Druskininkai

Druskininkai Fountain

Druskininkai (Druskieniki in Polish, Друскенiкi in Belarusian) is a 23,136 inhabitants town on river Nemunas that is located in the south of Lithuania (part of the ethnographic region of Dzūkija), close to borders with Belarus and Poland. It's one of the most important spa resorts in the country and has a very nice old town.

 

How do I arrive to Druskininkai?

  Druskininkai is an important town in the country's border so there are many way to arrive there from all over Lithuania and the neighbouring countries. 

• Train: there are no train stations here but the nearest one is in Varėna, 60 km from Druskininkai.
• Bus: there are very frequent buses to Druskininkai from Kaunas and Vilnius (aprox. 2 hours), having also connections with Panevėžys (aprox. 4.5 hours) and Šiauliai (aprox. 5 hours 15 minutes).
• Car: if you rented a car, within Lithuania, it can be reached from many destinations like Dzūkija National Park (aprox. 30 minutes), Prienai (aprox. 50 minutes) or Kaunas and Vilnius (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes). It's a border town so other countries can be reached easily: there's a 50 minutes journey from Grodno (Belarus) and 1.5 hours journey to Augustow (Poland).
  The park is also close to the border with Poland, being reached easily from places in Podlaskie Voivodeship like Augustow or Suwałki (aprox. 1 hour 25 minutes), and with the border with Belarus, Grodno (aprox. 50 minutes).

History

Druskininkai area is believed to have been inhabited by Yotvingian tribes, being part later of the Duchy of Lithuania. The first written mention of Druskininkai dates back to 1636. In the 18th century the minerals found in the waters were thought to benefit asthma or other ailments and in the 19th century, a professor at the University of Vilnius (Ignacy Fonberger) analyzed the composition of the waters and promoted the town as a holiday resort for Vilnius' population. Czar Nicholas I of Russia bestowed the status of a spa, becoming popular in parts of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. After WW1 the town became part of Poland (as a gmina, town, in Grodno powiat of Białystok Voivodeship) in and its popularity increased thanks to the Polish statesman Józef Piłsudski. After Poland was invaded during WW2, it was briefly incorporated to the Belarusian Soviet Republic and it was transferred to Lithuania (after its invasion). Druskininkai was occupied by Germany in 1941, the Jews population in the town was killed and it was retaken by the Soviet Union in 1944 and passed to Lithuanian Soviet Republic. During the Sovietic period the town grow very fastly, getting many visitors from all over the Soviet Union but after Lithuanian independence, Druskininkai faced economic difficulties (due to the lack of former tourists). Despite damage inflicted during WW1 and WW2, the town features houses and villas reflecting all periods of its development (Russian, Polish and Lithuanian). Since 2011 it has the Snow Arena, one of the biggest indoor skiing slopes in Europe.
 

What can I visit in Druskininkai?

Druskininkai is a very nice town and has a very nice walk around Laisvės aikštė. A good idea to move in Druskininkai and its surroundings is renting a bicycle and among other activities can be done like kayaking, skiing in the Snow Arena or canoeing.

These are Druskininkai's main attractions:

• M.K. Čiurlionis Memorial Museum (11-17 Tue-Sun; 2€/ 1€ adults/ students and kids): museum placed in the former Čiurlionis' childhood house that shows the early history and facts that influenced him. It's a very good introduction to the most gifted Lithuanian writer-painter, a painter that contributed to Symbolism and Art Nouveau and is considered one of the pioneers of abstract art in Europe.
• Druskininkai Resistence and Exile Museum (8-17 Mon-Thu; 8-15:45 Fri; free): museum that explains the history of Lithuanian people living in this region under the Soviet occupation and people who had to get exile.
• Dievo Motinos ikonos „Visų liūdinčiųjų Džiaugsmas“ Russian Orthodox Church: church built in 1865 after Druskininkai become a highly popular spa town visited by many wealthy Russians. It was very popular among Russians that lived here before WW1 and later among White Russian emigration (therefore closed after Red Army entered Druskininkai in 1944).
• Museum of Druskininkai (11-17 Mon-Sat; 2€/ 1€  adults/ students and kids): museum located at Linksmoje Villa which shows the history of the town and the area, specially focused in the period in which Druskininkai was a popular resort and in the interwar period. It has some interesting maps, works of art and other objects.
• St. Mergelės Marijos Škaplierinės Catholic Church: Neo-Gothic church built in 1931 when the previous 19th century one was demolished.
  
• Mineralino Vandens Biuvetė (11-14 and 15-18): green circular building where Druskininkai water can be tried.
• Giros Aidas (10-18 Tue-Sun; 2€/ 1€  adults/ students and kids): museum with stuffed animals, exhibits photographs of the country's landscapes and fauna and works by Lithuanian folk artists (mainly wood carving with a nature and pagan theme).
  
• Druskininkai Cementery: 19th century cementery with parts for both Orthodox and Catholic Christians.
• Grūtas Park (9-22 from May to Sep; 9-17 from Oct to Apr; 7.50€/ 4€  adults/ students and kids): awesome sculpture garden with Soviet-era statues and an exposition of other Soviet ideological relics from the times of the Lithuanian SSR. The park was planned by the magnate Viliumas Malinauskas when he was granted with various Soviet statues that were taken down and dumped after Lithuanian independence. The exposition consists of 86 statues with sculptures of the main communist leaders and thinkers (including Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, Karl Marx...), founders of the Communist Party of Lithuania (Zigmas Aleksa-Angarietis, Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas) or officers of the Red Army (Feliksas Baltušis-Žemaitis, Ieronim Uborevich...). The park is planned with a lot of black-humour and is very thought-provoking. It's located just 5 km east from Druskininkai.
• There are some cyclist routes that can be enjoyed in Druskininkai: Saules Takas (24 km) which goes south next to the river, Žvaigzdžių orbita (24 km) which and Žilvino Takas (20 km), routes which joins Druskininkai with Grūtas Park.

Grūtas Park

Dievo Motinos ikonos Orthodox Church

What can I do in Druskininkai?

Probably Druskininkai is the best place in Lithuania to relax in a spa. The most recommended ones are Grand Spa Lietuva (V. Kurdikos gatvė 43), SpaVilnius (K. Dineikos gatvė 1) and Druskininkai Health Resort (Vilniaus alėja 11). The town also offers a place that kids will love, Aqua Park (Vilniaus gatvė 13-2).

Where can I eat in Druskininkai?

As Druskininkai is a quite important town in Lithuania, the gastronomic offer is quite important, although not very cheap. In low budget circunstances the best choice is taking out food from supermakets. Otherwise there are medium price offers with Lithuanian food like Kolonada (Kurdikos gatvė 22) with a tasty pork's neck with mushrooms, Forto Dvara (M.K. Čiurlionio gatvė 55) or international gastronomy could be Sicilija (Taikos gatvė 9) or Senoji Hansa (Kurpių gatvė 4). With a high budget the best choice is Stora Antis (Tiltų gatvė 6), located in a 19th century basement.

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Posted in: Europe,Lithuania

Panevėžys

Panevėžys Cathedral

Panevėžys (Poniewież in Polish, Поневеж in Russian) is a 113,653 inhabitants city by Nevėžis River in the area called Aukštaitija, located in the north of Lithuania. It is the 5th most populated city in the country, placed in the halfway between two Baltic capitals Vilnius and Riga. The city isn't usually visited by tourisits and the ones who visit it are in Vilnius-Riga way. Panevėžys was home of the only Puppet Wagon Threater (Panevėžio lėlių vežimo teatras) in Lithuania.

How do I arrive to Panevėžys?

  Panevėžys is a strategic city in Lithuania so there are many places where you can go from here. 

• Train: there are trains to Šiauliai (aprox. 1.5 hours).
• Bus: there are regular buses to Panevėžys from Šiauliai (aprox. 1.5 hours; 6€), from Kaunas (aprox. 2.5 hours; 8€) and from Vilnius (aprox. 3 hours). As an important city it has connections with other countries like Riga (aprox. 3 hours; 6 buses every day) in Latvia. There are very frequent buses to Biržai from Panevėžys (aprox. 1 hour 15 minutes) or Vilnius (aprox. 2 hours).
• Car: if you rented a car Panevėžys can be reached from Anykščiai (aprox. 50 minutes), from Biržai (aprox. 1 hour), from Utena (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes), from Kaunas and Šiauliai (aprox. 2 hours) and from Vilnius (aprox. 3 hours).

History

Panevėžys was first mentioned in 1503 in a document singed by Alexander I, Grand Duke of Lithuania and Alexander II is considered the founder of the city. During the 16th century the city kept the status of royal town, with important Polish and Karaite minorities till WW2. Panevėžys played an important role in November Uprising and January Uprising after the Polish Partition. At the end of the 19th century the first factories were established in the city, becoming a strong economic and cultural center in the region. It was also a center of operations by knygnešys (book smugglers who transmited Lithuanian language) like Juozas Masiulis. In 1923 the city had an important Jewish community (36% of the local population) and hosted one of the most notable Haredi yeshivas in Lithuania. In 1940 Soviet forces took over the city and then German forces occupied Panevėžys, like in WW1. During this period, almost all the Jewish population was killed. Later the Soviet Union occupied again Lithuania and in those years, Panevėžys was transformed into a major industrial center and the old city center was partially destroyed. After Lithuania's independence the city faced some major changes in its plastic industry, the most important in the city.

What can I visit in Panevėžys?

Panevėžys isn't very visited but has some interesting touristic places. The most important square and the center of the city is Laisvės aikštė. These are Panevėžys's main attractions:

• Panevėžys Cathedral: ecclectic Neoclassic and Baroque style cathedral built in 1929 after Panevėžys became a diocesan seat. The façade is dominated by the rectangular tower topped with an octagonal dome and the ceiling of the apse is decorated by a fresco depicting Saint Casimir appearing to Lithuanian soldiers during the 1518 Siege of Polotsk. It has the custody of some Baroque sculptures from Sts. Petro ir Povilo Catholic Church in Vilnius.
• Sts. Petro ir Povilo Catholic Church: Neo-Romanesque church built in 1885 in red brick that has three naves and two towers. The origin of the church dates back to the 16th century and was destroyed in 1944 too. It's a good example of how façades of church are illuminated in Lithuania.
• Panevėžys Local Lore Museum (8-17 Mon-Thu, 8-15:30 Fri; 1.50€/ 0.50€  adults/ students and kids): this museum focused on ethnography with an important insects collection and temporary exhibitions.
• Museum of the Soviet Occupation (8-17 Mon-Fri): museum, part of the Local Lore Museum, that shows objectes and teaches about the resistance to the Soviet occupation in the region.
• St. Trejybės Catholic Church: romantic Neoclassic style church from 1803 with Gothic and Baroque elements, considered to be the oldest in Panevėžys. After 1831 it worked as a Russian Orthodox church (till it was returned to Catholics in 1918), resulted badly damaged in WW2 and closed by the Soviet authorities untill 1989.
  
• Viešpaties Prisikėlimo Russian Orthodox Church: wooden church of Panevėžys was built in 1892. In the interwar period, the temple was an important center of Orthodoxy in Lithuania.
• Panevėžys Old Believers Church: single-towered wooden church built in 1906 (when Old Believers stopped being persecuted). The church was burned down during the First World War, but restored in 1926.
• In the south of the city (20 km) can be found one of the most beautiful estates in Lithuania, now converted into a hotel, Bistrampolis Manor. It's a 15th century building with a garden from the 19th century that is very linked to literature because Nobel Prize winner Henryk Sienkewicz (and a relative of the family) wrote a trilogy of historical novels set in the 17th-century Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (With Fire and Sword, The Deluge and Sir Michael) at the estate.

Sts. Petro ir Povilo Catholic Church

St. Trejybės Catholic Church

St. Mato Catholic Church

Going 60 km east it can be found the town of Anykščiai (Onikszty in Polish Они́кшты in Russian, Onikschten in German), 10,575 inhabitants town with a very popular sky-resort among Lithuanians, Kalitos Kalnas. It has other interesting places for sightseeing like St. Mato Catholic Church (red brick Neo-Gothic church with 79 m spires, highest in Lithuania) or the Narrow gauge railway Museum (9-17 from May to Sep; booking in advance from Oct to Abr; 2.50€/ 1.80€  adults/ students and kids), former railway station that has tours during the weekends in narrow gauge trains to Rubikiai and Troškūnai (trips begins at 11 and is finished at 15; it costs 5.80€). Just 6 km north, in Niūronys, is placed the Horse Museum (9-18 from May to Sep; 9-17 from Oct to Abr; 10-17 Sun; 4€/ 2.50€  adults/ students and kids), nice museum of horse lovers and 10 km south is located Puntuko akmuo, rock linked with St. Mato (holy person to whom Anykščiai Church is consecrated).

Biržai Castle

In case of heading to Latvia, or if you just want to explore this part of the country, 70 km north from Panevėžys is located Biržai (Birże in Polish, Биржай in Russian, Birsen in German), a 14,277 inhabitants town close to the border with Latvia (one of the most septentrional ones in Lithuania), once the center of Protestant Reformation in Lithuania. It's a calmed town but there are interesting things to do like visiting Biržai Castle (10-17:30 Tue-Sun from May to Sep; 9-16:30 Tue-Sun from Oct to Apr; 3€/ 2€/ free adults/ students/ kids; taking pictures or video costs 3€), a restored castle from the 16th century that belonged to the Count of Biržai, Kristupas Radvila, and nowadays it host some expositions about military history and local ethnography. It also has two nice churches: St. Jono Krikštytojo Catholic Church (19th century church with white walls and built in Neoclassic and Baroque style) and Biržai Evangelical Reformed Church (Neo-Gothic church from 1874 with a magnificent interior) plus a very typical brewery, Rinkuškiai Brewery (10-16 Mon-Fri; 10€), and the picturesque Footbridge across Širvėna Lake from 1928, nice to walk and savour the calm tranquillity of the lake and observe Astravas Manor (a 1862 manor built by Count Mykolas Tiškevičius). Near Biržai can be found Biržai Regional Park, just outside Biržai. This park is unique due to its karstic landscape, karst lakes and sinkholes. The most important places on it are Kirkilai Lake and its View Tower, the caves Karvės Ola) and Velniapilio Ola, outcrops of Muoriskiai and Tabokiė.

Where can I eat in Panevėžys?

As Panevėžys is a quite big but not very touristic city in Lithuania, the gastronomic offer isn't quite important but its prize isn't very high. In low budget circunstances the restaurant Galerija XX (Laisvės aikštė 7) or supermakets can be a very nice solution. Otherwise there are more international food restaurants you can try like the Italian food restaurant Taverna (Laisvės aikštė 6). With a higher budget Hotel Romantic (Kranto gatvė 24) terrace restaurant is a good choice.

Biržai is renowned for its many traditional-recipe beer breweries so trying them is a very good idea. There are many biers, like largers, stouts or Butaunų alaus bravoras (bier produced since 1750). A good choice for eating with low budget can be Pilies Skliautai (Radvilos gatvė 3), placed in the basement of the castle.

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Posted in: Europe,Lithuania