In Merkinė small town, the Forest Trail goes along Seinų street in the direction of the Nemunas, turns right and comes to the observation tower. It offers an excellent landscape over the wide river valley and the island in the Nemunas river, which is grazed by livestock. For more than 3 km, the Forest Trail moves to the steep slopes of the Nemunas valley, then sharply turns to the north and further goes along small forest roads to the villages of Netiesos and Druskininkai. After Druskininkai village, it crosses the largest open area of this section with beautiful views. Then the Forest Trail runs along the Nemunas valley, but the river itself is not visible from the trail. In some places along the way there are hills with steep slopes. At Vangelonys village, the Forest Trail comes out again in an open place, crosses a small forest massif and reaches the main street of Nemunaitis village along Vangelonių and Saulėtekio streets. Part of this section from Merkinė to Druskininkai village is located in Dzūkija National Park.
Practical information
Duration: 8 – 10 h
Starting point: Merkinė center by Merkinė Regional Museum
End point: Nemunaitis, Vytauto street
The course of the route: Merkinė – Maksimonys – Netiesos – Druskininkai – Vertelkos – Jociūnai – Vangelonys – Nemunaitis
Road surface: In Merkinė and Nemunaitis – asphalt and pavement, elsewhere – small forest and country roads.
Difficulty: Hard
Danger points: Be careful when walking along the side of the road!
Good to know! There are no shops or catering services from Merkinė to Nemunaitis. This section cannot be divided into two days as no accommodation is available.
Alternatives: If the section cannot be completed in one day, try negotiating transport service with the hosts of accommodations.
Nature:
Dzūkija National Park was founded in 1991. It is the largest specially protected nature area in Lithuania and one of the most forested areas in the country. The national park is rich in rivers, the banks of which have impressive sedimentary outcrops, as well as hundreds of springs. Also valuable habitats are meadows, floodplain meadows, marshes and other wetlands. In total, almost 2,000 plant species and 2,108 animal species, including insects, have been found in the park. One of the most important cultural and historical values is the ethnographic villages, where beekeeping, crafts, architecture, culinary and other traditions have been preserved. The well-known local tradition is mushrooming and berry picking. There are walking, cycling and water tourism routes in the park. Visitor centres are located in Merkinė small town and Marcinkonys village.
Tourism information:
- Dzūkija national park Merkinė visitor center
Address: Vilniaus street 3, Merkinė, Varėna district.; Phone: +370 67246275
More information about the route (accommodation, catering, shops, map, GPX coordinates) - https://baltictrails.eu/en/forest/day/132
