Posts Tagged ‘European Capital of Culture’

Vilnius is one of the most preferred destinations in Eastern Europe.  It is also known as Wilno and Vilna and is the capital city of Lithuania.  It is also the largest city of Lithuania with a population of about 500,000.

In 1994, the Old Town of Vilnius became a part of the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  And in 2009, it has been awarded as the European Capital of Culture along with Linz, Austria.  In fact, you can visit Vilnius anytime of the year and you are almost guaranteed that there will be an event going on whether it be cultural, music, cinema, theater, art or fashion.

There are also many bars, cafes and night clubs to choose from.  You can definitely find one that suits your needs.  Some of the more popular nightclubs in the Old Town are:

• Woo
• Gravity
• Pacha
• Helios

Svyturys (lighthouse) is the most popular local beer and is a world champion beer.  The Lithuanian vodka is also of excellent quality.

The Grutos Park is a definite must-see.  It is roughly 40km outside Vilnius and there is a bus that takes you there.  It was opened by a Lithuanian canned mushroom entrepreneur and is known to the locals as “Stalin World.”  The owner drained a local marsh and put it in a walkway.  As you walk around, you will hear communist propaganda blasted at you from mock search towers and you will see large concrete statues of Lenin, Engels and many other communist idealists which were torn down when the Iron Curtain fell.

It is truly a unique experience and one that will put your life into perspective.  Visiting this place will make you realize how lucky we are to live in a free world.

Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania. It also holds the title of being its largest city. As of 2008, the population of Vilnius is at 555,000.

Vilnius has been occupied by Russia, France, Poland, and Germany since the 16th century. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 forged the way for its independence during the same year.

Vilnius has been very successful in creating its own ultra-modern identity. As proof of this, they have been awarded the European Capital of Culture for 2009 along with Linz, Austria. It is nice to note that despite being conquered by its ultra-modern identity, Vilnius has retained a historic center with a diverse array of architectural styles although the overall flavor is Baroque.

The town center is the Cathedral Square. From there, a short walk will bring you to the old city comprised of its many historical buildings. There are a total of 1,500 buildings and an additional 40 churches which showcases the diverse styles of the city.

If you want to see a great view of the old town, you can climb up to the Gedimas Tower, which is a remnant of the once imposing 14th-century Upper Castle. You should also take the time to visit the Grand Courtyard as well as the many magnificent buildings at the ancient University of Vilnius.

The contrast between the new ultra-modern city center and the old town is very stunning. The contemporary buildings provide a sharp contrast to the old, historical buildings and will make you realize the movement of Vilnius in becoming a modern, buzzing Capital City. Restaurants, shops and museums are quickly populating throughout Vilnius and there is an energy to the city which will endear you to this modernizing Capital.

The winter in Vilnius is bitter cold. Ice fishing is a very popular pastime as the lakes and rivers freeze up. If you are not fond of drilling holes in the ice to catch fish, it would be best that you visit Vilnius during the summer.