Page 226 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Estonia Latvia & Lithuania

224  LITHU ANIA REGION B Y REGION

Street-by-Street: Pilies Street and
Vilnius University Applied Arts
Museum lies inside
Narrow lanes, hidden courtyards and some of the Old Town’s finest the Old Arsenal.
architecture make Pilies Street and nearby Vilnius University a delight to
stroll around and explore. The university, which is over 400 years old, is
one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. Traffic is restricted, and in summer
restaurants and cafés spill out onto the streets. Souvenir stalls and
shops on Pilies sell amber and interesting gifts, while the
surrounding buildings are testimony to the city’s long and
eventful history.

q Upper Castle
The best visual
introduction to Vilnius
is from the viewing
platform on the
castle’s last sur viv ing
tower. The Lithuanian
flag was raised here in
1919 and in 1988.

0 Royal Palace
Also known as the Lower
Castle, it was the main
residence of the Grand
Dukes and was the
political and cultural
heart of Lithuania. P I L I E S G AT V Ė

8 Vilnius Cathedral
The austere Neo-Classical exterior of
Lithuania’s main basilica belies its
hidden jewels, which include the U N I V E R S I T E T O
Baroque Chapel of St Casimir and the
winding passages of the crypt.
G A T V Ė

3 Presidential Palace
A 14th-century nobleman’s residence, this building
Key
has hosted many historical figures. It became the
Suggested route Presidency in 1997.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp304–305 and pp326–8

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