Siauliai on Foot, Route by Route
Šiauliai is flat and its centre is compact, so a good walk needs no guide and no map beyond the routes below. They are arranged by how much time you have. The tourist office at Vilniaus g. 213-90 (+370 41 523 110) lists the official routes, and a paper copy of the summer board game played along the boulevard is free there. Wear comfortable shoes, and add grips between December and March, when the lakeside paths can be icy.
One hour: the boulevard to the lake
Start on Vilniaus gatvė, the pedestrian section that runs 1.28 km from Žemaitės g. to Draugystės pr. Created in 1975, it is described by the tourist office as the first in Lithuania. Look for bronze figures, the Pelicans fountain, the Bell of Love sculpture and the Cockerel Clock, which speaks to passers-by in 14 languages at 12:00 and 18:00. The Photography Museum at no. 140 has a roof terrace with a camera obscura, open 1 March to 31 October for 1 EUR.
Leave the boulevard for Sundial Square, where the 18 m obelisk and its gilded Archer stand beside the Renaissance cathedral. The Iron Fox on the Talkša shore is a few hundred metres further.
Half a day: the Talkša eco trail
The eco trail is 5 km long and has 19 oak-log information stands in three languages. It begins near the Archer and follows the lake through the Žuvininkai district. Along the way it passes the Gate of Love and the Place for Dreams, and it ends at the Salduvė hillfort, about 5 km from the centre. A separate 1.8 km bike path runs along the water. Swimming in Talkša is not recommended.
A full day: the official routes
- Top 10 Places. About 6 km, with roughly 9 hours allowed for visits. Its stops are the Balts’ Road centre, the cathedral, Sundial Square, the Iron Fox, the Cats Museum, Frenkel Villa, the boulevard, the Rūta museum, the Cents Room and the Botanical Garden. On Tilžės g. the Rūta museum lies about 1.9 km from the Frenkel Villa end of the boulevard, so many walkers split this route over two days.
- Šiauliai From Above. About 5 km and about five hours. Stops include the Sun Terrace playground, the Photography Museum terrace, Resurrection Square, the cathedral tower with a guide, and Salduvė Hill.
A separate walk of remembrance
A memorial stone stands at the former entrance of the Šiauliai ghetto, at Traku g. on the corner of Ežero g. It was set up in 1993 to recall the ghetto established in July 1941, when the city’s Jewish population of about 8,000 was reduced to about 500. It is accessible at all hours. Treat it as a place of remembrance and keep it apart from the rest of your walking day.
Walking tips
- Museums on the boulevard charge 8 EUR for adults, and entry is free on the last Sunday of the month.
- Guides are required for the cathedral tower.
- Winter daylight is short, so start early between December and March.
Read more: the main sights of Siauliai and activities for one . A fuller trip is mapped in the Lithuania six day itinerary .
The routes are on Visit Šiauliai , and the eco trail has its own page at Baltų kelias . For a walk with a guide, search GetYourGuide .