THE LOWER REACHES OF THE NEMAN (Kaunas - Prienai - Birštonas - Rumsiskes - Kaunas)

Pažaislis Church and Monastery Ensemble is considered to be one of the masterpieces of late Baroque in Northeastern Europe. Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac, Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, was the one to build this church for the Camaldolese monks in a remote forest at the edge of Kaunas City in the 17th century. The architectural ensemble was designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Battista Frediani and decorated in sculptures of Lombardy artisans and frescas by Florentine painter Michael Archangel Palonio.

The Juniper Valley was established in 1958 when junipers were planted on the slopes of the Neman River to protect them against water erosion before building the dam on the Neman. The cognitive path winds along the precipice in the upper part of the Juniper Valley granting its visitors majestic vistas of the winding Neman.

Bike trails in Birštonas. Taking the bike trails winding along the picturesque Neman all the way to Žvėrinčius Forest is a simple and quick way to see all Birštonas has to offer.

Birštonas City Park is also known as Birštonas Central Park which was established over an area of 25 ha in a forest without felling even a single tree. The park is well liked by sports enthusiasts who are looking for some peace and quiet

The City Park and Mineral Water Graduation Tower. Druskupis is the only mineral water graduation tower in Lithuania, where people can enjoy the healthy air with sea effect.

The Birštonas Neman Embankment was constructed in the 1960s to safeguard the resort town against the floods. As time passed by, the embankment became the most prominent promenade of Birštonas. The 2-km-long trail for biking and walking winds along the Neman and connects Vytautas Hill with Birštonas Central Park.

Birštonas Hillfort, also known as Vytautas Hill, is one of the best known and highest hillforts in Lithuania. A wooden castle stood here, protecting Trakai County from the attacks of the Teutonic Order. The first time the castle was mentioned by the record keepers was in 1382; however, its history reaches farther back than that. Based on the archeological findings discovered at the foot of the hill, the settlement that once stood here was dated back to the beginning of the 15th century.

Balbieriškis Rocky Outcrop provides breathtaking views of the winding Neman River and its valley with meadows and forests. The outcrop is around 40 m in height (the absolute top height being approx. 87 m), its slope inclination is about 50 degrees with several completely vertical spots, and its length along the Neman River is approx. 1.7 km.

Rumšiškės Open-Air Museum of Lithuania is one of the largest open-air museums in Europe, with respect to its area totaling up to 195 ha and the number of immovable exhibits. This is also the only museum of ethnographic kind in Lithuania that reflects is a miniature version of all the ethnographic regions of Lithuania and its traditional town.