About the Park

The park of Verkiai estate is one of the most beautiful landscape-type parks in Lithuania. It covers a territory of 36 ha. In 16-18th centuries, in Neris River valley, the lower part of the estate, there was a square-type plan park. In 18th century two parks were formed: the upper and the great. In mid 19th century both of them were turned into scenery parks and partly re-planned; a few new meanders were laid in the parks. The upper park is located on plateau surrounded by Neris and Verkė rivers and on neighbouring slopes, the lower (the great) park – in Neris River valley.

Even though the upper park has lost a great part of its former beauty, it contains numerous different trees and shrubs. Most of these are local varieties of trees: pines, lindens, maples, some oaks, and elms; on slopes of valleys – spruces and ashes. 31 local varieties of trees and bushes can be found in the park. Among imported varieties (43 varieties and forms) one could list dwarf dense-branched common spruces. They have specific conical form, and their branches reach down to the ground. At the palace one can see elegant Polish larches and a bit lower and thinner Siberian larches. This is the only park in Lithuania famous for its huge variety of sorts and forms of lindens. Very rare North American mountain lindens grow here, also Weymouths pines and blue spruces. There are plenty of bigleaf lindens and some white wallnuts.

Verkiai Palace Park has a distinctive and interesting system of ponds. The ponds of the estate are interconnected and link together the upper and the lower parts of the park. Three groups of ponds remain – of Verkė, Turniškė and Riešė rivers. Some old shapes of their banks, beds of former ponds and dry channels can be discerned. The ponds in some places are covered with plantation or turned into swamps, parts of their coasts were planted with pines and spruces.

Fishery used to be developed in ponds located in the oldest part of the Verkiai Park – in the lower or the great park. In the 19th century piscicultural ponds were made there with large gardens around them. Presently amateur fishing can be developed in these ponds.