Nature on two scales
The nature trail in Jomantai Forest features 23 information boards and seven rest areas. It is four kilometres long; allowing time to read the information and complete the crossword afterwards, the full route takes around three hours. This makes the trail an activity in its own right rather than a short detour: reading the boards and doing the crossword are also part of the time commitment.
The Germantas Landscape Reserve offers a different focus. It covers 924 hectares and protects a landscape typical of the Middle Samogitian Upland, with lakes, forests, streams and marshes. On the nature trail, the route, information boards and crossword set the framework; in Germantas, the area and its varied landscape features shape the experience. There are also walking and cycling paths along the shore of Lake Mastis—another way to experience nature on foot or by bike.
Museums offering different perspectives
The Bear Museum in Telšiai houses more than 5,837 bears and teddy bears. The collection includes items made from different materials and in a variety of sizes and shapes. Its theme is clearly defined yet diverse: the materials and forms alone offer different points of interest.
The Mažeikiai Museum preserves and presents the history, archaeology and ethnography of the Žemaitija region, as well as works of folk art. Its permanent exhibition, “Naftos kelias” (“The Path of Oil”), focuses on something different: it covers the extraction and processing of petroleum products, the products made and their uses, as well as the history of the Mažeikiai oil refinery. Regional and industrial history thus sit side by side in one museum.
The Viekšniai Pharmacy Museum offers a more narrowly focused historical perspective: it is Lithuania’s only museum of a rural pharmacy dating from the 19th to the 20th century. The pharmacist’s living quarters have been preserved, along with the complete history of the pharmacy, written entirely by hand. Compared with the Mažeikiai Museum’s broad range of topics, this place focuses on a single institution and its history.
The exhibitions of Žemaitija National Park also explore a range of topics. The exhibition in Plateliai presents the history of Plateliai Manor, as well as the region’s Samogitian ethnography and nature. The visitor centre exhibition “Keliaukime aplink Platelių ežerą” (“Let’s Travel Around Lake Plateliai”) explores the formation of Lake Plateliai, its underwater relief and its underwater world. Water activities, places in the park open to visitors and nature trails are also among the exhibition topics.
Manors, parks and cultural history
The Žemaitija Art Museum is located in Plungė Manor Palace. It presents cultural heritage reflecting the history of Plungė Manor and the Oginski family. The museum is open and has seasonal opening hours; check the hours in effect for your planned visit before you go.
A museum exhibition in the restored 19th-century Renavas Manor complex offers insights into Lithuanian manor culture. At the 19th-century Rietavas Manor Park, picturesque ponds, islands and old trees are part of the grounds. The park is a place for walks, relaxation and learning about the manor’s history. Manor history can thus be encountered both in an exhibition and in a park landscape.
In Varniai, Telšiai District, the Samogitian Diocese Museum is housed in the historic buildings of the Samogitian seminary. It is a department of the Alka Museum. The Kuliai Regional Museum offers another way to explore local history: a short visit gives you the chance to learn about the town’s history, way of life and notable people. The examples differ in scale—from one place and its notable figures to historic institutions and manor culture.
The Cold War exhibition is housed in a former underground Soviet ballistic missile launch complex. This adds a site connected with more recent history to the region’s local, religious and manor history.
Lithuania in a wider cultural context
At the broader destination level of Lithuania, the Vilnius Historic Centre, inscribed in 1994, and Modernist Kaunas: Architecture of Optimism, 1919–1939, inscribed in 2023, are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Also at the national level, the Baltic Song and Dance Celebration takes place every four years, bringing together thousands of performers for song and dance. If this event is relevant to your travel plans, check the dates for the edition taking place.
Discover more destinations: Plungė, Mažeikiai, Telšiai, Gečaičiai, Plateliai, Varniai, Ubiškė, Luokės Seniūnija, Rapaliai, Mažeikių rajono savivaldybė, Telšių rajono savivaldybė, Rietavo savivaldybė, Plungės rajono savivaldybė.
For the broader travel overview: Lithuania.
