Aukštaitija

Aukštaitija is home to the country’s oldest national park and the archaic, multi-part songs known as “sutartinės”, inscribed in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Aukštaitija is the place to experience the beauty of Lithuanian nature. Following hiking trails up the high hills lead to stunning views of glacier-carved landscape, while the streams that connect hundreds of lakes give plenty of opportunities for canoeing and kayaking. There are also many interesting small towns, including Kėdainiai with its mediaeval old town and Biržai with its Renaissance castle. Aukštaitija has preserved old brewing traditions, especially in the districts of Panevėžys, Biržai and Pasvalys. So don’t be surprised if the first thing the locals offer you at lunch is... beer. The soil in Aukštaitija is rich and fertile – that’s why the farmers here have always been well-off and the local cuisine so diverse and full of interesting flavour combinations. But the pride of Aukštaitian cuisine is its many mouth-watering flour dishes. Have you ever tried dumplings with curd cheese and bacon gravy? Or perhaps with wild blueberries? What about “žagarėliai”, traditional ear-shaped doughnuts? In Aukštatija, you can feast on all of these and then some.