The Bernardine Garden, in Lithuanian Bernardinų sodas, in Polish ogród Bernardyński or ogród Bernardynów is a public park in the city ofVilnius, Lithuania. It is located on the right bank of the Vilnia River between the Gediminas Tower and Bernardine Monastery and it covers over 9 hectares. Most of its territory is parkland, divided in the monastery exposition, the botanic exposition and other recreational territory including a children's amusement park. It hosts a variety of festivals and exhibitions, including an amateur chess championship of Ostap Bender.
History of the Bernardine Garden
Until the 14th century, in the territory of Bernardine garden there was a Lithuanian pagan saint oaks wood. After Christianity the oaks were cut down and in 1469, when the King of Poland and Grand Duke of LithuaniaCasimir IV Jagiellon invited the Bernardine monks to Vilnius, the park was created. The monks rearranged the territory, set up a botanic exposition and organised a lot of other events. In 1864 the Russian tsar government closed the Bernardine garden, but about twenty years later the townspeople recovered this garden. It was reconstructed according to A. V. Strauss and Jakub Jasiński project. But during the World War II, the Bernardine garden was destroyed. In the Soviet Union times it was reconstructed for the second time and named Jaunimo sodas. In 2013, the Bernardine garden was reconstructed for the third time. Reconstruction works were done by „Vilnius city parks“ and partly funded by the European Union. It is nowadays operational, and is known as one of the attractions in the Vilnius Old Town.
Educational and recreational zones of the Bernardine Garden
The botanical exposition is a very special part of the park, where plants are sorted by groups and classes. They are planted in two types. The first type is from the lowest to the tallest and the second type is when the tallest plants are in the centre while the smallest ones are at the sides. In this exposition’s center there is a small pool, sacred water plants. The monastery garden exposition was developed with medicinal herbs, potherbs, and edible and tea plants. There is a small fountain in the center of the exposition and a pergola - bower on which a lot of climber plants wind. In the rest territory of the park there are two fountains. The main fountain, which is situated in the center of Bernardine garden, works all the day at weekends in a warm period of the year. On work days the fountain works only from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. as a magnificent light and music show. Also there is a rockery, a carousel, a playing ground for children, a giant chessboard, and checkers and chess tables. In a warm period of the year one can enjoy different expositions of sculptures.
