Tytuvėnai Regional Park

Tytuvėnai Regional Park was established in 1992 to preserve the hilly, swampy, laky landscape and the historical Šiluva and Tytuvėnai urban monuments in Lithuania. Visitor center is located at Tytuvėnai, Miško g. - 3.

Territory

The park is situated in Raseiniai, Radviliškis and Kelme district junction in the middle west of Lithuania, Šiauliai county, Samogitia. Park area - 18 159 ha (114,30 km2) of which 45,4 % forests, 10,7 % wetlands, 1,9% lakes, 42% other territories.

Tytuvėnai regional park territory

Landscape

Expressive hilly, lake and swampy landscape are the part of ice age heritage. Wavy hilly plains turn into lowlands, forming massive peatbogs. Viscous forests of Užpelkiai are located in a place of ice age lagoon, graceful sand hills and rocky pine forests. Spacious wetlands here are called Tyruliai.

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  Brivaišis lake viewed from the castle hill
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  Bridvaišis in autumn
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  Bridvaišis viewed from a small bridge
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  Gilius lake on a summer evening evening
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  E. Damaševičiaus alley in winter
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  Road toward Bridvaišis in autumn
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  Tytuvėnai regional park landscape
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  Tytuvėnai regional park landscape from above

Inanimate nature

Expressive hills, deep ravines, huge elongated hollows of swamps and lakes (Bridvaišis, Gilius, Apušis and Gauštvinis). Only in Lithuania one can find unique stone banks, formed from glaciers, which are called ‘rūžomis‘ by the locals.

Nature

Next to Gauštvinis lake there is an abundance of humid bog forests, which are populated by rare species of plants and animals. Very diversified landscape results in high biological diversity of the park: bogs, boggy lakes, operating peatlands, dry hills, overgrown by pines and dark firs.

Cultural heritage

The most famous cultural object in Tytuvenai is the church and monastery architectural ensemble from the 17th century. Spacious yard, surrounded by closed Lithuanian gallery, with a chapel with steps in the center, by which those who come to pray go up. In a monastery in authentic monks’ cells lots of fresco paintings are made. Splendid chapel of Šiluva is built upon the project of well-known architect Antanas Vivuliškis. Here there is also an attractive old market square with several old wooden houses surrounding it. There are lots of pagan memorials like Bridvaišis, Šiauleliai, Pašakarnėlis and Kudinis castle hills, Kuršis, Debeikis, Rinkšelis tumuluses (burial mounds), as well as former shrine of pagans – Saint Jurgis Hill.

Inside Tytuvėnai church

References

Official website in English