During the open door days cycle “UžmESk akį,” “Walk15” routes help to explore cities and nature differently – not rushing past, but discovering the most beautiful places on foot while also getting acquainted with the changes made possible by European Union (EU) investments.
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In the routes section of the app, visitors can find a collection of routes from five cities – Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Alytus, Marijampolė, and Utena – as well as ten nature routes, created specifically for the “UžmESk akį” events. One such event already took place on May 9 in Druskininkai, where participants chose routes of 5,000 or 15,000 steps around the city.
From the desire to be a good mother to over a million users worldwide
“Walk15” creator Vlada Musvydaitė-Vilčiauskė explains that the entire initiative started from a very personal idea.
“I wanted to create a route for children that would not only encourage movement and being outdoors but also educate and introduce the city’s history, nature, and interesting discoveries. This gave birth to the first idea: walking as a tool that simultaneously strengthens health and nurtures curiosity. Soon it became clear that this experience was sought not only by children but also by adults, seniors, employee teams, and communities. People themselves began sharing stories about changing their route to work, discovering a neighborhood where they had lived for a decade, or simply starting to move more. Then I realized that this was no longer just an app,” she says.
Today, “Walk15” is used by more than 1.3 million users worldwide. The app is used in schools, communities, organizations, and international challenges.
“In the 2026 European Central Bank ‘EuroSteps’ challenge, all European central banks used the ‘Walk15’ app. This is a sign for us that the walking culture and trust in ‘Walk15’ transcend any borders,” says V. Musvydaitė-Vilčiauskė.
EU investments helped implement artificial intelligence and expand routes
According to the initiative’s creator, EU investments gave an important boost to growth. They allowed faster growth and bolder experimentation with technologies.
“Back in 2020, we implemented a project to create new walking routes using artificial intelligence (AI) methods. It fundamentally changed how we create routes. The implementation of AI accelerated the development process so much that today the app already has over 500 routes. This means more choices for every user, whether they are looking for a short walk in Vilnius Old Town or a longer trip to the countryside in Berlin,” the interviewee says.
According to V. Musvydaitė-Vilčiauskė, it is precisely investments in artificial intelligence solutions that today allow a more accurate understanding of what routes people need in different cities and areas. Algorithms help assess population density, accessibility of green zones, infrastructure, and the distribution of attractions, but the final decision is still made by people.
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“The algorithm shows where to create a route, but what that route will tell depends on people. Our team evaluates each route before public release – whether it is interesting, if there are places to stop, see something new, and discover,” she explains.
The app becomes a tool for community building
The creator of “Walk15” says it would be wrong to think the app is only for people who exercise. It helps ordinary residents take the first step and become at least a little more active every day, and stories show the benefits better than numbers.
“Teacher Mindaugas wrote to me that over a year, by walking ‘Walk15’ routes, he lost several kilograms. Not because of any diet – he simply started choosing walking more often instead of driving. Or Birutė, who is already retired, collects a million steps per month and has walked more than twice around the Earth with over 100 million steps in total. She does not work out in a gym; she just walks daily with ‘Walk15’,” says V. Musvydaitė.
Today, the app is used both for team building in companies and in school communities. In the project “Schools Walk,” taking place in Lithuania, Latvia, and Romania alone, nearly 200,000 school community members participate, and more than 140,000 participants compete annually in the “National Mobility Challenge.”
Although this year’s open door days cycle “UžmESk akį” is nearing its end, the organizers invite you to continue exploring the projects independently with “Walk15.” In the app, visitors can find not only specially created routes in different Lithuanian cities and natural areas but also short descriptions of objects and projects supported by EU investments.
More information about the routes can be found in the “Walk15” app and the general “UžmESk akį” calendar.
The open door days cycle “UžmESk akį” is initiated by the Central Project Management Agency together with the Ministry of Finance. Its goal is to show how EU investments contribute to real changes in Lithuania. The events are funded by European Union funds.
