Archives for “Music” tag

Žvėrynas is a district in town where most people would like to live – houses with yards and gardens line its streets, it’s clean and very peaceful for a part of town that’s so close to the centre. The building on Vykinto Street 17A looks like an ordinary house but it’s much more than that. This is ‘Jalta’. The place is about good food, great music to match and, overall, a good time.

Just like in any house, the space inside is divided into rooms and all have furniture that is at least twenty years old. You feel as though you’re in your cottage out of town, or, more precisely, your dacha. There’s even a greenhouse: you can have drinks or food inside, I’ve heard of movies being screened here and they also grow mint which you can pick to have it steeped into a tea.

As part of their pledge to good food Jalta will only use seasonally available ingredients that have been bought locally. If you’ve ever tried to cook meat or pancakes you will know these things take time, the same is true for this place: they will only start preparing your dish once you order it, they do not have it half-frozen and waiting.

Lastly, make sure your smartphone has an app that recognizes music, as this has always been my place for musical discoveries. All of the above plus the overall feel of this place is why I like it so much. Enjoy!

In the beginning of May all Lithuanian people are waiting for one of the most interesting days of the year. That day is called “Street Musicians Day”. Thousands of people go out to the streets to play or listen live music.

“Street Musicians Day” has a mission to unite all people who speak the world’s most universal language – the language of music. This is the day when a lot of professional and amateur musicians go out onto the streets, yards, parks and squares of Vilnius centre.

I love this day because none of the musicians want to earn money that day, they come to the streets because they just love music and want to share it with others. Musicians play rock, classics, jazz, folklore, beat African rhythms and other styles of music. So, on “Street Musicians Day” I always find a lot of good and various music.

I am very happy because Lithuania has an exclusive musician, actor and photographer Andrius Mamontovas, who founded “Street Musicians Day” in 2007. He invites all music loving people to share and to listen a lot of live sounds.

“Street Musicians Day” started in Vilnius, but now this festival is running in different Lithuanian regions and abroad. I hope that “Street Musician Day” will become a worldwide music festival.

I can’t imagine my summer in Vilnius without my beautiful evenings with friends at the Summer Terrace (Vasaros Terasa in Lithuanian). The Summer Terrace opens in late spring and closes in early autumn. I think that this terrace is the best place in Vilnius to feel the summer season.

The Summer Terrace became a part of Vilnius city life eight years ago and is still successful. This terrace connects lots of different activities such as concerts to live DJ’s, MC battles, flea markets, dance battles or sport matches on tv. Also, here you can enjoy very delicious snacks or just meet your friends.

The Summer Terrace is located in a very beautiful yard with some plants, good acoustics and cosy atmosphere. Two life size ceramic cows with wings (!), symbolize all amazing activities which thrive around them, standing in the yard.

I really recommend you spend some time in the Summer Terrace and I promise that you will be amazed by the atmosphere and live music, which sounds here every evening… Enjoy!

Kalnai Park (Lithuanian: Kalnų parkas; literally: Park of Hills) is a huge park, which is located between the left bank of the Neris River and the right bank of the Vilnia River. There are a lot of ways to reach it, but the easiest way is from T. Kosciuškos street.

I like Kalnai Park because it is made up of several of the highest hills of Vilnius. The Hill of Three Crosses is the most magnificent of them. According to the legend, pagans killed seven Franciscan monks on that hill, pinned them to crosses and they were floated down the river. So, now the Three Crosses (by architect and sculptor Antanas Vivulskis) stands there as memorial.

I like the way all hills of Kalnai Park have more than one name. For example, The Hill of Three Crosses is also known as Kreivasis (crooked) Hill, or Plikasis (bare) Hill or Tauro Hill. Next hill has got Stalo Hill (Table Hill) name because of its shape: it iss flat is like a table. My favourite hill is The Hill of Gediminas Grave. It is a symbol of Vilnius which always remembers Duke Gediminas and the legend of Vilnius.

Kalnai Park is the best place for people who want to enjoy the city panorama. Also, in summer, a lot of different events and festivals take place here. One of the most popular festival is Lithuanian Students Song Celebration.

It is easy to find St. Casimir’s Church because it has a crown on top of its roof. It is one of the first Baroque style churches in Vilnius. The church was built in honor of Saint Prince Casimir. Legend says that about 700 people rolled the cornerstone through the entire city. Can you image it? And you can see this stone on the left side of church facade.

St. Casimir’s Church has a difficult history. In the 19th century the church was taken over by the Russian Orthodox Church and reconstructed to become the ‘Cathedral of St. Nicholas’. During the Soviet occupation this church even became an Atheism Museum.

The Church survived it all and now here is it, cozy and bright again. And more importantly it has become a place of sacred music concerts.