Biržai District Municipality
Biržai District
observation tower by karst lakes
Area of Kirkilai village, Biržai Regional Park, Biržai District Municipality
56.24900, 24.69100
45-90 minutes
May-October for lake colours and karst-landscape paths
Kirkilai Observation Tower in a karst landscape
Kirkilai Observation Tower stands in Biržai Regional Park, by the Kirkilai karst lakes. It is not only a high point for a panorama: from above it lets visitors see the logic of northern Lithuania's karst relief, where sinkholes fill with water and become small lakes.
Saugoma.lt states that the tower was built in 2015 specifically for observing the karst-lake landscape. From below it reads as a distinctive architectural object, but from the top the main subject is the relief around it.
Height and form
The official Saugoma.lt page gives the tower height as almost 32 m, with the viewing platform at 30 m; VLE specifies 31.7 m and confirms the 2015 date. The construction resembles a canoe or a sinking boat, making it easy to recognise even in photographs.
An amphitheatre is arranged at the base. This practical detail means the tower works not only as stairs upward but also as a place to pause, gather, or begin learning about the Kirkilai lakes area.
Kirkilai karst lakes
Saugoma.lt writes that the tower view opens toward about 30 water-filled sinkholes called the Kirkilai karst lakes. It is one of the clearest Biržai karst views: small collapses, water, islets, shore plants, and the flat northern Lithuanian horizon.
The colour and visibility of the lakes depend on season, sun, water level, and vegetation. It is worth coming not only for the tower but also for a slower walk around the lakes.
Kirkilai lakes and Biržai karst
In the Biržai region, karst is linked with the dissolution of underground gypsum layers. When underground cavities can no longer support the cover above, the ground collapses and sinkholes form. Some remain dry; others fill with water. VLE states that Biržai Regional Park was established in 1992 to protect this unique, constantly changing northern Lithuanian karst landscape; the park covers 14,406 ha.
Cow Cave shows a sinkhole from inside, while Kirkilai Tower shows the same process as a landscape from above. That is why the two places are worth visiting together if you want to understand the whole Biržai karst theme rather than one object.
How to visit
Saugoma.lt lists asphalt surfacing, outdoor toilets, and leisure areas at the object. It is a fairly convenient stop, but climbing the tower still requires caution: it can be windy at height, and stairs may be slippery after rain or frost.
A good sequence is to climb first, orient yourself to the lakes, then descend and walk toward them. From above you understand the form; below, you sense the scale of water, shores, and sinkholes.
What to see nearby
Kirkilai Tower combines best with Cow Cave, Biržai Regional Park visitor information, and other karst-relief objects. If your trip is focused on the Biržai region, this stop helps you see nature not merely as a background to the castle or town, but as its own subject.
For photography, clear but not overly harsh light works best. From the tower the arrangement of the lakes is visible; from below, include the tower's shape itself, because it has become a local sign.
