Vilnius TV Tower

Vilnius TV Tower is the principal telecommunications mast for Lithuania, located on the outskirts of Vilnius and completed around 1980. It is the tallest structure in the country and combines broadcasting equipment with public viewing facilities.

Visitors most commonly use the observation deck and the rotating restaurant at roughly 165 m, which offer wide views over Vilnius and the surrounding lowland for distances of many kilometres on clear days. The tower also contains broadcasting and transmission equipment that serve the region.

The tower was constructed in the 1970s and finished around 1980 as part of Soviet-era infrastructure development. It became a focal point of late 20th-century history on 13 January 1991, when Soviet forces attempted to seize the tower and other sites in Vilnius; civilians were killed during those events and a memorial now stands at the tower base.

Located on a low ridge a few kilometres from the centre of Vilnius, the tower sits within the city’s suburban area and is easily reached from the city by road; it is a dominant vertical landmark on the Vilnius skyline.

• Height and use: At about 326.5 m the tower is the tallest structure in Lithuania and is used for television and radio broadcasting as well as tourism.
• Visitor facilities: The tower has an observation level and a rotating restaurant at approximately 165 m, which are the principal visitor facilities.

What to See #

• Observation deck and restaurant: An observation deck and revolving restaurant are located at about 165 m above ground and provide panoramic views across Vilnius and the surrounding plain.
• 1991 memorial: A memorial and small exhibition at the tower base commemorate the civilians killed during the events of 13 January 1991 when Soviet forces attempted to seize the tower and other sites in Vilnius.