Žemaitija Park
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Access
Žemaitija National Park is situated in north-western Lithuania and has its centre in Plateliai, on the western shore of the lake of the same name, where the park’s management office and visitor centre are based. The main route starts from the Baltic coast: from Klaipėda, take the towards Vilnius as far as Vėžaičiai, where you join the , which passes through Kuliai and reaches Plungė; from Plungė, the and, at the Pauošniai junction, the lead to Plateliai, 79 km from Klaipėda. Those travelling from Šiauliai, and therefore from the route towards Riga, should take the Šiauliai–Palanga, which passes through the municipality of Plungė to the north of the town and links up with the local road network leading to the park. The northern section, comprising Žemaičių Kalvarija and the sites of Gegrėnai and Gardų ozas, can be reached via the network of district roads linking Plateliai with Salantai, Alsėdžiai and Skuodas. The nearest airport is Palanga Airport (PLQ); Vilnius (VNO) and Riga (RIX) international airports are alternative options for connections to Italy. The Vilnius–Klaipėda railway line serves Plungė station, from which – as from the town’s coach station – regular buses depart for Plateliai. Within the park, the road network consists largely of secondary roads and unpaved tracks; some sites, including the former Plokštinė missile base, can only be reached via unpaved tracks.
Introduction
The Žemaitija National Park (Žemaitijos nacionalinis parkas) is a'protected area established in 1991 in north-western Lithuania, within the historical and ethnographic region of Samogitia, from which it takes its name. It covers an area of 217.54 km² on the Samogitian Plateau, between the municipalities of Plungė and Skuodas, and reaches a maximum altitude of 191.8 metres. The landscape is of glacial origin: morainic hills and kame landforms surround a network of lakes, peat bogs and river valleys, whilst forests cover more than half of the area. The park jointly protects the natural and cultural heritage of Samogitia, ranging from prehistoric hill forts to the devotional complex of Žemaičių Kalvarija, right through to the former Soviet missile base at Plokštinė. The defining feature of the area is Lake Plateliai, the largest and deepest lake in Samogitia, around which the settlements, the network of trails and most of the sites of interest are situated.
Description
The park occupies a section of the Samogitian Plateau situated on the watershed between the catchment areas of three rivers: the Minija, the Bartuva and the Venta. The river network comprises 40 recorded watercourses, with a total length of 98.8 km, and 21 registered lakes, with a total surface area of 1,497.1 ha. Lake Plateliai, covering 1,205 ha, lies at the heart of the park and features a coastline indented with bays, peninsulas and islands, including Pilies, Veršių and Pliksalė; the River Babrungas rises from the lake. Other bodies of water include Lakes Beržoras and Ilgis. Wetlands cover around one-tenth of the park’s area and include the peat bogs of Siberija, Paparčiai, Barstytaliai, Pakastuva, Užpelkiai and Ertenis.
The landscape’s morphology is the result of the retreat of the ice sheet, which took place between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago. Blocks of residual ice carved out the deepest lake basins, including that of Plateliai, whilst moraine ridges and kame hills with rounded summits were deposited around the central depression. Among the features of greatest geomorphological interest are theGardai esker (Gardų ozas), the largest in Samogitia, the limno-kame landforms of Medsėdžiai and Liepija, and the moraine systems of Pūčkoriai and Mikytai. Elevations range from 100 m to 191.8 m, with the hills rising to an average height of between 150 m and 190 m.
Forests cover 11,820 ha, accounting for 54.3 per cent of the total area, with conifers making up approximately 70 per cent of the forest cover. Spruce stands (Picea abies), together with natural coniferous forests and mature mixed forests, constitute formations characteristic of the western taiga, a habitat protected at European level; associated with these are Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), silver birch (Betula pendula) and, in damp areas, the black alder (Alnus glutinosa). The wooded peat bogs of Plokštinė and Rukundžiai are habitats of particular scientific importance, whilst along the lake shores there are stands of common reed (Phragmites australis). The recorded flora comprises 1,031 plant species, over 500 species of fungi and 270 species of lichens. In the grounds of Plateliai Manor, there are several trees designated as natural monuments: the ash tree (Fraxinus excelsior), known as ‘Raganos uosis’, said to be the largest in Lithuania, a lime tree and a European white elm (Ulmus laevis) around 180 years old and 26 metres tall.
The fauna comprises 50 species of mammals, 209 of birds, 33 of fish and over 2,100 of invertebrates, with numerous species listed in the Lithuanian Red Book, including 56 birds and 8 mammals. Among the ungulates are the red deer (Cervus elaphus) and the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). The wetlands are home to birdlife associated with reed beds and peat bogs: at Pakastuva Pond,within a wetland reserve, the common crane (Grus grus), the red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena) and the bittern (Botaurus stellaris) can be observed. Lake Plateliai is home to breeding populations of whitefish (Coregonus albula) and vendace (Coregonus lavaretus).
The park was established by Resolution No. I-1244 of the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on 23 April 1991, the same act that established the Dzūkija and Curonian Spit (Kuršių nerija) National Parks, the Trakai Historical National Park and the Viešvilė State Reserve. The park’s regulations were approved by a Government resolution of 24 November 1997. The territory is organised into a system of areas with varying degrees of protection, comprising 2 strict nature reserves, 11 nature reserves, 12 mixed nature reserves and 4 cultural reserves. Within the park’s boundaries lie the towns of Plateliai and Žemaičių Kalvarija, as well as 53 villages, with a total population of around 2,000 inhabitants.
The cultural heritage includes the archaeological complex of Northern Samogitia, comprising 11 hill forts, including those at Mikytai, Šarnelė, Pūčkoriai and Gegrėnai, several sacred hills (alkakalniai), the fortified site on Pilies Island and the ancient settlement of Šventorkalnis. In Žemaičių Kalvarija, theancient Gardai, mentioned in 1253 as a settlement of the Curonians, Bishop Jurgis Tiškevičius had the first Way of the Cross on a calvary in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania built between 1637 and 1639: 19 chapels with 20 stations spread along a route of approximately 7 km, complemented by the Basilica of the Visitation, completed in 1822, which is the destination of the Great Kalvarija pilgrimage every year at the beginning of July. The school opened by the Dominicans in 1644 counted Simonas Daukantas and Motiejus Valančius among its pupils. Plateliai preserves the site of the manor house and its park, whilst Beržoras and Godeliai retain their traditional settlement layout; the poet Vytautas Mačernis was born in Šarnelė. In the Plokštinė forest lies the former Soviet missile base, which came into service on 31 December 1962: between 1963 and 1978, it housed four R-12 medium-range ballistic missiles in underground silos. Abandoned in 1978 and handed over to the park management in 1993, it has housed an exhibition on the Cold War since 2012.
The range of hiking trails comprises 11 signposted routes ranging in length from 1 km to 24 km, mainly centred around Lake Plateliai. The circular cycle route around the lake is 24 km long and passes through Plateliai, Beržoras, the headwaters of the Babrungas and the Plokštinė Forest. On the western shore, the 4.1 km Šeirės nature trail, a circular route, passes through the forest of the same name and the Gaudupis peat bog, with a 1.4 km section accessible to people with mobility impairments; on the eastern shore lie the Paplatelė (2.3 km) and Plokštinė (3 km) trails. In the south-western section, a 16.6 km walking and cycling route connects the lakes of Ilgis, Beržoras and Plateliai, whilst in the northern section, short themed trails lead to the sacred hill of Mikytai (1 km), theGardai esker (1 km) and the Gegrėnai hill forts (1.6 km). The observation towers at Siberija and Cidabras Hill, and the viewing point overlooking Lake Plateliai, complete the network. Non-motorised boating is permitted on the lake.
Information
General information
Type: National Park (nacionalinis parkas)
Year of establishment: 1991 (Resolution No. I-1244 of the Supreme Council – Reconstituent Seimas, 23 April 1991)
Management body: Žemaitija National Park Directorate (Žemaitijos nacionalinio parko direkcija), Plateliai
Supervisory body: State Service for Protected Areas under the Ministry of theEnvironment of the Republic of Lithuania
Area: 217.54 km²
Lowest elevation: 100 m
Highest elevation: 191.8 m
Highest point: 191.8 m –
Country: Lithuania
Counties: Telšiai – Klaipėda
Municipalities covered: Plungė – Skuodas
Official website: https://zemaitijosnp.lt