Day 3 in Vilnius
Visit Vilnius’s churches!
In total, there are 65 churches in Vilnius, and one day is not enough to see them all, even if we would use the legendary underground tunnels that connect the city’s churches. That is why we will visit just the must-see churches.
Start with St. Michael the Archangel Church which now hosts the Church Heritage Museum. The museum was established in 2009 and exhibits the oldest sacral valuables. You can see here the treasury of Vilnius Cathedral as well. Lectures, concerts, book presentations are held in the Museum, while educational programs for children and adults introduce the history of Lithuania Church, sacral art and architecture. The exterior of the church displays a harmonious Renaissance-Baroque whitewashed facade, twin towers on both sides, as well as atop the belfry sits an iron weathervane that represents Saint Michael the Archangel crushing the devil under foot.
The Bernadine Church can be called a classic example of Lithuanian Gothic! But, again, we cannot deny the existence of other architectural styles’ features present in the church. From 14 wooden altars, just 11 have still remained, including the altar with the image of Our Lady. This image was sent in 1598 from Rome, by the Pope Clement VIII himself. Here, you can see the oldest in Lithuania holy crucifix, manufactured in the XIVth century. Those who are fond of gravestones and tombstones can find in the Church an imposing collection.
The Church of Our Lady of the Sign, built in 1903, exceeded much the beauty of Neo-Byzantine churches, this being one of the most outstanding and expensive Russian Orthodox churches in Vilnius. You can find flowers in pots among icons, which make the place even more beautiful. Also, there are special prayers near icons, but all of them are written in old Slavonic.
The Church of St. Catherine is one of the main churches of Vilnius, being considered part of a monastery ensemble. It is famous not only for its forms in Baroque and Rococo styles, but also for the excellent acoustic from the interior and the divine musical performances that are organized here. The Church of St. Catherine was built in 1743, but it was restored several times and the nowadays structure was opened to the public in 2006.
