Aukštaitija (meaning Highlands) is a region in the north-east of Lithuania.
Towns
edit- 1 is modern, built around the huge Achema chemical plant.
- 2 Kėdainiai is likewise centred on a chemical plant but has a 17th century old town.
- 3 Ukmergė is similar, in a landscape of earthwork castles.
- 4 Panevėžys is modern but has museums and old churches.
- 5 Utena has among its churches that of the "Old Believers" who rejected the Russian Orthodox reforms of 1652.
- 6 Visaginas was built to service a nuclear power plant, which closed so there's not much here.
Other destinations
edit- 1 Aukštaitija National Park is a land of lakes, hills and forests, with water sports and rural tourism.
Understand
editLithuania is divided into five "cultural regions", ten counties (apskritys) and 60 municipalities (savivaldybės). The five regions are ill-defined but are said to have distinct characteristics, which for Aukštaitija means forested upland terrain dotted with post-glacial lakes. The name means "highlands" and has been variably applied, including to areas now in Latva and Belarus. It seldom much exceeds 150 m altitude, but in a cold Baltic climate every metre deepens the winter snows. Panevėžys is the principal town, but the region has never been an administrative unit.
Get in
editGet around
editYou can reach the main towns by public transport, but many sights are at some distance from town, especially in the National Park. A car is best for reaching these, since you can carry sports and outdoor gear, and shelter from the weather.
See
edit
- Old architecture: most towns have a couple of 17th / 18th century churches, but only Kėdainiai could be said to have an "old town".
- Town museums exhibit the region's tumultuous history.
- Struve Geodetic Arc was a 19th century project to measure the earth's size and shape, by triangulating along the 30° East Meridian from Hammerfest in Norway down to the Black Sea. Struve's calculation of the equatorial circumference was only 224 m astray. Several triangulation points are commemorated by markers and in Aukštaitija there's one to the north at Panemunelis, along the road between Rokiskis and Kupiskis.
Do
edit- Kayaking and other water sports: multiple locations in this land of lakes, the most attractive are in the National Park.
- Aukštaitija narrow gauge railway has heritage trains along a section near Panevėžys.
- Football: FK Panevėžys plays soccer in A Lyga, Lithuania's top tier.
Eat
editAll the towns have cafes / restaurants / pubs serving hearty Baltic fare, with few other cuisines so veggies may struggle.
Hesburger is the national fast-food chain, and western franchises such as KFC are uncommon. The company is actually Finnish.
Drink
editStay safe
editBeware traffic, safeguard valuables, take care with water activities especially with children, and dress for the weather, same as anywhere else.