The road of love in Dzūkija

Go on the path of love in Dzūkija! The route stretches through places surrounded by legends and romantic feelings, where you can feel the breath of love all year round.

Object no. 1 A maze of love


This labyrinth united love, which is not only reflected in the city sign “Alytus-Myliu” , but traces of the love story also lead to the legend of Mirgrausėlė and Alytus , which is associated with the emergence of the city.
Of course, you can get lost in the labyrinth – how can you do without this. However, after doing this, you can always go back to the years 1930-1934 and try to understand what feelings the residents of Alytus had at that time. Here you can discover the thoughts of our elders, who lay down in rows and were found on benches in the City Garden and printed in the local newspaper.
The Labyrinth of Love is not very impressive in its size, but you can feel the experiences of people in love between the wars. At that time, Alytus had the status of a resort and there were significantly more men than women living in Alytus, so ladies from Kaunas came to our city, looking for both holiday romances and second halves. It’s even hard to imagine what love stories unfolded at that time, how many betrayals, love triangles or other beautiful moments there were.
The labyrinth is made of wood, its interior is painted red, and its exterior is decorated by street artist Pijus Šematulskis

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Object no. 2 White Rose Bridge (for pedestrians and cyclists)


The highest Lithuania pedestrian and bicycle bridge (project by V. Karieta) was built in Alytus in 2015, on the remains of former railway bridge piers. It has been registered in the Book of Lithuanian Records.  It is 38.1 m in height and 240,52 m in length. It was officially opened on 4 June 2016. The bridge connects two bicycle paths running on both banks of the Nemunas River that divides the town.
In the second half of the 19th century, a military railway to Alytus classified as a fortress of the 3rd class, was built to reinforce the western borders of the Russian empire (Lithuania then was a part of it). A 33 m high and 240.5 m long bridge of an innovative cantilever design was built in this place from 1897 to 1899 (project by N. Beleliubskis). The carriageway was designed for rail traffic and horse-driven carriages.
During World War I, in 1915, the retreating tsarist army blew up the bridge.  The Germans who occupied Alytus built up a temporary wooden military railway bridge. It was 35 m high and 294 m long. The bridge served until 1926, later it was dismantled.
The modern-day bridge is popular among enthusiasts of extreme entertainment. Jumping from the bridge while connected to a large elastic cord (Bungee jumps) has been organised there for some time. When standing on the bridge, a wonderful panoramic view opens to Alytus Hill Fort shrouded in legends and dating back as far as the 14th century, the middle of the 1st millennium. Near the bridge, there is a recreation area with walking trails, arbours and places for bonfires.

GPS: 54.393116, 24.081376 (WGS)

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Object no. 3 The stone of Karliškiės, called the stone of Merga


The Karliškės (or Merga, young woman) stone is 3.4 x 2.9 x 1.3 m. One story has it that this stone is a bride who was cursed by her mother and turned into stone.  Another says that it is a wedding couple‘s wagon that was turned into stone, and in the past it was said to be possible to discern in the stone the form of the bride‘s head adorned with a little wreath of rue. People would use bits rubbed off the stone to treat various ailments of animals and even people. 
The stone is listed on the Register of Immovable Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Lithuania.

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Object no. 4 Curved Bridge


There is a lovely arched-type pedestrian bridge at the mouth of the Ratnyčėlė River. The Ratnyčėlė flows out of Latas Lake and is 33 kilometres long. It is particularly beautiful and noisy at the confluence with the Nemunas. The coastline is characterised by extraordinary beauty with large black alders, and it is a popular place to go for a walk – especially along the Love Trail that goes from the mouth of the river to the bridge across M. K. Čiurlionis Street. This bridge is decorated with the Ratnyčėlė sculpture that was built in 1962 (by the sculptor B. Vyšniauskas).

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Object no. 5 Druskininkai Holy Virgin Mary Church


 The Neo-Gothic Holy Virgin Mary Church, built in 1931, was liked by the Polish Marshal Jozef Pilsudski, and it was often visited by the linguist Juozas Balčikonis, the poet and prose writer Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas, and many other famous Lithuanian public figures. The Holy Virgin Mary Church is an extremely valuable and impressive place in terms of both architecture and culture.

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Object no. 6 Love Island


Love Island is located in the middle of the Nemunas River. At the beginning of the 20th century, young people from Druskininkai would gather there to have fun, dance and sing. At that time, the left side of Love Island belonged to Lithuania – while the right side belongs to Poland. Therefore, a barbed wire fence stood in the middle of the island, dividing it in half. In the Interwar period, there was a very popular beach on Love Island, which was connected to the Druskininkai shore by a pedestrian bridge that was built every summer. The bridge had a drawbridge that allowed steamboats to pass through. There was an entrance fee for those wishing to visit the beach. Today, Love Island is a botanical reserve which can be explored by going on a boat trip along the Nemunas.

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Object no. 7 Visitor Center of the Veisiei Regional Park

The area of the Veisiei regional park is 12,259.12 ha. The largest lakes are Ančia, Snaigynas, Šlavantas, Verniejus. Most lakes have complex shorelines, rugged bottoms, meandering like rivers. A unique corner of nature is located between Šlavantelis and Liūnelis lakes. There is no such diversity of rare species and communities in a small area anywhere in Lithuania. Natural streams are important habitats and migration sites for otters. At Lake Ančias there is an 18th century. planted park. In the Ringėliske botanical and zoological reserve, there are mature forests, nesting wasps, and screeching eagles. The regional park has valuable populations of wood turtles and sea turtles. Three mounds: Mēčiūnai mound covered with forest, most easily accessible by Lake Ančias; The hill of Šlavantas, with the sedge growing on its slopes and the growth of very rare plants – medicinal durum grains, and the hill of Vainežeris – ancient defensive fortifications, called “Okopka” by the local people. The interlake between Šlavantas and Šlavantelis with Lake Šlavantelis, the northwestern and southern coasts of Verniejas, the northern part of Ančias and the shores of Lake Snaigyns are intended for recreation. On a hot summer day, it’s fun to swim in the lakes of the regional park, which have gentle sandy bottoms. The regional park, located in the wooded and lake-like outskirts of southwestern Lithuania, is a place of recreation for many residents of the surrounding and more distant cities. For lovers of land travel, it is recommended to take a walk along the educational trails with a total length of 5.3 km. For lovers of water travel, it is a real pleasure to travel by kayak and boat on the Veisiei lakes, which are connected by canals. A 30 km long boat route through nine lakes and the streams connecting them begins in Lake Snaighyna, which provides not only relaxation, but also many unexpected encounters with valuable natural objects.

The inherited architectural building in Veisiejai and in the entire territory of the Veisiejai Regional Park is a fragment of the manor house, the surviving right wing, built in 1743-1745 by the efforts of the then owner of Veisiejai, the great hetman of Lithuania Mykolas Masalskis. Mykolas Masalskis planted a park between the manor palace and the lake, the plants were planted according to a bright geometric composition. Later, during Veisiejs rule of the Oginskis, the park was transformed into a landscape. There is a pond in the park, which is connected to Ančias lake. The bridge over the canal is called the Bridge of Love. The belief that one should not cross a bridge without coming up with a desire for love has come from earlier times. And that wish will definitely come true. If you travel in a different way, you will definitely find a bridge on your way that you will be filled with love after crossing.

The Veisiei regional park visitor center is located in the wing of the former Veisiei manor in Veisiei. In the center, you can visit and familiarize yourself with the interactive exposition “Life among the waters”.

The visitor center is closed on public holidays. Before a public holiday, working hours are reduced by one hour.

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Object no. 8 Chapel of Mary Queen of the Rosary

It is a Catholic sanctuary on the southern shore of Lake Dusia, close to the Sutrė stream. It is said that in 1702, a Lithuanian army led by Hetman Michael Servac Višnioveckis camped between Dusios and Metelis Lakes, determined to prevent the Swedish army from marching to Grodno. The Lithuanians, waiting for the enemy, erected three crosses at the place where the army chaplain offered St. The army soldiers were standing on the corner of the church where the soldiers were celebrating Mass. On one of them, a copy of a painting of the Virgin Mary was hung. The news of the approaching Swedish army reached the soldiers at the end of Mass on the day of Peter and Paul. After the battle, the Swedes took over the site, but the locals managed to hide the image of Our Lady. A few years later, a blinded veteran of the battle regained his sight in the same place. As word of the miracle spread, people began to gather at the site for worship. It is believed that not only the image of the Mother of God, but also the water of the spring have miraculous powers. Every year, the Sėkminių and Petriniai indulgences are organised. The first wooden chapel was built in 1816 and the new Chapel of the Cross was built in 2000.

Weddings and christenings are celebrated in this impressive place.

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