Vilnius

Vilnius (/ˈvɪlniəs/ ^ⓘ VIL-nee-əs, Lithuanian: [ˈvʲɪlʲnʲʊs] ^ⓘ) is the capital of and largest city in Lithuania and the most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population was 607,667, and the Vilnius urban area (which extends beyond the city limits) has an estimated population of 747,864.

Vilnius is notable for the architecture of its Old Town, considered one of Europe's largest and best-preserved old towns. The city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The architectural style known as Vilnian Baroque is named after the city, which is farthest to the east among Baroque cities and the largest such city north of the Alps.

The city was noted for its multicultural population during the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, with contemporary sources comparing it to Babylon. Its Jewish influence had led to its being called "the Jerusalem of Lithuania", and Napoleon called it "the Jerusalem of the North" when he passed through in 1812. Before World War II and the Holocaust, Vilnius was one of Europe's most important Jewish centers. The city's current demographics are additionally marked by repatriations of Poles, who made up the majority of inhabitants before the war.

Vilnius was a 2009 European Capital of Culture with Linz in Austria. In 2021, the city was named one of fDi's 25 Global Cities of the Future. Vilnius is considered a global financial centre, ranked 76th globally and 29th in Europe on the Global Financial Centres Index. The city is an important center for the global fintech industry. It hosted the 2023 NATO Summit. In 2025 Vilnius was the European Green Capital. Vilnius is a member of Eurocities and the Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU).

The name of Vilnius first appeared in Latin-edited letters by Gediminas from the year 1323, in the form Vilna (in civitate nostra regia, dicta Vilna). In another letter from 1325, the form Wilno also appears (Datum Wilno). Both forms ultimately originate from the old Lithuanian name of the tributary river Vilnia (meaning ripple), which flows into the Neris River in the center of old Vilnius, near the Castle Hill. The name of the river was transferred to the city. The form Wilno is still used in the Polish language today. The Lithuanian form Vilnius, which is used today, was recorded at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries in Mikalojus Daukša's “Postil,” but it only became widespread during the Lithuanian national revival at the end of the 19th century.

The form Vilna made its way into Western European languages and for a long time served as the standard designation for the city of Vilnius, especially in historical and diplomatic texts. The most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include Latin: Vilna, Polish: Wilno, Belarusian: Вiльня (Vilnia), German: Wilna, Latvian: Viļņa, Ukrainian: Вільно (Vilno), Yiddish: ווילנע (Vilne), Hebrew: וילנה (Vilna). A Russian name dating to the Russian Empire was Вильна (Vilna), although Вильнюс (Vilnyus) is now used.

According to a legend recorded around the 1530s, Grand Duke Gediminas (c. 1275–1341) was hunting in the sacred forest near Šventaragis' Valley, where the Vilnia River flows into the Neris. The successful hunt for a wisent lasted longer than expected, and Gediminas decided to spend the night in the valley. That night, he dreamed of a huge Iron Wolf standing on top of a hill, howling loudly. Upon awakening, the Duke asked the krivis Lizdeika to interpret the dream. The chief priest explained:

What is destined for the ruler and the State of Lithuania, is thus: the Iron Wolf represents a castle and a city which will be established by you on this site. This city will be the capital of the Lithuanian lands and the dwelling of their rulers, and the glory of their deeds shall echo throughout the world.