One of the most important Vilnius events is coming up! On 25th of January Vilnius is celebrating its 701st birthday. Let's learn how we know the exact date of Vilnius birthday and get some ideas what to do in Vilnius on this important day!
Why 25th of January? History of Vilnius
According to the legend, Grand Duke Gediminas dreamt of an iron wolf on a hill during a hunting trip in Šventaragis valley (near today's Cathedral Square). Taking this as a divine sign, he decided to build a mighty city, Vilnius, immediately. The vision foresaw a city as strong as iron and famous worldwide, echoing the howls of a hundred wolves! Gediminas aimed high, so he and his advisors devised a clever plan – they wrote letters to people in Western Europe, inviting them to Vilnius and asking skilled artisans to contribute to the new city. Typically, the first historical mention of a city's name is celebrated as its birthday. So, the date on the earliest surviving Gediminas's letter, dated January 25th, is considered Vilnius's birthday.
Gediminas letter to citizens of western European cities dated 25th of January, 1323
This letter was addressed to several German cities, including Lübeck, Sund, Bremen, Magdeburg, Cologne, and others in the Holy Roman Empire. Gediminas explained that despite Lithuania being a pagan country, it was highly tolerant towards Christians. In his invitation, he urged knights, merchants, doctors, artisans, and others to come to the Grand Duchy, assuring them the freedom to practice their trade and faith without any restrictions. Notably, Gediminas extended the invitation to German Jews and Christians alike, marking a crucial moment in the establishment of the Jewish community in Lithuania. Peasants were promised a ten-year tax exemption, and merchants were granted immunity from tariffs and taxes. Quite a generous offer, wouldn't you agree?
How to celebrate Vilnius birthday? Here are some things to do in Vilnius!
PLAN A: you can climb Gediminas Hill and start howling as a wolf!!! OK, we are joking…locals would probably think you are crazy. But writing letters is normal enough. If you have friends and family back at home, send them a letter like Gediminas did 701 years ago. Look how it worked out! Also we have so many beautiful postcards dedicated to Vilnius and it’s people. Here is the list of places to find them:
-
Mint Vintetu (Šv. Ignoto 16, Vilnius)
-
Mo museum gift shop (Pylimo 17, Vilnius)
-
Užupis Border Control (Užupio 1, Vilnius)
-
Vilnius tourist information center (Pilies g. Vilnius) - You can write your best wishes on special event postcards, and they'll send them to you for free.
You can find post offices at Vokiečių street 7-13 or Totorių g. 8. Be like Gediminas, spread the word about Vilnius to the world.
Send postcards from Uzupis post
PLAN B: you can talk to the guy who started it all. No, we don’t suggest you should start calling spirits from another world with a spiritual séance. Simple phone call will be enough. Just go to one of the must see Vilnius attractions - the monument for the Grand Duke Gediminas - located at the Cathedral Square in Vilnius Old Town. Scan the QR code on the blue plaque and voilà – Gediminas is calling you! Never heard about this magic? Check out Vilnius Talking Statues program. This is one the must things to do in Vilnius. And while you are chatting with Grand Duke, make a selfie with him!
PLAN C: The event locals are really excited about on Vilnius Birthday is the Vilnius Light Festival! Between January 25th - 28th streets, squares and public spaces are flooded with spectacular lights, revealing all the charm of Vilnius city. You can expect modern light installations, new media art and the synthesis of architecture and light... but the best part is the sword of Gediminas! Yes! This is one the coolest artworks from the Vilnius light festival that citizens of Vilnius immediately fell in love with. Gediminas sword becomes as shiny as the swords of the Jedi from Star Wars. For a few days our beloved Vilnius founder Gediminas becomes Jedi-minas!
You will find the exact location of each installation on this map. But you can also download festival app which included the festival route and short descriptions of all instalations. The app was available for downloading or updating on the App Store or Google Play
A picture from one of the most popular Vilnius evetns in winter - Vilnius Festival of Lights 2020. © Go Vilnius.
PLAN D: Come to our tours and learn more about this beautiful city and its history! On Vilnius Free tour we share stories you will not find in the tourist guide book and show you hidden gems of our beautiful city! On Soviet Vilnius tour and Jewish Vilnius tour we delve deeper into the history and explain to you the difficult and colorful chapters of Vilnius, Wilna and Wilno. Sounds like a great plan, doesn’t it?