Location: Vilnius
Top Things to do in Vilnius
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Top 10 Art Museums in Vilnius, Vilnius County
Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, contains one of the largest surviving medieval quarters in Europe. Included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, Old Town contains almost two thousand medieval, gothic, renaissance, and baroque buildings, all centered on the neo-classical cathedral and town hall. Other popular attractions include the KGB Museum, located in a former Soviet prison, and the 13th century Higher Castle, which affords a glorious view of the city center.
Restaurants in Vilnius
1. Tsekh Vilnius
2. Culinary Heritage Museum of Lithuania
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
The museum presents more than 25000 exhibits. You will discover the culinary heritage of Lithuania by traveling into the culinary traditions of various times (18th to 20th centuries mostly).
3. Lithuanian Art Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By S-Man283 - Philadelphia, United States
If you are/were an art history student, you learned a lot about the paintings from France, Italy, Britain, Netherlands, and Flanders. Never a mention of Lithuania. When you go to this national art collection, you will learn that Lithuania had some very impressive (even if not internationally well known) artists, particularly in the 18th-20th centuries. As you are in Vilnius to learn about the local culture, it is well worth taking the time to see this museum. The various paintings of the Vilnius will give you a good introduction to the city as well. It is a good size museum. Big enough to feel like an experience and small enough so as not to give you fatigue.
4. National Art Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 62 reviews
Reviewed By peteflynn43 - Liverpool, United Kingdom
The old town heaves with tourists whereas we had the galleries here to ourselves, apart from one or two people occasionally. It's only a short walk away and the building and collection are impressive. As 'pensioners' we got entry for 1€ and the excellent audio guide in English was free. The ten rooms of the permanent collection give a comprehensive view of the development of Lithuanian art, and make clear the influence of social factors including the Soviet occupation. We were impressed by the art and really liked the work of a number of artists we had never heard of. The audio guide gives an overview of works and themes in each room which cover a particular period of time. It then picks out three or four representative works and allows one to spend whatever time is desired in each room. We would have found it very interesting even if the art itself wasn't particularly good, but that isn't the case. Getting there allows a wander along the river bank and a look at the outdoor basketball and volleyball courts. A very good alternative venue to all those in the old town.
5. Kazys Varnelis House-Museum (Kazio Varnelio muziejus)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By endis - Vilnius, Lithuania
Varnelis was famous for his modern optical art and huge collection of Western European/Asian art and library (more than 3000 exhibits). The museum is housed in one of the oldest buildings on the Rotuses square. 37 halls, impressive exhibition and amazing passionate guides. Tour last about 1.5-2 hrs. Appointment (by phone or email) necessary. Highly recommended.
6. MO Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 100 reviews
Named as one of the most awaited museums in Europe in 2019 – MO Museum is much more than a simple visit to the galleries – it’s a complete cultural experience and a must see in Vilnius. Spend a few meaningful hours in our exhibition halls or in the sculpture garden and terrace, treat yourself at MO Bistro or get unique Lithuanian designs and souvenirs from the MO Shop. Designed by the world-renown architect Daniel Libeskind, MO strives to make art approachable to everyone and host up to five temporary shows a year, where we eagerly await our visitors to come back for MOre.
Reviewed By hytrou
Interesting Lithuanian modern art museum which is close to the old town. A great place to spend an hour or two. While being there, don't miss the section with portraits which look like photos but in fact, are the pencil drawings of humans. It's incredible how detailed they are. The building itself is exceptional as well - it's impossible not to notice it in the street. If you put it upside down, it would look exactly the same. There is also a few very good restaurants and coffee shops close by.
7. Applied Art Museum (Taikomosios Dailes Muziejus)
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 37 reviews
Reviewed By OliviaW484 - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
The costumes were very extensive and they had managed to make them look fresh not crushed and worn looking, lovely cases with the matching shoes, jewellery, hair and glove adornments which complimented the clothes. There was also an exhibition of photography which was utterly captivating. Do explore the furniture and the Gobelins tapestries, even grand pianos. We went on a hot day and it was beautifully cool and I cannot wait to go again when I am next in Vilnius
8. Amber Museum-Gallery
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 286 reviews
In the Amber museum you will get acquainted with Baltic amber witch is 50 million years old. Its morphology embraces the pieces of amber that are different in form, size and colour. Your attention will be caught by a unique collection of inclusions: a shell in amber, a mosquito that has sucked the blood, the leg of a grasshopper... You will get opportunity to reveal the beauty and power of amber in its entirety as much as possible. What is more, you will see the reconstructed treasure of Juodkrantė ( this treasure was found in 1882 in Curonian Spit and consists of 434 amber artifacts of the Neolithic period). In the unearthed cellar there is a valuable archeological find- 15th century complex of furnaces used for baking ceramics with authentic finds: pottery, tiles and ceramic money-boxes,coins, crosses, a needle from the 16th-17th century. You will get a chance to touch a natural amber piece, to taste an amber drink, to see the process of amber polishing and modern jewellery.
Reviewed By jon07wilson
What a wonderful collection of natural amber and ancient and modern amber jewellery. Amazing pieces of Baltic amber with insect and plant inclusions beautifully displayed and lit. A remarkable collection, world class and all enjoyed with a one-to-one commentary by the friendly and knowledgable Karolina. Thank you !! I will visit again, thank you, Jon
9. National Museum of Lithuania
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 245 reviews
Reviewed By Ina5555 - Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine
I think even in our part of the world many people tend to lump all the three Baltic states into one "the Baltics" entity (especially for tourism purposes). I was guilty of it too. But this Lithuanian National Museum visit, after having recently visited its Estonian counterpart, was instrumental to spot several striking differences: 1) After the Danish and following conquests Estonians were mostly relinquished to subordinate citizens in their own country from medieval times till XX century, when Baltic Germans as a ruling class were eventually driven away by Russians. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) in medieval time once was a big mighty state, with Lithuanians being a master class having conquered vast Ruthenian lands (all modern Belarus and part of modern Ukraine), later Lithuania became a junior willing partner in the commonwealth with Poland. Thus Lithuania's religion, culture and arts are heavily influenced by a centralized aristocratic catholic Poland, while Estonia's arts have evolved within the Hanseatic league (German-led decentralized merchants' union of self-governing cities), with Reformation as a religous force, merchants and artisans guilds being important societal actors. A striking difference reflected on the arts of the corresponding societies! 2) Lithuanian art (as expected from its relation to the Polish one) is extremely rich in portraits of aristocracy, clergy and statesmen (GDL within the Commonwealth was an aristocratic oligarchy of four noble rich families, it's natural if they were constantly commissioning their portraits thus stimulating a local painters market), Estonian National Museum has next to zero portraits of anyone. Estonian applied art in terms of splendid ceremonial cups of medieval artisans guilds and merchants could sit proudly in any emperor's collection, while the crockery of the medieval Lithuanian aristocracy honestly would have hardly impressed even my grandmother. Lithuanian applied art is unique for and excels in lovely carved wooden crosses (and the saints' sculptures) made to be erected on roads, fields, crossroads, riverbanks (must be the Catholic church influence). 3) Unrequited love. It was almost that Eternal-Shining-of-the-Spotless-Mind feeling as if you had been in love with someone many years ago, now with those sweet memories you visit them only to find out they don't know you, don't remember your face and your name, but moved on, happily in love with their significant other so you could only quietly retreat so as not to disturb the happy couple with your unwanted presence. I had that unrequited love feeling looking back at what we were taught at school, Ukrainian historians were in love with and praized GDL for being a (probably unfathomable for a medieval Europe) religiously tolerant society were some/many Lithuanians stayed pagans while conquered Ruthenians (back then Belarus and Ukrainian people were almost one entity, barely started to differentiate) were free to exercise their faith (Orthodox Christians), their ethnicity didn't make them second-degree citizens in the society (this paradise had gone for Ruthenians when GDL entered a state union with Poland which was the start of state-sanctioned Catholicism conversion and Polonization politics). But this is what I learned back into a Ukrainian school, here in the Lithuanian History Museum I discovered that these several centuries of Ruthenian-lands-within-GDL history were entirely erased, invisible and non-existent in Lithuania; few maps, no artefacts, no mentions of Ruthenians' lands, people and their life within GDL. Getting accustomed to Lithuanian National Museum's totally ghosting Belarus and Ukraine, I found probably one and only mention of Ruthenians' existence within GDL in the Grunwald battle exposition (when united forces of Poland, GDL and Tatars defeated the Teutonic Knights - Germans, sanctioned by the Pope to conquer infidels, basically a sanctioned land grab, because the Polish being Catholics hardly were infidels for the Holy See). In line with its ghosting politics, the museum even didn't employ proper historical terms (Rus or Ruthenians) for the warriors from Ruthenian lands within the GDL's army but instead unexpectedly referred to these medieval people from Lviv or Polotsk in year 1410 as to "Russians". Beam me up, Scotty. But you get that genuine cordial feeling of a happy GDL's marriage to Poland, being together throughout centuries in sickness and in health (several XIX century anti-Russian empire uprisings, after the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was partitioned between the three neighbouring empires; many of interesting touching artefacts pertaining to these uprisings). I think that for many tourists from other parts of the world this traditional history museum with a rather big versatile collection of artefacts (taking into account that many valuable artefacts were taken to and never returned from Russia in early XX century in order to stop inspiring national feelings in locals), among them a few old maps, plenty of portraits of aristocracy, wooden folk toys, nice wooden cross crafting, national dresses, rooms of a traditional farmhouse, my favs - a piece of XIX century transatlantic telegraph cable, pen-and-ink drawings on playing cards, a giant XIX century PhD diploma awarded by Vilnius university, plenty of moving artefacts of the XIX uprising (from portraits in shackles to a wooden violin hand-made by a political prisoner) and its harsh suppression, medieval Vilnius executioner's swords and superstitions (very similar to Estonian ones (((((spoiler!!!!!!, don't read if you are going to rent an audioguide - probably because the executioner's profession was taught only in Germany, one couldn't apply for this position in a medieval GDL unless they were qualified in Germany!!! End of spoiler))))) the museum may seem something distant, but it is not to be missed for everyone interested in Eastern European history. Practicalities: admission 3 euro (a big stately collection of artefacts to enjoy several hours which I love and specifically was looking to, meanwhile the Estonian museum charges almost three times more for a miniature collection, which is probably great for most cruise tourists doing the city in a day or less, but unfortunately that felt as not stately enough for me, still cannot get over), an English audioguide to rent for 1 euro (the informativeness from 4 to 6-7 out of ten for different rooms and exhibits, it could give more historical and art background info), a manned cloakroom, two-storied building, all the captions are in English next to Lithuanian.
10. Radvilos Palace (Radvilos Rumai)
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