Kaunas Marii Regional Park Visitor Center
Getting to know the Kaunas Lagoon Region Park (from now on, their new name is “Directorate of Protected Territories of Aukštaitia) we recommend starting from the visitor center in Vaišvydava. Upon arrival, the eye is immediately drawn to the colorful drawing on the building.
The Kaunas Marii Regional Park Visitor Center exhibition presents the park’s unique values and visiting opportunities. The main highlight of the visitor center exposition is the model, on which the image is projected, like a time machine, takes you to the distant past: you will see how the last glacier retreated, how the Nemunas and its valley were formed, how it finally turned into the Kaunas Lagoon. Education, camps and “Nature School” are held here.
Next to the visitor center there is a gazebo and various educational facilities (information stands, barefoot wheel, “nest”, “beetle hotel”, “bird restaurant”) that will help you continue your acquaintance with nature.
Nearby is a dendrological treasure – the Dubrava Arboretum, unique in its rich collection of accumulated plants and trees and recognized as a natural heritage site.
Nemunas Valley exposition
New attraction! in 1959 after the construction of the Kaunas hydroelectric power plant and the damming of the Nemunas, its valley turned into a 6,350 ha lagoon. The exposition presents the history of 19 flooded villages. Here you can take a symbolic walk along the old riverbed of the Nemunas River, visit the stylized houses that give meaning to the flooded villages, get to know the old local traditions, the nature of the Kaunas lagoon. The outdoor exposition is set up based on the memories of the old residents.
You will find the exhibition in the village of Leonavas, right next to the Kaunas lagoon, near the Duobakalnis campsite.
Juniper Valley Educational Trail
Kadagioi slėnis is a 5 ha unique juniper grove in Lithuania, recognized as a natural monument of national importance. Naturally bearing junipers are rarely found in Lithuania. In the upper part of Kadagii Valley, there is a 1.3 km long educational hiking trail. It offers a panoramic view of the expanded Nemunas, Dabinta Island and enchanting outcrops. The height of some almost hundred-year-old junipers growing here reaches even 12.5 m.
Kačerginė landscape discovery trail
Another new place of interest in the Kaunas district is an educational trail with a ring-shaped lookout located next to the Kačerginė–Zapyškis bicycle path. It offers a panoramic view of the Nemunas and the slope of the valley on the other bank. Walking along this trail, you will reach 10 stops where you will get to know the plants typical of the area, listen to the birds, enjoy the views of the Nemunas and Netonii hills, learn about the love story of the Nemunas and Neris, see the bird nests and the insect hotel, or simply meditate in the fresh air.
Educational trail of the Kamša botanical-zoological reserve
The educational trail passing through the Kamša botanical-zoological reserve extends for about 1.5 km. Informative stands provide information about local flora and fauna. The circular route can be completed by going down the stairs. It is possible to ride a bicycle in a special groove, so it is possible to reach the bicycle path connecting the city of Kaunas and the district without much difficulty.
Another news! This trail is popular for its carefully and creatively decorated elf houses that attract the attention of both children and adults.
Kulautuva health trail
You can walk or ride a mountain bike along the Kulautuva footpath on one of six different tracks. Green is the most popular and attractive for families with children. Its length is 2.6 km, and you will pass five recreation and children’s playgrounds. Other routes: orange – 3.4 km, light green – 4 km, white – 5.2 km, red – 5.9 km and blue – 6 km, the longest and most difficult. All trails are circular – wherever you start your journey, you will end there. The route is hilly, winding through sandy pine forests, you can see the bends of the Nemunas. Walking along these paths, you can visit St. The Place of the Apparition of the Virgin Mary and the Valley of the Gods and Goddesses.
Kaunas District Museum
In the castle tower of the Raudondvaris manor, you will see a glass room, a work of modern art. A modern work of art is an installation made of sheets of unpolished glass of various thicknesses by layering plates of the appropriate shape and size. The composition includes an armchair, a floor lamp, a dining table covered with dishes and food, chairs with backs and a toy.
In the museum, there is an exposition in memory of Juoz Naujalis, you can see photos and authentic personal items of the Counts Tiškevičius who ruled the manor.
This year, a new educational program is also being presented – in cooperation with “Family Travels”, from the fall of 2023, the museum will run a unique program at the Raudondvaris manor: an excursion with strollers and education for babies up to 1 year old.
During the excursion in Raudondvaris Manor Park, not only the architecture and history of the manor are presented – participants learn how the children of Tiškevičius played and what they were taught. During the education for babies, while listening to classical music and the works of Juoz Naujalis, the little ones are invited to explore the natural materials of the manor park. Little visitors and parents enjoy the exceptional acoustics of the castle and the empowerment of tactile senses by touching different textures: brushing dry and touching fresh leaves of the park trees, pebbles of different temperatures or exploring tangles of ropes. You even have to rescue the pine cones trapped in the ice!
The homestead-memorial museum of naturalist Tadas Ivanauskas Obelynės
Spring news – the museum will open its doors after renovation this year. m. in May, and Obelynės Park is open all year round, there is an exhibition of works by the sculptor Leon Strioga, and you can visit the 4 ha heritage garden. Prof. Thanks to Tad Ivanauskas, one of the richest dendrological collections in the country has been accumulated in Obelynė – about 250-300 species of trees and shrubs of various shapes. In the spring, the garden enchants with enchanting apple blossoms, and in autumn, visitors can taste rare varieties of apples at the Obelinė homestead.
Antanas and Jonas Juškas Museum of Ethnic Culture
The Antanas and Jonas Juškas Museum of Ethnic Culture was founded in 1990. in the former parsonage. It is the oldest surviving building in Vilkija. This house is believed to be over 300 years old. Its walls saw well-known Lithuanian creators, but the most famous Lithuanian folklorist and ethnographer, Antanas Juška, left the most vivid mark here. The spiritual wealth of the Lithuanian people accumulated by him is surprising even today in its abundance. A. Juška’s contemporaries mention a dictionary of more than 70,000 old Lithuanian words, a songbook of 7,000 songs, a collection of about 2,000 melodies, letters written by Vydūnas’ hand, books marked with the autographs of B. Buračs, dozens of fabrics with shimmering patterns, chests, hundreds of old household rakandas. Every year, traditional songs of the Juška brothers and calendar holidays, exhibitions and meetings with interesting people take place here.
In the museum, you can not only admire straw gardens, but also learn how to make them. This educational activity is for both children and adults. The theoretical part tells about “gardens” made of straw, their symbolism and purpose. In the practical part, children and adults are taught to tie and create gardens or parts of them. Each educational participant makes a small straw garden element.
Center for traditional crafts
19th-20th centuries the exhibition of technical heritage and ethnic culture in the Center of Traditional Crafts is set up under the open sky. Engines, agricultural machinery, cars, motorcycles, bric-a-brac collected by Juozaps Liekis from various parts of Lithuania, made in Lithuania and abroad, craftsman’s work tools used in the Lithuanian countryside, and household items are exhibited. Quite rare mechanisms can also be seen. Most of the equipment is repaired, restored and operational. Currently, the exposition is filled with the work tools of Kaunas region artisans and the supplies they made, weaving looms and linen processing tools used in the linen industry. It is also possible to get acquainted with the ethnic heritage of the region and the updated outdoor exposition of ancient equipment.
Modern technology for independent travelers
The Kaunas District Tourism Information Center offers to use mobile apps, where those who like to travel independently will find all the information about attractions. In Kačerginė, Kulatuva, Vilkija and Zapyšky, 30 places of interest marked with QR codes await you, which you will learn about while listening to the audio guide.
On the website www.nemunokelias.lt you will find a virtual audio guide application with navigation that will help you travel independently and rediscover Kaunas, the Kaunas district, Jurbarkas and Šakis.
Tags: Kaunas district elf village attractions renovated museum opening doors waiting spring
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