Vilnius Cathedral (Arkikatedra Bazilika)

Vilnius Cathedral, formally the Archcathedral Basilica of St. Stanislaus and St. Ladislaus, stands on Katedros aikste (Cathedral Square) at the foot of Gediminas Hill in Vilnius, Lithuania. The site is believed to have held a pagan sanctuary dedicated to the thunder god Perkunas before the conversion of Lithuania in 1387, and several churches have stood here since. The present neoclassical building was designed by Laurynas Gucevicius and completed in 1801, with a white Doric portico of six columns and statues of saints on the pediment. Inside, visitors see a bright, spacious nave, a series of side chapels in different styles, and the Baroque Chapel of St. Casimir, richly decorated with frescoes and coloured marble and containing the silver coffin of Lithuania's patron saint. Beneath the floor, the crypts and the remains of earlier Gothic and pagan-era foundations can be visited on a separate ticket, and a small treasury holds liturgical objects. The cathedral remains an active place of worship, so visitors should dress modestly and keep quiet during services. A typical visit takes 30 to 45 minutes, a little longer with the crypt. The best photo angle for the facade is from the middle of Cathedral Square, with the bell tower on the left, while the side chapels reward a slow walk along the aisles. The square is also home to the Tile of Miracles (Stebuklas), a paving stone from which a human chain began in 1989 during the Baltic Way, and visitors traditionally spin around on it while making a wish. Crowds are heaviest from late morning to mid-afternoon when walking tours stop on the square; early morning, shortly after opening, is calm and the light on the portico is soft. Sunday mass in the late morning brings organ music and a congregation but also limits sightseeing in the nave. In December a large Christmas tree stands on the square beside the cathedral.