are fully accessible for people with disabilities.

This place used to be called ‘Pospieszka’ after the name of the area around the northern part of Antakalnis Street with the famous roadside tavern of the same name. The inhabitants of Antakalnis love this green corner for the springs that gush out of the picturesque ravine. One of the springs is made up of colourful stones that look amazing in the shimmering water, while the other is brown and saturated with iron and paints the bed of the spring a brownish-orange colour. It can be assumed that the multicoloured stones in the bed of the ravine and the iron-rich lower springs are the reason why these springs were called the ‘Colourful Springs’.

The palace was built at the end of the 17th century as a summer residence by the Grand Hetman of Lithuania, Kazimierz Jan Sapieha. The palace, the central park oriented towards it, and the two impressive gates that still stand to this day form the ensemble of the Baroque palace. The palace park is one of the oldest in Vilnius. It is home to the oldest linden tree in Vilnius, which is about 300 years old. In 1809, a military hospital was established in the ensemble. The one-storey brick buildings scattered around the park are the hospital blocks that did not change their purpose until 2015. Currently, various enterprises and start-ups are operating there as part of ‘Vilnius Tech Park’.

Legend has it that in 1662 when the army of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania rebelled, the Hetman Michał Kazimierz Pac was forced to hide in the ruins of the wooden Antakalnis Church. At a critical moment, he vowed that if he survived, he would build a new place of worship. In 1668, the construction of the church began. Although the exterior of the church is rather modest, the interior is stunning. From 1678 onwards, the famous Italian sculptors Giovanni Pietro Perti and Giovanni Maria Galli decorated the interior, creating around 2,000 stucco figures. Michał Kazimierz Pac ordered his body to be buried under the threshold of the church, and his name was inscribed on the façade of the church: Regina Pacis funda nos in pace (‘Queen of Peace, protect us in peace’).