Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Vilnius

  • Vilnius – Vapiano

    I headed towards the bus stop back to the airport and noticed there were some shopping malls in the area where I could have a final lunch. By final lunch I mean the last one during this trip, not some sort of grim final supper. Anyway, I saw Vapiano, and although this isn’t particularly Lithuanian (or at all really, it’s German) it is one of my favourite chains.

    It’s quite a spacious Vapiano and there’s a large area for children, I haven’t seen that before in the chain. The staff member at the reception desk was friendly, although she didn’t explain the ordering process. That didn’t matter since I already knew it, but the set-up is slightly complex and a first time visitor could well have become rather confused.

    The restaurant always grows their own herbs, which is done in an area in the centre of the seating area. It reminds me of when Dylan helpfully pulled bits off plants for my pizza back at the Luxembourg Vapiano in 2016.

    There are a range of different seating areas and I liked the generous amount of power points. Vapiano tend to locate themselves in areas where there are lots of office workers, and this one is no exception.

    There’s a huge pile of salad on this calzone that I didn’t order, but I didn’t say anything. The quality was fine, it was at the appropriate hot temperature and had a crispy exterior. The portion size was generous and the environment was clean and comfortable.

    The staff member I paid on the way out was friendly and engaging, so the customer service seemed welcoming. The cost of the meal was around £8, not bad for a chain restaurant like Vapiano. And it was convenient for my bus, as the bus stop to the airport is located over the road.

  • Vilnius – The New Arsenal

    The New Arsenal (as opposed to the Old Arsenal building) is the oldest museum in the country and dates back to 1855. Its collections cover a variety of periods of Lithuanian history and also some exhibits from other cultures.

    This sarcophagus was given to the museum in 1899 by Prince Chlodwig Karl Viktor Hohenlohe, the then Chancellor of Germany and Prime Minister of Prussia.

    A sledge from Lithuania, dating to the early part of the eighteenth century.

    A flogging board used on serfs.

    A model of the Battle of Grunwald, which was one of the largest battles during the medieval period. It was won decisively in 1410 by the Polish-Lithuanian army against the Teutonic Knights, who were a powerful religious body. Although it wasn’t the end of the Teutonic Knights, it was a significant setback and their reputation was heavily damaged after the battle.

    I’m sure there’s a wonderful history behind this pew, but the information board simply notes that it’s from a Lithuanian church and dates to 1683.

    This is the sign that was located outside the Fraternity House of St. Ann and it is dated 1642. I do wonder where this sign has been for the last few hundred years, given the number of fires, wars and disasters which have befallen the city, that anything survives often surprises me.

    This is the lock from one of the city’s gates, thought to date from around the seventeenth century.

    This is the memorial plate which noted the start of the construction of a monument to Mikhail Muravyov in Vilnius. The memorial was unveiled in 1898, but Muravyov is not a popular figure in the city, he closed down Vilnius University, shut down an anti-Russian demonstration and is known as “the hangman of Vilnius”. There is an interesting story that bear fat was spread on the monument, which led to tens of dogs barking and licking at the feet of Muravyov. The monument was torn down in 1915.

    This wooden violin is from the 1860s and it was made by one of the participants in the 1863 uprising.

    There are a number of rooms in the museum which are recreations of what homes might have looked liked in previous centuries.

    I’m not particularly engaged in displays of clothing and material, but this is a comprehensive set of recreated period clothing.

    Crosses are a bit of a thing in Lithuania and the art is known as cross crafting. They can signify many things, whether the death of a member of the community, but they can also represent victory in wars or other good fortune. These three crosses are from across the country and all date from the second half of the nineteenth century.

      

    A marvellous collection of wooden sculptures.

    To my delight, the special temporary exhibition on the ground floor was about books, all from the collection of Jaunius Gumbis. The book above dates to 1514 and is entitled The Battle of the King of Poland with the Muscovite, making it one of the earliest military history books.

    Coloniae Agrippinae, published in Cologne in 1519, a history book of the medieval states east of Germany, including what is now the territory of Lithuania.

    An incunable, this one dating to 1478 and it’s a book about geography, the Cosmography of the World.

    All in all, this museum had an eclectic range of exhibits, but everything was well presented and it was spacious and organised. Entrance usually costs €3, although I got in free with my Vilnius City Card.

  • Vilnius – The Old Arsenal

    Located in the Old Arsenal building is the city’s archaeological museum, telling the story of the people who lived in this area from 11,000BC until the creation of the permanent settlement of Vilnius in the thirteenth century. It’s not a huge museum, but the building is of historic interest and the collection is well put together.

    A burial with grave goods from around the eleventh to twelfth century. It was found near Kretinga, which is to the north west of Lithuania.

    Some items relating to the Selionian tribe, who lived until the fifteenth century in what is now south-eastern Latvia and north-eastern Lithuania, before being subsumed into the Germanic culture. The date of the items vary, but most are between the seventh and tenth centuries.

    The upstairs of the museum and I was, to my knowledge, the only visitor in the entire museum.

    Animal bones turned into various useful implements and weapons.

    The remains of a dugout canoe dating to around the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, located near the former Bishop’s House in Vilnius.

    The cannon barrels are from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and they were found cemented into the wall of the arsenal building. The cannonballs are a mixture from the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries.

    It didn’t take too long to look around the museum, but it was a worthwhile visit. The staff member at the front desk was helpful and it was certainly a quiet museum to visit, given that there was no-one else there. It usually costs €2, but I got in free with my Vilnius City Card.

  • Vilnius – Beatričė Grincevičiūtė Plaque

    Located in Vilnius city centre is this commemorative plaque dedicated to the life and work of Beatričė Grincevičiūtė. She was a singer who lived from 1911 until 1988 and she resided in the city from 1970 until the end of her life.

  • Vilnius – Halle Market

    This large indoor market is located in a building dating to 1906 and it was designed by Vaclovas Michnevicius. There’s a vibrant and modern feel to it now, and it feels like a market which is well used by locals.

    There are many stalls selling fruit, meat and there’s another building to the side which is more clothes orientated. I had planned to wander around for a little longer, but I was distracted by the tempting food at Wingus so stopped there….

  • Vilnius – Bastion of the Defensive Wall

    This building was constructed to be a bastion in the city’s defensive walls, and it has now been renovated and modernised to convert it into a museum. The bastion dates from the early sixteenth century, but it was badly damaged during a war with the Russians in the seventeenth century. It then fell into disuse and was partly lost, although the legends of its existence continued, and partly used for a random range of purposes including as the city dump.

    Part of the exterior wall, which I’m assuming they left like this during the renovations, as the rest is perfectly repaired. Unless they just repaired this bit badly and it promptly fell down.

    After entering the museum there’s the option of walking out onto the top of the bastion, which gives decent views over the city. Unfortunately it was quite foggy, so the views weren’t perfect, but fortunately I had been up the Gediminas Tower the day before to get photos of Vilnius.

    I don’t know where the museum has acquired its security guard from, but he was brilliant. Friendly, engaging and keen to explain the museum as well as converse with visitors. It’s clear that he really likes to see visitors and I’m sure he enhanced the experience for many people. Above is the view from the upper platform, with the modern cannons.

    There were steps down into the base of the bastion, although I took this photo on the way back up into the museum.

    The whole underground area was much bigger than I expected, in a large semicircle.

    Items which have been found during an archaeological dig at the site.

    These gloves and the bag weren’t found at this site, but they were uncovered elsewhere in Lithuania. They’re from the sixteenth century, so the level of preservation is excellent given that age.

    This is the legend of the Basilisk, a dragon which could turn people into stone. Unfortunately the dragon was stupid, so when it looked into a mirror placed in front of him, he turned himself into stone. However, his howls are still said to be heard in the bastion……

    This was a beautifully put together museum, interesting information boards and lots of details about the city wall and all of the gates which once existed. The staff were full of enthusiasm, particularly the security guard, and it’s a snapshot of the city’s history which was nearly lost for so long.

  • Vilnius – StrangeLove

    This little cafe is located at the entrance to Kalnų parkas and there are views of the park from the first floor (or second floor as the Lithuanians call it).

    Well, how lovely. The staff member was welcoming and willingly explained what all the options were, although I partly stopped listening when she mentioned the pistachio eclair.

    The view over the park from the upstairs balcony.

    I slightly regretted trying to carry both of these up the stairs, along with a load of leaflets and my battery charger. I was nervous of having an incident where at least one of them went flying onto another customer, but I bravely managed to hold onto everything. I then decided to ignore the table nearest to the top of the stairs and traipse across the room to the outside balcony, thereby increasing the chance of me dropping everything.

    A nicely presented latte which had a rich and pleasant taste, and a pistachio eclair which was excellent. The interior of the eclair had flavoured confectioner’s custard and the topping added a little bit of extra texture. The combination of pistachio and coffee is one which works for me. The cost of this little expedition was around £3.50.

  • Vilnius – Days of the Week

    I’ve never seen days of the week expressed in this manner before, but it seems nearly universal in Vilnius. I learned the days of the week in Poland early on, but visitors don’t need to know the local words here, as the days are known by numbers 1 (Monday) to 7 (Sunday).

    All very clear, it’s a good idea.

    Although, just for reference, these are the Lithuanian words for their days of the week.

    Pirmadienis – Monday

    Antradienis – Tuesday

    Trečiadienis – Wednesday

    Ketvirtadienis – Thursday

    Penktadienis – Friday

    Šeštadienis – Saturday

    Sekmadienis – Sunday

  • Vilnius – Vileišis Brothers Sculpture

    Located near to the Neris River is this large sculpture which was unveiled earlier in 2018, and is rather eye-catching. It commemorates the work of the Vileišis brothers and was sculpted by Regimantas Midvikis.

    Hopefully I’ve got these in the right order, but I think that this is Jonas Vileišis. He was a lawyer and diplomat who lived from January 1872 until June 1942 and for ten years he was also the Mayor of Kaunas.

    This is Antanas Vileišis who was a doctor in the city and he also took part in the distribution of Lithuanian material at a time when it was banned by the Soviets. He lived from October 1856 until April 1919 and is buried in the city.

    Finally, if my logic works out, this is Petras Vileišis. He was an engineer and political activist, and like his brother he distributed pro-Lithuanian material. He became a wealthy individual and he was also involved in publishing newspapers in Lithuanian. He lived from January 1851 until August 1926 and he was initially buried in Kaunas, before nine years later being moved to a cemetery in Vilnius.

  • Vilnius – Caffeine Roasters (Pilies)

    I went to one of these in Riga, they’re a relatively large chain of coffee shops in the region.

    I liked this particular coffee shop as it is located alongside a bookshop. Books give off good karma.

    Some delicious looking cakes….

    The latte was served very hot, unusual for countries outside of the UK, but tasted fine and there was some latte art. The chocolate tart was excellent, rich and full of flavour. Cost around £3 in UK money and the service was polite, if perhaps a little pedestrian.