Gate of Dawn and the Chapel, Vilnius

Gate of Dawn and the Chapel, Vilnius (must see)

The Gate of Dawn is a city gate in Vilnius, and one of its most important religious, historical and cultural monuments. It is a major site of Catholic pilgrimage in Lithuania.

The Gate of Dawn was built between 1503 and 1522 as a part of defensive fortifications for the city of Vilnius, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Of the nine city gates, only the Gate of Dawn remains, while the others were destroyed by the order of the government at the end of the 18th century.

In the 16th century city gates often contained religious artifacts intended to guard the city from attacks and to bless travelers. The Chapel in the Gate of Dawn contains an icon of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Mercy, said to have miraculous powers. For centuries the picture has been one of the symbols of the city and an object of veneration for both Roman Catholic and Orthodox inhabitants.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Vilnius. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Gate of Dawn and the Chapel on Map

Sight Name: Gate of Dawn and the Chapel
Sight Location: Vilnius, Lithuania (See walking tours in Vilnius)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Vilnius, Lithuania

Create Your Own Walk in Vilnius

Create Your Own Walk in Vilnius

Creating your own self-guided walk in Vilnius is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Historical Churches Tour

Historical Churches Tour

As the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese and the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Lithuania, Vilnius boasts a wealth of gorgeous churches featuring diverse architectural styles – Gothic, Baroque, to mention but a few. Many of the local churches are historical, having witnessed centuries of events and become iconic landmarks of the Lithuanian capital.

One of the most famous temples in Vilnius...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.4 Km or 0.9 Miles
Vilnius Old Town Walking Tour

Vilnius Old Town Walking Tour

The historic and present-day capital of Lithuania, Vilnius is known for the architecture in its Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.

The name of the city originates from the River Vilnia (which is the Lithuanian for “ripple”). According to legend, Grand Duke Gediminas (c. 1275–1341), having hunted near the confluence of the Vilnia and Neris rivers, saw a dream in which a...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.5 Km or 2.8 Miles
Užupis District Walking Tour

Užupis District Walking Tour

A tiny isolated area and a former suburb, which now forms part of the Old Town of Vilnius, the Uzupis district is often compared, for its bohemian and laissez-faire atmosphere, to Montmartre of Paris and Freetown Christiania of Copenhagen. Similarly to the latter, in 1997, the district declared itself an independent republic; the tongue-in-cheek constitution of the self-proclaimed “republic”,...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles