Lazdynai

Modern-day Vilnius is not only the city centre and Old Town; its residential areas are an integral part of the city. Although the first block house in Vilnius emerged in the New Town (Naujamiestis in Lithuanian), one of the most beautiful and modern residential area of Vilnius is Lazdynai. It acquired its name due to the hazel trees (lazdynas in Lithuanian) that grew abundantly there. The residential area achieved its glory when a group of architects led by Vytautas Čekanauskas implemented their project. It earned the Lenin Award from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), and buses of tourists came to see its modern structures. The residents of the quarter were instructed to dry their laundry on balconies to make the view modern and neat.

One of the best-known restaurants of the time, Erfurtas, at Architektų Street 19, hosted concerts by orchestras and musical stars of the Soviet Union. To get in you had to book a table at least two weeks in advance. Lazdynai was also the residential area in which the first skyscrapers – 16-storey multi-apartment monolith buildings – of Vilnius emerged. You can see an impressive green view of the city on the top floors of these buildings. Only in Lazdynai will you see the then innovation of architecture – oblong five-storey block multi-apartment buildings connected at a blunt angle. You will find plenty of green areas for calm walks there too, so take your time and feel the spirit of the residential quarter.