Vilnius University

Educational institutions not so often become the sightseeings. It is more peculiar to museums or entertaining arenas. However the Vilnius University once again emphasizes the special character of the Lithuanian capital. Vilnius, maybe, is not the oldest city of the Europe. But it one of the most aged. It is easy to determine the maturity of Vilnius on priorities of Lithuanians. The University of Vilnius has already become an indisputable symbol of all Lithuania long ago. It is the symbol of education and simultaneously the symbol of the Lithuanian statehood. And it is the presence of education as a basis of the national state testifies to a maturity of Lithuania as a whole and Vilnius in particular.

The Vilnius University is one of the oldest educational establishments in the Baltics and the East Europe. It has accepted the first students in the end of 16th centuries, in 1579. Since then a lot of outstanding persons have graduated it, who have affected the all-European culture, among them are the visible poet Adam Mickiewicz, the well-known scientists, physicians, philosophers. Nowadays 12 faculties are opened at the University. Honorable doctors of the Vilnius University are Valdas Adamkus and Vaclav Gavel. Annually over 20 thousand students get the higher education at the university.

The library of the Vilnius University is considered the biggest in Lithuania. Up to now thousands copies of book editions of the 17-19 centuries are kept there. All together the library contains over 5 million volumes.The Vilnius University is unique from the architectural point of view. Buildings of a University observatory and the Saint John's church which have been excellently kept up to now can be added to the list of the main sights of Vilnius. Regarding the church besides regular benefits of clergy, a lot of festive University actions are held in it. In a church accept in students, here the diplomas of the university graduation are handed in. In the Saint John's church there is also the biggest pipe organ of Lithuania.

The Vilnius University campus also refers to the city sights. It is more similar to a campus of a palace of the Florentine doge, rather than educational establishment. In general, court yards of the Vilnius University are one of favourite places of tourists’ pilgrimage. During excursions on them guides like to inform, that Vilnius has got a rank “The Capitals of northern baroque”, to a certain degree, because of this the most “campus” architecture.