 Ausros Vartai city gate / Cafe in Pilies gatve, Vilnius |
 by Philip Game
Men in black, women in mauve parade up and down Pilies gatve, the main artery of the old quarter of Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital. The narrow street has become a catwalk for tourists and locals alike, and you don’t need a crystal ball to pick what's in, this summer.
Vilnius, a veritable Prague of the north, is a city of churches, and the route is lined with spires and onion domes. Lithuanians share a staunchly Catholic heritage with their Polish neighbours, if not with their Baltic brethren to the north.
From the windows of our Old Town apartment most of the city's landmarks are visible, including the wedding cake of St Casimir’s, with its black and gold crown; the baroque spire of St Johns, the university church; and the cream and chocolate tower of an Orthodox church, with its gold piping.
More images
|
