Kurtuvėnai Regional Park

Kurtuvėnai protects a stretch of moraine country of low hills, pine forest, small lakes and bog south of Šiauliai, and its identity is horses: a riding centre based at the old manor stables runs trails through the park, from hour-long rides to multi-day routes with overnight stops, and the network of forest tracks is laid out for it. The village has a wooden church, a manor site and an old inn. Beyond riding there are cycling and walking trails, canoeing on the Dubysa nearby, and cross-country skiing in snowy winters. The park is quiet and the facilities are low-key rather than resort-like. It sits close enough to Šiauliai and the Hill of Crosses for a combined trip.

What you actually see

• The riding centre - stables and trail network at the old manor.
• Forest and lakes - moraine country of pine, water and bog.
• The village church - the wooden building at Kurtuvėnai.
• Marked trails - routes for riding, cycling and skiing.

When to go

May to October for riding and walking; autumn colour is good and the tracks are dry. Winter offers skiing when snow lies. Mosquitoes are heavy near the bogs in summer.

Honest expectations

Riding must be booked ahead and experience levels are matched, so turning up is not enough. Facilities are simple. Signage is in Lithuanian. The landscape is gentle rather than dramatic.

Nearby

Šiauliai and the Hill of Crosses lie north; Tytuvėnai is south.