Excursion “Vilnius Old Town through the Eyes of a Geologist”

The connection of Vilnius’s built environment with nature is encoded in the city’s “genes” – its heritage layers. UNESCO recognizes that one of the values ​​of Vilnius’s Old Town is the city’s harmony and integrity, arising from the interaction of human creativity and the natural environment. This is what we emphasize in the educational project “Vilnius Old Town – DNA of the Green Capital”, the aim of which is to familiarize the capital’s residents with the history and present of the city’s natural environment, its geomorphology and biodiversity, the heritage of monastery gardens, the interaction of nature and man in the city’s historical core and beyond, to present measures on how every citizen can contribute to the preservation of the city’s ecosystem, and to involve them in the search for solutions to real problems.

The excursion “Vilnius Old Town through the Eyes of a Geologist” led by geologist, Dr. Jonas Šečkus is like a continuation of the lecture “Geological Structure of Vilnius – the Foundation of the City”, a practical activity – a geological walk in the capital, talking about the natural history of Vilnius’ Old Town. Jonas Šečkus will lead the tour participants through the historical center of Vilnius, climb the Three Crosses, Békéš, and Gediminas Hills – he will tell about the natural development of the most important place in Lithuania – the Vilnius Old Town – (and show its traces!). Although these places are known to most Vilnius residents and their guests, the geologist will direct the participants’ attention to things that we usually overlook. Using graphic materials, he will explain why the mountains of the capital can be called hornbeams, and why Vilnius deserved the title of the only capital in Europe founded on the edge of a glacier. There will also be a discussion on the spot about how geological conditions affect our current Old Town, what and how needs to be protected.

DATE: May 17, 2025 (Saturday).

TIME: 11 a.m.

The event is free, but registration is required HERE.

The tour will be on foot over hilly terrain for about 5-6 km. It will last about 4 hours. Number of participants: 30 people. We will send more detailed information to those who have registered first.

Organizer: Vilnius Old Town Renovation Agency
Partner: Baltic Environmental Forum
Funded by: Vilnius City Municipality