- Sights and museums of Druskininkai
- Church of the Holy Trinity
- Amusement parks
- Cycling routes of Druskininkai
- Delicious points on the map
The Lithuanian resort Druskininkai has been known since the 19th century. Its mineral springs and curative mud were famous even in the era of the USSR. At that time, it was mainly party bosses who went on vacation to Lithuania, although ordinary mortals sometimes managed to snatch a precious ticket "to the waters" to the coveted Baltic. Today the resort is regaining its former splendor, its sanatoriums have been restored and renovated, doctors and other specialists have European diplomas, and the cultural and entertainment infrastructure is fully consistent with the world standards of such places. When asked where to go in Druskininkai, fans of recreation at the resort can answer for a long time and in detail. The city has several museums, interesting architectural structures, temples and churches, and in its vicinity there are national parks.
Sights and museums of Druskininkai
Treatment on the waters of Druskininkai is not the only thing that you can do at the resort. Regulars of local sanatoriums assure that there are many interesting places in the city where fans of architectural monuments and all tourists interested in culture and history should go:
- In 1912, in Druskininkai, the first stone was laid in the foundation of the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Scapular. The project was created by Polish architect Stefan Schiller, and the new temple bore a distant resemblance to St. Anne's Church in the Lithuanian capital. The First World War prevented the project from being quickly implemented, and, in fact, the neo-Gothic temple stands unfinished - two side spiers remained only shown in the drawings.
- In the 60s. In the 19th century, the vice-governor of Grodno donated a huge sum for those times for the construction of a temple in Druskininkai. 10 thousand silver rubles were spent on the construction of the Orthodox Church of the Icon of the Mother of God of All Who Sorrow Joy.
- During the Second World War, a Jewish ghetto was created in the city, where all persons of Jewish nationality who lived in Druskininkai and the surrounding area were forcibly resettled. A few months later, almost all of them were killed in the gas chambers of the Treblinka death camp, and a memorial plaque designed by the sculptor Jacques Lipschitz was installed in the city in memory of the horrors of the war.
- Lipschitz was born in Druskininkai, graduated from the School of Fine Arts in Paris, became friends with Picasso, was a friend of Modigliani and in the 20s. last century became one of the most famous and sought-after sculptors in Paris. Having lived all his life in the USA and France, Lipschitz considered himself a Lithuanian and devoted his creations to his compatriots. In Druskininkai you can go to the Jacques Lipschitz Memorial Museum.
- Another well-known city museum is dedicated to the work of the artist Čiurlionis. Lithuanians are especially proud of his work, because the painter's works are exhibited in several very famous museums around the world.
- The outstanding Lithuanian actor Donatas Banionis was honored with the monument during his lifetime. The author of the sculptural composition is Mindaugas Yunchis. Banionis is depicted reading a book on a bench, and next to him is a bird symbolizing the Silver Crane award. The award was presented to the actor for his achievements in the field of cinema.
- In the Museum of the History of Druskininkai you will find hundreds of valuable relics that allow you to represent the past of the city and country. Documents and photographs, maps and plans, household items and coins - on the stands in the Kersnovsky mansion, where the museum is open, unique things are placed, carefully preserved by the townspeople for posterity.
Another attraction of Druskininkai sends visitors several decades ago to the dark era of the existence of the Gulag system. Lithuanian businessman Vilyumas Malinauskas founded Grutas Park in 2001 and amassed in it a significant collection of monuments that adorned the squares and streets of Lithuanian cities in Soviet times. In the park you will see cast in metal and then dismantled Stalin and Dzerzhinsky, Marx and Lenin, Lithuanian communists and military leaders of the Second World War. The open-air museum also contains samples of propaganda art - propaganda posters, leaflets, banners. In Grutas Park, samples of Soviet equipment, including military ones, are also exhibited.
Church of the Holy Trinity
A few kilometers northeast of Druskininkai in the village of Lishkiava, there is an important architectural landmark, which is usually visited by all vacationers at the resort. The Church of the Holy Trinity was founded in the 15th century and was a small wooden church. Then it was rebuilt several times, and in the first half of the 18th century. the church acquired its present splendid forms and outlines. The construction of the new building was sponsored by Vladislav Jerzy Kosillo, who owned the Lishkiava estate at that time. Subsequently, he bequeathed his property to the Dominican order, and his monks settled in the estate and founded a monastery at the church.
The temple is made in the late northern baroque style. This direction in architecture is called the Dutch type. The building is shaped like a Greek cross with two towers and a dome. The bell tower was erected at the end of the 19th century; a wooden staircase leads to its second floor. The temple is connected to the monastery building by a narrow corridor.
In the church you can see seven altars, and on its organ, made in Warsaw, at the beginning of the 20th century. played by the father of the famous Lithuanian artist M. Čiurlionis.
A copy of the old wooden sculpture of St. Agatha is installed in the courtyard of the temple, which, according to local legend, keeps the Church of the Holy Trinity from fires and lightning strikes. The original statue is kept inside the church.
The baroque ensemble of the temple with the monastery and the sculpture of St. Anne is included in the Register of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Lithuania.
Going on an excursion from Druskininkai to Lishkiava, you can go to the mound, where a wooden fortress was built in the early Middle Ages, and to the Witch's stone, which has a hoof imprint. Local residents claim that the trail was left by a representative of evil spirits.
Amusement parks
The water park in Druskininkai cannot boast of a global size, but it will be very pleasant to spend a few hours with your family and children in it. The water park has convenient and practical entertainment areas for visitors of all ages. Kids will splash safely and comfortably in the Maras part of the park. They are equipped with shallow pools, "splash pools", warm fountains, not too steep slides. Teenagers will love the Bermudai attraction - an indoor water slide with various special effects. Extreme rides for the advanced and fearless bear their respective names - "Adrenalinas" and "Extremalus". The sea imitates a swimming pool with waves of one and a half meter height, on a boat you can raft down a stormy river, and employees of a bath complex and a massage parlor will help you to relieve yourself of stress after conquering dangerous attractions.
The Snow Arena ski complex in Druskininkai is a great place to go during the New Year holidays. The three tracks of the sports park are intended for both beginners and experienced athletes, and the all-season slope is open all year round. A ski school is open in the Snow Arena, and equipment for sports entertainment in the complex can be rented. If you are not too fond of skiing, you should visit the ice bar at the Snow Arena. In winter, ice furniture is built there, covered with reindeer skins, and visitors to the cold cave are offered to taste hot mulled wine.
ONE Adventure Park is another entertainment address for the whole family in Druskininkai. Rope tracks for overcoming obstacles are stretched in the park between tall pines. The longest obstacle course is six hundred meters long, and several routes are laid directly over the Neman River.
Cycling routes of Druskininkai
Cycle paths in the city existed several decades ago. Now, in Druskininkai, several cycling routes have been organized, allowing you not only to practice your favorite sport, but also to take a mini-tour of the resort and its environs:
- Ilvinas Trail - there are three cycling route options. You can choose the walking distance that suits you - 6, 8 or 12 km. The route goes through the mud baths park, Gorbaty bridge, Grutas sculpture park and Egle sanatorium. Part of the path goes along the shore of the lake.
- Most of the Star Orbit route also runs through the forest. Then the track takes the athlete to the village of Schwendubre with the Devil's Stone at the entrance and to the Rygards Valley. The long route is 24 km long, the light route is 12 km long.
Bicycle route maps are issued to guests of Druskininkai at two-wheeled horse rentals. At the resort, they are literally open at every turn. The cost of renting a bike is about 10 euros per day. An hour of rental will cost 2 euros.
Delicious points on the map
Resting "on the waters", the tourist not only enjoys medical procedures and walks in the fresh air, but also gets acquainted with the local cuisine, drinks coffee on the restaurant's terrace and tastes desserts, which are famous for the Baltic catering establishments:
- The European cuisine of the Sicilia restaurant will delight the visitor with a variety of salads, seafood dishes, a decent wine list and an average price level. Pay attention to ice cream, and on a sunny day, ask for a table on the veranda.
- A similar atmosphere and quality of service awaits you in the Velvetti restaurant. Pizza is cooked in it from a special wood-burning oven, and chablis are poured generously and heartily.
- Perfect oriental coffee and a rich selection of desserts at City Coffee will not leave anyone indifferent. It is convenient to stop in this cafe for a few minutes in between shopping or after a sightseeing tour of the city. Bonuses for visitors - soft, pleasant music and a pacifying view from the windows.
To please yourself, in Druskininkai you can go to absolutely any restaurant - you are guaranteed perfect service and strict adherence to culinary recipes. When choosing a place, be guided only by your own tastes and wallets.
