Ignalina
The land of a thousand lakes
If you only visit one place in Lithuania, it has to be Ignalina
There are around 2600 lakes of natural origin in Lithuania, that are larger than 1 acre.
More than 200 of them are found in Ignalina District. Just to give you some scale to process this information - the Lake District in the UK has 16 lakes and is an area that is roughly twice as big!
Add to that the fact that more than 30% of Ignalina District area is covered by forests, and you will have a pretty decent mental image of the landscape, texture and colours here.
More than 200 of them are found in Ignalina District. Just to give you some scale to process this information - the Lake District in the UK has 16 lakes and is an area that is roughly twice as big!
Add to that the fact that more than 30% of Ignalina District area is covered by forests, and you will have a pretty decent mental image of the landscape, texture and colours here.
The view over lake Green (Žaliasis) from the Vilkakalnis observation tower
The Ignalina District and the neighbouring Molėtai and Zarasai districts are known to be the most water-rich areas of Lithuania: you will find the deepest, the biggest and the longest lakes here. Not surprisingly, the area is often called “Lithuanian Venice" or “Little Switzerland". Locals say that you are never more than 500 meters away from a lake when you are here - I haven't checked this fact myself, but have absolutely no grounds not to believe it.
Readers:
Ok, so what is the most popular leisure activity in Ignalina then?
Explore Lithuania:
Water sports and recreation, of course!
Growing up, as kids and teenagers, our whole lives revolved around lakes in the summer: from school work revision and first dates, to overnight camping trips, to parties, happy or sad occasions - all activities seemed to naturally take place near one of the many beautiful bodies of water.
But of course, the sun is not always shining and you might not want to spend every day on the water either. So what else is there to do in Ignalina?
Here's a selection of our favourite activities and events to give you some inspiration:
Here's a selection of our favourite activities and events to give you some inspiration:
Top Tip
Check out Ignalina Tourist Information website when you are here. It is run by a team of super knowledgeable advisors and is full of fun and up to date information on how to spend your time in Ignalina.
1. Tree top climbing course with a zip wire flight over the lake.
Sure, you have seen or even done similar things in other locations. But trust me, the beautiful setting of the Žuvėdra park would blow all of them out of the water!
There are 3 difficulty levels here, which means that even the smallest members of your party can have fun. And for those on picture-taking duty, there is a restaurant-cafe on premises with a beautiful terrace overlooking the lake and the park. So you can: 1. Be close enough to take great pics and feel part of the action 2. Have a lovely cup of coffee 3. Enjoy the beautiful view and some peace and quiet
Sure, you have seen or even done similar things in other locations. But trust me, the beautiful setting of the Žuvėdra park would blow all of them out of the water!
There are 3 difficulty levels here, which means that even the smallest members of your party can have fun. And for those on picture-taking duty, there is a restaurant-cafe on premises with a beautiful terrace overlooking the lake and the park. So you can: 1. Be close enough to take great pics and feel part of the action 2. Have a lovely cup of coffee 3. Enjoy the beautiful view and some peace and quiet
2. The celebration of the end of the honey season
I have written about the wonderful Museum of Ancient Beekiping before. It is a perfect place to get a little closer to the Lithuanian culture, it’s ancient crafts and traditions. Lots of activities for kids as well and the atmosphere is very friendly and welcoming.
I also have an ulterior motive for visiting this event every year, because I can also satisfy my “clay obsession” with new pieces lovingly created by Upė Home.
I have written about the wonderful Museum of Ancient Beekiping before. It is a perfect place to get a little closer to the Lithuanian culture, it’s ancient crafts and traditions. Lots of activities for kids as well and the atmosphere is very friendly and welcoming.
I also have an ulterior motive for visiting this event every year, because I can also satisfy my “clay obsession” with new pieces lovingly created by Upė Home.
3. Clay pigeon shooting
This was a new activity for us this year. We have never done it before and didn't really know what to expect when we came across the ad from Spyglius and gave them a call.
What we got, was a really friendly service, total flexibility of timings, and a set up that allowed for fun but took health and safety seriously. What we were not prepared for is how heavy and powerful the gun actually is - resulting in Daniel taking most of our shots :)
We had a great time overall though and will come back when the girls are a little older and stronger.
This was a new activity for us this year. We have never done it before and didn't really know what to expect when we came across the ad from Spyglius and gave them a call.
What we got, was a really friendly service, total flexibility of timings, and a set up that allowed for fun but took health and safety seriously. What we were not prepared for is how heavy and powerful the gun actually is - resulting in Daniel taking most of our shots :)
We had a great time overall though and will come back when the girls are a little older and stronger.
4. Open air events
There is always something happening on a little forest stage near lake Ilgis at the edge of the town. Remember that Tourist information page I talked about earlier? It is the best place to check for the summer schedule of events. These a typically quite varied: last year we went to see a pop-music concert to celebrate the end of the summer and this year it was a national folk dancing festival. Sometimes these events are free to attend and others you have to purchase tickets for. Sometimes all the seats are taken and there are times when attendance is not great. But we always have a giggle and enjoy being part of the local community.
There is always something happening on a little forest stage near lake Ilgis at the edge of the town. Remember that Tourist information page I talked about earlier? It is the best place to check for the summer schedule of events. These a typically quite varied: last year we went to see a pop-music concert to celebrate the end of the summer and this year it was a national folk dancing festival. Sometimes these events are free to attend and others you have to purchase tickets for. Sometimes all the seats are taken and there are times when attendance is not great. But we always have a giggle and enjoy being part of the local community.
5. Bar on the jetty
This is not the official name, by the way, but rather my super frivolous translation which in English would have sounded something like “Rowing boat hiring place and bar in Palūšė", which gives a much better flavour of what this place is about, but is too long. Well, actually, to be even more precise about what goes on here, Palūšės valtinė-baras should really be called “Rowing boat hiring place and a bar, and a stage in Palūšė", because these are the seemingly unrelated things that this place managed to connect amazingly organically. To the point that when you sit there on a surprisingly comfy seat made from pallets, sipping your drink, watching the sun go down over the lake and listening to your favourite artists perform right in front of you, you catch yourself thinking “damn, this is exactly what jetties should be used for and this is exactly how blissful it should feel, and people that don't feel this when they are using their jetties all over the world, are seriously missing out!"
So there, keep The Bar on the Jetty in mind for when you want to spend a day having fun on the water, when you are out and about and need a quick drink/snack to keep going or when you are looking to spend a relaxing evening catching up with friends.
This is not the official name, by the way, but rather my super frivolous translation which in English would have sounded something like “Rowing boat hiring place and bar in Palūšė", which gives a much better flavour of what this place is about, but is too long. Well, actually, to be even more precise about what goes on here, Palūšės valtinė-baras should really be called “Rowing boat hiring place and a bar, and a stage in Palūšė", because these are the seemingly unrelated things that this place managed to connect amazingly organically. To the point that when you sit there on a surprisingly comfy seat made from pallets, sipping your drink, watching the sun go down over the lake and listening to your favourite artists perform right in front of you, you catch yourself thinking “damn, this is exactly what jetties should be used for and this is exactly how blissful it should feel, and people that don't feel this when they are using their jetties all over the world, are seriously missing out!"
So there, keep The Bar on the Jetty in mind for when you want to spend a day having fun on the water, when you are out and about and need a quick drink/snack to keep going or when you are looking to spend a relaxing evening catching up with friends.
6. Explore the Town
I have to put a disclaimer right here - I am completely and utterly biased when it comes to Ignalina. I grew up here, it gives me energy and charges up the batteries of my soul whenever my feet connect with its ground. I am proud of what the town is achieving: educational programmes, health and wellness agenda, entertainment events, and how careful and deliberate it is about preserving and sharing Lithuanian heritage. I love its house-proud people, who keep the town looking clean, beautiful, gardens drowning in blooms of all imaginable colours. I am constantly amazed by the creativity of local artists, business-owners and entrepreneurs . For me, there isn't a place in Ignalina that is not beautiful or significant in some way.
And there are so many ways to explore It: 1. Take a walk around the town's open air art gallery and spot all of the giant paintings decorating its buildings. 2. Join the Geocaching app and look for “treasure" in the most beautiful spots of Ignalina 3. Hire an electric scooter and explore the beauty of Ignalina and surrounding villages without getting out of breath 4. Take a kayaking trip with LitWild, Baidarės.eu, Drutūnų Baidarės, or any other provider, and discover Ignalina's sparkle from its many rivers and lakes 5. Join one of the Eko Žygiai hiking trips to find out exactly how many shades of green are there in Ignalina's forests.
Or just grab a book, a flask of herbal tea and get out there, do some mushroom picking, fishing, whatever takes your fancy - I am sure you will fall in love with Ignalina just like we did!
I have to put a disclaimer right here - I am completely and utterly biased when it comes to Ignalina. I grew up here, it gives me energy and charges up the batteries of my soul whenever my feet connect with its ground. I am proud of what the town is achieving: educational programmes, health and wellness agenda, entertainment events, and how careful and deliberate it is about preserving and sharing Lithuanian heritage. I love its house-proud people, who keep the town looking clean, beautiful, gardens drowning in blooms of all imaginable colours. I am constantly amazed by the creativity of local artists, business-owners and entrepreneurs . For me, there isn't a place in Ignalina that is not beautiful or significant in some way.
And there are so many ways to explore It: 1. Take a walk around the town's open air art gallery and spot all of the giant paintings decorating its buildings. 2. Join the Geocaching app and look for “treasure" in the most beautiful spots of Ignalina 3. Hire an electric scooter and explore the beauty of Ignalina and surrounding villages without getting out of breath 4. Take a kayaking trip with LitWild, Baidarės.eu, Drutūnų Baidarės, or any other provider, and discover Ignalina's sparkle from its many rivers and lakes 5. Join one of the Eko Žygiai hiking trips to find out exactly how many shades of green are there in Ignalina's forests.
Or just grab a book, a flask of herbal tea and get out there, do some mushroom picking, fishing, whatever takes your fancy - I am sure you will fall in love with Ignalina just like we did!
Photography: Tanya Dowling. All rights reserved.
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