History · Walking tour
Bloody Vilnius
Old Town, VilniusNew
This walk takes you through Vilnius Old Town to places where the city turned death into a show. You start on Town Hall Square, where a wooden stage was built for executions. Then you stop at the Town Hall cellars, at a church that was once an atheism museum, and above crypts with hundreds of bodies. You hear the last night of Konstantinas Kalinauskas and the story of the men who carried the dead in plague time. A guide and voices from the past tell the story. Everything happens on public streets. You do not enter any building.
- Length
- 1.4 km
- Est. time
- 1h 15m
- Stories
- 6
- Route
- One-way
Starts at Town Hall Square, middle of the square facing the Town Hall
Ends at Start of Pilies St, by Cathedral Square
6 GPS-triggered stories
Audio plays automatically as you reach each stop
Audio in English · Lithuanian · Polish
Switch language any time during the walk
Listen to a sample
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What you'll hear
- How a wooden execution stage was built on Town Hall Square
- How a confession was forced from a prisoner in the cellars
- Hundreds of bodies under a church, and what they told scientists
- Konstantinas Kalinauskas and his last night before the execution
- The Rokitai: the men who carried the plague dead from the streets
Story stops
Stop 1 · 10 minThe Theatre of PunishmentOn Town Hall Square a wooden stage appeared for a few hours, and the city came to watch. Why was the crowd part of the punishment?
Stop 2 · 7 minTown Hall CellarsPrisoners were held under the Town Hall. A confession was forced from them here, and they had to repeat it in court.
Stop 3 · 8 minSt Casimir's ChurchA church that was Orthodox, then a warehouse, then an atheism museum. And the body of Andrzej Bobola, a problem for the authorities even after death.
The route
Things to know
Before you go
- Plan about 1 h 15 min. The walk is about 1.4 km.
- Use headphones. Audio plays at the stops; between stops you hear the real city.
- The paving is uneven. Wear comfortable shoes.
- All stops are in public places. You do not enter buildings. Pause the audio when you cross a road.
- Dark themes (executions, torture, human remains). For adults, not for small children.
Accessibility
- Uneven cobblestone paving, mostly flat Old Town streets. No stairs to climb; all stops are on streets. Stroller or wheelchair possible with care.
- Not fully step-free
- No: all stops are on streets and squares. You do not enter buildings.
- Road crossings between stops (3→4 and 5→6): pause the audio. Public streets, lit in the evening. Uneven paving.
- Dark themes: executions, torture, human remains, plague. For adults, not for small children.
€4.99one-time
or included in a pass