Vingis Park

Visitors from abroad are surprised to learn that there is a large old forest in the capital just a short walk from the Seimas. So it’s no wonder it’s the favourite park of Vilnius residents. People of all ages and personality types can find a place for themselves in the huge 160 ha area. Families with children can hire roller skates, bicycles, scooters, enjoy a delicious ice cream and check out what the snack kiosks near the bandstand have to offer. If you want to have a picnic with your friends, there is a barbecue area in the northern part of the park (near the pedestrian bridge to Žvėrynas). Nature and history lovers can satisfy their thirst for knowledge at the Botanical Garden in the western part of the park – you’ll be amazed to find out what magnificent stone palaces once stood here. Sports enthusiasts appreciate Vingis for its good cycling paths and fitness equipment surrounded by pine trees. It’s also a good place to start your orienteering career – the park has a track that even beginners with no orienteering skills can follow. A diagram of the orienteering course can be found at the entrance to Vingis. Is Vingis worth a visit for those who are afraid of crowds and prefer solitude? Yes, it is – the park is so huge that it is easy to find a quiet nook where you can watch the Neris rippling in absolute peace.