A miniature park featuring some of the country’s most iconic buildings, is taking shape on the grounds of a former military base in Ukmergė, northern Lithuania.
“This 20-hectare site was completely overgrown, abandoned, with ruins of buildings and so on. The idea came to us to restore the area, to make it accessible to the public, to the community. That’s how the concept of a ‘Mini Lithuania’ was born – a place that could attract as many tourists as possible,” Ukmergė District Mayor Darius Varnas told LRT TV.
The miniature buildings are created using cutting-edge technologies that allow even the smallest architectural details to be replicated precisely. For example, the model of the Church of St Anne (Šv. Onos), contains a hidden coffin.
“The original building is scanned and then printed with a 3D printer. The models must be made from recyclable plastic, as per regulations. Some of the objects are quite large, so the models are assembled from separate pieces,” said Inga Pračkailė, director of the Ukmergė District Municipality Administration.
“For tourists, the park can serve as a starting point – after viewing all the miniature landmarks, they can choose where to travel next and see the real versions in person. By scanning a QR code, visitors are directed to the relevant municipality’s information platform, where they can learn more not only about the miniature, but also about other tourist attractions in that city,” she added.
The miniature park has space for models from Lithuania’s 60 municipalities. Notably, all of them have agreed to have their landmarks represented in the park. However, progress is slow, as Ukmergė Municipality must cover the cost of each model.
“One miniature costs the municipality around €30,000. If the object is larger, the cost is higher,” said Varnas.
According to him, municipal leaders have responded positively to the project and are eager to contribute to its development. Many cities have already submitted proposals for which of their landmark buildings should be recreated as miniatures in Ukmergė.
“We’re inviting everyone, talking with mayors and local administrations. It would be ideal if they could donate a model. We have to give credit to Jonava – they are the only municipality so far that has made a donation,” Varnas added.
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