- Place
- Merkinė eldership, Varėna District Municipality
- Region
- Dzūkija
- Type
- Dzūkija National Park's birdwatching centre and campsite beside a 2.4 km nature trail between the two Mergelės Akelės lakes
- Address
- The isthmus between the Mergelės Akelės lakes, about 3 km from central Merkinė
- Coordinates
- 54.17315, 24.22286
- Visit duration
- 1.5-2.5 hours for the 2.4 km trail and unhurried birdwatching; the 1.2 km shortcut takes less time, while accommodation is booked separately
- Best time
- early morning in spring or early summer, when birds tend to be more active; the lake-and-forest landscape is worthwhile year-round, but no species sighting is guaranteed
Ornitologijos centras, Mergelės Akelės Ornithology Centre, Birdwatching Centre and Campsite in Merkinė
Search for Ornitologijos centras on the map, then look for the isthmus between two lakes
Google calls the place Ornitologijos centras, or Ornithology Centre, while the park's official pages use fuller descriptions: the birdwatching centre and campsite in Merkinė and the Dzūkija National Park ornithological-tourism centre. They all refer to the same visitor and accommodation site on the narrow isthmus between the Mergelės Akelės lakes, about 3 km from central Merkinė.
The point used on this page, 54.1731465, 24.222863, is the exact Google listing beside the centre rather than an approximate midpoint between the lakes. The official accommodation page also publishes the Lithuanian-grid coordinates 514536, 6004028. As the approach has no clear street address, use the place listing or coordinates and follow park signs for the final section.
On 15 July 2026, the exact Google listing showed 4.5 out of 5 from 11 reviews and marked the place open 24 hours. The small review sample and average can change. Treat the all-day label as information about the outdoor site, not a promise that the centre building, accommodation, or a member of staff is available at any hour.
The 6.4 and 0.9 ha lakes occupy a hollow cut by meltwater about 16,000 years ago
Two contrasting landforms meet at Mergelės Akelės. At the beginning of the trail, the sandy plain of southeastern Lithuania gives way to the sandy-loam and loam slope of the Merkinė moraine ridge, at the edge of the Dzūkija Upland. The park directorate links the gullies in this slope to postglacial meltwater flowing south about 16,000 years ago.
The meltwater cut the hollow in which the Stangė begins. The stream passes through two Mergelės Akelės lakes, 6.4 and 0.9 hectares in area, on its way towards the Nemunas, while a chain of small wetlands lies farther south. The centre stands on the narrow strip of dry land between the waters, making the relationship between lakes, stream, and slopes unusually easy to read.
The official nature trail is 2.4 km long and has a 1.2 km shortcut. The directorate provides a map and GPX file, both worth downloading in advance. Its description does not promise a uniform surface or a step-free route: the walk climbs a slope and crosses gullies and woodland, so conditions should be reassessed after rain or in winter.
Water, reeds, tree holes, and several woodland types support more than 40 bird species
The park directorate says more than 40 bird species can be observed around Mergelės Akelės. Mallards and great crested grebes breed on the lakes, reed buntings and great reed warblers occupy the reedbeds, and goldeneyes and tawny owls nest in holes along the shore. Four woodpecker species are recorded, including three-toed and grey-headed woodpeckers, while black kites sometimes pass overhead in search of prey.
The diversity comes from more than open water. Cool spruce-filled gullies carry mosses and ferns; narrow-leaved anemones flower in the bright pine woods in spring, followed by wild strawberries. The trail also crosses alder carr and a lime stand that is unusual in this part of the country. This quick succession of habitats creates more observation opportunities than one lakeside viewpoint alone.
The species list describes possibilities, not scheduled appearances. Bring binoculars, walk in a small group, speak quietly, and remain on the trail. Do not play recordings to draw birds closer, approach cavities or nests, or enter reedbeds: the centre exists to make observation possible without disturbing the life being watched.
The trail connects First World War graves, Čiurlionis Road sculptures, and a centre opened in 2018
A German military cemetery lies on the slope beside the smaller lake. The park's trail description says that about 130 soldiers killed around Merkinė during the First World War are buried here, alongside unidentified Russian soldiers. This is a memorial site, so keep voices low, do not use unmarked shortcuts between graves, and leave every object in place.
In 1975-1976, for the centenary of artist and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, a group of Čiurlionis Road sculptures was installed by the lakes. The official description names Keturi karaliai, Varpinė, Mąstytojas, and a bench, created by V. K. Savickis, A. Jarutis, A. Viluckis, and K. Neimanis. They are part of the larger artistic route between Senoji Varėna and Druskininkai, not random picnic furniture.
In 2017, Lithuania's Environmental Projects Management Agency announced that the existing lakeside building would be extensively renovated for education rather than scientific-station work. The centre and campsite opened in 2018 through Lithuania-Poland project LT-PL-1R-056, involving the Dzūkija park directorate, the Lithuanian Ornithological Society, and Biebrza National Park. Mergelės Akelės should therefore not be confused with the research station at Ventė Cape.
Accommodation and camping require advance booking, and every published price needs rechecking
The directorate's page, updated on 15 April 2026, lists 15 beds in the centre, a shared kitchen, a large common room, showers, toilets, bedding, and towels. Tents may be pitched in the grounds, and the campsite has ten campervan places. These are bookable services, not indoor facilities that are automatically open to every passing walker.
The same page listed a bed in a single or double room at EUR 24 per person. Its camping section gave EUR 12 per campervan, EUR 5 per person for infrastructure as a visitor ticket, and EUR 2 per tent. Because the list does not explain the charging period or every combination, ask for the final total, inclusions, and cancellation terms before confirming a stay.
Advance registration is published under +370 672 44346 or the email address shown on the directorate's accommodation page. Google shows the same phone number. Prices, contacts, and the scope of services age quickly, so check the official page before a long journey rather than treating any amount here as a permanent offer.
The outdoor trail has no separate ticket-office schedule, but it is not confirmed as fully step-free
The directorate's route description gives no separate trail admission charge, gate, or opening hours, while Google marked the place open 24 hours on 15 July 2026. Even so, make a first visit in daylight, carry the official GPX, and do not expect access to the building without a reservation. Camping and accommodation fees are not fees for walking the 2.4 km trail.
No official confirmation was found that either the complete 2.4 km route or its 1.2 km shortcut is step-free. The slope, erosion gullies, natural woodland tread, roots, and seasonal wetness may obstruct a wheelchair or pushchair. If access is important, phone ahead and ask about the current short circuit, entrance, toilet, and vehicle stopping arrangements.
Allow 1.5-2.5 hours for a normal visit. That leaves time to complete the 2.4 km circuit without rushing, pause beside both lakes, watch birds, and approach the memorial and artworks with care. Bring binoculars, water, closed footwear, and clothing that reduces tick exposure, and carry everything you brought back out of the protected landscape.
