Fans of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things can add another destination to their bucket list: Vilnius, Lithuania.
Shooting for the show’s fourth season took place at locations around the Lithuanian capital, including the recently closed century-old Lukiškes Prison.
The prison, which was built and began holding inmates in the early 1900s, just ceased operations last year. During the tumultuous 20th century in Vilnius, interchanging regimes – including Imperial Russia, the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, and finally, independent Lithuania – all used the structure as a prison.
“From the start, Stranger Things has been inspiring all of us lucky enough to work on it. My adventure here in Lithuania in bringing the reveal of the ‘American’ to life has been a huge challenge but an even bigger inspiration, and we are so thankful to the city of Vilnius and the beautiful country of Lithuania for their hospitality,” remarked the show’s director Shawn Levy while working in Vilnius. “The Duffers and I have been working alongside the brilliant Netflix team for months to pull off this surprise. All the hard work was worth it, however, to bring our fans — the greatest fans in the world — this epic reveal they’ve been hoping and waiting for. And this is only the beginning.”
Vilnius is becoming an increasingly popular shooting destination among filmmakers globally. Other hit shows like HBO’s Chernobyl, and Netflix’s Young Wallander and Tokyo Trial were also shot in Vilnius in recent years. The city is attracting high-profile productions due to its multifaceted history, ability to provide backdrops representing different historical periods, and a highly skilled film industry workforce.
“The fact that cult series like Stranger Things keep choosing Vilnius as a filming destination is a testament to the city’s many-sided nature. The cinema world finds Vilnius to be open, green, easy to get around while being historic and modern at the same time – all the qualities that Vilnius locals love their city for. The ability to transform the city is what attracts filmmakers the most,” added the mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Šimašius.
For more on the destination, visit http://www.govilnius.lt/.
