Vilnius, Lithuania

June 12th

We arrived in Vilnius on Sunday afternoon and our hotel is on Cathedral square. There was a craft market and we were impressed with the quality of the designs and the workmanship.

This morning we set off on a walking/driving tour of Vilnius. The Lithuanians were the last tribe in Europe to be christianised which finally happened in 1387. In spite of the late start there are dozens of churches in Vilnius nearly all Catholic - we are out of Lutheran territory.

Now for some pictures:-

Cross stitch cushion in Pakruojis manor hotel.

The hotel which had 90 cm thick walls.

 View of the hotel surrounds

Hotel foyer complete with saddle in case you feel like a gallop before breakfast. 

The Hill of Crosses. Crosses first appeared here in the 14thC. During Soviet times they were bulldozed at least 3 times and planting a cross was an arrestable offence but still people kept putting them here.

 Handblown glass ornaments in Vilnius street market.

 Fashion Parade in the market. We missed the adult section.

Cathedral of St Stanislav and St Vladislav and as is often the case it is built on the site originally used for pagan worship of Perkunas the thunder god. 

 Cathedral organ.

We have seen several tourist groups in Vilnius. Apparently they are mostly Polish and Belorussian. This group frequently burst into song

Gothic style church of St Anne originally built about 1500.

Last but not least the church of St Peter and St Paul which has over 2000 stucco figures and they are very high quality

In the 1930s more than one third of the Vilnius population was Jewish, but they mostly perished during the Second World war.

Part of the vodka selection in one local supermarket!

Or coffee shops everywhere and good coffee.