December 2, 2022. The postcard-worthy winter is in full swing in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, enticing the citizens and guests to enjoy a wide range of cold weather activities. The city has just lit up a dazzling Christmas tree installation, which is an enormous birthday cake for the upcoming 700th anniversary, and now has opened an ice rink in one of the most unique urban spaces of the city—the former century-old prison turned cultural and artistic hub Lukiškės Prison 2.0.
Vilnius Ice Rink 2.0 will be open in the main yard of Lukiškės Prison from December 1st till February 28th. A 600 sq m plot has been covered with ice mats that have a circulating glycolic coolant and allow reducing energy consumption by 26%. The ice rink can accommodate 80 skating aficionados at once.
The unique location and custom-made roof structure invite skating amateurs and enthusiasts to spin around it, while more sports-focused visitors can also engage in a friendly Bavarian curling match. Everyone will also be invited to skate for free every morning.
Another crowd-favorite, a Christmas gastro market, will again open near the rink in Lukiškės Prison 2.0 from December 8th-11th. After strenuous skating sessions, everyone will be offered a delicious repose with wintery delicacies, degustations, family-friendly activities, a holiday tree town, and much more.
Edgiest urban object as a cultural entertainment spot
Lukiškės Prison was built in 1905 and, throughout a century of operation, held convicts and political prisoners opposed by various political authorities, including Tsarist Russian, Nazi German, and the Soviets. The prison survived World Wars and the Nazi and Soviet occupation and had many political prisoners from Lithuanian, Belarussian, Polish, Jewish, and other backgrounds.
After ceasing to function as an imprisonment facility in 2019, the former prison opened doors to the public and over 350 artists as a cultural hub Lukiškės Prison 2.0. Now it is available to the public as a unique urban space for culture, artistic expression, and community. The facility hosts international concerts and performances, day and night tours, and many other events and projects all year round. Widely-recognized performers like Jungle, Arlo Parks, Aurora, Moderat, and Tash Sultana have already played in Lukiškės Prison 2.0, and many are scheduled to perform next year.
