Loops from above
Viewpoints on the ridges show the bends whole.
Vilensija — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Vilensija — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Vilensija — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Balictrails.eu — CC BY-SA 4.0
A regional park south of Kaunas protecting a stretch of the Nemunas where the river winds in sharp bends that almost double back on themselves, enclosed by high wooded bluffs. The formation is geological: the river cuts through soft glacial deposits and deflects at each obstacle, producing a series of loops clearly visible from viewpoints on the ridges. Inside the park lies the town of Birštonas, a mineral-water resort since the nineteenth century and still working as a spa and treatment centre. The area also holds medieval hill forts — piliakalniai — old Lithuanian defensive sites, along with pine forest, walking and cycling trails and boat launches. Practical points: entry to the park and its trails is free. Access is far easier by car. The best viewpoints need a short climb. The park is large — pick one or two points rather than trying to cover it.
Viewpoints on the ridges show the bends whole.
Birštonas has worked as a treatment resort since the nineteenth century.
Piliakalniai — medieval Lithuanian defensive sites.
South of Kaunas, on the Nemunas
Hill forts used in Lithuania from the Iron Age to the fifteenth century: natural summits levelled and fortified with timber walls and ditches, serving as centres of defence and settlement. Around a thousand survive in Lithuania, many tied to resistance against the Teutonic Knights. Today they look like grassy flat-topped hills, and the view from them is usually excellent — which is why they were chosen.
It is difficult. The park is rural and the viewpoints are far apart, and while public transport reaches Birštonas, moving around the park after that is limited. Without a car, make Birštonas your destination and use it as a base for walking, or hire a bicycle there.
Sign in to write your review of this place.
No reviews yet — be the first.