On the left bank of the River Neris, next to the Paneriai Hills, there is an area called Vilkpėde, which translates as Wolf Foot. Once upon a time, there was a dense pine forest with the stream from a brook flowing through the valley. Eventually, the village of Vilkpėdė was established by the stream. The area where the Vilkpėdė residential area is located has long been a suburb of Vilnius – the western gate to the city.
Vilkpėdė is a rather recently inhabited area; at the end of the 18th century, there were just a few houses here. It wasn’t until 1862, when the St. Petersburg – Warsaw railway line passed through Vilkpėdė that civilisation began to penetrate the area.
Until WWII, several brickworks, a mill, a leather workshop, a small textile factory had all been located here, while the straight road to Trakai (now Savanorių pr.) has existed since ancient times. During the Soviet era, large factories manufacturing construction materials, electronics, and chemicals began to pop up in this area.
Vilkpėdė municipality now covers an area of 10.8 km2 and is home to approximately 20 thousand inhabitants. The territory of Vilkpėdė district encompasses a considerable stretch of Savanorių pr. with its industrial zone, Vingis Park, and a residential area up to Žemaitė and V. Pietaris streets. The residential area only makes up around a quarter of the whole territory of Vilkpėdė. The majority of the district comprises industrial, administrative and commercial buildings.
What will you learn/see on the route?
- Where was the first heart surgery performed in Lithuania in 1958?
- Which church was not closed during the Soviet period, but returned to the faithful, and why?
- Where is the sculpture depicting Christ with a fireman?
