One day in Vilnius: itinerary and highlights

Vilnius encloses one of Eastern Europe's most extensive Baroque historic centers, UNESCO World Heritage, grown around a castle on a wooded hill overlooking the confluence of two rivers.

Between Baroque churches, a self-proclaimed artists' republic and the remains of medieval walls, a single day is enough to grasp the layered character of the Lithuanian capital.

The Gediminas Tower is the natural place to start: what remains of the upper castle, atop a hill dominating the historic centre, offers from its summit a view of the red roofs of the Old Town.

Descending, you reach the Vilnius Cathedral, with its leaning bell tower and the square in front where, by tradition, a tile marks the spot from which to make a wish by spinning around.

Walking along Pilies gatvė, the Old Town's main street, you encounter centuries-old university courtyards and Baroque churches like Saint Anna, so elaborate that legend claims Napoleon wanted to carry it to Paris in the palm of his hand.

For lunch, venues along Pilies gatvė offer Lithuanian cuisine dishes such as cepelinai, potato dumplings filled with meat.

A bridge takes you to Užupis, the bohemian quarter that has proclaimed itself an independent republic, complete with its own constitution posted on a wall in dozens of languages.

The Gate of Dawn, the sole survivor of the city walls' nine 16th-century gates, instead preserves a Marian icon venerated by both Catholics and Orthodox believers.

Venues around Town Hall Square remain a practical choice for dinner, amid restaurants and craft breweries.

Gediminas Tower, the Cathedral, and Pilies Street explain Vilnius's baroque soul on their own, while the afternoon choice between Užupis and the Gate of Dawn adds its artistic or religious side.

The historic Jewish quarter, nearly entirely disappeared during Nazi occupation, and a trip to Trakai Castle on its island, just outside the city, remain chapters for a second visit. Seeing the Užupis constitution posted in dozens of languages is what lingers longest from Vilnius.