Professor Česlovas Kudaba spoke most vividly about this, whose comparisons have no equal: “Our Vilnius is not just “dropped” on Earth.” It seems that the hand of a mighty man carried it, applied it to the unevenness in various ways and put it here near Neris, saying “it won’t be more beautiful anywhere”.
The professor saw more than others, and he wrote about the Ribiški hills, which are very close to the city center, as follows: “There is no analogue of such a terrain in Lithuania, and I do not know anything similar elsewhere in Europe. <...> Here, the sculptor of the earth’s surface worked not by sculpting, but by sculpting.”
Knowing all this, it is no longer surprising that there are even two regional parks in Vilnius. Exceptional natural and cultural heritage objects are protected by Pavilniai Regional Park and Verkių Regional Park. And where there are regional parks, you can also look for educational trails.
Where to go for a walk in Vilnius? It is not difficult to answer this question, because there are many such places in the capital. This time I will limit myself to the most beautiful and valuable, so I am traveling to protected areas where the most beautiful sightseeing trails in Vilnius have been set up.
The Pavilniai Regional Park in Vilnius is the smallest in Lithuania, but at the same time one of the most interesting. Its uniqueness is erosional forges and the unique Vilnius valley, so the sightseeing trails of this regional park in Vilnius are located in Ribiškės, Sapieginė, Pūčkorai and Strielčukii.
Ribiškii trail
Ribiškės is characterized by a particularly rich terrain, along which the Ribiškės trail runs. It awaits the panorama of Vilnius from the top of the hills, homesteads located in the bottoms of the Horns and the Kaukysa stream reminiscent of mythology. On the way, we visit the site of the Ribiškii mansion and the insect hotel.
Steep ascents and descents will require some endurance, but this will only help you feel the uniqueness of the terrain of these places even more. The educational trail is a 6 km long circular route.
Sapieginė educational trail
The Sapieginė educational trail, located in the Sapieginė and Swiss forest parks, particularly well represents Vilnius as a city located in a green and expressive terrain. The name itself says that these places used to belong to the noble Sapiegos. They are the origin of the name, but the educational trail focuses more on nature than on nobles.
The horns carved on the surface and the outcrops that shoot up to a height of 53 meters create the image of a country more like mountains than plains. The landscape here is truly unique, rich in observation points, and at the same time, it also protects military secrets. Between the wars, the Polish army installed defensive fortifications here, which were never used for their intended purpose.
It is not only an interesting object of the educational trail, but also a habitat for rare species of bats. The length of the Sapieginė educational trail is 5.3 km, the shape of the route is partially circular. If this distance is too long, the route can be shortened and divided into two parts.
Streelčiukka zizhtakis
The name of this educational trail is one of the strangest, but there is an explanation for it. Duke Alšis once built a castle in the Rokantiškii castle site, where the Strielčiukės’ march begins. Surrounded by legends, it was one of the first brick castles, guarded by brave and strong soldiers. And not only them – the alert sentinels were the first to meet the sneaking enemy. An educational trail in the forest of the same name introduces the duties and customs of these castle defenders.
A fun 3.5 km long route in a hilly area, where bison and taurus used to run, turns around and returns to the Rokantiškii Castle. Before walking along the path or after returning, it is worth visiting the castle. It is a great observation point with a view of New Vilnius.
Rokantiškii mound educational trail
This is perhaps the newest educational trail in Vilnius. Very close to the Rokantiškii castle site, a little longer than 1 km long Rokantiskii castle sightseeing trail is located in New Vilnius. It leads to the Rokantiškii mound, which is arranged and adapted for visiting.
Pūčkori educational trail
The former water mill, now Belmont’s amusement park, is a popular leisure spot for the townspeople. It is worth coming here not only to eat or have fun, but also to spend time in nature. Pūčkiori educational trail leads through Belmont, where you can not only admire the nature, but also get to know the history of this place. On the route of the trail there is the Pūčkiori mound, which commemorates the oldest times, from the 16th century. the buildings of the cannon foundry and the Pūčkiori palivarkas and the Belmont mill appeared later.
After viewing these places, you can go up, where the route of the educational trail leads to the most beautiful observation deck in Vilnius, and maybe in all of Lithuania. Pūčkiori’s exposed terraces with lookouts create a cozy environment for spending time in nature, but the view of the Vilnelė valley attracts the most. A few years ago there was a new trail link that connected the Belmont Outcrop Lookout to Belmont.
Starting at the hanging bridge near the Belmont mill, the trail goes uphill on the right slope of Vilnius. This is a fun hilly section of the trail that requires some stamina as well. The terrain furrowed by deep horns and a stylish sight hidden in the forest are the two main highlights of this section. Later, after reaching the Pūčkiori outcrop, the trail descends again and there you have to choose one of three routes – 2.8, 3.7 or 5.3 km long.
In the northern part of Vilnius there is another regional park within the city limits, it is the Verkių Regional Park. Characterized by unique natural and cultural heritage sites, this protected area only recently offered its first educational trail to visitors.
Educational trail of old villages
This is a new and only educational trail in the territory of the Verkii Regional Park. The educational trail of the old villages is not short – 10 km long, so there will be plenty of opportunities to admire the nature of the regional park and get to know the history of the old villages. Verkių paper factory, Turniškiu hydroelectric power plant, Staviškiu mound – these are just a few places with their own stories, which are really interesting to read.
The terrain in Verkiai Regional Park is not flat, and the trail is not short, so you don’t need to be prepared for an easy walk. However, the different nature and the interesting theme of the educational trail tempt you to visit there. It’s nice that the list of educational trails in Vilnius has been filled with another one for walking.
Cry track
The Verkiau trail is not an educational trail, but it is a marked route of the Verkiau regional park, starting near the Verkiau manor palace and leading to the Staviški mound. The route visits the old ponds of the manor, passes by the old settlements, crosses the Ežerėlii geomorphological reserve and circles the Staviški mound.
Part of the route overlaps or passes through the same surroundings as the Old Villages Educational Trail. The length of the route is 10 km.
Paneriai educational trail
The Paneriai educational trail is the newest educational trail installed in the vicinity of Vilnius. It stretches in the landscape reserve of the Paneriai erosive hill. Starting on Titnago Street at the pavement of the old Vilnius-Kaunas road, it leads upwards towards the Paneriai Chapel and the monument to the rebels. The further part of the route goes through the forest.
Here you can visit the recently discovered Jankiškii and Gariūnai mounds, go down to the monument in memory of the Holocaust victims. The trail ends at the Gariūnai observatory, which is built on top of the slope of the Gariūnai suffocational cirque. The path is in a linear shape, so you will have to go back. The length one way is 5 km.
If the next time you ask the question “Where to walk in Vilnius?”, your thoughts turn to Vingis Park, Bernardinai Garden or the Neris coast near the White Bridge, it’s time to broaden your horizons. There are many more places in Vilnius where you can walk and discover something new. And there is definitely something to discover in Vilnius! The educational trails that show the most beautiful corners of nature in Vilnius are worth something. How many of them have you been to?
