From Nemunaitis along Vytauto street and the Kaniūkai–Einorai–Nemunaitis road (no. 1102), the Forest Trail goes 1.5 km in northeast direction, then turns left to the north and after 3 km reaches Gečialaukis village. Then the Forest Trail turns right to the east and after 3.3 km meets the road No. 1102 again. After another 3.3 km, the Forest Trail reaches road No.128 and descends along the sidewalk in the Nemunas valley. From here, a beautiful trail in the Nemunas valley with a length of more than 3 km leads through the forest to a pedestrian bridge across the river. After a long ascent to the highest pedestrian bridge in Lithuania, there opens a view of the endless and mighty landscape of the Nemunas. After the bridge, the Forest Trail passes along the former railway dam, meanders along the streets of the Alytus resort park, and in the centre of the town, along S. Dariaus and S. Girėno street goes to the Old Town Square. The Alytus Tourism Information Center is located on its southern side.
Practical information
Length: 20 km
Duration: 5 – 7 h
Starting point: Nemunaitis, Vytauto street
End point: Alytus Tourism Information Center
The course of the route: Nemunaitis – Gečialaukis – Užupiai – Alytus
Road surface: Gravel roads, asphalt, forest trails and small forest roads, park paths (asphalt, pavement).
Difficulty: Easy
Obstacles: You have to cross a small stream – a tributary of the right bank of the Nemunas (it is easy to cross it in the dry period).
Danger points: Be careful when walking along the side of the road and crossing the road! Cross Vilniaus street by the river Nemunas at the bottom of the bridge.
Good to know! Catering companies are located in Alytus.
Alternatives: It is worth spending at least half a day for a walk around Alytus.
Nature
Walking through the Lithuanian and Latvian countryside, you can often see the common chicory (Cichorium intybus) on the roadsides. The perennial herbaceous plant of the daisy family Asteraceae with blue flowers can reach a height of 1.5 m. The plant has a thick root, which is traditionally used to make a coffee-like beverage in the Baltic States. The root was dug up, fried, ground, poured with hot water, and then coffee was made from it. It is believed that chicory coffee originated in the 18th century in France, as a substitute for coffee in times of shortage of coffee beans. Today, there are still farms in Latvia and Lithuania that produce delicious decaffeinated chicory coffee. In folk medicine, chicory root is used to stimulate appetite, treat liver and gallbladder diseases, and also as a diuretic and mild laxative.
Tourism information:
- Alytus Tourism Information Center
Address: S. Dariaus and S. Girėno street 1, Alytus; Phone: +370 31552010 and +370 68707703; Website: www.alytusinfo.lt
More information about the route (accommodation, catering, shops, map, GPX coordinates) - https://baltictrails.eu/en/forest/day/134
