Visiting Old Town, Vilnius [Quick Walking Guide]

Vilnius, Lithuania is a city with an incredible amount of history. According to the earliest writings it was founded in the 1300s, and centering around Gedimina’s Hill, where the tower and castle was built as the perfect stronghold. Around it the city grew, and the area is now referred to as Old Town, Vilnius (or Vilnius Old Town).

Like most European cities with an Old Town (there are quite a few, believe me, but they are all equally special and distinct) you’ll find beautiful old houses, cobbled streets and tiny churches scattered all around.

Heading up Gedimina’s Hill will show you that this is not a lie, as well as give you a great view of Vilnius Old Town.

Strolling along Old Town is one of the best things to do in Vilnius. Below, I guide you trought a walk through the Old Town, starting at Gedimina’s Hill.

A Walking Guide to Old Town, Vilnius

Once you’ve climbed (or fallen, beware of the castle walls!) down the hill again, it is time to emerge yourself through the narrow streets you just tried to follow with your eyes from the top. None of them will lead you where it makes sense, and none of them will meet each other in a straight angle. That’s just part of the charm.

The Presidential Palace is located a stone’s throw from the historical University of Vilnius, both right in the middle of Old Town.

To visit the University grounds you will have to pay a small entrance fee, but lounging around the square in front of the Palace doesn’t cost a dime. If you’re lucky you may even see the President of Lithuania himself! (Psst. His office is in the right wing.)

Old Town, Vilnius is – I’m sure I’ve already mentioned – packed with history. It is one of Europe’s oldest surviving medieval city centres, and sports various architectural styles as a result of ever changing influences throughout the years.

To me, the most fascinating (and disturbing) area of the Old Town is the ‘Jewish Ghetto’, established during the reign of Nazi Germany, housing nearly 40,000 people to start with.

Throughout the two years it existed the number decreased dramatically, and only a few hundreds survived.

Walking those streets was a very strong experience, and it really makes you appreciate what the world can (and has in the past) become.

What was also very interesting was that the two ghettos (there was a smaller one for the ‘weaker’ persons, i.e. the elderly and those that were not able to work) were called the ‘Jerusalem of the ghettos.’

This was due to their insistence on keeping cultural and current events going, and in the two years of the ghetto’s existence 111 shows were put on in The Ghetto Theatre!

If you want to learn more about this dark part of Vilnius’ history, I recommend joining this private walking tour covering the city’s Jewish heritage.

If you walk from the Cathedral Square along the outskirts of Old Town you’ll walk straight onto Bernardine Gardens. The park was closed by the Tsar Government and later on completely destroyed during World War II, but was rebuilt to its original glory and name. After further refurbishment it re-opened in 2013 and is definitely a place worth spending an hour or two.

You’ll find loads of different areas in the park, including a botanical area, a giant chess set and a musical fountain!

There is also a cafe (Le Crepe) where you can grab a coffee or a bite if you are hungry. If you’re spending a day around Old Town I would definitely head into Bernardine (or Bernardinai) Gardens for lunch. The musical fountain is not far away, playing and dancing to classical pieces.

Old Town Vilnius is hard to miss if you are visiting Vilnius, and there are plenty of reasons for that. With its charming atmosphere, cozy cafés and lively corners it has become one of my favourite city centres in Europe.

Just the colours of the architecture is enough to make you get your camera out, and I can honestly say I got back to Norway with a bunch of random houses and buildings on my memory card. Oh well, at least my mum likes to see those.

Read later: Visiting the KGB Museum, Vilnius

Below you can browse some of the most popular tours and activities in the city.