Švenčionys District Municipality: Lakes, Forest and Living Traditions

Lakes, a river and special natural sites

The Žeimena runs through Švenčionys District from north to south. It has no dams and is one of Lithuania’s most important salmon spawning grounds. The river is therefore a distinctive feature of the region’s natural landscape. Another natural site is the Lino Verdenė spring: it lies at the bottom of the slope of a pine-covered hill, right beside Lake Sėtikis.

Lino Verdenė also has special local significance beyond its landscape. Local people regard the spring as special and sacred. It is said that Rasos celebrations—that is, St John’s Day celebrations—as well as gatherings marking changes in natural cycles and the equinoxes have been held there for a long time. If you are interested in local traditions, this offers a different way to experience the region than a forest nature trail or a cycling route: the focus is on traditional celebrations and the connection with the seasons.

Exploring Labanoras Forest

The 3 km nature trail through Labanoras Forest takes around 1.5 hours to walk. Along the trail, the focus is on the ecosystems of bogs and lakes, the plants and animals found there that are included on Lithuania’s Red List, and nearby ancient burial mounds. The trail thus combines nature with traces of history. You can factor its length and approximate duration into your day’s plans if you want to focus on these themes.

The Labanoras Visitor Centre can help you plan excursions through the park and sells park maps and souvenirs. Its exhibition presents the natural and cultural values of Labanoras Forest and offers activities for the whole family. This gives visitors two distinct ways to engage: get help planning an excursion or explore an exhibition about the forest and its culture. Which appeals to you depends on whether you mainly want to find your way around or learn more about the forest’s values.

Cycling route and historic sites

The Daugava-Nemunas cycling route is 9 km long and connects Šventa with Kačėniškės Hill. The hill is in Švenčionys District, within Sirvėta Regional Park, and is also known as Pasijų kalnas. The route provides a clearly defined connection between Šventa and the hill; its length is a practical reference for planning your own route. The hill itself links nature and history: it is dated to the first millennium AD and the beginning of the second millennium. As an important defensive fortification, it belonged to the land of Nalšia.

Part of Asveja Regional Park is also in Švenčionys District. Along with Sirvėta Regional Park, this shows that the two park names refer to different areas. When planning your holiday, you can therefore distinguish between individual destinations and themes rather than treating them as one park or a single continuous route.

The Centre for Traditional Crafts in Reškutėnai offers another cultural experience. It runs a workshop on chest painting. Participants learn about the history and purpose of dowry chests, as well as their symbolic meaning, decoration and painting. This craft adds a practical insight into traditional design to the nature and history themes.

Choosing the right search area

If you are interested in the forest and the themes explored on the nature trail, you can include these destinations when looking for a holiday apartment in the district. For a trip focused on cycling or historic Kačėniškės Hill, the route and the site’s history offer their own points of reference. Choose your holiday apartment search based on the experiences that interest you most. You can also consider Kaltanėnai, Švenčionėliai and Labanoras as other places within the destination.

For the broader travel overview: Vilnius District.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Ukmergės rajono savivaldybė, Ukmergė District Municipality, Vilniaus rajono savivaldybė, Elektrėnai Municipality, Vilnius District Municipality.