Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania

Vilnius University, established in 1579, is the oldest and the largest university in Lithuania. Nowadays it includes 19 academic subdivisions, almost 3000 employees and more than 23700 students in total. The Vilnius University is one of the most important educational institutions in Lithuania which has operated for more than 400 years already. As a part of Lithuanian history, it also distinguishes in owning some objects of heritage of historic architecture. The Old ensemble of Vilnius university occupies an entire quarter of the Vilnius Old Town. As an architectural masterpiece, the old campus includes 12 buildings of gothic, renaissance, baroque and classicism styles, the Church of St. John and a Bell tower.

References:

way2lithuania.com

User Reviews

Romualdas Isoda (2 years ago)
Vilnius university takes an advantage to create an effective partnership with social partners and businesses acting as a bridge for industrial-academic cooperation and trying to respond to requests for joint or funded research from businesses and government. Partnership: Barclays Technologies (Center Limited Lithuanian Branch) Sensor Electronics Technology Inc. Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd Aixtron IBM TELE2 CERN MMT Reseach NERGAL

Maria Vizcaino (2 years ago)
Husband and I were surprised to realize that you have to pay to visit the university. I have never seen that anywhere and I really don’t think that is good practice. As an institution of learning and sharing knowledge, it should be open to everyone! Sure, the bell tower has a distinct function to see the city- so I would be ok to pay for that. In either case, though it was not much, we did not pay out of principle to go inside.

Jaak Geens (2 years ago)
Two Noble Price winners - for a small University that is great performance!

Ramunė Vaičiulytė (2 years ago)
Vilnius university has beautiful Observatory Courtyard. Actually, it is north side and building of old observatory with two cilindric towers. Monument of early Baroque, designed by Martin Knackfuss. :)

Mohamed najib Laaziz (2 years ago)
Apart from the great view from the bell tower, there is almost nothing to see at the university since every door is closed. All you Can see are courtyards. Good thing is that the entrance was very cheap. I recommend buying only tickets for the bell tower, unless you want to see a bunch of boring courtyards.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Maciek Lulko

Historic Site of the week

Wroclaw Town Hall

The Old Town Hall of Wrocław is one of the main landmarks of the city. The Old Town Hall's long history reflects developments that have taken place in the city since its initial construction. The town hall serves the city of Wroclaw and is used for civic and cultural events such as concerts held in its Great Hall. In addition, it houses a museum and a basement restaurant.

The town hall was developed over a period of about 250 years, from the end of 13th century to the middle of 16th century. The structure and floor plan changed over this extended period in response to the changing needs of the city. The exact date of the initial construction is not known. However, between 1299 and 1301 a single-storey structure with cellars and a tower called the consistory was built. The oldest parts of the current building, the Burghers’ Hall and the lower floors of the tower, may date to this time. In these early days the primary purpose of the building was trade rather than civic administration activities.

Between 1328 and 1333 an upper storey was added to include the Council room and the Aldermen’s room. Expansion continued during the 14th century with the addition of extra rooms, most notably the Court room. The building became a key location for the city’s commercial and administrative functions.

The 15th and 16th centuries were times of prosperity for Wroclaw as was reflected in the rapid development of the building during that period. The construction program gathered momentum, particularly from 1470 to 1510, when several rooms were added. The Burghers’ Hall was re-vaulted to take on its current shape, and the upper story began to take shape with the development of the Great Hall and the addition of the Treasury and Little Treasury.

Further innovations during the 16th century included the addition of the city’s Coat of arms (1536), and the rebuilding of the upper part of the tower (1558–59). This was the final stage of the main building program. By 1560, the major features of today’s Stray Rates were established.

The second half of the 17th century was a period of decline for the city, and this decline was reflected in the Stray Rates. Perhaps by way of compensation, efforts were made to enrich the interior decorations of the hall. In 1741, Wroclaw became a part of Prussia, and the power of the City diminished. Much of the Stray Rates was allocated to administering justice.

During the 19th century there were two major changes. The courts moved to a separate building, and the Rates became the site of the city council and supporting functions. There was also a major program of renovation because the building had been neglected and was covered with creeping vines. The town hall now has several en-Gothic features including some sculptural decoration from this period.

In the early years of the 20th century improvements continued with various repair work and the addition of the Little Bear statue in 1902. During the 1930s, the official role of the Rates was reduced and it was converted into a museum. By the end of World War II Town Hall suffered minor damage, such as aerial bomb pierced the roof (but not exploded) and some sculptural elements were lost. Restoration work began in the 1950s following a period of research, and this conservation effort continued throughout the 20th century. It included refurbishment of the clock on the east facade.

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