Repeating the loops of the Nemunas, the Forest Trail throws more than 20 km long bends in Nemunas Loops Regional Park, winding through open landscapes and small villages with typical wooden buildings painted in different shades. A larger forest massif there is only between Siponiai and Puzoniai villages, through which the route leads along small forest roads. Crossing the Vilnius–Marijampolė road (A16), the Forest Trail descends to the next circle of the Nemunas, where the popular Birštonas resort is located. Along the sidewalk of B. Sruogos street, the Forest Trail reaches the Birštonas Tourism Information Center.
Practical information
Length: 25 km
Duration: 6 – 8 h
Starting point: Panemunis, in front of homestead “Panemunio sodyba”
End point: Birštonas Tourism Information Center
The course of the route: Panemunis – Siponys – Puzonys – Matiešonys – Žemaitkiemis – Naudžiūnai – Birštonas
Road surface: asphalt, in a small section – gravel roads, in Birštonas – pedestrian sidewalks, pavement.
Difficulty: Easy
Danger points: Be careful when walking along the side of the road and crossing the Prienai road (A16)!
Good to know! Accommodations must be booked in advance during the season.
Alternatives: It is worth spending at least one day to visit Birštonas. It is convenient to use electric scooters for this purpose, because the city and surrounding roads are suitable for this type of transportation.
Nature
Nemunas Loops Regional Park (Nemuno kilpų regioninis parkas) was founded in 1992 and aims to protect plants, animals, landscapes and geological monuments. The park includes five large circles of the Nemunas river, in the centre of which is Birštonas – one of the most important Lithuanian resorts. Impressive sedimentary outcrops can be seen in places on the steep banks of the Nemunas loops. The deep ravines of the Nemunas tributaries are also important from the point of view of nature diversity and landscape. Old sloping and ravine forests can be found in the park (see the description of the previous section). The tallest trees in Lithuania grow in the forests of Punia and Prienai. In total, 973 plant and 1713 species of animals (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, etc.) and 505 species of mushrooms have been found in the park. Prienai woodworking masters, who make wooden crosses, are important successors of cultural traditions. The park's visitor centre is located in Birštonas.
Tourism information:
- 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/136
