Tasting tour: Taste the flavors of Dzūkija – from bandos of Dzūkija to drops of mineral water
Dzūkija region is famous for its rich nature and old customs, which the people living here have kept. The Nemunas is not only the largest and most watery river in Lithuania, but also mostly singed with songs, covered with legends and described by chroniclers since ancient times. The Dzūkians of Panemuniai, who have settled along the banks of the river, will invite you to their guests and share their customs, traditions and dishes.
In a small town, members of the Nemajūnai community will invite you to their homes, where baking educations of Dzūkija bandostake place. Dzūkija bandos are the pride of this region. Among the locals, the Dzūkija herd is a very popular dish mande from potatoes. Baking them requires special preparation and knowledge, and most importantly – a real bakery oven fired with wood. Also patience – Dzūkija bandos bake for a long time. True, you still need cabbage leaves and loving hands of the hostess. You will experience all this and more in this education of Dzūkija herds.
We will travel to an extraordinary place, where the Nemunas, in search of the shortest way to the Baltic Sea, did a lot of sculptural work. The Great Loops of the Nemunas is a unique geological-hydrographic phenomenon not only in Lithuania, but also in Europe. To see all this, we will have to climb to the tallest observation tower in Lithuania, reminiscent of the observation tower of an ancient Lithuanian castle with its architecture. The height of the observation tower is as high as 51 meters, and yet it is built on a high hill. From it we will take a look at the areas of extraordinary beauty and see the bends of the Nemunas River.
We will visit a Lithuanian resort on the bank of the Nemunas – Birštonas. This area has long been famous for its healing properties. Here we will climb Vytautas Hill, admire the architecture of the resort villas – Kurhaus, visit the most hospitable museum of sacred art in Lithuania, which is famous for the most beautiful works of ecclesiastical art.
In Birštonas we will participate in Mineral water education. Birštonas mineral water springs have been known since ancient times. The beginning of the establishment of Birštonas resort is also connected with mineral waters, when in 1846. The doctor of Stakliškės resort Benediktas Bilinskis, interested in Birštonas ‘springs, sent a patient here, who was not helped by Stakliškės’ healing springs, and here the patient took and recovered. During the education we will get acquainted with the old mineral water springs of Birštonas; we will learn about the mineral water springs currently in Birštonas and about the healing properties of mineral water. And, of course, we will taste this magical – mineral water!
One city, but yes, when there are two different banks of the Nemunas, so two different stories – this is how Alytus is the capital of Dzūkija. Here we will climb to the impressive size of Alytus mound, which remembers the times of the castle that defended the country and hides a sad love story. We will visit the Nemunas and the Alytus business card is called the White Rose Bridge. It is the highest pedestrian and bicycle bridge in Lithuania, which is even entered in the Lithuanian record book! Here we will find out why Alytus is still called the city of roses and why, according to Alytus residents, magical frogs live here.
From Alytus we will travel to one of the most famous cities in ancient times Merkinė, which received the rights of Magdeburg from King Jogaila at the same time as our capital. The mound here is mentioned several times in the Crusader chronicles, and legends about the castle standing on its top are still spreading to this day. From this mound we will have a wonderful panorama, with the confluence of two important Dzūkija rivers – the Nemunas and the Merkys.
