Vilnius Castles Kardio©Takas

Tired of sitting at home? Try the ‘Vilnius Castles Kardio©Takas’. We can simply choose to walk, practise Nordic Walking, or run along the 2.86-km-long trail designed to strengthen your heart, health, and overall well-being. In the middle of Vilnius, where you can also meet roe deer, the trail winds up and down the steep hills and slopes of the Kreivoji (Crooked) Castle and the Kreivasis town area. This route is within arm’s reach, practically a metre from nature – right in the heart of the city, relatively short, but very varied, taking you over slopes, over spurs, and through gullies. All this treasure trove is part of the hill range of Vilnius, a unique masterpiece of nature that has attracted people to settle here since time immemorial.

The first inhabitants of Vilnius built defensive fortifications and later castles to protect themselves from their enemies. The hill on the bank of the River Neris, connected to Gediminas Hill by a saddle hill, was the perfect place for this. Indeed, the Hill of the Three Crosses and the Gediminas Hill were one and the same. Until the middle of the 14th century, these hills were connected by a saddle-shaped hill. The hill was probably dug up and the waters of the Vilnia were diverted into a new course at the behest of Grand Duke Algirdas of Lithuania. From this point, not only did the city of Vilnius but also our country begin to grow and strengthen.

To avoid getting lost, we suggest you use ‘Google Maps’ or download the ‘GPX’ file to your sports watch.