Escape to peaceful Aukstaitija National Park

-

You are tired from travelling all those beautiful cities in and around Lithuania and need some rest? Then peaceful Aukstaitija National Park is the perfect destination for you! Huge lakes, lush forests and a few traditional towns make the oldest national park in Lithuania a great piece of your ERASMUS Experience!

How to get there?


Aukstaitija National Park is only about 120 km from Vilnius. Ignalina, the gateway to the park, can be reached by train in about 2 hours with moderate fares around 5 EUR (remember that you can get a 50% discount with your ISIC and LSIC!).
However, it is much easier to explore the park itself by car and the way to Ignalina makes up a perfect road trip through Lithuanian countryside. Rental cars from international and local companies with full insurance are available for around 50 EUR per day. After around 2 hours of easy driving fromVilnius and you are there!


Where to sleep?

What about a guest house directly on a huge lake, with a nice living room, a cozy fireplace and great hosts? If that sounds appealing, you should check out the Tiki Inn Guesthouse, located about 10 minutes out of Ignalina. It offers a bed in a triple room for 10 EUR per night. In summer, cayaks and stand-up paddle boards can be rented. The hosts are really caring and help with great advices for the best activities in the park.


Where to eat?



Since it is a national park, there is not a large variety of fancy restaurants available. Nevertheless, you do not have to starve. The Tiki Inn offers a large and well equipped kitchen  and in nearby Ignalina you can buy everything you need for cooking from Maxima.

Additionally, there is the traditional (some might say 'touristy') Romnesa restaurant in Ignalina where you can get great food without making your hands dirty after a long day of hiking in the park.


Best sights


The park itself is one big sight for itself and you can hike around nice lakes and on top of hills almost everywhere. However, there are a few spots that are especially remarkable.

 Ladakalnis hill offers a great panoramic view over the six surrounding lakes. Standing on top of it you will know why it was as a sacred place for the pagant people of this area. Only a short walk from there you can also find the Ginuciai castle mound, an archaeological monument from the 9th to 12th century.

Not directly located in the park, but also worth visiting is the Ignalina atomic power plant. This reactor, which is technically similar to those in Chernobyl, was shut down in 2009 and the scary atmosphere around this mostly abandoned site will give you the chills for sure! It is a 40 minutes drive  by car from Ignalina and you can drive as near as directly to the front door of the main building of the plant.



You want to go to Aukstaitija National Park and have more questions? Just ask in the comments! Or you already have had your ERASMUS Experience there and you want to share your advices? Feel free to comment!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Secrets of Pavilniai Regional Park

-
Image
Breathtaking scenery and wildlife adventure next to your dormitories - is that even possible? Take your comfortable shoes and spend a perfect day in the nature! A one-day hiking tour with some sightseeing included.     How to get there? Situated in the Antakalnian district of Vilnius the Park contains a lot to behold. You can easily reach it by bus numbers 2,4,14,19 or 21. In case, you live near the park and you have never been inside, you are lucky to start on feet - no extra time for travelling. However, the tour begins at the station "Bistrycios str." which you can access by buses 14, 114 or 115. From that point you walk on the pavement of Zolyno str. until the street forks in two. There you'd take the right path to plunge into a forest. Alongside a hill and beautiful houses you'll be able to enjoy some wildlife with plenty of various birds, mushrooms and plants. The way will slope smoothly upwards until you see wooden stairs. Climb them and you will...
Read more

Lithuanian New Years Traditions

-
Image
2018 is almost over and the new year is already knocking on our doors. But how do Lithuanians celebrate New Years Eve traditionally? We will present you the most important traditions to comply with in order to have a great 2019! Do not fall asleep too early Falling asleep before 0.00 a.m. will bring bad luck for the new year, so better party hard and stay awake! Predictions Celebrating New Years Eve is all about making predictions for the upcoming year. A nice Lithuanian party game to predict future goes like: Sit around a table, put a key, a ring, a little glass of water and some money on plates and cover them. Then mix the plates. the ring: you will marry in the new year the water: you will get an alcoholic husband/wife the key: you will move to a new home the money: you will become rich So better choose wisely when celebrating New Years Eve in Lithuania! Fireworks Lithuania is welln known for its excessive (mostly private) fireworks on New Years ...
Read more

The Vilnius bar guide (Part I)

-
Image
You might get tired of going to +++ and Salento all the time but finding good bars and restaurants in a new city can be pretty difficult. Who wants test one place after another to get disappointed. Lucky you! We do the job. In the following section we going to share our experience about bars and restaurants. Maybe you learn something new to make your nightlife more enjoyable. Feel free to comment and share your experience. Yucatan On the corner of Islandijos gatve and Pylimo gatve you can find this Mexican themed bar. The place offers lots of different cocktails and brews and Mexican food and snacks. The real deal however is the assemblage of different music styles. You can find a techno DJ on one day only to come across a bass solo at your next visit. The variety is endless. Make sure to check the back room. Follow the dark, red lighted corridor to find the room. Check them out on Facebook to keep track on the events. https://www.facebook.com/Yucatanmexicanbar/ http://...
Read more