Dzukija National Park

Dzukija is the biggest national park in Lithuania, a vast expanse of pine forest on sandy soil cut through by the Nemunas and Merkys rivers. This is deep forest country where old villages still live from mushrooming, berry-picking and beekeeping, and the woods seem to go on without end.

Background

The park lies 100 kilometers southwest of Vilnius and 100 kilometers south of Kaunas, and its 584.53 square kilometers spread along the Nemunas River. It was created on April 23, 1991 to safeguard and manage the Dainava land. Besides forest it takes in marshes, swamps, lakes, inland dunes and ridges, and 30 rivers and streams cross it, all in the Nemunas basin. Average temperatures run from -5.4 °C in January to +17.7 °C in July. It is a member of the Association of Baltic National Parks and of the Federation of European National Parks, and it receives about 30,000 visitors.

Source: Wikipedia, "Dzūkija National Park"

The landscape

• The pine forests - some of the largest unbroken forest in the country.
• Forest villages - old settlements like Zervynos and Marcinkonys with wooden houses.
• The Nemunas and Merkys - the rivers that thread the park, good for paddling.
• Mushroom and berry country - the woods that feed the local Dzukian traditions.

When to go

Late summer and autumn for the famous mushroom and berry season, the park at its most characteristic; summer for river paddling. It is quiet and forested rather than busy at any time.

Before you go

The appeal is deep, quiet forest rather than dramatic scenery, so it suits walkers, paddlers and foragers more than sightseers. Distances are large and public transport thin, so a car helps. Know your mushrooms or go with someone who does before eating anything.

Nearby

The spa town of Druskininkai and Grutas Park are on the park's edge; Merkine and its viewpoint tower sit within it.

Key facts