Gate of Dawn

The Gate of Dawn (Aušros Vartai) is a surviving fortified city gate in Vilnius’ Old Town dating to the early 16th century and contains a chapel with a revered icon of the Virgin Mary. It is one of the city’s principal pilgrimage and devotional sites.

The gate formed part of Vilnius’s defensive walls; the chapel was added as the icon became an object of local devotion and pilgrimage. Over centuries the gate has been preserved while the surrounding fortifications were dismantled.

The Gate of Dawn stands on a main street at the edge of Vilnius Old Town and is within short walking distance of other central landmarks and squares.

• Venerated icon: The icon of the Virgin Mary housed in the gate chapel is a major object of veneration and attracts pilgrims from Lithuania and neighbouring countries.
• Location tip: The gate sits within Vilnius's compact Old Town and is easy to reach on foot from the main historic streets and squares.

What to See #

• Gate and chapel: The gate complex includes a narrow vaulted passage through the 16th-century city gate and an upper chapel that houses the venerated icon of the Virgin Mary.
• Gate exterior and approaches: The exterior face and approaches of the gate, which once formed part of the city's defensive walls and now open onto a busy street in Vilnius Old Town.