castle
Trakai Island Castle
A stunning Gothic island castle on Lake Galvė, the only island castle in Eastern Europe and a symbol of Lithuania.
23 km · about 25 min drive
Vilnius, Lithuania · Europe
Vilnius is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Karoliniškės, 23km from Trakai Island Castle.
Vilnius is a city located in Vilnius, Lithuania. With a population of 542,366, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Vilnius sits in Lithuania, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Vilnius time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Vilnius to your route.
Vilnius ( VIL-nee-əs, Lithuanian: [ˈvʲɪlʲnʲʊs] ) is the capital of and largest city in Lithuania and the most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2026 population was 617,984, and the Vilnius urban area (which extends beyond the city limits) has an estimated population of 767,907.
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is notable for the architecture of its Old Town, considered one of Europe's largest and best-preserved old towns. The city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The architectural style known as Vilnian Baroque is named after the city, which is the easternmost Baroque city and the largest such city north of the Alps. The Renaissance and Baroque architecture of Vilnius was largely influenced by the Italian architecture as Italian descent architects, artists participated in designing and decorating it. The culture of Italy in Vilnius was significantly strengthened by the Italian princess Bona Sforza, who in 1517 married the Lithuanian Grand Duke Sigismund I the Old, and by their son Sigismund II Augustus. In the 15th−18th centuries the most common theory was that the Lithuanians hailed from the Roman people.
The city has been the capital of Lithuania since at least 1323, when it was first mentioned as such in a letter of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas. Since the 13th century until the mid-17th century the Vilnius Castle Complex had served as the residence of the Lithuanian monarchs, however the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania was greatly damaged and plundered during the Russian occupation of Vilnius in 1655–1661 and following this it was not used anymore as a monarchial residence. Furthermore, the city was noted for its multicultural population during the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, with contemporary sources comparing it to Babylon. Before World War II and the Holocaust, Vilnius was one of Europe's most important Jewish centres, leading Napoleon to dub it "the Jerusalem of the North" when he passed through in 1812. The city's current demographics are additionally marked by repatriations of Poles, who made up the majority of inhabitants before the World War II. The vast majority of residents of Vilnius are Lithuanians.
Vilnius was a 2009 European Capital of Culture with Linz in Austria. In 2021, the city was named one of fDi's 25 Global Cities of the Future. Vilnius is a financial centre, ranked 76th globally and 29th in Europe on the Global Financial Centres Index. The city is an important center for the global fintech industry. It hosted the 2023 NATO Summit. In 2025 Vilnius was the European Green Capital. Vilnius is a member of Eurocities and the Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU).
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Vilnius is located in Vilnius, Lithuania, Europe. The coordinates are 54.6892 latitude, 25.2798 longitude.
Vilnius has a population of approximately 542,366 people, making it a city in Lithuania.
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2 notable places within an hour's drive.
castle
A stunning Gothic island castle on Lake Galvė, the only island castle in Eastern Europe and a symbol of Lithuania.
23 km · about 25 min drive
ancient ruins
UNESCO-listed complex of five medieval hillforts above the Neris valley, Lithuania's first capital, with a car park and museum.
35 km · about 40 min drive
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