Winter joy in Lithuania: where to hike and ski

Lithuania and skiing? Sadly or not but we do not have the Alps for skiing and incredible beautiful mountains for hiking. However, in Lithuania, the winter sports are alive and becoming more and more popular nowadays. We used to have very snowy and cold winters, but not any longer. Anyway, there are some weeks during the winter when Lithuania is full of snow and has a temperature of -30 °C, and believe me, those kinds of winters in Lithuania are the best. With various activities and beautiful views, Lithuania can be a country of winter sports as well. So, here is a short winter joy guide on where to hike and ski in Lithuania.

Skiing resorts in Lithuania

Let's start our story with the Snow Arena in Druskininkai - an artificial indoor skiing resort. It is good to know that this resort is open all year long. However, during the winter, the Snow Arena opens the outdoor tracks as well. So, in total, they have two indoor and two outdoor downhill skiing tracks. Also, in this arena, you can find the Snow Park, an area full of various, and every month new, types of figures for making skiing performances. Also, the Snow Arena is located in a very beautiful SPA town of Lithuania Druskininkai, so it is the perfect opportunity to escape from the loud cities.

I do not know many capitals in Europe with their own skiing resorts, but luckily Vilnius has one. Liepkalnis, a ski park in Vilnius has nine tracks with a total of 2,6 kilometers and also the snow park with 20-30 different obstacles. Like the Snow Arena, the Liepkalnis also has the artificial snow, so there is no need to wait for the real one. The Liepkalnis has long working hours and comparatively low prices, plus it is possible to reach this place by Vilnius city public transport. As it is near the airport while skiing it is possible to enjoy beautiful views of getting off planes.

One more ski resort in Lithuania - Kalita ski resort,  is located in a cozy Anykščiai town, in the eastern part of Lithuania. For skiing and snowboarding, there are 300 meters of slops available. The main skiing area is 250 meters long, and the height difference is around 40 meters.  

Hiking in Aukštaitija National Park

The most mountainous region of Lithuania is its eastern part with the beautiful Aukštaitija National Park in front. Deep and long forest with the narrow walking paths can be the best winter activity. As there are various types of paths - more complicated and more easier ones, there is no needed to be scared of getting lost. Also, all the paths have the orientational signs and rest places. The Aukštaitija National Park management is providing the maps and all additional information. So, it is the best place in the whole Lithuania for a nice and easy Saturday's hike.

One more important thing that cannot be missed while visiting Aukštaitija National Park is Anykščiai Treetop Walking Path. It is located in an authentic and famous Anykščiai town pinewood. It is 300 meters long and going up to 21 meters in height. The highest part of the path is the 34-meter-high tower. The history of this pinewood and walking path is lovely. One of our most famous Lithuanian 19th-20th-century poet, who was in love with the Anykščiai region, wrote a poem about the pinewood of Anykščiai. There, he describes all the feelings, sounds and views in the pinewood. Those famous words from the poem - to hear, to smell, to see - are written in the 13 stops of this walking path together with other quotations from this poem. The Anykščiai Treetop Walking Path is an incredibly beautiful place during the summer, but during the winter time, when everything is covered by fluffy snow, it is hard to find the words to describe the views. You need to check it by yourself.

The winter can be the most beautiful time of the year, and Lithuania, full of interesting cities and incredibly rich nature, can be the best winter destination. Since you know now that in Lithuania is also possible to hike and ski, there are no doubts left that it is a perfect time to feel the joy of winter here** **as well.