10 Aukštaitija National Park Facts

Aukštaitija National Park Facts

Aukštaitija National Park Facts

  1. Aukštaitija National Park is a national park in north-eastern Lithuania, about 100 km north of Vilnius.
  2. Aukštaitija National Park was established in 1974, it is the oldest of the five national parks in Lithuania.
  3. The park covers 410.56 km². Ignalina district municipality controls about 50% of the area.
  4. Sixty-four species of plant, eight species of fungus and 48 species of bird found in the park are included in Lithuania’s Red book. The park is famous for its biodiversity: 59% of all plant species in Lithuania can be found in the park, which covers less than 1% of Lithuania.
  5. One hundred and twenty-six lakes are scattered among the woods and hills. Many are interconnected by rivulets and streams and are popular for kayaking.
  6. There are 116 villages in the park with about 2300 residents. The first villages are mentioned in the 14th century
  7. Aukštaitija National Park was first named as Lithuanian SSR National Park to emphasize that it was the first such park in the republic, however, in 1991 four other parks were established and were named after ethnographic regions of Lithuania. The park was also renamed after the region. 
  8. 70 per cent of the Aukštaitija National Park is covered by woods and 80% of the woods are pine stands, which can reach 200 years old. 
  9. In 2010 authorities of Aukštaitija National Park and Labanoras Regional Park merged. Headquarters are located in Palūšė, Ignalina dst.
  10. One of the most famous sights in the Park is Ladakalnis hill, from the top of which six lakes can be seen. It is a geomorphological monument.
Aukštaitija National Park Facts
Aukštaitija National Park Facts