Vilnius
Vilnius
Lithuania’s capital city has an international flavour due to the influence of the big Lithuanian diaspora and because it has always been exposed to influences from central Europe and beyond. In the 16th century, Vilnius was one of the biggest cities in eastern Europe.
Vilnius played a part in Poland’s 17th-century ‘golden age’ and became an important Jewish city in the 19th century. Germany, Poland and Russia have all played pass-the-parcel with Vilnius last century. Post-WWII, Vilnius developed into the chief focus of Lithuania’s push for independence.