Lake Sartai

Sartai is one of the longer lakes in Lithuania, a branching water winding for some fourteen kilometres between wooded shores near Dusetos, and its fame rests on winter: horse races have been run on the ice here since the nineteenth century, held on the first Saturday of February, with trotters pulling light sleighs around a marked course while thousands watch from the frozen surface. The tradition is one of the oldest continuous sporting events in the country. When the ice is unsafe the races move to a hippodrome on the shore, which has happened increasingly often. In summer the lake is used for swimming, sailing and fishing, and the shores are quiet, with campsites and homesteads around the bays.

What you actually see

• The February ice races - trotters and sleighs on the frozen lake.
• The branching lake - fourteen kilometres of winding water.
• Wooded shores - quiet bays with campsites and homesteads.
• The Dusetos hippodrome - the shore course used when ice fails.

When to go

The first Saturday of February for the races, which is the reason most outsiders come; June to August for swimming and boating. Ice conditions decide whether the races run on the lake or ashore.

Honest expectations

The races depend on ice thickness and have moved to land in many recent years, so the classic image is not guaranteed. February crowds are large and the weather is severe. Outside those events the area is very quiet with limited facilities.

Nearby

Rokiškis lies northwest; Zarasai is northeast.