The legend of Vilnius
Today Vilnius is 700 years old. Legend has it that the city started with a dream Grand Duke Gediminas had on a hunting trip. In his dream, Gediminas saw a huge iron wolf standing on a hill howling as if hundreds of wolves were trapped inside it. When the Grand Duke consulted the court magician Lizdeika, he was told that the wolf was a symbol of a great capital that would one day stand atop that hill. By 1323, Gediminas was already sending letters to European cities inviting merchants and craftspeople to visit the city.