- Place
- Avilčiai, Molėtai District Municipality
- Region
- Aukštaitija
- Type
- open-air nature and stone sculpture park
- Address
- Avilčių k., Alantos sen., Molėtų r.
- Coordinates
- 55.30436, 25.34631
- Visit duration
- 45 minutes-1.5 hours
- Best time
- in daylight, after arranging your visit in advance
Istorijos akmenys, History Stones, Baltic Garden
What you will actually find at Baltų Sodas
Baltų Sodas is neither a botanical garden nor an archaeological site. It is an open-air narrative built on a private homestead, where themes from history are translated into slabs, boulders, and figurative sculptures in pink and grey granite. The stated 28 monuments and sculptures are distributed across roughly two hectares, so the place works best as a sequence rather than a collection of unrelated decorative stones.
The most immediate landmark is a carved map of the historical distribution of Baltic tribes. Nearby are a circle of Lithuanian history stones, a monument to Latvia, a stone rose, a traditional Pensive Christ figure, an Angel, and the so-called Pagan Throne. The inscriptions move from ancient Baltic themes to modern Lithuania, deliberately placing very different periods in the same meadow.
Kęstutis Pangonis and the garden's beginning
The project was begun in 2018 by physician and former Sąjūdis activist Kęstutis Pangonis. He uses both Baltų Sodas and Istorijos akmenys as names, signalling its two strands: Baltic cultural memory and a wider chronology of Lithuanian history. The park occupies his private land and was funded privately, so it should not be confused with a state museum exhibition.
Before the stone compositions appeared, Pangonis gathered acorns from notable Lithuanian oaks, raised saplings, and planted them here. Pairing a living oak with long-lasting stone became part of the idea: the rural landscape is not merely a backdrop, but another medium of remembrance.
Who made the stone works
Utena-based Valentinas Šimonėlis is identified as the garden's principal sculptor. His work here combines the original form of boulders with polished faces, engraved maps and signs, and figurative carving. Some stonework was produced by Rimantas Greičiūnas's company in Utena.
It is important to distinguish artistic interpretation from historical evidence. VLE defines the Balts as a group of Indo-European peoples and tribes who spoke related languages or dialects, while Lithuanian and Latvian are the two Baltic languages still widely spoken. The stones turn a complex subject into images, but disputed dates or map boundaries are worth checking against encyclopedic and archaeological scholarship.
How to read the History Stones route
A useful sequence starts with the map of Baltic peoples, moves through tribes and languages, and only then enters the circle of Lithuanian history. One of its opening markers records the first mention of Lithuania in 1009, while later inscriptions reach Lithuania's 2004 membership of the European Union and NATO and the launch of the first Lithuanian satellite in 2014.
This is not a neutral academic timeline, but one author's selection of dates, people, and symbols. That makes the garden productive as a place for questions: where documented fact ends, where a memorial symbol begins, and why one date was selected over another. For school groups, that distinction can become a useful exercise rather than a weakness.
Access, directions, and arranging a visit
Baltų Sodas lies near Avilčiai on the road between Molėtai and Alanta. The Google Maps pin is a representative point within the park, not a guaranteed entrance. Because this is a private homestead, contact the host before making a special trip or bringing a group. No reliably published permanent opening schedule or official ticket price list could be confirmed on 21 July 2026.
Allow about an hour and wear shoes suitable for grass and uneven ground. Engraving is easiest to read in daylight, when side lighting gives the carved lines more definition. Do not climb on sculptures or enter private parts of the homestead, and expect a modest rural site rather than full museum infrastructure.
