Exceptions for winter activities include: the ski slopes of the Botanic Garden are open

For a whole week, Vilnius residents have been debating whether the Liepkalnis ski slopes should be opened during the quarantine, when citizens visit all the hills of Vilnius en masse and have fun. Meanwhile, the Association of Ski Centers applied to the Government at the beginning of the week, requesting permission to carry out its activities.

When ski centers ask for permission to resume operations, the Ministry of Health says that it is not considering such a possibility, as it would encourage gatherings and pose a risk for the spread of the coronavirus. The Speaker of the Seimas also states that business expectations are understandable, but in the context of the pandemic, exceptions should not be made.

However, it turns out that there are exceptions for Vilnius residents who miss winter entertainment. Vilnius University The Botanic Garden in Kairenai informs that skiers are welcome here during the weekend, when more snow has fallen. The garden has prepared tracks for freestyle skiing.

"Visitors of the VU Botanic Garden in Kairenai can already ski in freestyle. There are no tracks for classic cross-country skiing yet," the garden administration informs.

You can ski in the Botanical Garden every day of the week. Entrance to the garden is paid.

Visitors are asked to come skiing dressed appropriately, keep a safe distance and follow the recommendations for behavior on the slopes.