The Vilnius TV Tower, completed in 1980 at 326 metres, is the tallest structure in the Baltic states and visible from much of the city. It stands about 3 km west of the old town in the Karoliniškės district, reachable by bus or a long walk from the centre.
The observation deck at 165 metres offers the highest aerial view of Vilnius available to the public — on a clear day the old town's church spires are tiny in the distance and the full sprawl of the Soviet-era city becomes visible. A rotating restaurant operates at the same level, turning slowly enough that you see the full panorama over lunch.
The base of the tower is the most important part. The names of the fourteen civilians killed by Soviet troops in January 1991 are inscribed outside, and the preserved bloodstains beneath glass on the steps mark the exact spot where they fell. This is one of the most affecting memorial sites in Vilnius — all the more so for being attached to an ordinary piece of Soviet infrastructure.