Choral Synagogue

Vilnius


Vilnius' flourishing Jewish communities and 100 synagogues gave the city the nickname 'Jerusalem of the north' until WWII. The Choral Synagogue, built in 1903, is now Vilnius' sole surviving Jewish temple. The exterior is an intriguing blend of oriental and modern Romanesque styles; ring the buzzer to enter and view its vaulted interior and ornate Torah ark.

Prayers in the Misnagdim (counter-Hasidic) tradition are heard daily.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Vilnius attractions

1. Gate to Large Ghetto

0.11 MILES

A plaque and map at No 18 mark the site of the entrance to the Large Ghetto, in which 29,000 Litvaks (Lithuanian Jews) were imprisoned by the Nazis…

2. Tolerance Centre

0.16 MILES

One of the main branches of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, the Tolerance Centre is simultaneously a museum of Jewish history and culture, and a…

3. St Nicholas Church

0.16 MILES

Lithuania’s oldest church, this red-brick Gothic pile was built by German Christians around 1320, when the country was still pagan. From 1901 to 1939 it…

4. Judenrat

0.17 MILES

The site of the Jewish Ghetto administration during WWII.

5. Samuel Bak Museum

0.18 MILES

This art gallery, a branch of the Jewish State Museum, showcases the bold, vivid, somewhat surrealist paintings of renowned artist Samuel Bak, whose works…

6. Contemporary Art Centre

0.22 MILES

With 2400 sq metres of space for photography, video, installations and other exhibits, plus a program of lectures, live music and film screenings, this is…

7. Evangelical Lutheran Church

0.24 MILES

Hidden in a courtyard, this revamped church is home to Vilnius’ tiny Protestant community. The church dates from 1555 but displays a mixture of Gothic,…