Ribiškės Nature Trail

Ribiškės Nature Trail through the Ribiškės erosional hills opened in September 2015. What makes this walking trail special is that it takes you through and introduces you to an exceptionally hilly landscape. The trail starts at the ibis Styles hotel on Minsk Road (Minsko plentas). If you turn left and go clockwise, the trail is 6 km long and marked with blue signs; if you turn right, the route is not even half as long and is marked in green. The green route is suitable for skiing, so if downhill skiing at nearby Liepkalnis isn't for you, you can do some cross-country skiing here instead. The relief the Ribiškės trail runs through has no equivalent in Lithuania, and most likely none in the whole of Europe. This phenomenon could only form under exceptional conditions, in a mass of moraine deposits that was frozen right through. Long ago the edge of the glacier stretched across the western part of Vilnius, while in the east lay a desert of frozen moraine deposits. Meltwater from the glacier surged in powerful torrents across what is now the city. Flowing west along an unusual course, the water created unusual landforms and confusing mazes of valleys. Being warmer than the ice, the water thawed the ground, and flows of creeping mud quickly deepened the gullies that had begun to form. The structure of the hills is clearly visible where there is no forest. Along the trail you can also see the endlessly winding Kaukysa stream, with its clear water and light sandy bed. Both routes are suitable in every season for walkers and sports enthusiasts.