The path around Vilnius, section VI - along the borders between districts

The border between Lazdyni and Karoliniškii - this is roughly the name of the beginning of the section around Vilnius VI. Hazelnuts and Karoliniškės are the sleepy neighborhoods of Vilnius that arose in the seventies of the last century. It doesn't seem like there is anything interesting to see here. And I used to think like that before I took part in the excursion led by Albert Kazlauskas "Gatve gyva" and walked around Hazelnuts. The team of architects was awarded the Lenin Prize for the project of this district, and as Lazdynas became famous, tours from all over the USSR and even the West started going here. It is worth starting with history. The route to Lazdynes, crossed by the pedestrian bridge over Laisvės avenue, allows you to look only out of the corner of your eye. The transformer painted in bright colors on the square and the Halloween symbols waiting for darkness under the trees are just eye-catching objects, the real attractions of Lazdynai are elsewhere.

During the same excursion around Lazdynus, we passed by the place dedicated to the memory of the herbalist Eugenija Šimkūnaitei. They say she likes witchcraft. While gathering herbs in a nearby meadow, she prophesied that the place would become famous. We can say that it was not by accident - now there is a TV tower here. It is the tallest building in Lithuania, and its height reaches 326 meters. Intentionally or not, he surpassed the Eiffel Tower by 2 meters in the height race. I can't compete with the Eiffel in terms of the number of visitors, so at least you can help yourself in terms of height. The television tower looked far away from the Hill of Crosses, when you started walking along the path around Vilnius, but when you look at the route you walked - nothing like that. After making two large loops in the East and West of the city, the trail around Vilnius approaches the center again in this section. The nearby Plikakalnis observation deck is also directed in that direction. It is difficult to see the old town, but the tall office buildings on the right bank of the Neris are clearly visible. Not only them, but all of them Vingo Park opens as if on the palm of your hand. Another picturesque observation point and the second highest outcrop in Lithuania. The highest is Pūčkiori, also in Vilnius, past it trail around Vilnius passed in the first section.

It's hard to believe, but the markings of the path around Vilnius indicate that you need to go down from the observation deck. It is particularly steep here, and in some places you have to climb down the exposed tree roots like a ladder. It has to be stated that walking on the path around Vilnius is not for seniors. At least not in this place. It is not as slippery as going down the slope near Gariūnai, and there is more courage. My pants are all dirty from landing on my bum in the last section, so I'm not afraid of falling anymore. So that I wouldn't go to Neris. I can breathe easier already at the bottom and go down the path leading along the river. I don't know if it is a wise decision to install a route on such a slope? Not because it's difficult to climb, because of nature. This is the Karoliniškii landscape reserve, and climbing the slopes destroys them.

The path along the river is quite fun, and at the same time, a remote corner of nature right in the city. Although the topography of the area is particularly expressive, there are many trails here. The trail along Neri is called the River Valley Trail, and those leading to the Horns are called Raguvai Bottom Trails, and those at the top of the hills are called Hill Ridge Trails. Another winding top along the slope is the Forest Edge Trail. In the middle of the last century, it was the outskirts of the city. Further to the West, up the slope, there were fields and forests with one other village. One of them was Karoliniškės, after which the microdistrict is named. Karolinka's mansion was also here, but it did not survive. And the fruit trees growing in the meadow are a legacy of the Soviet farm established in the Soviet years.

Here you can find another viewpoint with a distant view of the city panorama. After going up, the route leads past this place, but it doesn't last long - after reaching a deep horn, it descends again. This is the old road on which residents of the surrounding villages used to travel to Vilnius. The landlords of the Karolinka manor probably also used it. You wouldn't know, you wouldn't say that there was a road here. Approaching Žvēryn, the route does not turn to it, but turns to the left. From there, it is not far to Narbuvos Street, which forever took over the function of the old road.

I cross the pedestrian bridge across Narbutos Street and continue hiking along the border, this time between Žvėrynas from Šeškinė. The districts are different, but the reserve is the same - Karoliniškiu. The shape of the expressive terrain does not disappear anywhere, so there is no shortage of ups and downs. You start to feel tired and one of the benches provides a pleasant moment of rest. Walking along the path around Vilnius for the first time, I had to stop at every section and more than once to make sure the route was correct. This time I sit down not to find the right route, but to rest my legs. They become more and more difficult with each step. The last hill is about to come, but before it I suddenly hit a fence. The entire path leading up to the top is enclosed by a construction fence. Both sad and funny. I try to walk along the rampart in both directions, but the path is blocked by impassable bushes. I can see people walking on the path on the other side of the fence, but how do I get there? I found a solution, but the frustration remains. Vilnius apologizes for the temporary inconvenience, but apologizes only to those who are traveling on the path from Žvēryna or from Šeškina. And what to do for those who follow the path around Vilnius?

It is much faster to get used to the city than to get used to it. At least it is for me. It is enough to spend a few hours surrounded by nature, and when you return to the hustle and bustle of the city, you start to feel uncomfortable. In a busy On Oz Street there are not many people, but the car traffic is intense. You want to avoid that noise, but there is no way - the route continues along the road. After turning onto Gelvonų street, I reach the end of the section. Happiness to me and blessing to my feet, because it is right here public transport a stop with a bench. The length of section VI is 8,5 kilometers, but the total length of the three sections covered today is 32 kilometers. Good day, lots of excitement, and here is my bus. I put on the mask and a stanza of Vincas Mykolaitis Putin's poem comes up from my memory. I don't remember the whole poem anymore, but that's enough, masks are part of our life:

And I don't know that tomorrow with the sun again,
With a motley mask on his face,
I will walk, as if now, to the bright palace,
Where no one greets me or waits for me.