ZEMAITIJA NATIONAL PARK

Zemaitija National Park was founded in 1991. It is in the north western part of Lithuania, about 45 km to east from the Baltic sea. The area makes up 20 thousand of hectares: forests cover 9800 hectares, waters - 1860 hectares, wetlands - 960. Valleys, bushes, cultivated soil make up the rest ofthe area. The main aims of the park are:

to preserve the Plateliai lake system and the nature,
to take care of the cultural values in Zemaiciu Kalvarija, Berzoras, Plateliai and other places, to restore thedestroyed ones,
to form the diversity of ecosystems, to make better conditions for endangered species of flora and fauna,
to develop recreational activities, first of all, through cognitive tourism.

IN OUR PARK YOU CAN

- have a good rest

- play sports games near summer hotels; on play grounds, gymnasium in Plokstines hostel(football, etc.);

- ride a horse, go by water bikes, windsurfings and yachts. You can hire these things in the yacht-club in Plateliai;

- hike and take part in tourist trips by cars, bicycles and riding the horses, too. All information is available in the Park; the rent of tourist implements - in Plateliai, Plokstines hostel, Zemaiciu Kalvarija;

- fish. You can get a permission in the administrative centre, at the hostel, campings and try your luck;

- hunt. If you want to go for hunting, you must pay the tax, get a permission from the hunting centre;

- visit museums of traditional woodcarved sculptures in Godeliai, Babrungenai, church art in Berzoras, literature museum in Bukante, Sarnele, historical sites in Plateliai, Zemaiciu Kalvarija;

- go on excursions, where you`ll be able to gain some expierence about the wild nature life, historical and ethnic culture of Samogitia, visit museums, architecturical, natural, fine art, arheological monuments, etc;

- take part in Samogitia Festivals and Rites: a the beginning of summer - folk art festival; the festival of Rasa (is on the 22-23d of June; at the beginning of Jule there is a Church festival in Zemaiciu Kalvarija (thousands of people come here and pray, sing ancient Church songs and visit chapels, which were built 350 years ago) and a swimming competition across the Plateliai lake (3 km); Shrove - tide carnival in February.

FUNCTIONAL ZONES IN ZEMAITIJA NATIONAL PARK

The park is divided into 90 territorial zones, the further development of which is organized according to the project.

These zones fall into 12 groups: 1 - Nature reserve (Urwald). 2 -Urban reserve of Zemaiciu Kalvarija. 3 - Nature partial reserves. 4 - Cultural reserves. 5 - Preserved areas of cultural values. 6 - Recreational summer home area. 7 - Rural recreation area. 8 - Green recreational area. 9 - Agroparks. 10 - Settlements. 11 - Protected forest area. 12 - Agricultural area.

THE PARK`S NATURE

The relief of the national park was formed by the glaciers some 10-12 thousand years ago. There you can find a great variety of hills, valleys and lowlands of different origin. Several hills rise over 150-200 m above sea level, and they cover the greatest part of the national park. Because of big amaunt of precipitation, hollows, formed by glacier, turned into lakes and marshes. The lakes cover more than 7% of the territory. The biggest is the Plateliai Lake (1205 ha, 47 m depth). In the area of the park one can find 20 more smaller lakes. Elks, Red - deers, Roes, Wild - boars, european and mountain Hares, Lynxes, Wolfes, Foxes, Badgers, Raccon Dogs, Martens, Squirels, Otters, Beavers, American Minks and little rodents are common in the forests of ZNP. There are about 163 species of birds, 23 of them are migratory birds. 134 species of birds nest in the park. There are some rare birds: Black-throuted Diver, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey, Red-breasted Merganser, Montague`s Harrier, Curlew, Tengmlms Owl, Black Stork, Black Grouse. Perches, roaches, breams, pikes, tenches, crusian carps live in the lakes. There are some kinds of rare salmon fishes (Coregonus lavaretus holstatus Thienemams platelensis, Coregonus albula L.), eel and other fishes. In some rivers and lakes you can find crawfishes. Fir groves (spruce, pine) dominate in the Park. But you can see oak - woods among them. There are rather large areas of berries - bilberries, cranberries, bog whortleberries and so on.

ETHNOGRAPHICAL VALUES

The Zemaitija National Park contains many agricultural territories with a great amount of unique monuments, reflecting ethnocultural heritage of the very early population up to our days. There live Zemaiciai (Samogitian`s), making a separate ethnic and cultural group of Lithuanian nation, with peculiar dialect, traditions, characteristic features, original architecture.

In the ZNP there are 30 arheological monuments (stone century camps, mounds, old cemeteries castle hills, sacred hills), 29 architectural and 60 monuments of fine art (crosses, chapels, sculptures, paintings), as well as several urban and natural monuments. Especially interesting are Samogitian crosses and wayside shrines, which are built near the roads, synthesis of pagan worship and Chirstianity. Of big value are old wooden Samogitian farm houses. Almost 100 of them were built at the end of 19th century or at the beginning of the 20th and they maintain the features of the century.