LT2, Part 3a. Semeliškės-Kaišiadorys-Rumšiškės-Kaunas
The Northern route is shorter and therefor the more popular (because faster).
It has the advantage that you can get on a train in Žąsliai, Kaišiadorys or Pravieniškės and get to Kaunas more quickly
Map:
download this route as .gpx file
(maybe you have to click the right mouse bottom choosing the option “save link as ..”)
https://velovilnius.lt/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/gpx/LT2_3a_Semeliskes_Rumsiskes_Kaunas(Pazaislis).gpx
Route:
Semeliškės-Elektrėnai-Žąsliai-Kaišiadorys-Rumšiškės-Pravieniškės-…-Palemonas – Pažaislis
Sights
Elektrėnai
Kaišadorys?
Rumšiškės – National Ethnografic Museum
Trakai – Semeliškės – Elektrėnai – Bačkonys
Route:
Trakai (See Totoriškiai / Totoriškių ežeras)– 5 – Jovariškės – 7 – Padvarionys – 4 – Daugirdiškės – 8 – Semeliškės – 7 – Pastrėvys – 6 – Naujosios Kietaviškės –6- Liutonys –2-
– 53 km (darunter 15 km nicht asphaltiert)
Bačkonys – Žiežmariai – Rumšiškės – Pažaislis
Route
– 1 – Bačkonys –6- Žiežmariai –7- Būbliai –2- Bijautonys –3- Rusonys –8- Rumšiškės –3- Pravieniškės I –2- Pravieniškės II –8- Neveronys –3 Palemonas- 5- Pažaislis –1- 43 km (nicht asphaltiert 21 km)
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Semeliškės
The old part of Semeliškės is an urbanistic monument that started to form in 13-14th centuries and the process lasted till the end of the 19th century. It is thought that many elements of the town are authentic as there is no data that they would have been changed (the only thing that changed is the shape of the square). Both cult buildings (catholic church and orthodox church – cerkvė) are not standing out of the general view. Moreover, the church does not have a tower. Semeliškės centre volumetric composition is unique because of the wooden houses, preserving architecture elements typical to Eastern Lithuania.
Sightseeing: Bagdononiai mound, an old part of Semeliškės.
Elektrėnai
At the shores of old Anykšta, Puikinas, Jagudžis and few smaller lakes people settled already in the Stone Age. From the 14th century surroundings belonged to Trakai Duchy, from 1413- Trakai administrational unit. The old roads were crossing these places and an often visitor here was German Teutonic Order. In 1348 m. about fifteen km from the current Elektrėnai town, at Strėva, a big battle took place, many people have died, among them one of Gediminas sons named Narimantas.
In 1960 it was decided to build Elektrenai power plant of 1800 MW. After damming up Strėva River, in 1961 water began to rise and poured eight lakes. The old islands were covered by water, among them a famous Strorks’ island, where was the biggest colony of white storks in all the Europe. Thus, new islands appeared. Today the lagoon takes the area of 1240 ha, the deepest place reaches 30 metres. Lithuanian plant has four 300 MW and four 150 MW power energy blocs.
During recent years in the centre of the town there is a new Maria the Queen of martyrs church is built. (Architect H.Šilgalis), which because of the bad construction has been ruined by storm.
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Kaunas Lagoon Regional Park
Founded in 1992 in order to prevent Kaunas Lagoon natural ecosystem and cultural heritage. Water of Kaunas Lagoon is 44 meter above the sea level; the highest place is in Pastrėvis forest – 93 m above the sea level. The deepest point in the lagoon – 22 m. Park is very interesting because of enormous variety of dendroflora, foresters from their dendroparks have removed many unique local and foreign plants, trees, bushes at the lagoon coastline. As the result of active erosion the coastline is full of picturesque slopes and rock exposures.
The most famous places in the RP on the northern Kaunas Lagoon shore:
Pažaislis oak tree – the biggest trunk in Kaunas districts, growing at Pažaislis cloister fence (size– 6,7 m, height – 23 m, age – about 800 years);
Vieškūnai mound;
Pažaislis park and architecture ensemble;
Pakalniškiai mound.
Rumšiškes
Miniature of ancient Lithuania – Rumšiškės. In the area under the open sky there are 140 farmsteads – cottages, preserving an architecture and composition of old Lithuanian villages. Expositions inside the houses are telling about the daily life of our ancestors. World famous open-air folk museum is an interesting and colourful Lithuanian folk culture, architecture, and art and daily life overview.
Rumšiškės is settled on the right Kaunas lagoon bank, at Praviena stream. Town was made famous by the folk museum opened in 1974. It is ethnographical miniature Lithuania, excursion to not distant, but already forgotten past. In the museum is exposed peasant’s mode of life in 18th – beginning of 20th centuries, life is being reconstructed with original things and surroundings from their daily life.
Exposition is divided into four sectors (accordingly four ethnographic regions of Lithuania): Aukštaitija /Highlanders, Dzūkija, Suvalkija and Žemaitija/Samogitia, Lowlanders. At every of them there are typical to the region houses, complexes of ancient farmsteads. Interior of the houses is decorated as in the older times with flax tablecloths, towels, and bed cloths.
Excursion routes leads to an old styled country café spreading inviting and tasty aromas. You just can’t pass by. Sightseeing: Rumšiškės church, A.Baranauskas monument, Rumšiškės pine tree, Karčiupis oak tree.
Pažaislis
Pažaislis cloister ensemble – is one of the most beautiful baroque style buildings ensembles not only in Lithuania (17-18th centuries), but also in all northeastern Europe also holding landscape architecture reservation status. Ensemble devoted to Camaldues monastery was built in 17th century, under the lead of masters from Florence (Michelangelo Palloni, Joan Merli, Pietro Perti). In summer time Pažaislis music festival takes place here. Complex of buildings is composed from baroque church, monastery corpuses, grand arch gates, forestorium, oficins, eremit houses, dwells, tower, other smaller buildings. Buildings of ensemble are decorated with 140 frescoes of various sizes; compositions are completed with stucco mouldings. Monastery is famous from the old times because of the painting that believers consider to be sacred.