What to look for
The garden covers 4.9 hectares. Shiro Nakane’s concept is a strolling garden: follow the paths and the views change as you move around the water.
Look for the dry riverbed and the raked gravel of the dry garden, then the waterfall and red arched bridge. Stones, low planting and small hills make these areas quite different from an ordinary city park. Leave the gravel and stone arrangements as you find them.
A walk around the garden
Take a slow circuit of the pond, with short detours to the dry garden and waterfall. The city’s visitor guide recommends walking clockwise. Stop at the information boards if you want to understand the individual features.
Benches and a playground make it easy to break up the walk. The park manager also lists a public toilet and drinking-water stations; their availability can depend on maintenance and the season.
Getting there
Use Linkmenų g. 2A as your destination. The garden is in Šnipiškės, north of the Neris, near the junction of Linkmenų, Lvivo and Geležinio Vilko streets. Follow the marked entrances rather than trying to cross the larger roads wherever you reach the park.
For buses and trolleybuses, check JUDU’s current journey planner. A walk from the White Bridge area can be combined with time along the Neris. Check the map for a route that suits your starting point.
Children, bikes and dogs
- There is a children’s playground. Keep an eye on children near the pond, rocks and bridges.
- Leave bicycles at the entrance and explore on foot, as the park rules request.
- Keep dogs on the paths. Follow the signs about where you may walk, and stay off the stone arrangements and landscaped hills.
When to go
Spring brings the cherry blossom avenue; the exact flowering dates depend on the weather. In summer, the pond and planted banks are the main draw. Autumn is a good time to look at the maples and the wooded slope behind the garden.
This is an outdoor visit. After rain or in icy weather, take care on bridges and paths. If you are travelling specifically for blossom, look for a current flowering update rather than relying on a fixed date.
Make sure you have the right garden
This is the public Japanese Garden on Linkmenų Street. Sei Shin En at T. Kosciuškos g. 26 and the Japanese garden within Vilnius University’s Botanical Garden in Kairėnai are separate places, with their own visiting arrangements.
Find the garden
Visitor information and sources
Panorama excerpts.