Vilnius Old town and Europa park

  • Vilnius Cathedral - Once the site of a pagan monument, the first Christian church was thought to have been built here in 1251 by Grand Duke Mindaugas. The current construction dates back as far as 1419. Much of what is seen now was created between 1769 and 1820 by the architect Stuoka-Gucevičius in the French-classicist style. The Cathedral was closed by the Soviets in 1950 and used as a picture gallery. It was returned to the Catholic Church in 1990.
  • Gediminas castle - Dating from the 13th century the castle was rebuilt in 1419 by Grand Duke Vytautas following the great fire of Vilnius. In 1610 it was used as a prison for the ruling classes, and during the 1655-1661 Russian occupation the towers and defensive walls were almost completely destroyed, with serious restoration work only beginning in 1930.
  • Statue of The Grand Duke Gediminas - For centuries Vilnius had no monument to honour the city’s founder, but this was set right in September 1996. He stands more or less on the same spot where an iron wolf he saw in a dream induced him to found the city in the early 14th century.
  • Gate of Dawn - The 16th century Gates of Dawn originally formed part of the town fortifications, being built into the original city wall. In 1671 Carmelites from neighbouring St. Theresa’s built a chapel in the gates to house a holy image of the Virgin Mary, reputed for miracle-working powers. The chapel’s interior was refurbished in the neo-classical style in 1829
  • Europa Park was founded in 1991 by Lithuanian sculptor Gintaras Korsakas. The exhibition spans an area of 55 hectares and is visited by over 60,000 people annually.
  • The goal of the museum is to give an artistic significance to the geographic centre (as determined by the French National Geographic Institute in 1989) of the European continent and to present the best of Lithuanian and international modern art achievements.
  • While enjoying the treasured landscape of the park, you will at the same time discover the admirable world of art.
  • The sculptures are permanently exhibited amidst beautiful rolling hills, woodlands and grasslands dotted with natural springs. The yellow blossoms of the grassland in the spring time and the faded colours of the misty autumn add an atmospheric backdrop to the sculptures. This harmonious whole with the light changing as the day progresses makes a lasting impression.