In short

Literatai Street is very popular among Lithuanian and foreign tourists, and is undoubtedly one of the must-visit places in Vilnius Old Town.
It is believed that this street was only named "Literatai" during the first half of the 19th century in honour of poet Adomas Mickevičius who lived there.
In 2008, a group of artists came up with the idea of revitalising the street and decorating it with works of art related to authors. As such, the walls of the street have been decorated with metal, wood, and glass effigies, as well as other plaques and pieces dedicated to various authors.
The Modern Art Centre is also located on Literatai Street.

Brief history

Literatai Street is called Mykolas Alley in documents from the end of the 18th century. In the middle of the 19th century, a new name appeared - Pokrovo, which was associated with the Pokrovo Church (current Ministry of Education) that once stood at the end of Literatai Street from the 14th to 16th centuries. The street received its current name only at the beginning of the 20th century due to the printing houses and bookshops operating in there. Another version of the street name is related to Adomas Mickevičius. On this street, he rented an apartment in the attic of a four-story house. The poet lived there during the events of 1823 when the Philomaths were arrested in Vilnius, before being arrested himself in October and taken to prison at the Basilian Monastery. On 28 May 2011, a wall opened on the street where painters and artists from other fields made metal, wood, and glass effigies, as well as other plaques and pieces dedicated to various authors.