Anykščiai
Aukštaitija
Utena County
Why visit Anykščiai
Anykščiai is a town in north-eastern Lithuania, at the confluence of the Šventoji and Anykšta rivers. VLE states that in 2023 it had 8,638 residents. It is the centre of Anykščiai District Municipality, elderate, and parish, long known as a summer resort and, by the twentieth century, one of the region's most popular tourism destinations.
The town's appeal comes from a mix few Lithuanian places have in one compact area: literary heritage, a living narrow-gauge railway, and rich nature and leisure infrastructure. The famous Anykščių šilelis pine forest spreads along the south-western edge, while the river confluence and hilly relief give the town a distinctive character.
Writers Konstantinas Sirvydas, Antanas Baranauskas, Jonas Biliūnas, and Antanas Vienuolis lived or worked in Anykščiai and its surroundings. For that reason the town is often called a land of writers, and this memory is visible in museums, monuments, and even local institution names.
Anykščių šilelis, the canopy walk, and Puntukas
Anykščių šilelis is the pine forest celebrated in the nineteenth century by Antanas Baranauskas in the poem "Anykščių šilelis", one of the first Lithuanian nature poems. A walk in the forest works like an introduction to the whole Anykščiai region, joining literature with living nature.
The forest contains the Tree Canopy Walk, a nature trail at treetop height with an observation tower that lets visitors see the pine forest from an unusual perspective. It is one of the region's most visited sites and is especially attractive for families with children.
In the same forest lies Puntukas, one of Lithuania's largest stones, a boulder that legends say was brought by the devil or a glacier. In 1943 sculptor Bronius Pundzius carved a bas-relief of pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas and an excerpt from their testament into the stone, so Puntukas became both a natural monument and a place of memory.
The narrow-gauge railway and literary heritage
A narrow-gauge railway was laid through Anykščiai in 1898 as part of the Panevėžys-Švenčionys connection. Today it survives as living heritage: in summer, a narrow-gauge train, affectionately called the Siaurukas, carries tourists. Anykščiai station, its water tower, and the old railway bridge over the Šventoji recall the late nineteenth-century construction period.
The literary face of the region is preserved by the A. Baranauskas and A. Vienuolis Memorial Museum. Its core is A. Baranauskas' granary, a small wooden storehouse where, according to tradition, the poem "Anykščių šilelis" was written. It is one of the oldest memorial objects in Lithuania.
Near Anykščiai, in Niūronys village, the Horse Museum presents the horse's place in Lithuanian life and farming. It pairs naturally with literary routes, because these surroundings are connected with Antanas Baranauskas' home region.
The town church, museums, and Anykščiai wine
The main landmark in the centre is the Neo-Gothic twin-towered Church of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, completed in 1909 and known for some of the highest church towers in Lithuania. One tower has a viewing platform with views over the town and the Šventoji valley. A monument to Antanas Baranauskas stands nearby.
Anykščiai is also known for winemaking. A wine company began operating in the town in 1926, and berry and fruit wine became a kind of local brand. Exhibitions and tastings connected with Anykščių vynas introduce this tradition.
For active leisure, Anykščiai offers Kalita Hill with tracks, Šventoji nature trails, and cycling routes in the regional park, so culture, nature, and recreation are easy to combine in one visit.
Practical tips: how to get there and when to visit
Anykščiai sits at an important road junction, with roads leading toward Panevėžys, Rokiškis, Molėtai, and Ukmergė, so it is easy to reach by car from Vilnius, Kaunas, or Panevėžys. In summer, the narrow-gauge railway can also become part of travel to or around the area.
Most attractions, including the canopy walk, narrow-gauge train, museums, and church-tower viewpoint, are most active in the warm season, so the best period is May to October. Golden autumn in Anykščių šilelis is especially photogenic.
Tickets are usually needed for the canopy walk, tower viewpoint, narrow-gauge train, and museums, and on popular days it is worth booking places or checking opening hours in advance. In the forest and near Puntukas, stay on marked paths and protect both the natural and memorial heritage.
