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TOP10 Reasons to Visit Druskininkai

2019.04.05

Druskininkai is a nature-rich resort. For as much as the last 225 years it has been valued for its natural healing resources. Each year thousands of people visit Druskininkai from all around the world to strengthen their health, and to restore their physical and spiritual balance. According to surveys, 96 percent of resort guests would like to return to Druskininkai, and as many as 98 percent of them would recommend visiting Druskininkai to their friends. Why is it a good idea to visit this resort?

 

1. Magical water springs

In the Druskininkai resort you will find the largest base of wellness centres in Lithuania. Each year as much as 32.8 million litres of mineral water are poured here. Water fills baths and swimming pools, it streams in saunas, springs up in fountains, rushes down in cascades, and lands as a snowy fuzz on ski runs…

Want to test the power of water? Pay a visit to the open spring, Grožis (‘Beauty’ in English), which is located along the Nemunas riverside. Its water is the saltiest water in Druskininkai: containing as much as 65 grams of minerals per litre of water! This water can be used for washing and gargling after catching a cold: the waters of the Grožis spring act as an effective antiphlogistic agent.

Want to freshen up? Drink mineral water that has been poured in Druskininkai (Druskininkų Rasa, Hermis). Drinking mineral water is recommended when carrying taking part in any sporting activity, or when travelling or working actively; it can safely be used by the whole family.

 

2. Health is the most precious thing

Druskininkai has a total of nine health centres, which together provide more than four hundred forms of therapy. The list includes both traditional healing programmes and modern health promotion with diagnostic methods. The range of massages and body care treatments is extremely wide. Whether you suffer from insomnia or pain in your joints, our specialists will provide you with the most appropriate therapy.

For anyone who has only a couple of free days we recommend the use of the SPA facilities. Indulge yourself in a thermal massage with jade stones or zero gravity therapy, a relaxing full body massage for two, or thermal hand masks.

Come to Druskininkai and stay healthy!

 

3. Tropics in the winter, the Arctic in the summer…

In the middle of a long and cold winter everybody dreams about holidays in warm lands. Unfortunately, not all of us are able to afford a six-hour flight and a full week of holiday. Would you like to get away from the daily routine for just a weekend? You can. If, in your dreams you see gentle waves and palm trees, you need to come to Druskininkai! The temperature in the everlastingly warm and summery Aqua Park is always between 30-31°C and the temperature in the swimming pool is around 26-27°C.

If instead you want to cool down and remember winter in the summer, Druskininkai is also ready to help you. All year round the average temperature in the Snow Arena ski runs ranges from -2oC to -4oC. The latest technology constantly provides the arena with clean and chemical-free snow. When the outside temperature is at 35°C you can spend time in the Snow Arena with skis, snowboards, and snow tyres, or in the ice bar, while the smallest family members are welcomed at the DruFunPark amusement park.

In short, Druskininkai can be entertaining for the whole family at any time of the year. Feel alive!

 

4. Movement is life

Druskininkai cherishes its leisure, encouraging more to get out and about in the fresh air.

Are you a cycling-lover? In Druskininkai you will find around sixty kilometres of bike paths waiting for you. You can cycle along resort streets and park paths, beside the River Nemunas, and around the various lakes. Forest paths lead to Grūtas Park and the Girios Aidas museum, the Švendubrė ethnographic village, and the legendary Raigardas Valley. The newly-paved paths here are all well lit, making them accessible even in the dark. If cycling doesn’t quite do it for you then we recommend that you try electric scooters and velomobiles, both of which may be rented along Vilnius Avenue.

Maybe you like sports games? In Druskininkai you will find tennis courts and various other courts for volleyball, basketball, football, and beach tennis, with there also being a full 18-hole golf course.

You can also enjoy extreme sports. In the UNO Park you are invited to try a flight over the River Nemunas and the breathtaking Elephant Jump. In the Youth Activity Centre you can express yourself in the parkour and gymnast areas or in the park where you will be able to use BMX bikes, skateboards, roller-skates, and scooters.

For the athletes amongst you, Druskininkai provides the necessary infrastructure for training and preparation for various competitions. The Athletic Training Centre is orientated towards basketball, handball, volleyball, swimming, fencing, and modern pentathlon, cycling, athletics, and football.

 

5. The town of M K Čiurlionis

According to Čiurlionis’ great-grandchild, Rokas Zubovas, ‘Druskininkai was like a constant to which Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis was constantly returning to absorb creative energy and stay with his family.’

Traces of this brilliant Lithuanian composer and painter can be found all around Druskininkai. Together with six other Lithuanian cities, Druskininkai is part of the M K Čiurlionis national trail. For as much as two decades already the resort has been hosting the international art festival, Druskininkai Summer with M K Čiurlionis, which is dedicated to introducing and disseminating the artist’s work, providing everyone with the opportunity to feel the phenomenon of his personality. Exhibits of reproductions which present the paintings of M K Čiurlionis decorate the parks and alleys of Druskininkai.

The ensemble of wood sculptures which is dedicated to M K Čiurlionis and which has been produced by the best Lithuanian folk artists reaches from Senoji Varėna to Druskininkai. The Čiurlionis family grave can be found in the old Druskininkai cemetery, while the M K Čiurlionis Memorial Museum invites visitors to visit the house of his parents.

 

6. Theme parks

Depending on the season one may find unique theme parks being organised in Druskininkai for a limited time which always attract a large number of visitors. The Christmas Tree Park has the longest of traditions here, and it is open between December and January. It can be found in the health centre park, around Druskininkai’s musical fountain. Depending on the weather, at the end of January the Christmas trees are replaced by an impressive park of ice sculptures.

As Shrove Tuesday approaches, in the centre of the town of Viečiūnai which is located close to Druskininkai a park is established of various Morė, which introduces many versions of Morė that have been ingeniously decorated by the local community.

In April, Vijūnėlė Park becomes the heart of the resort, a field of which embraces half a million blooming narcissuses and which is referred to as the Sea of Narcissuses. At the end of autumn, visitors are invited to warm up in the Illuminated Pumpkin Park, which features original pumpkins carved by the town’s inhabitants.

 

7. Romantic mood

Relaxation at the resort is one of the best gifts that can be given to a loved one. A walk under the stars, the lyrical music of a violin, candlelit dinners… Or perhaps breakfast with champagne, a chocolate bath, or a massage with rose oil for two?

If that is how you imagine an ideal weekend with your loved one, you will notice that the choice of entertainment in Druskininkai’s hotels and SPA centres is not particularly scarce. There is absolutely no need to wait for St Valentine’s Day to surprise your other half with a romantic weekend!

 

8. Celebrations, fairs, festivals…

Each year more and more events are organised in Druskininkai: in the resort’s central square and on the strand beside Lake Druskonis, in Druskininkai’s streets and parks, and in its museums and restaurants.

As early as the beginning of the year, the resort is rocked by the LTeam Olympic Winter Festival. Biathlon, curling, snowshoeing, and dozens of other events bring participants a rush of adrenaline. Competitions are also held at night. The most extreme moment of the festival is a race with canoes on the ski run, which ends up with a spectacular jump into the water pool.

In April just about all visitors are attracted by blooming narcissuses and a festival which is organised for just this occasion, while social networks fill up with hundreds of photos and selfies that have been taken with a white sea of flowers as a background. In the middle of May Druskininkai’s aerodrome is filled with participants who are competing for the cycling marathon cup. On the last weekend of May the Druskininkai resort festival opens the new summer season. For three days the town is turned into just about the biggest scene of concerts, exhibitions, and attractions. The festival is opened by a spectacular theatrical march and by an even more spectacular show of lasers, fireworks, and fire, all of which is organised on the strand alongside Lake Druskonis.

The resort festival is then followed by music and art festivals, carving and other plein air craft activities. Some summer events will be held in Druskininkai for the fifteenth or even twentieth time. The most traditional of these include the art festival, Summer of Druskininkai with Čiurlionis, plus Music Without Borders, A Summer of Grand Piano Music in Druskininkai, and the Salt Metamorphoses plein air… Hopefully, the Cake Tournament in which professionals and amateurs alike create elaborate and artistic confectionery products will also become traditional.

The first weekend of August is dedicated to all dog lovers, thanks to the international dog show. A week later, the Cheese Festival and the Dainava Folk Festival both begin. At the end of September, Tourism Gourmand Days are celebrated with special discounts and entertaining events. In December and January it is worth visiting the health centre park, which is decorated with a large number of Christmas trees.

Between spring and autumn an outdoor movie cinema is organised in the Entertainment Square which is located at the resort’s centre. Comfortable chaises longues and bean bags invite spectators of all ages to enjoy cosy evenings. Every weekend the resort’s restaurants and music clubs invite you to listen to live music.

 

9. The magic of taste

Druskininkai’s town is proud of its cuisine. You can eat simply and inexpensively here or exotically and exquisitely. The choice is yours.

Best in Lithuania. For several years in a row the Velvetti restaurant has been included in the top thirty best restaurants in Lithuania. Those early-to-be-established restaurants, Sicilia and Toli Toli, both receive the highest visitor ratings from TripAdvisor and other ranking pages.

Traditional cuisine. Tourists from abroad choose Etno Dvaras or Senasis Nemunas: places in which it is possible to find an entire palette of Lithuanian dishes.

Discover new flavours: taste Samarkand pancakes (Bukhara), Norwegian tree cake (known as Šakotis), or dishes which have been produced using exotic meat (Romnesa), nettle ice cream (Velvetti), or octopus meat (Elingas)…

Ecological products. Visit Druskininkai’s market: in the mornings you will find home-made butter, sour cream, berries, mushrooms, fruits, and vegetables. All types of natural honey are sold by the Milius family farmers, while Augai Farm supplies the best home-made cheeses: matured, fermented, blue, sweet, and made from goat’s milk…

 

10. Ambitious plans

Druskininkai’s town is worth visiting because it is constantly changing. The face of the resort changes every year: a multitude of projects are implemented, new structures are created, modern therapies are introduced, and the environment is beautified. Between 2000 and 2015 more than 300 million euros were drawn from the municipal budget and various funds were invested into the renovation of public facilities alone. Between 2000 (which had visitor figures of 39,000) and 2018 (with figures of 340,000) – a period covering eighteen years – the number of tourists has increased by a total of 8.5 times.

In 2019 alone, the construction began of the Druskininkai Cultural Centre, the Sleep SPA was established – the first in Northern Europe, Druskininkai’s health centre was expanded, workshops for the town’s craftspeople were opened, electric car charging stations were installed, the Žvaigždžių orbita section of cycle path was refurbished, and the Athlete Training Centre project was completed…

 

Photos: Irklentės Druskininkuose, Petras Malūkas, Sandras Želionis, Ieva Budzeikaitė, Druskininkų kultūros centras, restoranas Toli Toli, Druskininkų vandens parkas

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