4 Best Sights in Lithuania

Vilnius's main cathedral, Arkikatedra Bazilika, has been a national symbol for centuries; inside is the dazzling 17th-century Chapel of St. Kazimieras. Originally a temple to Perkūnas, one of Lithuania's many pagan gods, the building became a church in the 13th century, when Lithuania converted from paganism to Christianity (the last European country to do so). The cathedral was used for other purposes under Communism; the church reclaimed the cathedral in the 1980s.

In the New Town, at the Genocido Auku Muziejus, plaques take you through a litany of horrors in the basement of the former KGB prison. Hundreds of Lithuanians were killed here, and hundreds of thousands more were deported to Siberia by the Soviet regime during the 1940s and '50s. The former execution room now has a floor made entirely of glass cases displaying objects recovered from the mass graves in which the Soviets buried the prisoners. A section dedicated to the Holocaust in Lithuania was opened in 2011.

Castle Hill is topped by the 13th-century Gedimino bokštas (Gedimino Tower), once part of the city's fortifications. Inside the tower is the Vilniaus Pilies Muziejus, which has outstanding city views. There is a lift to reach the Castle Hill from the inner courtyard of the castle (on the Arsenalo street side), at €1.50 per return trip. You still have to pay to enter the Tower itself in order to view the panorama of the Old Town.

Founded by the Jesuits in 1570, the university campus is comprised of a complex of 12 courtyards. Highlights include the observatory, with its 18th-century zodiac engravings (note that it is not open to the public), and the church of St. Johns. Originally a Gothic Church begun in 1387, St. Johns and its striking Vilnius baroque-style facade are a part of the university compound. It is also a perfect stage for "Alma Mater Musicalis" concerts and organ recitals.