Birštonas | Lithiania

Birštonas – a resort town in Lithuania

Birštonas is known for its unique nature, mineral water, royal roots, and the winding loops of the Nemunas River. Birštonas is a Lithuanian resort that offers world-class wellness services.

The resort is endowed with natural riches: abundant mineral water springs, therapeutic mud, clean air and a climate conducive to good health.

Birštonas is an ideal place for rest and relaxation, the harmonization of body and soul, a healthy lifestyle, and sports and cultural events.

Nemunas Loops Regional Park, where Birštonas is located, is one of the country’s largest regional parks. It was founded to preserve the unique landscape of the Nemunas River. This distinctive area is famous for its beautiful nature, impressive riverbanks, abundant natural and cultural heritage, and the historical legacy of the villages and towns.

Vytautas Hill

This is one of the highest (up to 40 m) and the most famous mounds in Lithuania. In end 14th century there was wooden Birstonas Castle on the hill. It was part of the defensives system of the Dukedom of Trakai and one of Vytautas hunting estates. The Castle is mentioned for the first time in historical sources in 1382. It was reatedly attacked by the Teutonic Knights, but never taken. In 1401 Birstonas is mentioned as Estate of Vytautas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and in 1423 – as the Hunting Estate of this wife, Julijona Vytautiene. Those days princes and noblemen came to the Castle for huntings. At times the Castle was used as sanctuary from was or other disturbances. In 1473 Kazimieras Jogailaitis, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and his family lived in Birštonas castle while escaping plaque epidemic in the country. Later, the Castle lost its defensive significance and got ruine by the 17th century.

Coordinates: 54.597102, 24.034355

Yellow pump – room

The word “biuvete” comes from the French. It is a structure on a mineral spring which is used to drain mineral water. Still in the 19th century risers and roofs were erected on the mineral water springs of Birstonas. In 1879, a new mineral water spring was discovered and examined; I. Kvinta, the resort’s owner, named it “Victoria” after his own daughter. Later on the proposal of writer J. Tumas- Vaizgantas this spring was renamed “Vytautas”. Since 1928 top of the spring was marked by whale sculpture, which nostrils delivered mineral water. After the construction of Kaunas HPP, the sculpture which became a symbol of the resort was drowned by Neman’s water. In 1960 hydro-geologists had discovered a mineral water spring with a chemical composition similar to that of a historical source. Today, this water is served only to the Yellow Pump Room at Vytautas Park.

Coordinates: 54.599765, 24.033533

Kneipp Garden

“Water cures everything; water works wonders; prevention is better than cure” – this is the unique health philosophy developed and perfected by the German priest Sebastian Kneipp in the 19th century, which is promoted at the Birštonas resort. Wellness according to Sebastian Kneipp strengthens one’s entire constitution, hardens the body and soul, and bolsters the immune system. Kneipp’s holistic approach to improving health is based on five elements: water therapy, exercise therapy, plant therapy, balance therapy, and nutrition.

Following Kneipp’s recommendations, Birštonas has created the KNEIPP GARDEN for cold water treatment to make the body more resistant and strengthen the immune system.

Address: Birutės str. 16, Birštonas. Coordinates: 54.600872, 24.033912

Mineral water evaporation stucture Druskupis

This is the only graduation tower in Lithuania where visitors can enjoy particularly healthy air with a “sea effect.” Residents and guests of the resort have the opportunity to experience open-air inhalation, enhance their well-being, and strengthen their health thanks to the new tourist attraction that also offers light therapy.

The original-design open-air graduation tower “Druskupis,” built near the Medical SPA Eglės Sanatorija in Vytautas Jurgis Meška Park, features a mineral water fountain and a salt gallery. Mineral water flows down the tower, evaporating naturally from the impact of the sun and wind. Healthy “sea” air enriched with minerals can then be inhaled within the tower itself and up to 50-80 meters around it.

Air enriched with drops of mineral water has the same effect as breathing in sea air. The mineral water supplied to the “Druskupis” graduation tower comes from the Rūta mineral water well.

Address:  Algirdo str. 21, Birštonas. Coordinates: 54.608652, 24.032888

Pavilion of mineral water Villa Burute

A new tourist attraction was opened in Vytautas Park in the resort of Birstonas – “Birutes Vila” mineral water pavilion. The pavilion houses a mineral water basin with fountain and mineral water vaporization wall. Visitors of this wellness object can boost their health by inhaling the air saturated with minerals, pampering their body and soul, doing a workout , practicing yoga and drinking herbal tea. The new pavilion is not commercial and there is no admission fee. “Birutes vila” is indoor pavilion and can be visited all year round. The pavilion can accommodate about 50 people at a time – they can make themselves comfortable on the bunks or chairs. The new pavilion was built to offer one more way for visitors to enjoy the benefits of mineral water for health. The chosen name – “Birutes vila” highlights the cozy atmosphere of the object nestled in the unique natural environment of Birstonas.

Address: B. Sruogos str. 1A, Birštonas. Coordinates: 54.599637, 24.034802

Observation Tower

The Nemunas is not only the largest and most water-rich river in Lithuania, but also the most glorified in songs, woven into legends, and described by chroniclers in ancient times. Even now, there are modern legends about the loops of this river, and so far, geologists cannot answer the question of how the loops were formed. Scientists say that the loops of the Nemunas are a unique phenomenon not only in Lithuania but in all glacial areas as well. In search of the shortest path to the Baltic Sea, the Nemunas performed the work of a real sculptor. “Grandpa” Nemunas mesmerized many travelers with his valleys, high slopes, ravines, exposures, and ridges. Anyone who wants to see the beauty created by the Nemunas should have taken off in a hot air balloon, plane, glider, or just turned into a bird! Only by being in the sky does one realize what a beautiful land we live in and what an incredible landscape surrounds us. This landscape was created by nature together with the humans living here.

Coordinates: 54.603635, 24.012816

Birštonas kurhaus

Kurhaus, one of the oldest wooden buildings in Lithuania, is located near Vytautas Park. Since opening in 1855, it has been known for hosting classical music concerts, unlike other similar buildings of the time. The building survived wars and Soviet times, maintaining its original appearance for over 150 years. Its design combines modern and national architectural elements, and in 2006 it was listed as an Architectural Heritage Object.

In 1862, Kurhaus became a key meeting place for commanders planning the uprising against the Russian Czar. Visitors to the Kurhaus were often from high society, especially from St. Petersburg, and it was a fashionable place to showcase new outfits. After World War I, it was abandoned, but in 1923 it was reconstructed and became a cultural hub, attracting visitors with its elegant furnishings and a new outdoor cafe. Today, it remains a place to visit, along with nearby Vytautas Park, Kneipp Garden, and Vytautas Hill.

Address: B. Sruogos str. 2, Birštonas. Coordinates: 54.600252, 24.033365

Škėvonys Escarpment

Formed at the end of the Glacial Age, this escarpment is one of Northern Europe’s most valuable geological sites. Over 500 meters long and rising more than 33 meters at its highest point, it offers a 1.6 km walking route above it. Geologists value the area for its diverse rocks and geological formations that reveal landscape processes from over 100,000 years ago. Visitors can enjoy views of the Nemunas River and surrounding panorama, best seen by boat or from the Giraitiškės rest area on the opposite shore. At sunset, the changing colors of the rocks highlight layers from the last Glacial and Interglacial Ages. The most valuable layer, a weathering crust dating back 130,000-177,000 years, is visible about 4 meters above the river. For more details, visit the Nemunas Loops Regional Park Visitor Centre. Along the walking path, you may spot rare plants like gentians and fritillary butterflies. The easiest way to reach the site is by car, with parking available near Seklytėlė restaurant or Royal SPA Residence hotel.

Coordinates: 54.604861, 24.003467

Birštonas Museum

The museum, located in a wooden villa, offers visitors a quick yet fascinating overview of Birštonas’ history. Open six days a week, the museum is free to visit, except for tours or educational programs. The villa, built in 1933 by forester Antanas Katelė, was once rented to teachers for medical treatment and later became a sanatorium. Since 1967, it has been a museum. The exhibits primarily focus on Birštonas’ resort history, with a few displays from the Middle Ages and royal times, including archaeological findings and a visualization of the former castle. Special highlights include a three-hundred-year-old boat from the Nemunas River, an interwar phaeton, and items related to dentist Ignas Šablauskas. Artistic works by Nikodemas Silvanavičius are also featured. An educational program about the mineral water springs of Birštonas is available. The museum is easily accessible by foot or bike, but there is no parking nearby.

And Also:

• Take a walk along the Nemunas promenade in Birštonas.
• Mineral water in Lithuania is natural water rich in minerals and trace elements that have positive effects on health. Lithuania is known for its mineral waters, sourced from deep springs, and often used for therapeutic purposes. Different mineral waters contain various minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and sulfates, which can help strengthen the immune system, improve digestion, and boost energy levels. In many Lithuanian resorts, like Birštonas, visitors can enjoy drinking mineral water and experience healing treatments that promote relaxation and overall well-being.
• Birštonas Tourism Information Center. Address: B. Sruogos St. 4, Birštonas. Coordinates: 54.600358, 24.032555.
• Have fun with the whole family at “Pramogų Kalnas,” the longest and most extreme toboggan track, 600 meters long. Address: N. Silvanavičiaus St. 4, Birštonas.
• Hotels: Royal SPA Residence or Vytautas Mineral SPA, located closer to the town center.