Birštonas

Birštonas is enclosed on three sides by a hairpin bend of the Nemunas, and the mineral springs that rise here were being used medicinally by the mid-nineteenth century, when the resort was founded in 1846, and they turned the village into a resort of sanatoria, parks and promenades. It remains a spa town, quiet and green, with treatment centres, a mineral water pump room, walking paths along the river and cycle routes into the surrounding regional park. A viewing tower gives the overhead sense of the loop. The Birštonas jazz festival, running since 1980, is among the oldest in the region and fills the town every second year. It is small, orderly and unhurried, and it works as a base for the Nemunas loops.

History

Birštonas is first mentioned in the 14th century, in chronicles of the Teutonic Knights of 1382, as "a farmstead at the salty water", and grand dukes and nobles came here to hunt from the 14th to the 16th centuries. It received town rights in 1529, and the resort was founded in 1846 (Wikipedia, Birštonas).

What you'll find

• The river loop - the town enclosed by a hairpin of the Nemunas.
• The viewing tower - the overhead view of the bend and forests.
• Spa parks and promenades - the resort layout along the water.
• The jazz festival - the long-running biennial event in spring.

When to go

May to September for the parks and river; the jazz festival falls in spring in odd years. Sanatoria operate year round. Winter is quiet and many facilities reduce hours.

Things to know

The town is very quiet and there is little to do beyond walking, cycling and treatments; that is the point but it does not suit everyone. Sanatoria are aimed at longer stays rather than casual visits. Restaurant choice is limited.

Nearby

The Nemunas Loops park surrounds the town; Kaunas lies north.

Key facts