In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Bounded on three sides by a bend of the Vilnia River, the Republic of Užupis (Užupio Respublika) is the bohemian quarter of Vilnius that declared itself independent. In 1997, local artists, poets and filmmakers proclaimed the rundown district a micro-state with its own constitution, navy (a small wooden skiff) and honorary ambassadors. The district is free to explore on foot at all hours. The sights are the Constitution Wall on Paupio Street, the bronze Angel monument and the riverside art incubator. Or book a tour: Vilnius: Old Town Walking Tour with Local Storiesad (from €25, 4.9 stars from 20 reviews) is a guided Old Town walk with a local, covering history, architecture and local legends before you cross the river to Užupis.
⚠️ 1 April Independence Day. The republic’s national holiday takes place on 1 April. Mock border guards stamp passports at the bridge. The rest of the year there are no checks.
Key sights in Užupis
Allow 1.5 to 2.5 hours on foot. Every sight below is free:
| Sight | Location | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| The Border Bridge (Užupio tiltas) | Maironio g. / Užupio g. | Boundary sign, love locks, border booth on 1 April |
| The Užupis Mermaid (Undinėlė) | Embankment wall beneath the bridge | Bronze siren perched in a stone niche above the river |
| The Angel of Užupis (Angelas) | Central square (Užupio / Malūnų g.) | Bronze trumpeting angel on an 8.5-metre granite column |
| The Constitution Wall | Paupio g. | 41 articles and 3 mottos on polished metal plaques |
| Užupis Art Incubator (UMI) | Užupio g. 2A | Outdoor riverside sculptures, water swing, gallery |
| Bernardine Cemetery (Bernardinų kapinės) | Žvirgždyno g. 3 | 1810 romantic necropolis overlooking the river gorge |
The bronze Mermaid of Užupis on the river embankment. Photo: Michelle Roses, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Entering the Republic: the bridge and the Mermaid
The primary gateway into Užupis is the Užupio Bridge (Užupio tiltas), crossing the Vilnia River from the Bernardine complex.
- The Border Post: At the entrance to the bridge stands a road sign displaying the official coat of arms of Užupis—a blue palm with a hole in the centre, symbolising openness, non-violence and incorruptibility. Beside it, small pictograms remind visitors that driving into the river is prohibited. The bridge railings are covered in love padlocks fastened by newlyweds.
- The Užupis Mermaid (Undinėlė): Look over the northern railing of the bridge towards the river embankment. In an arched stone niche at the water’s edge sits a bronze mermaid sculpted by Romas Vilčiauskas in 2002. Folklore says that visitors who gaze too long into her bronze eyes will remain in Užupis forever.
- The River Swing: A metal swing hangs beneath the bridge over the river.
The Constitution Wall on Paupio Street
The Constitution Wall runs along the curving brick facade of Paupio Street, just off the central crossroads.
Drafted in 1997 by poet Romas Lileikis (President of the Republic) and cultural activist Tomas Čepaitis, the constitution consists of forty-one philosophical, poetic, and whimsical articles, concluded by three overarching state mottos:
- “Don’t Fight”
- “Don’t Win”
- “Don’t Surrender”
The articles are engraved onto mirrored rectangular metal plates, allowing you to see your own reflection as you read the rights of citizens, animals, and nature. Today, over fifty language plaques line the wall, including English, French, Ukrainian, German, Tibetan, Arabic, Yiddish, and Latin.
Key articles of the Užupis Constitution include:
- Article 1: Everyone has the right to live by the River Vilnia, and the River Vilnia has the right to flow by everyone.
- Article 2: Everyone has the right to hot water, heating in winter, and a tiled roof.
- Article 3: Everyone has the right to die, but this is not an obligation.
- Article 4: Everyone has the right to make mistakes.
- Article 12: A dog has the right to be a dog.
- Article 13: A cat is not obliged to love its owner, but must help in time of need.
- Article 16: Everyone has the right to be happy.
- Article 17: Everyone has the right to be unhappy.
- Article 37: Everyone has the right to have no rights.
Paupio street in the heart of the Republic of Užupis. Photo: Matka voi alkaa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
The Angel of Užupis
At the triangular intersection where Užupio, Malūnų, and Paupio streets meet stands the Angel of Užupis (Užupio angelas), the district’s emblem.
Before World War II this corner held an Orthodox chapel, and in Soviet times a water pump stood on the square. In 1999 the community commissioned sculptor Romas Vilčiauskas and architect Algirdas Umbrasas to create a monument to the animator and caricaturist Zenonas Šteinys, a local resident.
- The temporary egg: The bronze figure needed funds the community did not yet have, so on 1 April 2001 it unveiled a 300-kilogram plaster egg, symbolising the coming birth of freedom.
- The unveiling: On 1 April 2002 the bronze sculpture was hoisted onto its 8.5-metre pink granite column. The winged angel stands on one foot, blowing a golden horn towards the river.
The Užupis Art Incubator (UMI)
The Užupis Art Incubator (Užupio meno inkubatorius) is at Užupio g. 2A, along the riverbank.
It was founded in 1996 in an abandoned 19th-century residential property and provides subsidised studio space for resident sculptors, painters and multimedia artists (umi.lt).
- Riverside sculpture park: The outdoor garden slopes down to the river and holds changing installations: stone heads peering out of the silt, metal chimes in the willow branches, and wooden rowboats painted with political slogans.
- UMI Gallery: The indoor gallery hosts contemporary art shows; the current programme is on umi.lt.
- Užupio Kavinė: Next door to the incubator, this riverside pub has a timber terrace built over the running water. It served as the original “Parliament” where the constitution was drafted over beers in the late 1990s.
Outdoor art installations by the Užupis Art Incubator. Photo: Dezidor, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
Tours and guided walks
Vilnius: Old Town Walking Tour with Local Stories
From €25 · 4.9 stars from 20 reviews · 2.5 hours · Old Town with a local guide
Vilnius: Old Town Walking Tour with Local Storiesad: a local guide takes you through the Old Town for its history, architecture and local legends.
Vilnius: Hidden Courtyards and Lost City Walking Tour
From €25 · 5.0 stars from 8 reviews · 2.5 hours · secret courtyards and passages
Vilnius: Hidden Courtyards and Lost City Walking Tourad: a guided route through the Old Town’s secret courtyards and passages, looking for traces of the lost city and hidden art.
Vilnius: 2.5-Hour Jewish Quarter Walking Tour
From €22 · 4.8 stars from 403 reviews · 2.5 hours · Jewish Quarter on foot
Vilnius: 2.5-Hour Jewish Quarter Walking Tourad: a guided walk through the Jewish Quarter of the Old Town.
On your own or with a guide
| What you want | On your own | With a guide |
|---|---|---|
| The district, Constitution Wall and Angel | Free, open at all hours | Old Town walking tours from €22 to €25 |
| Guided walk | The micro-republic has no state guides | The three tours above, 2.5 hours each |
Food and drink in the Republic
- Užupio Kavinė (Užupio g. 2): The riverside tavern where the constitution was written. Local beer or hot cider on the wooden deck over the Vilnia.
- Šnekutis (Polocko g. 7): A pub run by local brewer Valentinas Vaškevičius. It serves unpasteurised Lithuanian farmhouse beers (kaimiškas alus) on tap and cepelinai (potato dumplings) with pork cracklings.
- Paupio Turgus (Aukštaičių g. 7): A food hall just south, in the Paupys quarter along the river, with sixteen counters serving pizza, ramen, bao buns and cocktails under a glass roof.
What to see next
- St Anne’s Church and Bernardine Complex: back over the bridge, a Brick Gothic church.
- Three Crosses Monument: along the riverside footpaths through Kalnai Park to the hilltop viewpoint.
- Gate of Dawn: 12 minutes’ walk south-west, the Old Town’s southern city gate.
- Where to Eat in Vilnius: cellar taverns and modern restaurants.
- Vilnius City Guide Hub: the city overview and trip planning.
Common questions
What is the Republic of Užupis?
Užupis is a bohemian neighbourhood in Vilnius that declared itself an independent, tongue-in-cheek micro-republic on 1 April 1997. It features its own humorous constitution, president, anthem, flag (a pierced palm), currency, and honorary army of around a dozen people.
Where can you find the Užupis Constitution?
The 41 articles of the Užupis Constitution are mounted on polished mirror plaques lining the brick wall of Paupio Street (Paupio g.), translated into more than fifty world languages including English, French, Ukrainian, Japanese, and Latin.
What does Užupis mean in Lithuanian?
Užupis translates literally as 'the other side of the river' (už upės), named because the district is cut off from the rest of Vilnius on three sides by the bend of the Vilnia River.
How much does it cost to visit Užupis?
Visiting Užupis is free. The Constitution plaques, the Angel monument, the riverside mermaid and the outdoor sculpture garden are all in open public spaces.
What happens in Užupis on 1 April?
On 1 April (Užupis Independence Day and April Fools' Day), a mock border post is erected on the main bridge crossing the Vilnia. Travellers can have their passports stamped, watch festive raft races on the river, and join street concerts.
Can you get a passport stamp in Užupis?
It is a souvenir stamp, not an entry stamp. Bring your passport or travel journal to the Užupis Tourism Information Centre near the main bridge, or to the mock border post on 1 April.
