This week, Vilnius celebrates its 700th anniversary. The State Office of Protected Areas would like to remind you that there are a number of protected areas and protected natural heritage objects in our capital and encourage you to get to know them.
There are 2 regional parks in Vilnius - Pavilnių and Verkių, Vilnius Castle State Cultural Reserve, 13 nature reserves, 11 natural heritage sites. Vilnius is a UNESCO World Heritage City.
Vilnius is located in the very belt of the Baltic highlands, carved by the winding Neris valley. In the southeast, the surface rises to the hilly and valley-like Medininkai upland, in the north to the lake-like Aukštaičiai square.
The northeastern part of the city of Vilnius lies in the Neries-Žeimena lowland. The central part of the city is located in the wide Neris valley, which descends towards the river in 8 terraces. The Gilas valley also includes the Vilnia, a tributary of the Neris.
The highlands go down to the mountain range mainly on steep, horn-carved, spring-fed slopes. In some places, the highlands come close to the rivers, and because of erosion, the cliffs open up - Pūčkiori outcrop, Plikakalnis outcrop, Naujaneriu outcrop.
The lowest point of the city (97 m) is at the Neris river, and the highest point (nrt 234 m) in Pavilni is the Rokantiškii hill.
In the territory of Šeškinės in Vilnius, there is a relic of the ice age relief - Šeškinės oz. Other more expressive glacial landscapes are the Paneriu calvinas, the Gariūnai suphosic cirque, the Rasų-Ribiškii calvinas.
The main massif of greenery in Vilnius is the forest occupying the entire northeastern part of the city. The Verkii forest grows around the Green Lakes, and the Antakalnis, Belmont, Pavilnii, Liepkalnis forests grow in the east-southeast, where mostly pine forests and fir trees prevail. In the central part of the city there are smaller forests and parks: Vingo Park, Bernardine Garden, Mountain park etc.
Old, protected trees (the oldest Vilnius linden, Žvēryna linden, linden alley in Vingis Park, etc.) and rare plant species have survived in the city.
We invite you to get to know the nature and unique landscape of Vilnius, while traveling on foot.
