The first 2 km the Forest Trail winds along the northern shore of the Lampėdis quarry and leads to the highway in front of the cemetery. Continuing its journey along the sidewalk in the direction of Raudondvaris, the Forest Trail crosses the Nevėžis river. After 0.6 km, the Forest Trail turns left onto Pakalnės street and, in front of the confluence of the Nevėžis and Nemunas, continues along small paths on the right bank of the Nemunas. Old mounds can be seen on the banks of the Nemunas valley. Beyond Šilelis village, the Forest Trail continues along a pedestrian / bicycle path to the small-town of Kulautuva, in front of which it throws a circle along a small forest path. Then the trail moves along Pušyno and V. Augustausko street until it reaches the destination of this section.
IMPORTANT. There are no markings where itineraries are crossing the territory of Kaunas city.
Practical information
Length: 16 km
Duration: 4 – 6 h
Starting point: Lampėdis quarry, Kaunas camping
End point: Kulautuva, V. Augustausko street
The course of the route: Lampėdis – Šilelis – Netoniai – Karnavė– Kulautuva
Road surface: Asphalt pavements and pedestrian / bicycle path, in a short section – trails.
Difficulty: Easy
Danger points: Be careful, when crossing the streets (Raudondvario, J. Naujalio, No. 141)!
Nature
The Nemunas is the longest river in Lithuania. Its source is located south of the Belarusian capital Minsk. The total length of the river is 937 km, of which 359 kilometres are in Lithuania. The Nemunas flows through the Lithuanian resorts of Druskininkai and Birštonas. In the vicinity of Birštonas it throws large circles, which are called Nemunas loops. Here, the river flows in a deep riverbed with steep banks, the bends of which reveal impressive outcrops of sedimentary rocks. Nemunas are collected by Kaunas HPP, as a result of which the largest artificial water body in Lithuania, Kaunas Lagoon, was formed in this place. After Kaunas, the Nemunas flows in a northwest-west direction and absorbs the rapid waters of the Neris, Nevėžis and Dubysa rivers. Further on, the Nemunas is a border river between Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Region. Finally, the river flows into the Curonian Lagoon, forming a wide delta, which is a very important place for many bird species. The Nemunas crosses specially protected nature territories – Dzūkija National Park, Nemunas Loops, Kaunas Lagoon, Panemunė, Rambynas and Nemunas Delta Regional Parks. The river is wide and up to 5 m deep. During the year, 21.6 km3 of water flows into the Baltic Sea. There are many important cultural and historical monuments on the banks of the river – castle mounds, manors, churches, monasteries, Rumšiškės Folk Museum, etc. The Nevėžis river flows into the Nemunas near the village of Šilelis. One of the explanations for its name is that there are no crayfish in the river (“vėžys” means crayfish in Lithuanian).
Tourism information:
- Kaunas district Tourism and Business Information Center
Address: Pilies takas 1, Raudondvaris, Kaunas district; Phone: +370 37548118; Website: www.kaunorajonas.lt
More information about the route (accommodation, catering, shops, map, GPX coordinates) - https://baltictrails.eu/en/forest/day/142
