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Thomas, this dinky little museum even has a train set. All<br />
aboard for a brief history of the Lithuanian railway system,<br />
complete with photos, diagrams, uniforms, signal lights, old<br />
tickets, stamps, pins, etc. QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed<br />
Mon, Sun. J<br />
Mickevičius’ Memorial Apartment-Museum<br />
(Mickevičiaus Memorialinis Butas-Muziejus) D-3,<br />
Bernardinų 11, tel. 279 18<br />
79, www.mb.vu.lt. Located<br />
in the house in which the<br />
romantic poet Mickevičius<br />
lived in 1822, the exhibits in<br />
this museum, which dates<br />
from the 19th century, trace<br />
his life and creative development.<br />
Although writing only in<br />
Polish, Mickevičius authored<br />
Poland’s greatest national<br />
epic, Pan Thaddeus, which<br />
opens, ‘Lithuania! My Fatherland! You are health, only he who<br />
has lost you can know how much you are cherished.’ Such is<br />
the complicated history of this part of the world. To arrange<br />
a visit call +370 680 949 82. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Sat,<br />
Sun 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Mon. J<br />
M. K. Čiurlionis’ House (M. K. Čiurlionio Namai)<br />
C-4, Savičiaus 11, tel. 262 24 51. Although more famous<br />
for his art (some even claim that Polish-speaking Čiurlionis<br />
was the originator of abstract art), Mikalojus Konstantinas<br />
Čiurlionis (1875-1911) also has quite a reputation as a<br />
composer. This is the house in which the great man lived<br />
for a short time, and the grand piano on which he allegedly<br />
wrote some of his most famous pieces can be found inside.<br />
The occasional concert is also held here from time to time.<br />
Entrance is through the side door. QOpen 10:00 - 16:00.<br />
Closed Sat, Sun. J<br />
National Museum (Lietuvos Nacionalinis Muziejus)<br />
C-1, Arsenalo 1, tel. 262 94 26, www.lnm.lt. The<br />
museum houses an extensive ethnographic collection with<br />
exhibits illustrating the history of the people of Lithuania<br />
from the 13th century to the present. Sure, the sleigh which<br />
looks like a big elfin slipper will instantly impress, as will the<br />
18th century toilet and the recreated rooms of Lithuanian<br />
village life; but it’s when you pay attention to the details of<br />
the recent additions that this place really impresses. Small<br />
flecks of silver, for instance, are some of the earliest Lithuanian<br />
coins, found in 2002 at the site of the Lower Castle.<br />
Then there are those scraps of fabric, found among remains<br />
of Napoleon’s soldiers recovered in the same year. Vilnius<br />
is still unearthing history, and this is the place to see it.<br />
QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 10:00 - 15:00. Closed Mon, Tue.<br />
J<br />
Planetarium (Planetariumas) H-2, Konstitucijos 12a,<br />
tel. 272 41 48, fax 272 41 77, www.astro.lt. A grand<br />
museum for stargazers of every persuasion. Excursions (in<br />
Lithuanian) take place at 14:00. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00, Fri<br />
09:00 - 15:45, Sat 12:00 - 15:00. Closed Sun.<br />
Pushkin Memorial Museum (Puškino Memorialinis<br />
Muziejus) K-4, Subačiaus 124, tel. 260 00 80. Alexander<br />
Pushkin’s son, Grigorij, and his wife, Varvara, lived in this wooden<br />
house on their Markučiai estate from 1899 until their deaths in<br />
1905 and 1935. The museum, founded in 1940 and opened in<br />
1948, displays their furniture as well as a literary exhibit of the<br />
great Russian poet’s works in Lithuania. The extensive grounds<br />
are a popular destination for family picnics during the summer.<br />
QOpen 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Tue.<br />
whAt to see<br />
Radvilos Palace (Radvilos Rūmai) B-2, Vilniaus 22,<br />
tel. 262 09 81, www.ldm.lt. Housed in the former palace of<br />
the noble Radvila family, whose 165 portraits are on display<br />
in one of the halls. Other exhibits include foreign fine art from<br />
the 16th century to the present day. QOpen 12:00 - 18:00,<br />
Sun 12:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. J<br />
Signatory’s House (Signatarų Namai) C-3, Pilies 26,<br />
tel. 231 44 42, www.muziejai.lt. Here the Lietuvos Taryba<br />
(Lithuanian Council) declared Lithuania’s independence in<br />
1918. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J<br />
Television Tower (Televizijos Bokštas) Sausio 13osios<br />
10, tel. 252 53 33, www.lrtc.net. On January 13,<br />
1991 Soviet tanks surrounded the Television Tower in an<br />
assault that killed 13 unarmed civilians. Around the tower are<br />
some beautiful and moving monuments, including eerie black<br />
and white photographs of those killed. You will also find a small<br />
photographic exhibition on the ground floor. On a clear day,<br />
the tower, which is the tallest building in Lithuania (326m) and<br />
taller than the Eiffel Tower (324m), offers a panoramic view of<br />
Vilnius. Entrance to the top is a cheeky 21Lt for adults, 9Lt for<br />
children. Take trolleybus No. 1 from the Trakų stop on Pylimo<br />
(A-4) and get off at Kometa, the 11th stop and walk toward<br />
the big pointy thing. QOpen 10:00 - 21:00.<br />
Theatre, Music & Film Museum (Lietuvos Teatro,<br />
Muzikos, Kino Muziejus) B-3, Vilniaus 41, tel./fax<br />
262 24 06, ltmkm@takas.lt, http://teatras.mch.mii.lt.<br />
Two floors of changing exhibits taken from a vast archive of<br />
over 250,000 pieces (they also have a library of some 30,000<br />
books), the biggest news is the recent acquisition of a genuine<br />
Čiurlionis in the form of a freshly restored theatrical backdrop.<br />
Charting the history of the three arts in question, find a<br />
fascinating collection of theatrical detritus from costumes to<br />
programmes to some rather startling set design models. The<br />
music section includes some great old harmoniums, Pianolas<br />
and working 19th century musical boxes. QOpen 12:00<br />
- 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J<br />
Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum of Lithuania A-<br />
2, Pylimo 4 (2nd floor), tel. 262 96 66, fax 261 19 46,<br />
jewishmuseum@jmuseum.w3.lt, www.jmuseum.lt. A<br />
permanent exhibition also housing a Jewish library. Tel. 261<br />
31 28. QOpen 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Fri, Sat. J<br />
Vilnius Picture Gallery (Vilniaus Paveikslų<br />
Galerija) C-3, Didžioji 4, tel./fax 212 08 41, tel. 212<br />
42 58, galerija@ldm.lt, www.ldm.lt. The Chodkevičiai<br />
family’s palace, built from the early 17th to the mid-19th<br />
century, was transformed into a museum in 1994. It houses<br />
a collection of Lithuanian paintings, drawings and sculptures<br />
from the 16th-19th century. QOpen 12:00 - 18:00, Sun<br />
12:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. J<br />
Vilnius University Science Museum (Vilniaus<br />
Universiteto Mokslo Muziejus) C-3, Šv. Jono 12<br />
(Sts. Johns’ Church), tel.<br />
268 71 54. During the period<br />
of Lithuania’s Soviet occupation<br />
this church, dedicated to<br />
two St. Johns, was converted<br />
into a Museum of Scientific<br />
Thought. Although the church<br />
is now primarily a place of worship,<br />
it still houses a collection<br />
of about 50 old books, some of<br />
which date back as far as the<br />
14th century. QOpen 10:00<br />
- 17:00. Closed Sun. J<br />
December 2007 - January 2008
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