The Old Town of Vilnius ( Lithuanian : Vilniaus senamiestis ), one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe , has an area of 3.59 square kilometres (887 acres). It encompasses 74 quarters, with 70 streets and lanes numbering 1487 buildings with a total floor area of 1,497,000 square meters. It was founded by the Lithuanian Grand Duke and King of Poland Jogaila in 1387 on the Magdeburg rights the oldest part of the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius , it had been developed over the course of many centuries, and has been shaped by the city's history and a constantly changing cultural influence. It is a place where some of Europe's greatest architectural styles— gothic , renaissance , baroque and neoclassical —stand side by side and complement each other. There are many Catholic , Lutheran and Orthodox churches, residential houses, cultural and architectural monuments, museums in the Old Town.
6-687: Pilies Street is the Old Town's main artery and the hub of cafe and street market life. The main street of Vilnius, Gediminas Avenue , is partially located in the Old Town. The central squares in the Old Town are the Cathedral Square and the Town Hall Square . One of the most elaborate architectural complexes is the Vilnius University Architectural Ensemble, which occupies a large part of
12-540: A broader meaning than the Old Town, formerly encircled with defensive walls. It embraces the valuable historical suburbs of Vilnius, such as Užupis , which historically used to be outside the city boundaries. Therefore Užupis is often considered a part of the Old Town of Vilnius. 352 ha Vilnius Old Town (Senamiestis) as the UNESCO World Heritage Site should not be confused with one of 21 elderships (boroughs) of Vilnius – Senamiestis (the one with
18-493: A slightly larger territory – 440 ha). There are more monuments of interest in the Old Town than in any other part of Vilnius; they include: Pilies Street Pilies Street (literally, "Castle Street"; Lithuanian : Pilies gatvė ) is one of the main streets in the Old Town of Vilnius , the capital of Lithuania . It is a rather short street, running from Cathedral Square to the Town Hall Square . Pilies Street
24-801: Is a popular location for market traders to sell the wares of folk artists. It has a natural advantage over the Town Hall Square as the street is generally busy and less likely to be interrupted by the political or cultural events commonly held at the Town Hall. Souvenir shops offer amberware and amber jewelry as well as linen clothes. The street is also known for the Kaziukas Fair , when folk artists from all over Lithuania gather here to display and sell their latest merchandise. Festivals in Vilnius frequently take place on Pilies Street – most processions will make their way through here at some point. This
30-583: Is true whatever the festival – be it Christmas , Easter , the day of Restoration of Independence, or just a spontaneous celebration following a major win for the Lithuanian basketball team . The headquarters of Vilnius University are located between Pilies Street and University Street, ( Lithuanian : Universiteto gatvė ). The House of the Signatories where the Declaration of Independence
36-725: The Old Town and has 13 courtyards. It was selected to represent Lithuania in the Mini-Europe Park in Brussels . In 1994 the Vilnius Old Town was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (No. 541) in recognition of its universal value and originality. It has been recognised as one of the most beautiful cities of the Old Continent that also has the largest baroque Old Town in the whole of Eastern and Central Europe. The definition of "historic center" itself has
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