The name of the city originates from the Vilnia River, from the Lithuanian word for ripple. The city has also had many derivative spellings in … See more

Vilnius is located at the confluence of the Vilnia and Neris rivers in southeastern Lithuania. Several countries claim that the geographical centre of Europe See more

Painting and sculpture
For centuries, Vilnius was an art centre of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and attracted artists from … See more

Urbanism and architecture
The Old Town of Vilnius is the historical centre of Vilnius, about 3.6 km (1.4 sq mi) in size. Its history begins from the Neolithic period. During it, the glacial hills were intermittently occupied and a wooden castle, at the … See more

Early history and Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Historian Romas Batūra [lt] identifies the city with Voruta, one of the castles of Mindaugas, … See more

The climate of Vilnius is humid continental (Köppen climate classification Dfb). Temperature records have been kept since 1777. The average annual temperature is7.3 °C (45 °F); in January, the average temperature is −3.9 °C (25 °F), in July, it is … See more

City government
Before the Magdeburg rights were granted to Vilnius in 1378, the city was overseen by the ruler's vicegerents. Later these duties were granted … See more