Pavilniai and Verkiai regional parks

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parkas@botanika.lt

http://www.pavilniai-verkiai.lt/

PAVILNIAI REGIONAL PARK

The relief distinguished for great differences in relative altitudes ranging up to 100 metres as well as incomparable diversity of the forms of the surface determines the value of Pavilniai regional park, the diversity and beauty of the landscape. There is scarcely any flat surface there. Within the regional park each natural landscape has its distinct cultural attire, peculiar application, and hilly areas created by water erosion are the greatest value. They are forms of the land surface washed out by water erosion which cut deeply into the main slopes and densely carving them and forming intricate labyrinths in some places.

Those hilly areas were formed at the foot of the slopes of the valleys of the Vilnia and the Neris around 13,000 years ago. Hilly areas of Markučiai - Ribiškės and Užupis - Leoniškės - Kučkuriškės cling to the Vilnia valley, and Sapieginė - Antakalnis hilly areas nestled up against the Neris valley. The most valuable are the labyrinths of Ribiškės and Iškartos erosion hills resembling fans by their forms. Relief is especially expressive. "Here the sculpture of land surface toiled by carving rather than moulding" Česlovas Kudaba.
These hilly areas abound in hills and dry valleys that have not been covered with the green attire of the forest.This provides excellent possibilities not only to view vast horizons but also perceive the structure of hilly areas.

VERKIAI REGIONAL PARK

Verkiai regional park consists of two quite different parts of the landscape: the southern where the values of cultural heritage dominate, and the northern where the values of the natural landscape are the most important.
The landscape of Verkiai regional park is diverse. The relief forms of different origin and age are found there which formed during the last glacier period and later greatly changed in the influence of water and wind erosion, thermokarst, bog formation and other processes, human activities.
A rather high massive of highland stretches along the edge of the western regional park. It borders the sandy plain sloping towards the Neris. Single hills diversify its slightly waved surface. The deep old Neris valley crosses the territory of Verkiai regional park. Once it was washed out by the flows of water which had its source in the lagoon formed by the last melting and receding glacier.

The most valuable combinations of the natural landscape are the following: the system of long, deep ravines of the Green lakes and the valley of the unique two-way Riešė - Turniškė rivulet which flows in the old dry valley.

Impressive long, deep ravines of the Green Lakes formed around 18,000 years ago. They were washed out by the water flowing under the glaciers. Ravines are long, deep and with steep slopes, and deep oblong lakes lie stagnant in the lowest places. Probably the greatest puzzle is their green colour. It is not just a green reflection, their water is brightly green indeed. And this is caused by a great amount of the dissolved carbonates in the underground water which feeds the lakes. Balsys lake together with its bed is the largest and deepest lake in the group of the Green Lakes: its slopes rise to 40 metres above the water level; while its deepest point is almost the same depth. The Green Lakes are unique not only in their structure, the colour of the water but also in their vegetation.

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