Visiting Jewish Vilnius and the Choral Synagogue

About Jewish Vilnius and the Choral Synagogue

Before the Second World War, Vilnius was a centre of Jewish learning known as the 'Jerusalem of Lithuania'. A walk through the former ghetto streets around Žydų, Gaono and Rūdninkų streets passes the monument to the 18th-century scholar the Vilna Gaon, and the Choral Synagogue on Pylimo street, completed in 1903, is the only pre-war synagogue in the city still in use.

Tip: A guided walking tour adds context to sites that are easy to miss, such as former synagogue locations and ghetto gates.

Plan your visit

• Time needed: 1.5–2 hours.
• Cost: Free — no ticket needed for the main area.
• Book ahead: not usually needed; buy on arrival.
• Where: Old Town, baroque churches, university courtyards and cobbled lanes from Cathedral Square to the Gate of Dawn.

Best time to visit Jewish Vilnius and the Choral Synagogue

To avoid the biggest crowds, aim for the quietest of the good months:

• April: 12°C (54°F) highs, about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds.
• March: 4°C (39°F) highs, about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds.
• October: 10°C (50°F) highs, about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds.

When to visit Vilnius has the full month-by-month picture.

Fit it into your trip

Jewish Vilnius and the Choral Synagogue is not on our short itineraries, so plan it as an extra once you have seen Old Town walk: Pilies street to the Gate of Dawn and Vilnius Cathedral and Cathedral Square.

• No. 13 of the 19 sights in our Vilnius things-to-do list.
• Listed in free things to do in Vilnius.
• One of the picks in historic sites in Vilnius.

Near Jewish Vilnius and the Choral Synagogue

Also in Old Town, so you can walk between them:

• Bernardine Garden — 45 minutes, free
• MO Museum — 1.5–2 hours, mid-priced
• Hot-air balloon flight over the Old Town — 3–4 hours including transfers, expensive

If you like Jewish Vilnius and the Choral Synagogue

• Church of St Peter and St Paul — Antakalnis, 30–45 minutes

Staying near Jewish Vilnius and the Choral Synagogue

Stay in Old Town ($$$) to walk here: baroque churches, university courtyards and cobbled lanes from Cathedral Square to the Gate of Dawn. All areas to stay in Vilnius.

Questions travellers ask