Take a walk or tour around the Čepkeliai-Dzūkija National Park, which consists of the Čepkeliai State Nature Reserve and the Dzūkija National Park. It protects the natural ecosystems of the Dainava forest. Čepkeliai is not only the largest upland bog in Lithuania (5858 ha) but also lowland sedges and black lichens, dry sedges, marsh islands, and lakes. Wolves and lynxes, grouse and wolverine, broad-leaved stilts, and sedge warblers are just a small part of the more than 4,000 species found in this region.
The territory of the national park is also characterized by a rich cultural heritage - Dzūkija villages, which have preserved the features of traditional architecture, and the distinctive way of life of the local inhabitants.
Dzūkija National Park and Čepkelė State Nature Reserve are some of the most beautiful places in Lithuania, right next to Druskininkai. See the real scenery of the Dzūkija region, and the old forests, relax in nature, and breathe in the extremely clean air.
Visit Merkinė - it is probably the oldest inhabited area in Lithuania, located in the territory of the Dzūkija National Park. In the Middle Ages, it was the defensive and cultural center of the region. Nearby, you can visit the Merkinė observation tower to view the surroundings and visit the famous Merkinė pyramid.
More information: cepkeliai-dzukija.lt
Address: Vilniaus g. 3, Merkinė, LT-65334 Varėnos r. (Parko direkcija)
It is said that at the beginning of the last century, the city's youth used to go to Love Island. There they made bonfires, sang and danced. After midnight, the girls went to the left and the boys to the right bank of the island. Everyone would let their wreath with a burning candle and the owner's name into the river. Half a kilometer away, at the other end of the island, the Nemunas River joined again, and the floating wreaths met there. Those on duty in the boat watched whose crowns touched, then announced the names of the "happy couples" out loud.
Later, a beach was built on the island, which operated until 1935.
Now the Island of Love is the Druskininkai Botanical Reserve. It can be admired while sailing or looking from the outcrop of Love Island.
The outcrop of Love Island can be found nearby on the Nemunas coast.
Coordinates: 54.02651802273969, 23.9593237675276
Raigard Valley is a landscape reserve with the largest suffocating circus in Lithuania.
According to the legend, once upon a time, the very rich city of Raigard was located in the place of the valley. Its inhabitants were constantly feasting, celebrating, and having fun. This angered Thunder himself, and he destroyed the city with a flurry of earth. It is said that since that time the bell of the damned has been ringing on earth, and the salty waters of Druskininkai have been the tears of the damned. The inhabitants of the city are always looking for an exit from the underground kingdom, but the exit is blocked by the Devil's Stone, located at the edge of the valley, near Švendubre.
Coordinates: 53.950833, 23.986365
Švendubrė stone is a mythological stone, the tenth largest boulder in Lithuania.
Legend has it that the devil carried this stone because he wanted to use it to dam the Nemunas River. It started to shine and suddenly a rooster crowed early. The devil was scared and lost the stone and did not know where it went, and the stone rolled to Švendubrė and stands there to this day.
Now the wooden sculptures "Varpininkas", "Legenda Raigardo", "Piemenaitė" are standing next to the stone.
Coordinates: 53.985296, 23.929185