On Paupio Street in Užupis, a long wall displays the constitution of the self-declared Republic of Užupis in some 25 languages, each section on its own polished metal plaque. The constitution's articles manage to be simultaneously comic and genuinely idealistic: every person has the right to be happy, dogs have the right to be dogs, and everyone has the right to make mistakes.
This is one of those Vilnius experiences that works better than it sounds. Reading through the articles in your own language — the English section is there — amid the neighbourhood's murals and gallery windows gives you a quick, effective way into the spirit of the place. The constitution was written in 1997 and has been periodically amended. It is a work of art more than a legal document, and it reads like one.