From Alytus, the Forest Trail takes you along Vilniaus street, crosses the Nemunas through the A. Juozapavičiaus Bridge, then turns left to the north along Jiezno street and further crosses the Normandy–Nemunas road along Miškininkų street (No. 1334). Having passed almost 2 km through the forest, the Forest Trail comes out on a small country road and goes another 8 km in a northern direction. There are vast and open landscapes of the Dzūkija Upland in this area. After Staniava village the Forest Trail leads down a beautiful forest road to the Nemunas and then up a steep slope to the Punia castle mound, which overlooks the river. Along the Punia church along Kauno, Šilo and Birštono streets, after less than 4 km, the Forest Trail reaches a larger forest massif. Crossing it, after 5 km the Forest Trail comes out to Nemajūnai village. 3.5 km away is the destination of this section.
Practical information
Length: 29 km
Duration: 7-10 h
Starting point: Alytus Tourism Information Center
End point: Panemunis, in front of homestead “Panemunio sodyba”
The course of the route: Alytus – Staniava – Punia – Šilėnai – Nemajūnai – Nečiūnai – Panemunis
Road surface: gravel roads, in a small section – forest roads, in the vicinity of Punia mound – steep trails and stairs, in the vicinity of Alytus and Nemajūnai village – asphalt.
Difficulty: Hard
Danger points: Be careful when walking along the side of the road and crossing the Normandy–Nemunas road (No. 1134)!
The slopes of the Punia mound can be slippery in wet weather.
Alternatives: If the route seems too long for one day, contact the hosts of the tourist accommodation and negotiate on transport services. The route can be divided into two parts and you can spend the night in Punia.
Nature
In some places on the steep banks of the Nemunas and its tributaries there are habitats protected on a European scale – sloping forests and ravine forests. They consist of mixed forests with linden, maple, oak, elm, willow and ash. Spruce may be found on the north-facing slopes. In such forests, the impact of human activities tends to be small, as steep slopes and poor accessibility make timber extraction difficult. Species diversity is enhanced by springs and spring streams, rock outcrops and rocks in the beds of small creeks that form streams.
Tourism information:
- Alytus Tourism Information Center
Address: S. Dariaus ir S. Girėno g. 1, Alytus; Phone: +370 31552010 and +370 68707703; Website: www.alytusinfo.lt
- Birštonas Tourism Information Center
Address: B. Sruogos g. 4, Birštonas; Phone: +370 31965740; Website: https://www.visitbirstonas.lt/
More information about the route (accommodation, catering, shops, map, GPX coordinates) - https://baltictrails.eu/en/forest/day/135
