Pilies Street (literally, "Castle Street"; Lithuanian: Pilies gatvė) is one of the main streets in the Old Town of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It is a rather short street, running from Cathedral Square to the Town Hall Square.[1][2]

Pilies Street
Aerial photo of Pilies Street in July 2020
Native namePilies gatvė (Lithuanian)
Former name(s)Zamkowa (Wielka), Zamkovaya (Russian: Замковая), M. Gorkio
Length500 m (1,600 ft)
LocationVilnius, Lithuania
Postal codeLT-01123
Coordinates54°41′04″N 25°17′21″E / 54.68444°N 25.28917°E / 54.68444; 25.28917
The street is also popular among sellers of paintings, souvenirs, handicrafts

Pilies Street is a popular location for market traders to sell the wares of folk artists. It has a natural advantage over the Town Hall Square as the street is generally busy and less likely to be interrupted by the political or cultural events commonly held at the Town Hall. Souvenir shops offer amberware and amber jewelry as well as linen clothes. The street is also known for the Kaziukas Fair, when folk artists from all over Lithuania gather here to display and sell their latest merchandise.

Festivals in Vilnius frequently take place on Pilies Street – most processions will make their way through here at some point. This is true whatever the festival – be it Christmas, Easter, the day of Restoration of Independence, or just a spontaneous celebration following a major win for the Lithuanian basketball team.

The headquarters of Vilnius University are located between Pilies Street and University Street, (Lithuanian: Universiteto gatvė). The House of the Signatories where the Declaration of Independence was signed on February 16, 1918 is also located on this street.

References

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  1. ^ "Pilies Street". vilnius-tourism.lt. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  2. ^ "Pilies Street (Castle Street)". vilnius.com. Retrieved 10 November 2019.