Where do books live in Vilnius?

Raštinė is a very special place on the corner of a busy junction. As well as selling unique stationery and books, it is also a coffee shop. Around a hundred years ago, another stationer’s existed close by, acting as cover for the headquarters of the resistance movement. And around 500 years ago people would enter and exit the city on horseback, cart or foot through one of the ten defensive wall gates.

To mark the site of the former defence wall and the Trakai Gate, there is a statue on one of the buildings facing the junction. Who is this person?

• Soldier
• Writer
• Hunter

The Library is spread across the former palace of the noble Tyszkiewicz family. Back then, the inner courtyard included a stable, a carriage house and an ice house (a little outbuilding to keep food cold). Today you will find a children’s library once you enter the courtyard and turn right. This part of the palace is also full of secrets. Hidden amongst the bookshelves is a corridor which used to be a street! You’ll recognise it from its nameplates (10 Trakų Str. and 12 Trakų Str.) and a glamorous mirror.

And there’s another tiny, mysterious corridor nearby – just ask one of the librarians to help you find it. There, hiding in the dark is the Library’s… what?

• Dragon
• Spider
• Cockroach

Named after a famous composer, S. Moniuškos Square includes a statue of the man himself. It was built on top of a large pedestal left over from another monument and is facing the Teachers’ House. This is where various after-school activities, exhibitions and concerts take place. The building is also home to Children’s World, the reading promotion team behind children’s book festivals and other exciting events (such as this walking trail). Don’t miss the Church of St Catherine, the patron of science and knowledge (it is now a concert hall) or a little book house-library that looks like a bird nesting box. And, hiding by the shop, is a sculpture dedicated to the famous Lithuanian poet Judita Vaičiūnaitė who has written extensively about Vilnius.

Find the sculpture celebrating the famous poet. It shows a sweet-voiced nightingale perched on top of… what?

• Umbrella
• Quill
• Book

You’ll find all kinds of books in Akademinė Knyga: from children’s literature to specialised publications for scientists and academics. Right next to the bookshop is the Alumni Courtyard, considered one of the prettiest in Vilnius. Its name comes from former residents – the students who lived here 400 years ago while preparing to enter priesthood (alumnus is a Latin word for “pupil” or “student”). There are lots of arches in this courtyard so you may feel like you’re in Italy. But the tree growing here is unmistakably Lithuanian.

Can you count all the arches? Now, walk through the gate into the next courtyard. Find a statue of two elephants with a games board on their backs. Count all the white boxes and deduct the lower number from the higher one. What’s the first number of this double-digit result?

• Nine
• Four
• One

The library of Vilnius University is home to thousands of books, some of them very old and rare, gifted by noble families and even Duke Sigismund Augustus himself. One of the most valuable publications stored here is Catechism, the first Lithuanian printed book (1547) by Martynas Mažvydas. The bronze door of the library is a memorial to this book. It shows the most prominent figures in the history of old Lithuanian writing.

Have a closer look at the door handles. You might think they’re snakes but in fact they are mythical creatures believed by Lithuanians to bring prosperity. So make sure you hold the handles for a bit, make a wish and write down who these mysterious beings might be. 

• Serpents
• Snakes
• Shape-shifting spirits

Around 200 years ago, this building complex functioned as a book printing house owned by the famous pressman Józef Zawadzki. Various publishers have come and gone since then but for a long time this was a place for printing newspapers and magazines. Today, the Arts Printing House is a space for exhibitions, theatre performances, concerts and festivals. Its library – Infoteka – is full of art publications and recordings of performances.

Look around the inner courtyard decorated with drawings. Can you spot a crow hiding somewhere? What do you think its name could be?

This building has always been the home of those who loved books and art: a publisher, bookseller, artist and collector. Today, the Vilnius Literary House takes up the ground floor, providing a welcoming space for author talks, workshops and book clubs. Two years ago Vilnius was awarded the UNESCO City of Literature status, a recognition given to cities with lots of avid readers and writers as well as frequent events for book lovers and creators.

Pop in for a visit! Check out the children’s bookshelf and an unusual inner courtyard. What geometric shape does it remind you of?

• Triangle
• Square
• Hexagon