Essential Vilnius sightseeing

You’ve checked into your hotel. You’re having lunch and you’re asking yourself what’s the best museum in Vilnius? What’s the most beautiful church in Vilnius? There’s no easy answers to these questions, but the following top sightseeing places should definitely be visited if you’ve got the time.    

The most important Catholic building in Lithuania, the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Stanislaus & St. Ladislaus demands a visit not only for the treasures it hides inside but also for the extraordinary and often turbulent history it’s lived through and survived. Don’t miss the recommended guided tours of the crypts.

Learn about the democracy the people of Lithuanian fought so hard for in the late 1980s and much more besides at the highly recommended Centre for Civil Education. Fully interactive and created by presidential decree in 2016, this fine museum definitely represents one of the best sights in Vilnius.

One of Vilnius’ top attractions, the fabulous Gates of Dawn draws pilgrims of both the Catholic and the Orthodox faith from Lithuania and around the world.

Almost every cemetery in Vilnius offers a history lesson in the city’s former multicultural past. The extraordinary Karaite & Tatar Cemetery near the airport features a unique ensemble of gravestones carved in a mixture of Hebrew and Arabic.

On the outskirts of Vilnius, the small village of Paneriai is without question the highlight of any visit out of town. It was here that during the 1941-1944 Nazi occupation of Lithuania thousands of Jewish men, women and children were brought, undressed, tortured, shot and burned.

Daniel Libeskind’s impressive MO Museum opened in October 2018. A brave private enterprise, check the museum’s website for information on upcoming world-class exhibitions and events.

The 15th-century masterpiece that’s St. Anne's Church is arguably the most beautiful building in Vilnius. Napoleon fell in love with it in 1812. You might do the same.