Utena

Utena (Uciana in Polish) is a 27,041 inhabitants town in the the area called Aukštaitija, located in the northeastern part of Lithuania. It has traditionally been an industrial town known for its clothing, food and beverage factories although in recent years, streets, public squares and large areas of parks in Utena were reconstructed, making it more attractive for tourism.

How do I arrive to Utena?

Utena is one of the places in the northeastern part of Lithuania with best communication.

• Bus: buses connect Utena to many destinations such as Molėtai (aprox. 40 minutes). There are also buses to Molėtai from Vilnius every hour (aprox. 1.5 hours).
• Car: if you rented a car Utena can be reached from Dusetos, Labanoras and Molėtai (aprox. 30 minutes), from Anykščiai (aprox. 40 minutes), Aukštaitija National Park (aprox. 45 minutes), Visaginas (aprox. 55 minutes), Panevėžys (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes) or Vilnius (aprox. 1 hour 20 minutes). The town is quite close to the border with Latvia and it can be easily reached places there like Daugavpils (aprox. 1 hour 5 minutes) or Krāslava (aprox. 1 hour 40 minutes).
  

History

Utena was first mentioned in historical documents in 1261. It traditionally was part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania until 1795, when it fell under Czarist Russian rule (first as part Vilna Governorate until 1843 and then part of the Kovno Governorate). The town grew rapidly after the St.Petersburg-Warsaw road was constructed in the 1830s. At the end of the 19th century Utena was devastated by two big fires. It was occupied by Germans during WW1, until Soviet Bolsheviks took over. In June 1919, Utena became a district center in independent Lithuania. Utena has historically had an important Jewish population. In 1941, under Nazi occupation, approximately 2,000 Jews were rounded up in the town and shot in the Rašė Forest.

What can I visit in Utena?

  Utena isn't a very touristic town and in fact, there aren't many things to do here. But it's still a good idea to visit it and settle here to visit the surrounding area. 

These are Utena's main attractions:

• Kristaus Žengimo į dangų Catholic Church: 19th century red-brick church built in a mixture of Romantic and Byzantine styles. It's particulary spacial because of the trunnion cross, covered with a big central cupola.
• Utena Local Lore Museum (10-18 Tue-Fri, 10-17 Sat): museum with a collection of archeology, history and ethnography that together with photography, literature and art are collected and kept here to teach visitors about the history of Utena and the region around it.
• Chapel of St. Mergelės Marijos, Kankinių Karalienės: chapel built in 1992 by lake Dauniškis that pays tribute to Lithuanian partisans of Aukštaitija.
• Dauniškis Lake Park: park around this urban lake that is nice to have a walk.
  
• Utena Culture Center Art Gallery (15-18:30 Mon-Fri, 15-20 Sat, 12-17 Sun): small art gallery with exhibitions of local artists from Utena region and work by important Lithuanian artists too.
  
• Utena Coastal Museum (13-17 Tue-Fri, 9-13 Sat): small ethnographic museum with interesting archeological and religious exhibits.
• Utenos Center of Brewing Experience (9€/ 5€  tasting plus brewery and museum/ brewery and museum): museum about Utenos Alus, one of the most popular beers in Lithuania, usually compared to Pilsen's beer because of the quality of its water. Within the museum the visitor can learn about the history of the company, the process of brewing and even trying different beers.
  
• Going 35 km north, not far from Aukštaitija National Park, it can be found the small village of Dusetos (Dusiaty in Polish), a 866 inhabitants village by Lake Sartai Regional Park that is known by its horse races (whose first celebration dates back to 1865). The race takes place in February (the first Sat) and is normally done in the frozen lake unless the lake ice layer isn't thick enough (then it occurs in the race course). The village used to have an important Jewish population that emigrated in the 1920s and 1930s and that disappeared during WW2 because of Holocaust. In the village is located Lake Sartai Regional Park Visitor Center (8-17 Tue-Fri, 9-16:45 Sun), place where getting information about this regional park and a small introduction to its nature. The village has also a small art gallery, Dusetos Art Gallery (9-17 Tue-Fri, 10-17 Sat).

Chapel of St. Mergelės Marijos

Dauniškis Lake Park

Labanoras Regional Park

Driving towards Vilnius, 50 km from Utena and 80 km from Vilnius, it's located Labanaras Regional Park, a 553 km² park that contains about 70 lakes and about 80% of its land is forested; it is home to the densest population of nesting white stork couples in Europe. Cycling around the park is very popular, just like canoeing on its lakes. One of the most important places in the park is Labanoras (Łabonary in Polish), small 59 people village by lake Labonoras Lake where it can be found Labanoras Visitor Center Exposition, a cozy exposition which presents natural and cultural values ​​of the Labanoras forest, and St. Mergeles Marijos gimimo Catholic Chuch, a rebuilt church with a remanent 19th century tower and a small museum. Around it there's Labanoras Forest Educational Trail, a path that is a perfect introduction to the park, visiting a swamp and lake Labanoras lake. Not far from here there's village of Obelynė, village with 2 homesteads, consisting on 7 memorial buildings. Going east from Labanoras there are nice villages like Kaltanėnai, historic village with St. Mergelės Marijos Angeliškosios Catholic Church, a 20th century church with 18th century altars and the 19th century Kaltanėnai Manor; Kretuonys, a one-street village with old oaks near coast of the lake Kretuonas, or Januliškis, village visited due to the Chapel of Sts. Tado Judo ir Simono, 19th century manor transformed into a chapel. In case of going west there's Kertuoja, village that has one of the only mounds (piliakalnis) in this Regional Park, Kertuojos mound, that is said to have been built by witches. In the south of the regional park it can be visited Greyhound Mausoleum Chapel, a 19th century manor and chapel built for Count Kostas Jelenskis, where Jelensky family is buried, that has an impressing park. Close to it is located Aveja Regional Park, a park where it's placed Dubingiai Castle Hill, a 14th century mount rebuilt in the 18th century, that used to be an important Lithuanian culture, industry and defense center.

Lithuanian Museum of Ethnocosmology

On the way to Molėtai from Labanoras the visitor can stop at Rudesa, a small village that has a 18th century wooden chapel that was abandoned for a long time with a 19th century bell tower, Chapel of St. Jono Krikštytojo. Molėtai (Malaty in Polish) is 6,302 inhabitants town considered one of the oldest settlements in Lithuania and a popular resort for Vilnius inhabitants. There are plenty of things to do here such as visiting Molėtai Commercial Buildings, former Jewish workshop of the 20th century which also had residencial buildings in the 2nd floor; Sts. Petro ir Povilo Catholic Church, a 16th century church, rebuilt in Neobaroque style in the 20th century; or Hunting and Fishing Museum (We-Sun 9-17),  museum located in a 19th century fishermen cottage that has various fishing equipment, like 19th century eastern part of Lithuania ones or a 15th century 4 m long skiff and the biggest animals collection in Lithuania, owned by Antanas Truskauskas.. But without a doubt the most interesting place here is visiting Molėtai Astronomical Observatory (visits have to booked on advance), the biggest telescope in the north of Europe placed at an awesome landscape and Lithuanian Museum of Ethnocosmology (Mon-Sun 8-16:30 from May to Sep; Tue-Sat 8-16:30 from Oct to Apr; 2.40€  adults), an unusual museum with 2 towers with nice views, which is about the cultural interpretation of the sky, stars and cosmology in general. There are different activities during the day: sun-watching (0.5-1 hours, 2.50€/ 2€  adults/ students), ethnocosmology (1.5 hours, 4.40€  adults). But there are more programs during the evening and night: evening program (1.5-2 hours, 5€/ 4€  adults/ students), at 40 cm telescope (1.5 hours, 6€/ 5€  adults/ students) and at 80 cm telescope (1.5 hours, 8€/ 7€  adults/ students). Only 10 km from Molėtai there's Videniškiai Church and Augustine Monastery, complex with a rich and cultural past that owns 18th century paintings and where the Giedraičiai family was buried.

Alanta Manor and Vaidotas Žuko Art Gallery

Already outside the park Alanta (Owanta in Polish, אַוואָנטע in Yiddish) can be reached. It's a 348 people village with an important history (granted to Kristinas Astikas by Sigismund Kestutaitis in the 15th century) and which had an important Jewish population untill WW2. Here the visitor can go to Alanta Manor and Vaidotas Žuko Art Gallery (Wed-Sun 9-17), 19th century manor built for Tadeusz Pac-Pomarnacki which hosts an art gallery and a nice library too; St. Jokūbo Catholic Church, a 20th century Neoromanesque church whose façade is all in white; and to Alanta Synagogue, a 19th century wooden synagogue that isn't kept in very good conditions.

Where can I eat in Labanoras Regional Park?

When visiting Utena and its surrounding area there arent too many choices. A good idea is to spend a day here, you can be hosted and eat at Alaušynė (11 km north from Utena) with very nice food (specially fish soups). Otherwise there are more international food restaurants you can try if you are just stopping here on your way, like Čili Pica (Aušros gatvė 21). Near Dusetos there's a nice brewery and restaurant, Užeiga Prie Bravoros, being managed by the fourth generation of this family.

The best choice in this National Park is eating local food. But unfortunatelly there aren't many choices so the best idea can be gettting in a place which catches your eye and seems professional. Otherwise you can always buy in supermarkets and prepare picnics. If you decided to be stay in a farm, they may offer you meals for some extra money (but that's probably local).

Posted in: Europe,Lithuania