Church of St. Johns, Vilnius

The bell tower that crowns the old town, the Church of St Johns stands within the courtyards of Vilnius University and is one of the most important sacred buildings in the Lithuanian capital. Dedicated to St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist, its soaring baroque facade and separate campanile dominate the skyline of the historic centre.

Founded in the early fifteenth century soon after Lithuania's conversion to Christianity, the church was later given to the Jesuits, who tied it to the university they established here. A catastrophic eighteenth-century fire led to a spectacular baroque rebuilding by the architect Johann Christoph Glaubitz, master of the distinctive Vilnius Baroque, who created the richly sculpted, multi-tiered facade and a remarkable ensemble of interlinked altars inside. The free-standing bell tower, rising to about sixty-eight metres, is the tallest structure in the old town.

The interior is a baroque theatre of altars. More than a dozen altars of varied design fill the nave and side chapels, arranged in a complex spatial composition unusual for its ambition. Over its history the church served worship, university ceremonies and, during the Soviet period, was closed and used as a museum and paper warehouse before being restored to religious and academic use.

For visitors the highlight is climbing the tower, which offers one of the finest panoramas over the red roofs, church spires and hills surrounding Vilnius. A lift and stairs reach the viewing platform, for which a small fee is charged, while the church interior can usually be seen when open for services or events. The building lies within the university complex near the presidential palace and cathedral, so it fits naturally into a walk through the baroque heart of the old town. Opening times follow the university and parish calendar.