Nature

Take a walk or explore Čepkeliai–Dzūkija National Park, which includes the Čepkeliai State Nature Reserve and Dzūkija National Park. The park protects the natural ecosystems of the Dainava Forest. Čepkeliai is not only the largest raised bog in Lithuania (5,858 ha) but also features lowland fens, black alder groves, dry heaths, peat islands, and lakes. Wolves and lynxes, black grouses and hazel grouses, broad-leaved helleborines and windflowers – these are just a small part of the more than 4,000 species found in the area.

The national park is also rich in cultural heritage, with Dzūkian villages preserving traditional architectural features and the unique lifestyle of the local population.

Dzūkija National Park and the Čepkeliai State Nature Reserve are among the most beautiful places in Lithuania, located very close to Druskininkai. Discover the authentic Dzūkija landscapes, ancient forests, relax in nature, and breathe the exceptionally clean air.

Visit Merkinė, one of the oldest inhabited places in Lithuania, located within Dzūkija National Park. In the Middle Ages, it was the region’s defense and cultural center. Nearby, you can also climb the Merkinė Observation Tower to admire the surrounding area and see the famous Merkinė Pyramid.

More information: cepkeliai-dzukija.lt

Address: Vilniaus g. 3, Merkinė, LT-65334 Varėnos r. (Parko direkcija)

Legend has it that in the early 20th century, the city’s youth would gather on Love Island to light bonfires, sing, and dance. At midnight, the girls would go to the left bank, and the boys to the right bank. Each would place a wreath with a burning candle and their name into the river. Half a kilometer downstream, the Nemunas River would bring the wreaths together, and attendants in the boats would watch whose wreaths joined and loudly announce the “lucky couples.”

Later, a beach was established on the island, which was in use until 1935.
Today, Love Island is a Druskininkai Botanical Reserve. You can admire it by boat or from the Love Island cliff.

The cliff can be accessed near the Nemunas River bank.

Coordinates: 54.02651802273969, 23.9593237675276

Raigardas Valley is a landscape reserve featuring the largest suffosion cirque in Lithuania.

According to legend, a wealthy city called Raigardas once stood in this valley. Its residents constantly feasted and celebrated, angering Perkūnas (the thunder god), who destroyed the city. It is said that since then, the “cursed bell” can be heard from underground, and the salty waters of Druskininkai are the tears of the condemned. Locals have sought a way out of this underground kingdom, but the exit is blocked by Devil’s Stone, located at the valley’s edge near Švendubrė.

Coordinates: 53.950833, 23.986365

Švendubrė Stone is a mythological glacial boulder and the tenth largest in Lithuania.

Legend says that the devil carried this stone to block the Nemunas River. When dawn broke and the rooster crowed unexpectedly early, the frightened devil dropped the stone, which rolled to Švendubrė, where it remains to this day.

Nearby, wooden sculptures inspired by legends have been erected: “The Bellringer,” “Raigardas Legend,” and “The Shepherdess.”

Coordinates: 53.985296, 23.929185