Temporarily closed for renovation!
The main topic of the display is "People of the Lakes". It presents ancient, as well as modern ways of fishing, rafting and swimming cattle to pastures. The display is oriented towards visitors of various ages and interests. It will help you to plan your own route around the park. While parents are busy with planning, kids can practice catching fish or "making" signal fire.
Visitors Center Working Time:
May and September - from Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm.;
June-August - from Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and...
Lygumai Hill is located in the south-eastern part of the park, on the southern shore of Lake Vajuonis. This 180 m tall hill has steep slopes and is surrounded by three lakes. Therefore, it looks like a giant observation ground, with Lake Vajuonis lying in the north and a panorama of Lake Kretuonykštis. In 2013 a new 15 m tall view tower was built here. Lake Kretuonas can be easily observed from this tower. The old tree alley at the foot of the hill indicates the site of a former manor-house.
The establishment of this museum was initiated by teacher Izidorius Kazakevičius. In twenty years he collected more than 1000 displays, which tell visitors about the history of the region. Here you can find old Lithuanian books and printings, traditional music instruments and old household utensils, archaeological findings, a stone collection and even a meteorite.
The mound is set up on a seperate hill, on the eastern coast of what used to be Kretuonas lake (currently the lake is 300 meters away). There used to be a village near the mound. The mound was used during the 4-5 c.
The one-street Kretuonys village was supposedly set up before the Volok reform, and was considered to be royal. The majority of the buildings were built in the late 19th c. and early 20th c. The village is near lake Kretuonas. Oaks and ashes which vary in trunk girth from 1 m to 1.5 m grow here. Some very old oaks grow near the coast of the lake - the oldest one is Kretuonas Oak (Quercus robur); it is approx. 450 years old.
The center is located in one of the oldest towns of east Aukštaitija - in Kaltanėnai, on the picturesque peninsula of Žeimena river and Žeimenys lake. Children and youth summer camps are organized here all year round, various cultural, cognitive, and tourist events for pupils and young people. Overnight stay can accommodate up to 65 people. It's an excellent opportunity to spend your weekdays or weekends actively.
The barrows are located near the channel between Šakarvai and Žeimenys lakes. There are about 40 barrows. The diameter of the mounds is 8-15 m, the height is up to 1 m. The burial mounds were used in the 9-12th centuries.
The land of the Aukštaitija National Park is rich in archaeological excavations. There are more than 6500 burial mounds discovered in the area. The exposed burial mound in Palūšė shows a Bronze Age (5th-6th century) burial site. The Stone Age Hut stands next to it. The reconstruction of the hut was done according to actual findings near Kretuonas Lake.
Price for adults -1 € per person.
The author of the first Lithuanian opera "Birutė", composer Mikas Petrauskas, was born in Palūšė. Maybe it was his father that influenced his musical ability - he played the organ at the local Palūšė church. Or maybe it was his mother’s influence - she taught him to look for inspiration in nature. Whatever the case, Mikas fell in love with music in early childhood. He wrote: "Music heals, music consoles and gives strength to your soul; it rests your brain, cleans your thoughts".The monument by the sculptor J.Kėdainis in this beloved Lithuanian composer’s honour was built in Palūšė...
Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur). Trunk girth - 4.5 m. Height - 30 m. Age - approximately 400 years. People say that a priest wanted to cut down the tree, but during a thunderstorm it diverted lighting from the church. The priest showed mercy on the tree, so the oak continued to protect the church.
This church was built in 1750. Priest Juozapas Baziliauskas built it on his own land, which he inherited from his parents and named “St. Joseph’s Church”. The only tool used during the construction process was an axe. The octagonal bell tower was built later, around 1800. It is reminiscent of olden Lithuanian wooden castle‘s lookout posts. The wooden church and the bell tower are protected as an architectural monument.
