Pavilniai Regional Park

Pavilniai Regional Park is Vilnius's best-kept natural secret. Just minutes from the Old Town, the park protects a landscape of deep river valleys, dramatic sandstone cliffs, small waterfalls, and dense forests along the Vilnelė River that feels utterly remote from the city surrounding it. The park's centerpiece is the Pūčkoriai outcrop — a 65-meter cliff face that is the highest exposure of geological layers in Vilnius, with a small waterfall tumbling down its face. Walking trails wind along the river valley through forests of oak, pine, and birch, past springs, rock formations, and hidden meadows. For a capital city to have such wild nature so close to its center is remarkable. The park is popular with Vilnius locals for hiking, running, and mountain biking, but its trails are extensive enough that you can always find solitude. It's a perfect example of how Lithuanian nature is never far away, even in the largest city.