The section of the old Vilnius-Kaunas road is protected by the public and the state - a sign with such an inscription greets you as soon as you start walking along section V of the path around Vilnius. The pavement, blocked with concrete blocks and stones, is now accessible to pedestrians and cyclists, and otherwise it was an important road from Vilnius, which traveled not only to Kaunas. It was on this road that Napoleon was joyfully welcomed when he landed in Vilnius, and after a few months he ran back and forth on this road. Legends are still alive about the riches he left here and about the robbers who ran amok on the roads. Winding like a clumsy snake, the stone-paved road finally reaches the top of the hill, where the outline of the chapel can be seen through the trees.
Back in the Middle Ages, a statue of Jesus was erected here, in its place a wooden chapel appeared, and even later, a brick one. There is a small cemetery next to the chapel, where you can find the graves of soldiers of the tsarist army. They died while suppressing the 1831 uprising that took place near this place. Then the rebels led by Gelgaud tried to occupy Vilnius, but the tsar's army managed to repel the rebels. A significant number of them died, and the monument built for them stands a couple of hundred meters away.
Across the road from the chapel is a long building. It does not have a beautiful appearance, but it still remembers the times when frequent travelers on this road stopped by. Here was a roadside house, where travelers are not welcome now. At least that is what can be understood from the drawn arrows. I also looked for a route in this place last year, but I did not go to the roadside house. Then, after walking around the meadow and shaking the dew off the grass, I promised to buy suitable shoes for walking. Later I did that, so now when traveling on the path around Vilnius, neither the dew nor the off-road scares me.
The route continues along fairly wide forest paths, moving away, then approaching the steep slopes of the Neris Valley. These are covered with trees and bushes, so neither Neria nor the city can be seen. Such terrain of the surroundings seemed suitable for our ancestors to build a mound here, which was discovered only in 2014. Although trail around Vilnius goes right past the Gariūnai mound, not everyone will pay attention to it. There is no sign or sign to be seen, so you may only find out later that you were on the mound. It may even appear that the mound is located where the route descends headlong from a steep slope 80 meters high. The lower I go, the steeper the slope becomes, forcing me to hold on to trees and roots. However, despite my good hiking boots, I lose control and end up on my bum for the last few meters. As if in a V-shaped crisis, I feel like I've reached a rock bottom that needs to be resisted. It won't be easy, because in front of you is a steep hill of almost the same height.
To be fair, that hill is nothing but a ski slope. Not as long as it is steep. The steepest on the entire route around Vilnius when traveling clockwise. I look at the rusting remains of the lift with a bit of envy, but I rely on my legs. This time I'm traveling around Vilnius more enjoying myself, so I'm not trying to reach the top without taking a break. Every so often, I stop and look back to admire the improvement every step panorama.
The two observation decks at the top reward the effort in abundance. For this reason alone, it is worth following the direction of walking around Vilnius. Sitting down on the homemade bench, I think about it. Not about Vilnius, but about Nida and the large stylish wooden chairs installed there, which could breathe so much life into the observation decks in Vilnius and the path around it.
The following kilometers are some of the most unpleasant on the whole trail. The route leading through forests and parks unconsciously takes you away from everyday life, from the constant rush and accompanying stress. Gariūnai Street wakes you up from a sweet dream and welcomes you back to a world where everyone needs everything faster and more. The continuous flow of cars in both directions makes such a noise that any pleasure of walking disappears and a headache begins. Probably already tomorrow, having become a small part of this flow, I will rush somewhere, without even thinking about how such everyday life might look from the outside. And it looks unsatisfying and maybe even pointless. In the same way as a person walking around Vilnius looks through the eyes of people looking through the windows of cars.
The first time I walk along the path, I move to the other bank of the Neris. At the bridge, the route diverges from the noisy traffic artery and turns into the forest. Not for long, because after a while the path approaches the Western Circle and leads along it. This section cannot be called anything other than statistical. The loop section along the bypass turned out to be the most lame decision of the entire 100-kilometer route. Maybe there are no more forest paths in the Gudalei forest? I reached the Fairytale Park with a headache, and after such a demotivating section I felt a little tired.
The top of the television tower keeps glimmering through the treetops like a signpost. I will reach the tower in the next stage, and until the end of this stage I have to go through the Fairytale Park. There was a time when this park did not have a very good reputation, but now it is best known for its luminous legends. When turned on during the dark, the floodlights form projections on the ground depicting different legends of Vilnius.
The Fairytale Park ends, and so does the fifth section of the trail around Vilnius. I'm adding almost 10 more kilometers to today's mileage section. Right here public transport lot, so it is convenient both to finish one and to start another section. I was almost walking to a stop for a minute, but the inner desire to keep going proved stronger than the physical fatigue. All the more so because the latter was especially strengthened when traveling on a non-value-creating section of the trail along the bypass. Despite that part, the XNUMXth section of the trail turned out to be fun, and I had almost no complaints about the markings. Only the place where there is a sudden descent and ascent can be too difficult for those who cannot tolerate physical exertion. Difficulties can also arise here in bad weather, so it is worth drawing a warning sign of a black track on the map.
