Anykščiai: Toboggan Run, Views and Museums
Accommodation in Anykščiai
A distinctive winter attraction in Anykščiai is the toboggan run on Kalitos kalnas, which can also be used in summer. There is also a viewpoint in a church tower, a nearby observation tower and museums with a range of collections. When choosing where to stay, you can weigh up outdoor activities, panoramic views and culture as separate interests.
Tobogganing on Kalitos kalnas
Kalitos kalnas has a 500-metre-long, two-track toboggan run. It is Lithuania’s first two-track toboggan run and can be used in both summer and winter. This makes tobogganing a specific activity option in either season. Its length and two-track design give the attraction a clear identity, distinct from the viewpoints and museum visits.
Views from the church tower and nearby
The right-hand tower of Šv. Mato bažnyčia contains a viewing platform at a height of 33 metres. There are 186 steps to climb. From the platform, you can take in the panorama of the area around Anykščiai and learn more about the church’s history and origins. The viewpoint thus combines a precisely measured climb with historical context about the church building.
The Medžių lajų takas in the nearby village of Dvaronys offers a different kind of view. The path is 300 metres long and rises steadily to 21 metres above the ground. At the end stands an observation tower with a platform at a height of 34 metres. The routes to the viewpoints differ: at the church, you climb stairs; on the Medžių lajų takas, the path ascends to the tower.
You can distinguish between the two viewing experiences by their structures, rather than simply comparing the height figures. At the church tower, the climb up the stairs goes hand in hand with the church’s history; on the path in Dvaronys, the steady ascent and the tower at the end provide the setting for the view. The information about the path and platform gives you specific details about the length and elevation profile.
Museums with different focuses
The Siauruko Museum displays the “Škoda” steam locomotive “Kukuška” and other narrow-gauge railway vehicles. There are also things to try: visitors can test a working handcar and a rail-running tricycle. The exhibits to look at are thus complemented by two working vehicles that visitors can try out themselves.
The Antano Baranausko klėtelė preserves and displays authentic furniture, everyday objects and books belonging to Antanas Baranauskas and his family. The Antano Žukausko-Vienuolio Memorial House Museum has a different focus: it preserves the writer’s authentic domestic and creative world. The two houses therefore offer different starting points for a museum visit—one through specific objects from family life, the other through the domestic and creative surroundings of a writer.
The Angelų muziejus focuses on angels as a collection theme. The collection includes more than a hundred angels in various forms, including painted, wooden, ceramic and glass figures. The different materials and styles of depiction clearly distinguish this focus from the railway vehicles and personal belongings in the memorial houses.
This gives you a straightforward way to choose: narrow-gauge railway vehicles and exhibits you can try out take centre stage at the Siauruko Museum; the memorial houses preserve objects and ways of life, while the Angelų muziejus features a variety of angels. You can choose cultural destinations according to the subject that interests you most.
Discover more destinations: Ignalina.
For the broader travel overview: Utena County.
