Footsteps of Netflix’s “Young Wallander” lead to Vilnius
If you’re a fan of detective novels, you have probably already binged watched “Young Wallander“, Netflix’s prequel to the best-selling novels by Henning Mankell. The protagonist of the series is a legendary character Kurt Wallander. A recently graduated police officer investigates his first case, which happens to be a complicated hate crime. The series is set in contemporary Sweden, but … did you know that it was filmed in Lithuania? Let’s take a walk through the streets of Vilnius and follow the traces of the beloved Swedish detective.
Filming in Lithuania was organized by the film production company “Ahil“.
Šeškinė: Soviet architecture and natural landscapes
Most of the 1st season was filmed in Šeškinė’s neighborhood, which turned into the city of Malmö. The apartment blocks in Šeškinė are extremely cinematic and allow the director to experiment with creative solutions and different filming angles.They are also the epitome of soviet architecture that was considered modern when the district was first developed.
However, Šeškinė is also famous for its glacial esker formed 16,000-18,000 years ago, commonly known as the Oz of Šeškinė. The district’s beautiful natural setting, open spaces and vast panoramas are stunning.
The main character of the series “settled” exactly in this neighborhood. The view seen through the windows of the apartment chosen for filming was no different from the outdoor scenes, which gave the whole plot realism and continuity.
The scene of the explosion was filmed near the basketball court on Ukmergė Str 210. In many episodes, you can also see the apartments of Šeškinės str. 75-79. It is interesting to know that the filmmakers contributed to the maintenance of the neighborhood: they built leisure tables and benches, fenced the basketball court, renovated electrical installations of some buildings, etc.
Police cars and a huge protest in the old town of Vilnius
After watching “Young Wallander”, you would undoubtedly recognize various places in the old town of Vilnius. The main character of the series walked some of the city streets at night, police cars drove along Gediminas avenue, various scenes were also filmed in Bernardinų, Stiklių, Aukštaičių, Pilies streets.
One of the most massive scenes filmed in the central part of the city was a public protest which took place right on the famous Vilnius Street. A large number of protestors carrying placards and chanting were filmed here.
Legendary Lithuanian Writers Union
Lithuanian Writers’ Union, commemorating the 19th century is one of the most beautiful palaces in Vilnius. The walls of this building bear witness to the history of Vilnius literature – both during the Soviet and independence times. Writers lived and worked here, a hotel operated, and artists gathered in the café on the first floor. In this building you can find one of the most beautiful and impressive neo-baroque style interiors preserved in Lithuania.
Lukiškės prison
In recent years, Lukiškės prison has become a popular filming location for various movies and TV series. The Lukiškių prison, today functions as an art and culture space. However, hundred years ago it used to be one of the most modern prisons in the entire Russian Empire. The convicts were imprisoned here up until 2019 – during the World Wars, the soviet era and after Lithuania regained its independence.
Lukiškės prison attracts filmmakers with its versatility. Not only scenes of imprisonment were filmed here, but the former jail was transformed into a spacious night club. The TV series “Stranger Things”, “Clark”, the film “Kompromat” and other projects were filmed here.
Sapiega Palace Park – for beautiful walks
Sapieha Park can be found in the district of Antakalnis, where the High Baroque palace of the Sapieha family was located. Up until this day the wall surrounding the park, as well as its old trees are being preserved. Tech Park is located here, while summer reading rooms are open during the warm season and cozy cafes invite passengers to stop by.
One of the oldest parks in Vilnius hosted an important scene of the “Young Wallander”. Police cars and demining forces were searching for a potentially mined bomb.