Sol LeWitt's pyramid
A white pyramid by a forest pond.
Arz — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rob Oo [OFF] — CC BY 4.0 · Rob Oo [OFF] — CC BY 4.0 · Rob Oo [OFF] — CC BY 4.0 · Rob Oo [OFF] — CC BY 4.0
Europos Parkas, the Park of Europe, is an open-air museum spread over 50 hectares of forest north of Vilnius, showing more than 90 works from 27 countries. It gives artistic meaning to the geographic centre of the European continent, placed in this area by the French National Geographic Institute in 1989. The Lithuanian artist Gintaras Karosas founded it in 1991, clearing neglected forest land and placing his first sculptures there. Over time artists from Armenia, Canada, Egypt, France, Japan, Mexico, the United States and elsewhere joined in, and it became one of the region's leading open-air museums, with large works by well-known names. Walking among pines and meadows, you come across works you would not expect: Sol LeWitt's white Double Negative Pyramid by a pond, along with pieces by Magdalena Abakanowicz, Aleš Veselý and Dennis Oppenheim. Best known is Karosas's labyrinth built from old television sets. Moss-covered boulders and metal sculptures are also scattered about, so the experience shifts with the seasons and the light. The park lies about 16.6 km from central Vilnius in a straight line. Its paths are earthen and long, so wear comfortable shoes and bring mosquito repellent in summer. The map at the entrance helps you find the far-off works, and you should climb on sculptures only where allowed.
A white pyramid by a forest pond.
Karosas's maze of old television sets.
Moss-covered rocks along a forest path.
Joneikiškės, near Vilnius, Lithuania
About two hours for most of the works, and the map at the entrance helps.
The French institute placed the centre in this area in 1989, and the park takes its idea from that.