21-28 January. Vilnius Day at the Palace of the Grand Dukes

We celebrated Vilnius’s birthday by taking a new look at the history of the capital of Lithuania. At the real tower of Gediminas in the Palace of the Grand Dukes, we had the opportunity to hear the letters of Gediminas read aloud and find out what message the Grand Duke of Lithuania sent to distant lands. A symbolic letter of Gediminas made of bronze to mark the anniversary was unveiled in the Grand Courtyard of the Palace of the Grand Dukes. Virtual reality took us to 3D Vilnius – we saw what the tower looked like during the times of Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas (1316-1341).  At the Dawn of the City of Gediminas. The Oldest Wooden Building in Vilnius and its Most Unique Finds exhibition, we had a unique opportunity to see the fragments of a building that stood on the slope of Gediminas Hill 750 years ago, as well as the belongings of a person in the ruler’s circle that have survived to this day.

The Palace of the Grand Dukes museum educators invited families with children of all ages to Vilnius’s birthday party. During special activities for little ones, kids learned about the beginning of the history of the city’s castles and recalled the legend of the founding of Vilnius. Older visitors congratulated the city by creating a card or writing a letter from Vilnius, just like Grand Duke Gediminas did 700 years ago. And story lovers were invited to listen to the story of Gediminas’s family and his children and grandchildren.

Date: 21-28 January 2023. The exhibition and 3D virtual projection of the tower of Gediminas will be open to visitors from 26 January.

Address: Palace of the Grand Dukes (Katedros a. 4).

Entry: Tickets required. More information about tickets can be found here.

Organiser: Palace of the Grand Dukes.

More information