- This starts from the castle and cathedral, and stretches south along Pilies gatve. Halfway down the main street becomes Didžioji, and this area is described below as Old Town south. In 1994 the entire Old Town was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- 4 New Arsenal, Arsenalo 1, ☏ +370 5 262 9426. Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. The New Arsenal was established in the 18th century and mostly served as a barracks. It's now part of the National Museum displaying Lithuania's history and cultural heritage. As of October 2025, it is closed for major restructuring work. Adult €5, child €2.50. (updated Oct 2025)
- 6 Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Cathedral Square, ☏ +370 5 262 0007, info@valdovurumai.lt. Tu–Sa 10:00–18:00, Su 10:00-16:00. This is a modern replica: the original was built in the 15th century, ruined in the 17th and demolished in 1801. A merchant's house was then built, which became part of the Arsenal. In the 1990s after independence the palace was rebuilt to the original plan, somehow without deciding what it would be used for, and to outcry as it blocked the vista from Cathedral Square. It's become part of the National Museum, with displays of palace history and reconstructions of the ceremonial halls. Adults €10.50, conc or child €5.25. (updated Feb 2023)
- 9 Vilnius University, Universiteto 5, ☏ +370 5 268 7103, mb@mb.vu.lt. Museum M-Sa 09:00-15:00. Vilnius University now has faculties across the city and beyond, but this is the baroque core of it, with the library, courtyards, observatory and Church of St Johns (plural: Šv Jono, the Baptist and the Evangelist). You can see the church, four courtyards and Franciszek Smuglewicz Hall free, and guided tours are available for groups of four or more by prior booking. The Adam Mickiewicz Museum displays the university's history. Adult €2, child or conc €1. (updated Feb 2023)
- Pilies gatve is the attractive main thoroughfare leading south from Cathedral Square past the university, to become Didžioji continuing past Town Hall to the Gate of Dawn. Saint Parasceve is a shocking pink Orthodox church at the changeover point. Most buildings along here are worth admiring, though the concrete modern block opposite the church could do with a visit by the Teutonic Knights' wrecking crew. The Šlapelių House Museum has exhibitions and events.
