Beržuoras – Plunge – Darius – Švekšņa – Šilute – Klaipeda (162 km)
Beržoras Homestead is just a stone’s throw away from Lake Beržoras and not far from one of the cleanest and most beautiful lakes in Lithuania – Lake Plateliai. This is a great starting point to explore Žemaitija National Park by foot, bicycle (there is a bike path that cuts through the homestead), on water or by car.
The owner of the homestead grows a variety of medicinal and culinary herbs, garden plants and aromatic herbs. Carrots, onions, garlic, and other vegetables are grown in the garden plant collections. There is a wide assortment of medicinal and culinary herbs, including summer savoury, sage, rhodiola, sweetgrass, nasturtium, starflower and catnip. The owners of this homestead carry out educational activities. Hen parties can be organised according to local traditions, and guests are welcome to take part in the Babūnė Tea education programme.
Plungė Manor – called the “Versailles of Samogitia”, this is one of the most famous surviving ensembles of its kind in Lithuania. It now houses the Samogitian Art Museum. Plungė is known for the Duke Ogiński Park. This mixed-style 18th–19th century park was built on the site of a sacred Samogitian forest (alkas). The pride of the park is the Oak of Perkūnas (the Thunder God), which is one of the oldest and largest in Lithuania, as well as the Weeping Linden, which is cloaked in legend, and the Five-Trunk Ash. On the instruction of Prince Michał Ogiński, seven cascade ponds were excavated, which are connected by stone bridges/locks. The Babrungas River that runs through the part creates an exceptional landscape.
Steponas Darius Birthplace Museum - the homestead features a unique orchard of impressive size and scope. Back in the late 19th century, the pilot’s father planted fruit trees and grafted several apple tree cultivars on the branches of a wild apple tree. The garden also has heritage ornamental plants characteristic of the Žemaitija (Samogitia) region. A new garden has started to plant on the grounds of the homestead. There is a campsite next to the museum where you can rest and stay for a longer time.
The Švėkšna Manor Complex is one of the most beautiful in Samogitia. Next to the manor there is a spectacular park. Both parts of the park are connected by a broad staircase decorated with vases that offers a beautiful panoramic view of the lower terrace waters. A sculpture of the goddess Diana is still standing on the island in the central pond of the Švėkšna Manor Park. Along the main alley of the park, the ornate sundial, the vase on a pedestal, the sculpture of the Virgin Mary, and the Angel of Freedom have been reconstructed. Other elements of the park have also been restored: the scenic overlooks, trails, and gates. Švėkšna Manor Park’s greatest embellishment is a Chinese-Japanese maidenhair tree (ginkgo biloba) which stands 18 metres high and 70 centimetres in diameter. This is the largest and most beautiful sample of this species in Lithuania.
These days, Šilutė Manor is often called Hugo Scheu Manor, after its last owner. Šilutė landowner and park founder Hugo Scheu purchased the manor in 1889. He fixed up the manor buildings and the surroundings, and built two parks: the manor park and the forest park known as “Varnamiškis”, or “Crows’ Forest”. Next to the manor he built an English landscape park with walking paths. Three ponds were excavated on the park grounds, and greenhouses were erected which were used for spring vegetables, flowers, grapes and seedlings. The forest park, which was meant as a place for the residents to take walks, was built around the same time as the manor park. Since it was spread out on both sides of the winding Šyša River, it was connecting pedestrian bridges. There were about 150 species of vegetation in the park that stretched along the Šyša River to the old railway bridge. Now the park has 40 species of trees and shrubs.
For meals we recommend:
- Homestead „Po ąžuolais“, Plungė District
- The inn „Karčema“, Plungė District
- Homstead “Račkauskų sodyba”, Klaipėda District
