Dzūkija legends journey
Discover and get to know the legendary places of Dzūkija! The group of mysterious stones of Ionianis, the park of Varėna city legends and offerings, the saltiest and deepest spring of Druskininkai and other interesting places are waiting for you!
Object no. 1 Silgion stone with "foot"
About 30 cm from the top of the stone is a natural “foot” consisting of two connecting depressions, 24 cm long, 5-7.5 cm wide, and up to 3 cm deep. In 1985, the stone was pulled from its original location during land reclamation, recently built steep.
Stones with “feet” are always surrounded by many different legends and legends, which are associated with the appearance of various holy or mythological creatures. The foot is often identified with the transition to another place, and the stone with the foot is a kind of gateway to the meeting of two worlds. The Silgioniai stone is interesting because some stories claim that God left his foot here, while others claim that it is the work of the devil.
The Silgioniai stone with a “foot” is included in the Register of Immovable Cultural Properties.
Object no. 2 Olakalnis with a chapel
Olakalnis, a former mountain of offerings, is near Miroslavas. According to the story, in pagan times, it was a place where various offerings were sacrificed to the gods. Elder residents remember the stories of their parents, according to which the Napoleonic army was hiding treasure inside the mountain, and therefore, in the middle of the 19th century a drover of the Bendriai manor would find silver coins there.
Object no. 3 Beauty Spring
Beauty Spring is the most salty and the deepest spring in Druskininkai, which has skin cleansing and rejuvenating properties. The spring flowing from the stone bas-relief near the Nemunas River is more than 300 metres deep. The spring water is especially salty, so drinking it is not recommended. However, the water can be used to wash your face and hands, or to rinse your throat. It is believed that the water rejuvenates the skin, providing it with beauty and invigoration. According to legend, in ancient times a duke accidentally found himself in this place while hunting. The hunt was successful, so the duke had to shoot down a falcon. Pierced by a well-aimed arrow, the falcon fell into the Nemunas and the duke jumped into the water to grab it. On the shore, his duchess began to cry and run along the banks of the river, pouring out salty tears and shouting for her husband. After a while, the duke emerged from the water alive and unhurt, with the falcon in his hands. According to the legend, the salty springs broke through from the places on the ground where the duchess’ tears had fallen.
More infoObject no. 4 Devil’s Stone
According to legend, the devil was carrying a large stone in order to block the flow of the Nemunas River, but the dawn started to break and a rooster sang unexpectedly early. The devil took fright, lost the stone and disappeared, while the stone rolled toward Švendubrė and continues to lie there to this day. Nowadays, there are wooden sculptures of the Bell Ringer, the Legend of Raigardas and the Shepherd Girl based on various legends that have been erected near the stone.
More infoObject no. 5 Raigardas Valley
According to legend, a long time ago there was a rich city called Raigardas in this valley, whose inhabitants were always feasting and over-celebrating, and thus they made the thunder god Perkūnas angry. Their behaviour led to the destruction of the city – it collapsed and vanished underground, and only the sound of a bell from the cursed ones looking for an exit from the underground realm could be heard coming from beneath the surface. That exit is blocked by the Devil’s Stone at the edge of the valley near Švendubrė. The salty waters of the Druskininkai are said to be the tears of the doomed souls.
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