Alytus County

Alytus County in southern Lithuania is the heart of the Dzūkija region, known for endless pine forests, mushrooms, and healing springs. A trip to Alytus leads above all to Druskininkai, the largest spa town in the Baltics, and to villages where wooden houses and old customs have been preserved. The border with Belarus to the southeast is currently not suitable for excursions; travel to Belarus is not recommended.

Landscape and Location

The Nemunas River flows through the county in a wide arc. Around Varėna lies Dzūkija National Park, the largest in Lithuania, with sandy pine forests, dunes, and small rivers. To the west are the lakes around Lazdijai, and to the north the city of Alytus. The forests are famous for blueberries and mushrooms, which are sold by the roadside in late summer.

Sights in Alytus County

Druskininkai lies on the Nemunas and has been a spa town with mineral water and healing mud since the 19th century. Today it offers spa hotels, a water park, and a year-round indoor ski hall. The painter and composer M. K. Čiurlionis grew up here, and a museum commemorates him. Near the town is Grūtas Park, an open-air museum with Soviet statues of Lenin, Stalin, and party officials that were removed after 1990. In Dzūkija National Park, the village of Zervynos preserves wooden houses along the Ūla River, and Merkinė has a castle mound with wide views over the Nemunas. Alytus itself is a green city with a castle hill and a city park on the river. In Liškiava on the Nemunas, a Baroque monastery stands next to a castle mound, and the river is ideal for leisurely canoe trips. In the west, Meteliai Regional Park protects several lakes where storks and cranes search for food.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

Dzūkija cuisine is simple and rooted in the forest: mushroom soup, buckwheat cake, bandukai made from potatoes, and blueberry dishes. Druskininkai is about two hours from Vilnius by bus, and Alytus lies one hour south of Kaunas. The best time to visit is May through September; for mushroom pickers, late August and September.