Visiting Vilnius in Lithuania!

Dear Steemit community,

Today in this post I would show a location which is not part of a famous travel routes but still attractive enough. Vilnius is the capital and the largest city in Lithuania, if we compare to other capital in Europe is not very large. But still has something to expose to visitors.

(Sveiki Atvyke in English means welcome to )

In the beginning of my stay I walked through the square of the town hall which was built in gothic style in at a later time it has been destroyed. From 1700 it has a neoclassic facade and nowadays it has a sign of the acknowledge of Unesco as its part of World Heritage.

Close to the town hall square in Daukantas square you see change of the Guard at 6p.m all the days and any sunday at midday is celebrate the ceremony of the national flag.
The most ancient area is the one around the main square with the Cathedral in neoclassic style built in 18th century. Inside has a similar style.

Beside the cathedral you have the statue of Gediminas the founder of Vilnius.

Close to the Cathedral you find the church of St. Anne Church the most beautiful late gothic example in Lithuania. Its construction was completed in the 16th century. The most important feature of this building is that it was erected with thirty-three brick of different shapes.

Another church is situated nearby. It is the Bernardine church built by Bernardine monks in the beginining of 16th century. After its recontruction it acquired some baroque features and embelisshed with ornate baroque wooden altars. It has preserved most of its Gothic polychrome mural paintings in the aisles.

A symbol of Vilnius is the Gediminas remaining of an upper castle built during the 14th century.

Situated on the top of an hill, it was destroyed and renovate in baroque and gothic style during the next centuries. After the second world war the only remain is the tower which contains a museum.

If you going to the top of this tower you will have the chance to see a beautiful panorama of the city.

(On the right bank of the river Neris romantic writing which means I love you in Lithuanian)

To see further beautiful lookouts you should go to Park Kalnai and the hill of three white crosses dedicated to the inaccurate history of the 14 Franciscan friars. They were murdered because they would convert Gran Duchy of Lithuania (which was a pagan country at that time) into Christianity.

At the base of these green hills you find the national museum, a building in neoclassic style which contains the history, the culture of Lithuania.

Different witnesses from the best period during its independence to the period of deportations. Its main facade is slightly curved and follow the line of 14th century city wall on which it stands. Another museum to visit is the one of the genocide victims.

From the Cathedral square following the Gediminas Avenue turning to Aukų gatvė you find the old headquarter of KGB and jail become museum in 1992. Inside there are witnesses of the genocide and torture during Soviet Union.

I was very impressed by picture I saw inside the museum . The one which illustrate survived people had to bring back the deported passed away to Lithuania from Siberia by tractors. The picture shows those tractors were pulling behind caskets.

Not far from the museum of genocide another symbol of the history of Vilnius: the barricades beside the supreme council built to protect the building from the Soviet Union army in the beginning of 1991. You can see they are covered by glasses. They are huge but you still are able to see inside the old political graffiti.

Let me turn my writing "funny" . The next visit I am talking about is the one in the utopic repubblic of Uzupis. A kind of "neighborhood - state" situated on one bank of the river Vilnia. (As matter of fact in Lithuanina language Uzupis means the other side of the river). This are has The “Uzupio Kavne” the “Parlament bar”,and if you following the road you will find the “Paupio gatve” the Costitution written in different sheet glasses in 23 languages and affixed to the wall .

To conclude I love music and I visited the memorial statue of the guitarist Frank Zappa passed away on 1993 in Los Angeles.

It is told that his music influenced the post-soviet era in Lithuania.

Thank you for your attention

Hope you like this post and hope you will visit Vilnius!

Peace out!

(Except the picture of Genocide Victims museum taken with my Nokia 5530 the other photos were taken with Casio EX-Z60 and as always all are mine)