VILNIUS COUNTY - Geography and history
Capital city rich in historical buildings
Vilnius County is situated in the southeast of Lithuania, bordering on Belarus. Numerous places here were mentioned in historical sources from as early as the twelfth century. The towns of Kernave and, later on, Trakai were the first capitals of the state of Lithuania, and are today preserved as open-air museums.
Vilnius county includes these municipalities: Šalcininkai district, Širvintos district, Švencionys district, Trakai district, Ukmerge district, Vilnius district, Elektrenai city and Vilnius city. The main language spoken in the county is Lithuanian, although Polish and Russian are also used.
From 1316 until 1321 the town of Trakai was Lithuania's capital. The Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas moved the capital from Trakai to Vilnius in 1323 and soon numerous European merchants and craftsmen settled there.
Vilnius city is an architectural masterpiece and leading tourism asset. The Old Town of Vilnius is included in the UNESCO List of World Heritage sites. It covers nearly 360 hectares and is one of the largest old towns in Europe. The architecture of the older part of Vilnius was created over several centuries in many different styles. St. Anne's Church is a Gothic ensemble, while St. Michael's Church and monastery buildings are a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance architectural features. St. Peter and Paul's Church (12th century) is a Baroque masterpiece, while Verkiai Palace (17th century) was built in the Classical style.
Vilnius University, one of the oldest universities in Europe (established in 1579) and the oldest in the former Soviet Union, has had a considerable impact on culture, education and science in Lithuania. Innovative research, particularly in the fields of mathematics and laser physics, is carried out in Vilnius University.
Industry, science, and cultural institutions are all attracted to the capital, which in Lithuania is famous for its historical and architectural monuments as well as the different nationalities that lived here and worked together in the fields of science, art and literature.
Trakai town, surrounded by a historical national park, is a significant tourist destination. The leading historical monument is Trakai Castle, erected on one of the islands of Lake Galve. In the halls of the Ducal Palace, visitors to Trakai's historical museum are acquainted with the region's history. Masterpieces from the art collections of Lithuanian nobles are on exhibition in the basement of the castle.
Problems of large towns are also inescapable for Vilnius
Vilnius county, and in particular the area around the city, stands out for its well-developed infrastructure, and movement of capital, goods and people. For centuries people of different nationalities, Lithuanians, Poles, Jews, and Russians, lived in Vilnius in concord, creating and cherishing its inimitable beauty. This spirit of tolerance is still characteristic of the city today.
The employment problems, which Vilnius County faces, are difficult to solve due to the uneven distribution of vacancies across the county. There are marked differences between the city of Vilnius and other parts of the county. These problems should hopefully be solved by encouraging the setting up of small and medium businesses.
On the positive side, Vilnius city has a sufficient supply of good quality water. Any modernisation of the water supply network would only further improve the overall quality of water delivered to users.
In terms of the level of economic development there is some degree of diversity throughout Vilnius County. The input from the capital makes general indicators appear better, while in fact remote areas, particularly those more distant from the capital, are on the list of regions in need of financial support.
County of lakes and forests
Vilnius County covers an area of 9 760 km2, or 15% of Lithuania's total area, and is the largest county in Lithuania. The centre of the county is the city of Vilnius. Its exceptional feature is that it performs four functions at the same time, namely those of a city, district, county centre and the capital of the country.
The county, which is situated in the central part of the Baltic highlands, is characterised by its scenic landscape and rough terrain. The Medininkai hills are to the southeast of Vilnius, where the highest spot in Lithuania, Mount Juozapine (293.6m.), is situated.
Because of the continental climate winters in the region are the coldest in Lithuania. Average air temperature in January is -3°C, and there is usually deep and constant snow in the eastern part of the region.
There are comparatively rich deposits of gravel near Trakai, in Vilnius County. A little further south sand is excavated. To the south of the city of Vilnius, one of the largest peat bogs in the country can be found.
Three main rivers, the Neris, the Merkys and the Šventoji flow through the county, while many brooks mender through the southeast plain. There are almost 780 lakes here, with the majority of them lying in the districts of Trakai and Švencionys. The lake district in Trakai is one of the most scenic in Lithuania .
A part of the Aukštaitija National Park is situated in the district of Švencionys. This park is one of the most popular recreational and tourist destinations in Lithuania . There are also eight regional parks established in the county.
With the soil here not particularly rich, the greater part of arable land lies only in the districts of Ukmerge and Širvintos.
orests cover 39% of the county’s area. The district of Švencionys has the most woods, covering more than half of the district mainly in the southeastern and eastern parts of the district. Many forests form part of areas which are under protection.
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