Green Lakes

The Green Lakes, Žalieji ežerai, are six lakes in forest on the north-eastern edge of Vilnius, inside Verkiai Regional Park and protected as a landscape reserve. They lie in very deep, steep-sided channels cut by the meltwater of a retreating glacier about 18,000 years ago, and their bright green colour comes from the high carbonate content of the groundwater that feeds them. Around Balsys, the largest at 55 ha (136 acres), steep wooded slopes rise up to 40 m (131 ft) above the water and drop almost as far below it; the others are Gulbinas, 36.8 ha (91 acres), Little Gulbinas, 10.4 ha (26 acres), Raistelis, 1 ha (2.5 acres), Akis and Baraukos Akis. Cycle paths run around the lakes and town beaches line the shore, so people come here at every time of year, and many plants grow on the banks, some of them rare.

Background

The Green Lakes, Žalieji ežerai in Lithuanian, are six lakes in the north-east of Vilnius, within Verkiai Regional Park: Balsys, Gulbinas, Little Gulbinas, Akis, Raistelis and Baraukos Akis.

Source: Wikipedia, "Green Lakes (Lithuania)"

What you'll find

• Green water - coloured by carbonates in the groundwater that feeds the lakes.
• Cycle paths - routes around the lakes through the forest.
• Town beaches - on the shores of the lakes.
• Steep wooded slopes - rising up to 40 m (131 ft) above Lake Balsys.

When to go

Any time of year.

Good to know

The lakes are deep, with banks that drop almost as steeply below the water as they rise above it, up to 40 m (131 ft) at Balsys.

Nearby

In a straight line, Verkiai Palace is about 5 km (3 mi) to the south-south-west and the centre of Vilnius about 12 km (7 mi) to the south.

Key facts