Thanks to numerous baroque buildings, arcades of narrow medieval streets, hidden small squares, towers and castles, as well as a large number of Orthodox and Catholic churches, the Lithuanian capital that stands on the river Neris, is distinguished by a special, unique atmosphere. Vilnius is primarily known as a city of hundreds of churches. Here one will find some truly magnificent works of architectural art. The center of the city itself has more than 30 churches! No wonder that the historic part of the city with its unique charm is protected by UNESCO.
The Cathedral. The magnificent Vilnius Cathedral is a spiritual and political center of Lithuania. The first Christian church on the site of the cathedral was built by King Mindaugas soon after his conversion to Christianity. The history of the modern building was started in the XV century. During its centuries long history the cathedral has survived in numerous fires and has undergone numerous reconstructions. The inner premises of the cathedral simply strike with their splendor – this is the place where you will find paintings, tombstones, sculptures of Lithuanian princes and kings of Poland, artworks of the XVI-XIX centuries, and even the museum, the exhibition of which is dedicated to the history of the cathedral starting from its construction to the present day. The Cathedral has also become the tomb of a number of important historical figures. Its underground tombs date back to the XII century. The 57 meter tall bell tower of the building that stands separately was built on the site of the former defense tower.
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