According to an ancient legend, prince Gediminas tired with hunting the iron wolf howling on a high hill has dreamt. A pagan priest so has interpreted this dream: the prince should construct the lock on this place and found a city which will glorify Lithuania for the whole world. In seven years after the basis Vilnius has received the official arms – Sacred Christofor. However, the iron wolf remains till now an invariable symbol of Vilnius.

It is considered, that the city name has occurred on behalf of the river Vilny on which it is located. The history of Vilnius originates during the prehistoric period. Already in I th millenium B.C. in merge of the rivers Neris and Vilnia there were settlements. In X-XIII centuries on a hill there was a wooden lock. In XIV century on its place there was a stone, so-called Top lock. Vilnius is a great city to visit and here you can find and compare best deals on car rentals in vilnius. Check out the form above and find the best deal of car rent.

Vilnius and its history is a reflexion of waves of the West European civilisation, various styles, national and cultural traditions. Cult places of pagans, orthodox churches, Catholic baroque, signs of the Jewish way of life testify to existence in this East European city of rich cultural and historical traditions. In 1579 in Vilnius the university – the first in the Great princedom Lithuanian has been founded. After a while it becomes the considerable European center of a science and culture. Vilnius was always open to foreigners from the West and the East, therefore in due course in a city strong national communities start to be formed: Polish, Russian, Jewish, German, etc. All of them have brought the contribution to city formation: in Vilnius crafts, trade, a science prospered. In the beginning of XIX century Vilnius becomes the third large city in the Eastern Europe after Moscow and St Peterburg. Thanks to the uniqueness, in 1994 the Vilnius Old city has been included in the List of a cultural world heritage of UNESCO.