Ignalina District Municipality
Aukštaitija
observation platform in a telecommunications tower
55.38113, 25.97431
30-60 minutes
a clear day or early autumn, when Lake Pakasas and the Šiliniškės Ridge are easy to see
Bičiuliai Tower
Šiliniškės Tower: a viewpoint in a telecommunications tower
Šiliniškės Observation Tower is in Aukštaitija National Park, in Ignalina District, on the Šiliniškės Ridge. Saugoma.lt states that it was built in 2004 and is one of the first observation towers in Lithuania.
The site is distinctive because the viewing platform is not in a separate wooden tower but in a 60 m telecommunications tower. Visitors climb to a platform 30 m high, so the view is much higher than from many natural hills.
Lake Pakasas and the Šiliniškės Ridge panorama
Saugoma.lt states that the tower opens a panorama of Lake Pakasas and the surrounding landscape across about 280 degrees. It is one of the easiest places to understand the Šiliniškės Ridge, a long system of lakes, hills, and forests. The ridge itself is surrounded by nine lakes, which is rare in Lithuania.
Nearby Ladakalnis shows the same landscape from a natural hill, while Šiliniškės Tower lets visitors rise higher and see a broader forest mass. Both sites are in the Šiliniškės Landscape Reserve and complement each other well.
The name Bičiuliai Tower
In 2023 the tower was given the name Bičiuliai Tower. Such names matter for more than pleasant communication: they help visitors remember the place and distinguish it from other viewpoints in Aukštaitija National Park.
Even so, it is best to search for both names. Šiliniškės Observation Tower is the more technical and geographical name, while Bičiuliai Tower is the newer symbolic name.
Aukštaitija National Park context
Aukštaitija National Park was established on March 29, 1974, on the initiative of Professor Česlovas Kudaba; it is Lithuania's oldest national park and was originally called the National Park of the Lithuanian SSR. Its area is given as 41,056 ha by VLE or 40,974 ha by Saugoma.lt. The park contains 127 lakes, including Lithuania's deepest, Tauragnas, 62.5 m deep, and Baluošas, known for its islands.
Šiliniškės Tower works well as one of the park's orientation points. From it, it is easier to understand why routes in this region often join not one site but an entire chain of lakes: Ladakalnis, the Ginučiai area, Palūšė, Tauragnas, and other stops.
Visiting tips
During research, official sources did not list a separate opening time or ticket for the tower. Saugoma.lt has a protected-areas visitor ticket, but it should be understood as a support ticket for state parks, not as a separate tower cashier.
The tower is high, so on windy or slippery days you should act carefully, hold the railings, and avoid climbing if prohibition signs are posted on site. The best views come on a clear day, when Lake Pakasas and forest lines are visible without mist.
