At the end of last year, information appeared in the media that according to Husqvarna's green space index, Vilnius was recognized as the greenest city in Europe. As much as 62% of the area of the capital is made up of green zones, and according to this, Vilnius is surpassed only by two cities in the world - Šarlotė JAV and Durban in South Africa. However, Vilnius can boast not only green areas, but also the exceptional terrain in which it is located. Professor Česlov Kudaba, whose comparisons have no equal, spoke about this most vividly: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 Ribiškii hills, which are very close to the city center, as follows: "There is no analogue of such relief in Lithuania, and I do not know of a similar one 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 Verkiai 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.
Educational trails in regional parks in Vilnius
The Pavilniai Regional Park in Vilnius is the smallest in Lithuania, but at the same time one of the most interesting. Its uniqueness is the erosive 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 expressive terrain, along which it stretches Ribiškii trail. It awaits the panorama of Vilnius from the top of the hills, the homesteads located in the bottoms of the Horns and the mythological Kaukysa stream. 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 kilometer long circular route.
Sapieginė educational trail
It is installed in the Sapieginia and Svetsia forest parks Sapieginė educational trail particularly well represents Vilnius as a green and expressive city located in a place of relief. 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 kilometers, 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 žytakis
The name of this educational trail is one of the strangest, but there is an explanation for it. In the castle of Rokantiškii, where it begins Streelčiukka žytakis, Duke Alšis once built a castle. Surrounded by legends, it was one of the first brick castles, guarded by the brave and strong soldiers. And not only them - 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 slightly longer one of more than 1 kilometer has been installed Rokantiškii mound educational trail yra in New Vilnius. It leads to the Rokalniški mound, which is arranged and adapted for visiting.
Pūčkiori educational historical 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. It leads through Belmont Pūčkiori educational historical trail, where you can not only admire nature, but also learn about the history of this place. On the route of the trail is the Pūčkiori mound, dating back to the oldest times, dating back to 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 the whole 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. The 5,8 kilometer long semi-circular route is the place where you can walk in Vilnius in an urban and interesting way.
Pūčkori educational trail
Is Pūčkiori educational historical trail and Pūčkori educational trail not one and the same? You should ask the Pavilniai Regional Park Directorate for the answer, but for the sake of clarity, I called the new 3 routes with innovative stands Pūčkiori educational trail and separated them separately. 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 is not part of the historical trail route. 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 exposure, the trail descends again, and there you have to choose one of three routes - 2,8, 3,7, or 5,3 kilometers long. From there, two of the three routes coincide with the route of the historical trail of Pūčkiori.
In the northern part of Vilnius there is another regional park within the city limits, it is 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. Educational trail of old villages it is not short - 10 kilometers long, so walking along it will provide enough opportunities to admire the nature of the regional park and to 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.
If the question "Where to go for a walk in Vilnius?" comes up, your thoughts turn to Vingis Park, Bernardinai Garden or the Neris coast near White bridge, it's time to expand 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?
