Open Café at the Vilnius TV Tower
The Vilnius Television Tower is the tallest building in Lithuania and ranks among the tallest television towers in the world. At 326.5 metres, it is the eighth-tallest in Europe and 26th in the world. A rotating viewing platform is located on the Television Tower’s circular section at 165 metres, on the 19th floor of the tower (equal to the 55th floor of apartment buildings). In clear weather, Vilnius and its surroundings can be seen through the windows of the Milky Way restaurant. It is the only observation deck in Lithuania installed at this height. The annular restaurant floor rotates 360 degrees every 55 minutes.
You may know that the construction of the TV tower took 6 years and was finished on December 30, 1980. It is a special place to celebrate various events and festivities. During the Christmas holidays it’s usually decorated as the country’s largest Christmas tree, and is a popular vantage point for viewing fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
The Television Tower also houses the Fight for Freedom Museum, which serves as a reminder of the events that took place there on the night of 13 January 1991, when Lithuanians won their independence. Small granite obelisks near the TV tower commemorate the 12 defenders who lost their lives that night.
The tower opened in 1981, while the restaurant and the platform – a year later. However, the rotating floor of the restaurant might be dismantled under a new reconstruction project. The semi-circular concrete cup is the TV tower’s signature feature, distinguishing it from other towers around the world. From the inside of the concrete structure on the 15th floor, visitors can look out the tower’s round windows. During the winter season, people can only access the TV tower via an underground gallery to avoid the risk of ice falling from the top.
This year marks the 40th anniversary since it began operating on January 31, 1981. Now, an outdoor café has been opened some 15 metres above the rotating platform. The café currently allows 10 people to dine and enjoy the view under good weather conditions.
News from GoVilnius and LRT.lt
