Vilnius is the capital city of Lithuania, the southernmost of the three Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. During the 14th century, Lithuania was one of the largest countries in Europe, as the territories that today form Belarus, Ukraine, and parts of Poland and Russia belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. After many vicissitudes, Lithuania declared its renewed independence in 1990. In 2009, Lithuania celebrates the millennium of its name and Vilnius is the European Capital of Culture, together with Linz, Austria.
"TV TOWER - The 326.5 metre-high tower has played an important role on the history of present-day Lithuania. Built from 1974 through 1980, it was the site of the January 13, 1991 events"
"MEMORIAL - Near the basis of the tower there is a memorial to the victims of the January events"
"SCULPTURE"
"VIEWS - At the altitude of 160m, there is an observation deck and a revolving platform that allows clients of the cafe «Milky Way» to have a nice view of the city and its surroundings. That's where one may see that Vilnius is a city in the green"
"NERIS RIVER - The 510km river runs 275km in Belarus before entering Lithuania, where it runs 235km, flowing through Vilnius and becoming a tributary of the Nemunas River at Kaunas"
"REVAL HOTEL LIEUTVA"
"ROOM WITH A VIEW - Towards west, with the TV Tower at the distance"
"OLD TOWN - View from the Hotel Lieutva"
"CHURCH, PARK AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS"
"RESTAURANT IN BELMONTAS - On one bank of the Vilnia River stands a restored French mill, where a restaurant now operates"
"BELMONTAS PARK"
"OLD TIMES BUILDING"
"RECEPTION HOUSE AND GARDENS - Memories from other times..."
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50 comments:
Hi Folks! You must confess that this was a bit surprising. I wonder who would bet that after Brazil Blogtrotter would deal with Lithuania... ;) Anyhow, it was an interesting trip and June is definitely a nice month to visit the country. Enjoy!
Une ville dans la verdure comme Berlin mais ayant moins souffert de l'Histoire dans ses bâtiments malgré les événements de 1971.
La tour de télévision elle-même les rapproche....
Gil, aurais tu deviné que je serais la première à commenter ce message ?
Although not exotic like your other destinations, Vilnius looks like a pleasant enough place.
Thanks for the link to the sad events of January.
Cergie, C'est dommage car je voulais etre le premier a commenter sur ce message...mais bravo, vous etes la premiere.
This is an excellent post as I get the chance to see lithuania...I had a different mental image of it.. but this is real real real nice. I love the pictures, the write up and the whole nine yards...very very very well done...just love it.
I've never been to Lithuania although it's not so far away from Finland. Estonia and Tallinn I've visited a couple of times, it takes only about two hours with the ship to get from Helsinki to Tallinn.
Must visit Lithuania, really must.
Have a nice weekend, Trotter!
Interesting sculptures they have got there and the contrasts are interesting, too: so many beautiful city views and so many ugly (new) buildings. Have a nice weekened, Gil.
Une destination que voulais faire en fin d'année, car il doit y avoir de la neige, mais ça sera surement triste à cette période. Le cœur historique ressemble un peu à Prague?
It is a lovely city. Love the beautiful scenery where you are standing. I am dying to take a trip but so much things happening.....
Everything is so beautiful from above! Everything is so green, a nice balance of buildings and nature.
I can't believe beauty such as this exists! It's so amazing their Government really worked on the place.
i have not seen so much beautiful green in such a long time - the river scene looks so tranquil
the green is so soothing..I love the views and the restaurant in the mill..there is something about old monuments ..
I like the green, I won't go on the tower in the first pic.
What a great contrast, the river, the city, the gardens, everything is amazing!
That was a very nice post. I would love to visit Lithuania someday. All of the pictures are truly beautiful.
it's so beautiful and green!
They have some wonderful sculptures and wood carvings. I really like the views of the city but I must say I'd like to be at that park. That is beautiful.
Gil, what a wonderful and informative post! Vilnius is really a fine city, I like all your beautiful images: from the Tower, the Sculpture, the great views, to the Neris River, the old town, the government buildings and all the others.
About Callas, I haven't yet seen the new cd: she is really unique, isn't she?
Have a very good week ahead!
It is so...green there! It is indeed the perfect time to visit. I only wish the grass here in Toronto becomes as green as over there soon! No more winter! Just spring all the way!
Gil,
Such marvelous picx wat to say no word for ur photography skills....
If i had to pick the one best pic out of these i would say its ur pic at the Reval Hotel Lieutva....
I guess u can try Bollywood with that pic who knows Shilpa might get flattered lookin at u lol...
Kven
http://kollywoodmoviereview.blogspot.com/
Belle ville, tristement celebre en France,apres la mort dramatique de Marie Trintignant et la condamnation du chanteur de Noir Desir.
Nous avons recu de la famille pendant 15 jours en France et jái accompagne ma fille en Suede en voiture ce week end. D ou le clavier Qwerty sans accent.
What a nice trip, the hotel looks wonderful and the restaurants are fabulous. I really like the sculptures. Where are we going next?
I liked the best the old town photos, they reminded me a little bit to scenes in Austria at the Danube or even in Hungary... :)
Susanne
Sue's Daily Photography
hmmm lithuania, the only thing i know of the country is that it was associated with ussr or something (and i think i was wrong lol).
anyways, very nice of you to share this country to us. it is always fun visiting your blog. always delight my eyes.
The memorial looks really special. A little bit between two worlds...
I don't know if I will ever get to visit Lithuania. So glad I got to see it in your post. The place looks so serene and beautiful!
I love the shots of the countryside the most, Gil. The old mill and the canals and all of the greenery - great!
Absolutely interesting, you are truly showing all of us the view of the world Gil, without this blog, we will never see..and probably never visit too. Have a great week Gil.
It could be nice to have a stroll in the Belmontas park. (Nothing to do with Jean-Paul Belmondo, I suppose!)
Gil, thanks very much for sharing these very refreshing pictures! I loved those of the Belmontas Park. Brilliant!
Thanks also for your message on my holiday post! I had a wonderful time home during my vacation! I will be posting some pictures over the coming days!
I've never been there but it looks like another interesting place to put on my "to see" list!
If I didn't know any better I would think I was looking at photos of my home state (all the beautiful green). Thanks Blogtrotter for showing me what I would never ever get to see in my lifetime. ~ Lynn
P.S. Pink Saturdays only come every two weeks for me. :)
Wow! what a difference between Vilnius and Brazil lol
The Place looks fresh and green and I love the old buildings. They have a lot more character than the new ones
I love the memorial to the victims The view from the tower was super and the French Mill restaurant is just a great idea, so much to say just sitting there. Belmontas Park was interesting, liked the two logs with the fingers on top.
Very nice. I hope the food was good. :)
I love the contrast between the quaint buildings and the modern steel architecture.
I must admit I don't know much about Lithuania, but your photos make me want to learn more. It looks like a very green place and I like the interesting sculptures. You must be one of the most well traveled people on the planet! Will look forward to seeing more from this country...
Vilnius! I intend to visit this city this year, with a friend who lives there to show us around. The mention of an Old Town paints a very romantic picture of Eastern Europe. I love the photos you have posted and I look forward to the rest.
Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your comment. Come back tomorrow!
joy
A Pinay In EnglandYour Love CoachI, Woman
Yes, quite a bit a change from the - at least for me - more exotic India and Brazil! This is so close to my country of origin, but I never visited! Of course, those days it wasn't an obvious place for a tourist visit.
... and I can see that you are now only some nine months behind! Soone we will have "immediate reports"! :-)
Two more stops in the virtual tour you have provided me. As a student of architecture back in the 60s I studied Brasilia and wanted to get there even if it failed as a city. Your tour has now given me almost as much as I require. Vilnius, too, seems to have more green than is healthy for a real city. I'd much rather poke around in the crowded streets of an Indian city than grand boulevards with no urban excitement. Many thanks for helping me to plan my analog travel through your virtual journeys.
and i thought we are going to sao paolo :(((((((((((((((
anyway, this is my kinda town ... it's green and clear blue sky. though a bit contrast with what i earlier expected (lotsa excitement) but the pics are really cool.
good timing. i need to be cool rather being excited for businesses are not doing well right now. Thanks :-)
What a pleasant trip I must say and I am curious to find out just how people live there? Seems like rather empty though but nice & quiet which would be a perfect place for me :)
I like the bell scuplture :)
What is nice with your blog is that it reminds me of my travel plans. The Baltic states are since long on my list. But now, of course, postponed as I am heading towards Sri Lanka.
Gorgeous! The views are marvellous!
So far I have never been far north, I always fear the bad weather, but this town looks beautiful !
I don't know anything about Lithuania but the place looks beautiful. I love the parks there. It's a bit sad that my country doesn't have these interesting parks.
Lithuania seems to be on the travel radar more and more. Would love to see it.
Hello Gil
Thank you for the beautiful tour. I especially love the Mill. I wish I could find one around here, but I don't know if any ever existed near here.
Take care and have a great week.
Lisa
Now I an really see why Vilnius is called the city within the green! Beautiful!
The sculptures are amazing!
les vues panoramiques sont superbes, et j'adore le memorial (par contre je ne comprends pas que ton RSS ne marche pas toujours, ce qui fait que l'on est pas au courant de tes mises a jour).
Vilnius, the cultural capital looks so beatiful. I am intrigued by the sculptures on the 8th picture from the bottom. Two hand with V for victory.
Hi Everybody! Sorry for the delay in replying to your comments, but having spent last weekend enjoying Bach’s Legacy at the Music Fest, there was a terrible week afterwards; fortunately we have a holiday today, so there is a chance to pay some attention to this blog and to its visitors!! Thanks for the comments!
Lucie,
Je t’attends toujours à Blogtrotter, alors pas de surprise... ;) Berlin a bien souffert, mais la Lituanie n’a pas eu une vie facile aussi… ;)
Dina,
Not so exotic, but somehow exotic anyhow… ;)
Baron,
You’ll get the pole position next time… ;)
I also had some different ideas… Advantage to get there!!
Susu,
Easy task to get there from Helsinki…
Ingrid,
I’m not that critic of modern buildings… some will become the cathedrals of the future… ;))
Lyliane,
Avec ton expérience du Canada, tu seras surement préparée pour l’hiver lithuanien… ;)) Le baroque du centre Europe est allé jusqu’à Vilnius !
Alice SG,
It’s becoming difficult to travel with this new pandemic... ;(
HalfCrazy,
Beautiful indeed; probably more from Nature than from Government... ;))
Maria,
It was a surprise to see all that green in town!
Lakshmi,
Belmontas Park is a wonderful place to stroll around!
Dick,
No problem with the tower!
Dana,
Vilnius is not exactly the kind of city we are used to...
Ron,
I’m sure you’ll make your wishes come true!
Mariposa,
Yes, but probably you wouldn’t love it so much as your Spain... ;))
Barb,
Belmontas is certainly an excellent place to enjoy life!
Pietro,
Thanks! The Callas box is a set with more than 20 CDs, from old live recordings. Some aren’t that good, but the voice is absolutely stunning!!
Jen,
Hope your Toronto grass has already come out; it’s May anyhow... ;))
Kven,
Can you convince Shilpa Shetty to pay some attention on the future Bollywood star? But not on Big Brother... ;))
Daniel,
C’est vrai que Vilnius est devenue tristement célèbre avec l’affaire Trintignant; je ne me rappelais néanmoins plus… Suède en voiture? Quelle voyage… ;)
Rhonda,
We’ll be taking some time in Lithuania before moving ahead… ;))
Sue,
That’s the mid-Europe baroque spreading away towards east…)
Norman,
You aren’t wrong; Lithuania was one of the Republics of USSR…
Thérèse,
I fully agree with you: somehow between two worlds!!
Bindu,
I’ll post some more pictures on the country, so you’ll have a pretty fair view of it anyhow… ;))
Paul,
I’m sure you would enjoy Belmontas; a wonderful park! But not exactly countryside; it’s in town… ;)
M.Kate,
It’s not such a small world, you know… But I’m trying my best to see as much as I can… ;))
Hélène,
Don’t think it has anything to do with «Pierrot/je m’appelle Ferdinand» Belmondo… ;)
Rakesh,
Thanks! It’s always my pleasure to visit and comment on your blog. I wish I had some more time to enjoy if more peacefully… ;)
Kim,
It’s not such a small world; and full of «must see» places… ;))
Lynn,
There are lots of similarities around the world… And Valdas Adamkus (born Voldemaras Adamkavičius on November 3, 1926 in Kaunas), the current President of Lithuania, made all is life in the US, where he served the federal government for 27 years, before returning to Lithuania to become President... Amazing!
Lady,
There is certainly a difference with Brazil, but not that much with Brasilia, one of the «greenest» towns in the country… ;)
The buffet food could have been better… ;)
LadyFi,
Thanks for your visit and first time comment here!!
Lori,
Lithuania isn’t probably one of the most well known countries in the world… and I’m sure you’re not alone on the knowledge of the country. I must confess I didn’t know much before getting there…
I would love to travel much more than I do; at least nowadays… ;)
Joy,
You may start your summer tour right now and pick the spots you would love to «re-visit» in your summer trip… ;))
Peter,
That’s true that it wasn’t on the top list when you were living in Sweden… ;)
I would love to keep the delay below one year, but it isn’t that easy… I’ve to retire… ;))
Ted,
That idea of too much green for a city is quite interesting; probably because cities were made to be different from countryside… Anyhow, it’s quite refreshing to be in a place where you have all the amenities of a town with the pleasure of the countryside: best of both worlds… ;))
Azer,
I think you were making a mistake; you wanted to go to Copacabana and Ipanema… ;)) Hope that business improves; hard with the crisis and now the flu… what will happen next?
Betty,
They live like everybody else… I don’t think there is much difference now around the world: everybody in crisis and fearing the flu… ;))
Pete,
I hope things are running better in Sri Lanka, but I’m afraid what we hear in the news isn’t that good… Anyhow, you’ll get some time for your travel plans!!
Ash,
Not as stunning as your country, but with a certain charm…
Gattina,
That far north? It’s just like Kiel in Germany; a bit further north than Amsterdam… ;))
Cutie,
If you love parks, that’s the place to go… ;)
Wendy,
One place you haven’t been to? Amazing…
Vilnius is one of the European Capital of Culture cities in 2009 (together with Linz, Austria), when it commemorates the millennium of its name… no wonder you catch it on radar more and more…
Lisa,
Hard to find out whether there was a mill around where you live…
Pat,
Truly green, isn’t it?
Indrany,
Great to read you here!!
Olivier,
Tu sais que Blogger a ses hypersensibilités… je n’arrive jamais à comprendre pourquoi ça ne marche pas… ;))
Subramanian,
It seems to show that although in chains they will win… ;)
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