Druskininkai (Belarusian: Druskieniki; Polish: Druskienniki) is a spa town on Neman River in Lithuania, close to the borders to Belarus and Poland.
Geography
The town is located at the Ratnycia River estuary to the Neman River. It is surrounded by a natural forest reserve.
The town is situated in a picturesque landscape with lakes, hills and forests. Druskininkai has a population of nearly 25,000 and dates back as a spa to the 19th century.
History
According to some sources the site of the present-day Druskininkai was inhabitated by local Prussian tribes as early as early Middle Ages. In 13th century the area was conquered by Lithuanians and converted to Christianity. A small castle was built in the area as a part of the defence system against the Teutonic Order. However, the castle was conquered and destroyed in 1308 and soon the area was depopulated.
Related Travel Information
Var?na (Polish: Orany) is a town in Dzukija in Lithuania. It was founded in 1862 by the railway Warsaw - Sankt Peterburg. At that time it was a small settlement, which developed little by little and it became center of district in 1950. Town was rapidly growing and a lot of villagers moved into Varena. Presently there are 12 thousand people living there. Var?na district is the largest and the most covered with forests in Lithuania.
Šilute (Polish: Szy?okarczma, German: Heydekrug) is a city in Klaip?da County in Lithuania, capital of Šilute district municipality. Historically in Klaip?da region and part of Lithuania Minor, in the interwar capital of Šilut? County.
Telšiai (approximate English transcription [t?l(?).??e?], simplified Lithuanian transcription [tel'?ia?]; Polish Telsze) is a town in Lithuania with about 35,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of Telsiai County.
The town is the birthplace of Rolandas Paksas, the former president of Lithuania and Gabriel Narutowicz, the first President of Poland.
Ukmerge (Polish Wi?komierz) is a town in Vilnius County, Lithuania, situated north-west of Vilnius.
Prienai is a town in Lithuania situated on Neman River. In 2001 the town had 11,353 inhabitants. In historical documents Prienai is first mentioned in 1502 when the Grand Duke of Lithuania Alexander I gave this land as a present to the noble Mykolas Glinskis. The Magdeburg rights granted in 1609 began a period of growth in Prienai that continued through the 17th and 18th century. During the years of occupation in World War II, Prienai lost many of its inhabitants. People emigrated or were expelled, while the nazis killed the Jews.
