Whoever you are – a businessman who has arrived in Vilnius to sign an agreement, a tourist on vacation or an experienced traveller looking for new adventures – several days stay in Vilnius will be sufficient to make you fall in love with this city. It is worth staying in Vilnius longer.  However, even if you came only for a weekend, the city will leave a lasting impression on you. Theatre or opera goers, lovers of all-night parties or street carnivals, people who are interested in architecture or those who just like to relax and commune with nature will find something close to their heart in this city. A walk around the Old Town, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994, is an unforgettable experience and really worth taking.

Vilnius, as the capital of Lithuania, is the home of the President, the Seimas, the Government and the Supreme Court. Diplomatic missions, educational, cultural, financial, research, and health care institutions are based there.
It is also the largest city of the country. According to the 2001 census, the population of Vilnius is approximately 580,000 people, which accounts for 17 per cent of the total population of the country.
Vilnius is home to people of different ethnic backgrounds. Ethnic Lithuanians - 57.8%, Poles - 18.7%, Russians - 14%, Belarusians - 4%, Jews - 0.5%, and representatives of other ethnic backgrounds account for the remaining 5%.
Vilnius occupies an area of about 400 square kilometres of which 20.2% approximately is developed and the remainder is green belt (43.9% approx.) and water (2.1% approx.). The historical centre of Vilnius, the Old Town, (Senamiestis) is one of the largest old town centres in Eastern Europe (covering almost 360 hectares).
The district of Vilnius includes Vilnius, Elektrėnai, Šalčininkai, Širvintos, Švenčionys, Trakai and Ukmergė regions. The geographical centre of Europe, Trakai, the old capital of Lithuania and the legendary capital of Kernavė are located in the Vilnius district.