In the footsteps of Forest Trail in Lithuania and Kurzeme region in Latvia (self-drive tour)

• Arrival in Vilnius.


• Sightseeing in Vilnius.


• Accommodation: in Vilnius.

• Drive: Vilnius - Druskininkai (130 km)

Sights en route:

• Druskininkai is a Lithuanian historic health and spa resort with flower gardens, musical fountains, museums and waterpark. You can enjoy the Snow Arena and a trip with the air-tram above the river Nemunas.


• Hike along the Forest Trail till the Snow Arena (3 km in one way) or till Didžiasalis (11 km) and go back to town by public bus.

Accommodation: in Druskininkai.

• Drive: Druskininkai - Grutas - Merkinė  - Birštonas (~96 km)

Sights en route:

• Grutos Park where the exhibition was based on the Soviet time monuments demolished during 1989-91 restoration of independence.


• Ancient castle Hill at Merkinė provides fine views at the rivers Merkys and Nemuna. There is a 26 m high viewing platform.


• Birštonas - a popular resort town by the Nemuna river loops, with the mineral water swimming pools, the highest observation tower in Lithuania (45 m).


• Hike in Birštonas along the Forest Trail (5 -6 km).

Accommodation: in Birštonas.

• Drive: Birštonas - Prienai - Kaunas (~47 km)

Sights en route:

Kaunas, one of the most beautiful Lithuanian cities, is located at the confluence of the Nemunas and the Neris. It is Lithuania’s second largest city and former capital. You can see the Old Town, the 9th Fort, Laisvės alėja (Liberty Boulevard), the Kaunas castle, and a vast number of Interwar architecture buildings.

We suggest you to drive till the Three Virgin Bridge, park the car there and then walk along this bridge and Forest Trail in the Panemune Pinewood (hike 2,6 km in one way).

Accommodation: in Kaunas.

Drive: Kaunas - Kulautuva - Vilkija - Ariogala - Kaulakiai (~85 km)

• Drive Kaunas - Vilkija (30 km), leave the car in Vilkija.


• Public bus: Vilkija - Kulautuva (~15 min.)


• Hike Kulautuva - Vilkija (16 km, 5 - 6h)

Road surface: Small country roads with gravel pavement, trails, in a small section – asphalt.

Difficulty level: easy

Danger points: In wet weather, there may be wet spots and puddles on some sections of the route.

Sights en route:

• Vilkija ferry - the only ferry in Lithuania which carries across the river Nemunas.


• Vilkija - an urban monument, a peculiar hill town.


• Kulautuva has long been famous for its beautiful pine forests, green parks and 1.5 km of clean sandy beach


• Ariogala - one of the oldest towns in Lithuania, known since the 13th century.

Accommodation: in Kaulakia or Kirkšnovė.

• Drive: Kaulakiai - Šiluva - Tytuvėnai (~50 km)

Sights en route:

• Dubysa river valley and Regional Park - the Dubysa is a beautiful river favoured by nature lovers because of its rapid flow. The Dubysa is shallow and the water is very clear.


• Lyduvėnai bridge - the longest and highest railway bridge in the Baltic States.


• Šiluva - a town surrounded by forests, an important Catholic-pilgrimage site.


• Tytuvėnai Regional Park - the most valuable natural asset of the park is lakes surrounded by wetlands — an important habitat for many animals and birds, including thousands of cranes.


• It is possible to hike along the Gylis lake trail (3,3 km), which is a part of the Forest Trail.

Accommodation: in Tytuvenai.

• Drive: Tytuvėnai - Kurtuvėnai - Šiauliai (~65 km)


• Leave the car in Kurtuvėnai.


• Hike: Kurtuvėnai - Šaukėnai (16 km, 4 - 6h)

Road surface: Small forest trails and small forest roads, wooden footbridges in wet places, asphalt in Šaukėnai.

Difficulty level: easy

Good to know! In this section, the Forest Trail intersects with other hiking routes.

• Public bus back to the car in Kurtuvėnai (~20 min.).

Sights en route:

• Kurtuvėnai manor barn and Kurtuvėnai Regional Park Visitor`s centre.


• Kurtuvėnai Horse Museum.


• Juodlė lake cognitive trail.

Accommodation: in Šiauliai.

• Drive: Šiauliai - Telšiai - Paplatelė (~109 km)

Sights en route:

• Telšiai - the city is located in the Samogitia Upland, on seven hills by the beautiful Lake Mastis and the Durbinas stream. It is worth taking a walk around the city of Telšiai, see the Amphitheatre, exploring the most important sights or admiring the view of Lake Mastis while walking along its shore.


• Germantas and Lake Ilgis cognitive trails which are part of the Forest Trail. The Ilgiu lake trail is ~ 1,2 km long around the lake, but the total length of the trails are ~12,4 km.

Accommodation: in Paplatelė.

• Forest Trail hike: Paplatelė - Plateliai in Žemaitija National Park (20 km, 5 - 7h)

Road surface: Forest roads and trails, asphalt pedestrian / bicycle paths and sidewalks, gravel roads.

Difficulty level: easy

Good to know: During the summer season, there are many holidaymakers around Lake Plateliai.

• Private transfer back to hotel.

Accommodation: in Paplatelė.

• Drive: Paplatelė  - Salantai - Mosėdis - Aizpute (~112 km)

Sights en route:

• Salantai town - can visit the Salantai park, which is located on the banks of Salantai river.


• Mosėdis town - one of the oldest towns in Žemaitija, also known as the “Capital of Stones”, it is famous for its stone museum. 


• Hike along the ~3.5 km long trail around Mosėdis pond. It starts at the Vaclovas Intas Museum of Rare Stones and ends at the Mosėdis mound.


• Gramzda Forest Park with an open-air cinema.


• Swedish gate in Priekule.


• Aizpute - one of the oldest cities in Latvia. The authentic wood architecture of Aizpute from the 19th century is a European cultural heritage. Ruins of a castle of the Livonian Order, a stone bridge over the river Tebra, water mills, estates. You can also visit the Aizpute winery.

Accommodation: in Aizpute.

• Drive: Aizpute - Kazdanga - Snēpele - Pelči - Kuldīga (~60 km)


• Forest Trail hike in Kazdanga (7 - 9 km, 2 h)

Road surface: paths and park trails

Difficulty level: easy

During this hike you will see the Kazdanga castle complex and manor park, which is one of the biggest estate parks in Latvia (196 ha), beautiful landscapes with wooden sculptures, an observation tower and a boulder grotto.

More sights:

• Ostrich farm “Nornieki” and restaurant “[ar putniem]”.


• Kuldīga - one of the most attractive towns of Kurzeme with architectural heritage of 17th and 18th century buildings. You can see the Venta river waterfall and the Old brick bridge across the Venta.


• Hike along the Venta river promenade (2,4 km in one way) in Kuldīga, which is a part of the Forest Trail.

Accommodation: in Kuldīga.

• Drive: Kuldīga - Renda - Sabile - Kalnmuiža (~52 km)


• Private transfer to Sabile.


• Forest Trail hike: Sabile - Kalnmuiža (~9 km, ~ 2 - 3h)

Road surface: Gravel roads and dirt roads, in a short section – trails.

Difficulty level: easy

Accommodation: in Kalnmuiža surroundings.

• Drive: Kalnmuiža - Kandava - Tukums - Lake Valguma (~54 km)


• Forest Trail hike: Valgums - Ķemeri (21 km, 5 - 7h)

Road surface: Gravel roads, in Ķemeri – asphalt, pavement, park paths, forest trails with natural pavement, wooden footbridges.

Difficulty level: easy

Good to know: There is an interesting barefoot trail in the leisure complex “Valguma Pasaule”

• Private transfer back to Lake Valguma.

Accommodation: in the leisure complex “Valguma Pasaule”.

• Drive: Lake Valguma - Ķemeri  - Lake Sloka - Jūrmala - Rīga (~66 km)

En route:

• Hike: Melnalkšņu swamp forest trail (0,6 km) and Sloka lake nature trail (3,1 km) and climb the wooden bird watching tower.


• Hike along the beach in Jūrmala resort town from Dubulti till Bulduri (~6 km).

Accommodation: in Rīga

Sightseeing in Rīga.

Departure.