BookletRouteLithuaniaEN.doc

BookletRouteLithuaniaEN.pdf

BookletRouteLithuaniaLT.doc

BookletRouteLithuaniaLT.pdf

Here you can find details and dates of lithuanian route. Have a frequent look as things might change quickly. National Coordinator for Lithuania is Vita  vita[at]thebiketour.net

For those who plan to come to Šiauliai a night before, I have reserved some places in youth hostel (15Lt/5 euros per person).

Šiaulių jaunųjų turistų centras, Rygos 36, Šiauliai phone number 8 41 523992

Or if you wish to sleep in nice nature suroundings and are not scared to start cycling a bit, 22km on a bike path from Šiauliai center is a beautiful regional park, where you could put up your tent and use all facilities (tent space about 1.5 euro).

Kurtuvenai regional park, http://www.kurtuva.lt.

• begin - 18 June in Šiauliai, sleeping place in Rozalimas
• camping site close to Panevezys, at Sanžilė canal - 19 June
• meadow behind Troškūnai monastery - 20 June
• sleeping place - "vilkes namai/ wolf home"- 21 June
• Januliškis, Labanoras forest - 22-23 June
• Dubingiai - 24 June
• Vilnius - 25-26 June
• farmstead at Genionys village - 27 June
• Marcinkonys village - 28 June
• Musteika village - 29-30 June
• border crossing, sleeping place in Poland - 1 July

Biketour will start in Šiauliai, in the main pedestrian alley ("broadway") in front of the Bicycle Museum. After short opening ceremony, you will be able to choose between several routes - go and visit Hill of Crosses (more info - www.sacredsites.com/europe/lithuania/lithuania.html), go on gravel roads' detour or go straight to the sleeping place in Rozalimas (about 35 kilometers from Šiauliai).

Our first sleeping place will be in Rozalimas, by the school. We can stay in tents or (if it is raining) sleep in the sports hall. Facilities include outdoor toilets, places for tents, fireplace, stadium and playground. We might also be able to have a carving workshop organized by a local carving artist.

Rozalimas was a beautiful old Jewish village, but after 2WW there are almost only Lithuanians left. However, the village managed to keep its old street plan and architecture and now is a home for a strong community, which managed to prevent industrial farm complex being built on its outskirts.

We will pass by Joniškėlis, where is a beautiful manor, one of the biggest and best preserved manors in Lithuania. Our sleeping place is a meadow next to Sanžilė canal - great place for swimming and mosquitos in the evening.

Beautiful old manor in Raguvėlė crammed with tractors and other agricultural equipment (but it is still a nice place for lunch). In Raguvėlė there is also an old wooden church and outdoors second hand clothes market. Our sleeping place is in Troškūnai, next to the monastery - a meadow behind the monastery, close to the pond.

Many little uphills and downhills, many opportunities to go swimming. Our sleeping place at country toursim place - Vilkės namai/ Lady Wolf Home of a young family who is just getting started. We will have sauna tonight!

More information http://www.vilkesnamai.tinkle.lt/

Centuries old, wooden church in Rudesa, beautiful views of lakes – Baltoji Lakaja, Kertuoja (some swimming!). Ščiūro ragas – peninsula between lakes with many myths and mystic stories. Also we will see some not so great last year developments in the regional park – plain wood cuttings, huge villas etc.

Sleeping place in Januliškis, a meadow behind Andrius' home.

We will have a resting day in this beautiful village in the middle of the forest. We will also have a midsummer festival Rasos on 23-24 night, celebrating shortest night of the year with old traditions of Lithuania.

Some gravel routes across the Labanoras park. Many many lakes and beautiful village of Dubingiai in the end. Our sleeping place is a meadow behind Dubingių girininkija (people who take care of state forests), on the shores of lake Žvernas.

Some more gravel, but we are coming to the capital! And there are for sure some great places to see on the way. Our sleeping place is arranged in the Vytautas Magnus Gymnasium (Vytauto DidŽiojo gimnazija), right in the centre of oldtown of Vilnius.

On 26th of June - street party with critical mass ride and open air concert is planned. more information to come.

From vilnius we will have a bit longer cycling day (shortest route - 70 km), but the sleeping place will be just a farmstead in the village, so we could rest and have an internal evening (no big interaction with local people is planned).

On our way to Marcinkonys village, an action is planned in Varėna. This region of Lithuania is one of the best preserved and has beautiful nature with many Red Book inhabitants. However, due to extensive water tourism many of the natural habitats are destroyed. An action is planned to raise an attention to this issue and to promote ecological, nature sensitive tourism.

Our sleeping place in beautiful old village with great museum and wonderful community. We will stay at a camping site. 

resting day is planned in this beautiful village. you will be able to cycle around in the national park or participate in old crafts workshops - learn how to weave a rope, make yourself a basket or even shoes!

on july 1st - get up early! we will be cycling to poland. 

Here there's a map of the route points so far

 

it can be seen better at:

http://www.tagzania.com/tag/ecotopia+Biketour+2006+Lithuania

or in 3d (with GoogleEarth) :

http://www.tagzania.com/kml/tag/ecotopia+Biketour+2006+Lithuania