Daugavpils

Nature & Adventure

A perfect tour for nature lovers wanting to get off the beaten tourist track while in Lithuania. A guided hiking tour in Gražutės Regional Park will let you fully appreciate Lithuanian beauty. Hear the whispering wind in the crowns of trees, inhale the tangy smell of pines, give your eyes and mind an opportunity to unwind and refuel. Enjoy the healing powers of the surrounding nature, and experience a deluxe feeling of calmness. Gražutės Regional Park can be reached by train or coach from Vilnius in 2 to 2.5-hours. The tour will start right from the Visaginas Railway Station, which is also a meeting point for this tour. A local guide will lead you on a 10 kilometer hike through dense forests, along beautiful lakes and close to spongy swamps. Expect to hear about local flora and fauna, pick some edible herbs and berries along the way and possibly spot some wildlife. There will also be a stop for lunch, during which your guide will show you how to prepare a traditional lunch over a campfire, encouraging you to learn and take part in cooking. This is also an opportunity to take a refreshing swim in open waters of a wild lake. The tour will end at the same spot as you started, Visaginas Railway Station, from which you can catch a return train to Vilnius. Alternatively, you could plan for some extra time to spend in Visaginas, for example, take an excursion to Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. Families with children and dogs are welcome on this tour.

Are you planning a trip to Lithuania and looking for authentic things to see and do? Or you are already in the country and have a free day, which you'd like to spend a little differently? Or maybe you are certain that you would like to take a walk in the forest and along the lakes, but don't have enough time and knowledge for planning your route? Then, you should join a full-day guided hiking tour at Gražutės Regional Park with a traditional sauna at the end. This hiking trail will take you through dense forests, picturesque lakes and spongy swamps, allowing you to relax and recharge. Gražutės Regional Park can be reached by train or coach from Vilnius in 2 to 2.5-hours. The tour will start right from the Visaginas railway station, which is also a meeting point for this tour. A local guide will lead you on a 10 kilometer hike through dense forests, along beautiful lakes and close to spongy swamps. Expect to hear about the local flora and fauna, pick some edible herbs and berries along the way (in summer) and possibly spot some wildlife. In winter, you will be immersed in a snowy forest fairytale, walk on frozen lakes and enjoy the silence of sleeping nature. Halfway through the hike you will stop for lunch with your guide showing you how to prepare a traditional lunch over a campfire while encouraging you to learn and take part in the cooking. This will also be an opportunity to take a refreshing swim in the open waters of a wild lake in the summer, or enjoy a bit of sledging in winter. After lunch, you'll take a final stretch to the location of the sauna. There, you will enjoy a relaxing 3-hours in a cosy and warm atmosphere, feel the heat of the traditional sauna and taste some sauna-special tea, brewed with local herbs. Your guide will show you how to make the most of this sauna experience. After the sauna, you will be taken back to Visaginas town, or a Visaginas railway station, by private transfer. You can then catch a return train to Vilnius, or plan for an extra day spent in Visaginas, for example, to take an excursion to Ignalina nuclear power plant or a training simulator of the power plant's control room.

Riding a fat bike instead of a regular mountain bike allows you to get through otherwise impassable woodland areas, such as swamps and muddy off-road paths. You'll be able to explore many of the secret forest areas that not many people can get to easily. However, low pressure in the bike's tires also means that riding such a bike is physically demanding. By choosing this tour, you will re-energise by opening up a new outdoor activity for yourself. It is an opportunity to test your limits and take a well-deserved break from everyday routine. The starting point for this tour is at the so-called "bike den" in Visaginas, which is only a 2-minute ride from a thick pine forest, and a 5-minute ride from the boundary of the Gražutės Regional Park. Once at the meeting point, you'll receive a full safety briefing before being given a fat bike, helmet and a high-visibility vest. You will then head off towards the Smalvos Lake. On this tour you will visit Smalvo peninsula, the beavers' den, cranes' houses and observe the headwaters of the Smalvos river. Half-way through the tour there will be a stop at a meadow with picturesque views over the lake and forests, where it will be time for you to enjoy the surroundings over a cup of hot tea with a snack. Prepare to pedal a little more after this short break in order to finish the tour in the same place as you started.