2019.03.06
Regardless of the time of year, Druskininkai always encourages one to spend all day in the fresh air. On this page we have collected information on spaces in which you can enjoy a walk or sunbathe, jog, or exercise, cycle in summer and ski in winter, take part in events or learn about Lithuanian history, culture, and folk art.
Vijūnėlė Park
A magnificent sea of half a million daffodils blooming in spring, a tempting beach, and Italian ice cream in summer,* cycling pleasure in autumn, and cross-country skiing in winter: Vijūnėlė Park attracts holidaymakers all year round. You and your family will not be lacking in things to do here: the park has an entertainment centre for little children called O kas čia? (‘What is this?’), as well as tennis, basketball, and football courts, and fitness equipment installed nearby.
For your convenience, there are also rental points for water bicycles, three museums, and the Druskininkai excursion train (a stopping place is on the strand alongside Lake Druskonis), plus a restaurant which serves traditional Lithuanian cuisine which is known as Etno dvaras, and several cafés…
* Throughout the warmer months you will be able to find in Vijūnėlė Park the Mediterranean and barbecue restaurant, ‘Elingas’, which is a perfect place for a summer evening. The restaurant makes real Italian home-made ice cream that can be enjoyed on the beach.
Health centre parks
Historically these parks are the oldest places for walks in Druskininkai. An historian and contemporary of the park establishment, A Kirkor (1818-1886), described this place as follows:
‘At the time Druskininkai was a remote village with several slums. For the sick, who had found some shelter with much difficulty, the water was brought in buckets and heated in the house. A few years later, Druskininkai had changed… A wonderful park was established on the shores of the River Nemunas, near Ratnyčia. For anyone who visits the park there are baths, all the essential facilities, a gallery for holidaymakers in bad weather, and a station. An orchestra would come all the way from Vilnius to play here. A theatre was built… Every year the number of patients increased; however, now not only the sick go to Druskininkai. It’s hard to find a better place to spend your summer holidays.’*
Nowadays there are also a good many holidaymakers who spend their time along the banks of the River Nemunas. It’s along here that there can be found a mineral water pump-room, playing musical fountain, cafés, and restaurants. Taking a walk along here can be very enjoyable, or visitors can cycle or ride an electric scooter in the park. The berths that are located nearby offer excursions by catamaran or steamboat. The park is always full of flowers, starting with hundreds of tulips that beautify the park in early May. Just before the end of the year the park also hosts a unique set of Christmas trees.
*Text supplied by Druskininkai Town Museum
UNO Adventure Park
Climbing in the trees at the UNO Adventure Park is an active entertainment that does not require any particular physical preparation and is intended for all age groups. After listening to the instructions you will start with the easiest trails and will be under constant supervision by instructors.
The adventure park has as many as six different trails that are intended for adults, starting with the warm-up Green trail and finishing with the most physically challenging Black trail. You can get even more of an adrenaline buzz by trying one or more of the four flights over the River Nemunas, during which a speed of 55km/h is reached, while the most extreme attraction is the free-fall jump from a height of 21m.
There are four different trails for children, which are constantly supervised by instructors. There is also a trampoline that is intended especially for kids.
Karolis Dineika Wellness Park
The park will fascinate you with its beauty and its revived unique ancient treatments that use air, water, and sun. This is an oasis of nature in which you can quietly read a book in the summerhouse, admire the flower beds, relax in the sauna, refresh yourself in cascading baths, and sunbathe while drinking free herbal tea that is provided in the aeroionotherapy pavilion, or exercise on the outdoor body-building equipment or simply take a walk in the park.
Younger visitors will find plenty to do because the park has a playground, while teens can play volleyball or table tennis. The park is also fitted for children with reduced mobility and has a special swing.
The K Dineika Wellness Park can be visited for free, except for the additional services that are available in the aeroionotherapy pavilion and complexes for cascading baths and saunas, where the prices are symbolic.
Antanas Česnulis sculpture and recreation park
The wood carvings and compositions that can be found in the home of one of the best Dzūkija sculptors – Antanas Česnulis – comprises only a part of his work that covers a period of thirty years. Outside the house you will find a windmill that was built by the owner himself, while over the house’s four storeys is an exposition of Česnulis carvings.
From the mill towards Ratnyčėlė stream you will see the unique Pensive Christ wall. Along the strand can be found the composition, Life of a Man and a Tree. All of Antanas Česnulis’ work is unique, different, and vivid. His sculptures, roofed pillars, and wayside shrines are located around various places in Lithuania and in many countries across the world.
Grūtas Park
This unique theme park – in Lithuanian terms at least – will allow you to discover more about Lithuania’s difficult times under Soviet occupation. The symbols, monumentalism, and exposition of this period are considered unique in the world. An open-air exposition of dismantled Soviet monuments will allow you to feel the spirit of that period, while in the on-site café you can try Soviet dishes and drinks. While adults are mulling over the described historical events, the park’s smallest visitors can familiarise themselves with the animals in the zoo.
Dzūkija National Park
Whilst staying in southern Lithuania, visit the largest protected area in the country – Dzūkija National Park. This is a region which contains a great many national treasures: water springs and bodies of water, rare plants and animals, and items of cultural heritage. Ten kilometres from Druskininkai in a north-eastern direction you will find the Liškiava mound and architectural ensemble, whilst when travelling by the Vilnius road you can observe the Žiogeliai ethnographic village, and when travelling towards Latežeris you can take a look not only at villages such as Margioniai and Marcinkonys, all of which are rich in cultural heritage, but also the Čepkeliai nature reserve. Canoeing, cycling, and walking will make it possible to discover the life of old Dzūkija’s residents and natural treasures.