Gate of Dawn
On Gingerguide's self-guided Vilnius audio tour, Gate of Dawn is a stop worth about ~30 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type religious
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Vilnius Vilnius guide
About Gate of Dawn
The only surviving gate of the vanished city wall, its upper chapel home to the venerated Madonna, Mother of Mercy, one of the region's great pilgrimage icons.
The Gate of Dawn (Ausros vartai; Polish Ostra Brama) is the only surviving gate of the former Vilnius city wall. The wall was built in the early sixteenth century and originally had around nine gates; most were demolished around 1799-1805, but the Gate of Dawn was spared for the chapel and icon above it. That chapel, in its present brick form since 1711-1712, houses the venerated icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, painted in the first half of the seventeenth century.
The icon is largely covered by an ornate silver-gilt riza, leaving mainly the face and hands visible, and was crowned canonically as Mother of Mercy in 1927. It is one of the most important Roman Catholic pilgrimage sites in Lithuania and the wider region; Pope John Paul II prayed the rosary here on 4 September 1993. The Discalced Carmelites founded a monastery beside the gate in 1626 and built the adjacent Church of St Teresa, and the chapel's feast of Mary, Mother of Mercy has been celebrated in November since 1735. The gate lies within the Vilnius Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Did you know? The Gate of Dawn is the only one of the old city wall's gates still standing; the others were pulled down around 1800, but this one was spared for the sacred chapel above it.
How much time do you need at Gate of Dawn?
Around ~30 min works well for Gate of Dawn — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Gate of Dawn?
Yes — Gate of Dawn made the cut as one of 21 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Vilnius. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Vilnius
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Gate of Dawn and read more:
Day 1 of the Vilnius in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Gate of Dawn
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