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Latest Druskininkai hotel reviews
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The Grutas sculpture park is the sort of endearingly outlandish experience that reminds me exactly why I so love visiting the former Eastern Bloc! Everything about Grutas is bizarre - from the 86 Soviet era sculptures on display (salvaged from across the country to avoid them being melted down as scrap metal) to the background of its founder, Viliumas Malinauskas, whose previous claim to fame was as a wrestler-turned-mushroom-mogul.
As the park's website says, the aim of the exhibition is: "Taking the 'idols' off the pedestal, changing the location and status of the exhibiting of the monuments, and using a special exhibition technique and additional aids have substantially altered the ideological content of the monumental sculptures. The Grûtas Park exposition discloses the negative content of the Soviet ideology and its impact on the value system. The aim of this exposition is to provide an opportunity for Lithuanian people, visitors coming to our country as well as future generations to see the naked Soviet ideology which suppressed and hurt the spirit of our nation for many decades". So now you know.
The sculpture in the park is absolutely outstanding - big, beefy monumental art on a heroic scale, designed to inspire the proletarian masses to strive towards the noble Soviet ideal. Even though the subject matter may be distinctly dodgy, there is no doubt that it is stunning artwork, and combined with the beautiful woodland setting, it is a place to linger and ponder on previous social orders. An added bonus is that all exhibits on display in the park are captioned in English as well as Lithuanian - something that you cannot always rely on in this part of the world. The park extends over a 40ha area, and the trail that takes you past the sculpture is about 2km long with a flat even surface that is both wheelchair and pushchair friendly.
Once you have admired the sculpture and worked your way through the fascinating museum (full of Soviet propaganda), it's time to repair to the restaurant, where you can choose between the 'ordinary' menu and the 'nostalgia' menu, which draws its 'inspiration' from Soviet-era catering. The choice is yours and largely depends on whether you want a reasonable meal, or whether you are enough of a zealot to want to inflict the full Soviet experience on yourself (in which case you'll need to plan to eat later)!
One word of warning: the park is located by a lake in the wetlands of the Dzukija National Park. This sounds scenic but is a mixed blessing, as when we visited (July 2005), the midges were absolutely vicious. Despite having lived in both Africa and Australia, I had never imagined that insects could be so aggressive, and they so bothered our small daughter (two at the time) that we had to leave earlier than planned to get her away from the "zzzzes". So, if you go in summer, make sure that you cover up and go equipped with heavy duty insect repellent.
In my opinion, this is one of Lithuania's absolute 'must dos': there is heaps of stuff to keep you happily occupied, so I would suggest that you budget at least half a day. The parkland setting means that it is a good place for families: even if your kids decide to clamber over the sculpture, take comfort in the fact that it's a lot better than what most Lithuanians had planned for the statues after the fall of the Iron Curtain! There is apparently also a playground and a small petting zoo, although by this point we were too preoccupied with fleeing the 'zzzzes' to investigate. I would recommend that you stop off at the souvenir shop to peruse the range of 'ostalgia' - imagine Russian mitilary insignia, toy Trabants and CDs by the massed male voice choir of Ball Bearing Factory No.5 and you'll be on the right track ...
Updated Oct 3, 2011
Website: http://www.grutoparkas.lt/index-en.htm
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The Russian Orthodox church in Druskininkai is so perfect that you wonder whether you have wandered into the illustration from a fairytale. The proportions of the church are exquisite and the powder blue exterior is unexpected as the church slowly emerges into view between the surrounding trees. As with many orthodox churches, the interior is surprisingly small but highly ornate, and the overall effect is like stepping inside a jewel box.
Although less than 10% of the Lithuanian population is ethnic Russian, the number of orthodox churches serve as a reminder of the close cultural links between Russia and Lithuania and the eastward-looking focus of the communist era.
Updated Aug 16, 2011
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Druskininkai is perhaps Lithuania's best known spa town and has a pervasive air of privelege. Although we didn't have time to visit the spa or water park, we did have the chance to drive around town and admire the beautiful summer houses that were built to accommodate the rich and convalescent.
During the early part of the 20th century, Druskininkai was a popular summer retreat for middle class tourists from Vilnius, Warsaw and Moscow, and after the Second World War, was hugely popular with tourists from the Soviet union who came to take the waters at the spa and associated sanatoria. It experienced a dip in popularity after the fall of the Soviet Union, but has had a resurgence in recent years due to the construction of a water park and other tourist attractions such as the Grutas sculpture park (see my travel tip).
Most of the houses are wooden, and the intricate decorations on eaves and gables are gorgeous. Some of the carving is so delicate that it almost looks like filigree and it seems astonishing that it would stand up to the harsh weather conditions. However, maintaining such houses must be a labour of love, and I for one certainly won't be volunteering to sand them down for repainting!
Updated Aug 16, 2011
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This palace was built at beginning of XX century and now it houses museum of Druskininkai city. I think it could be visited, as I heard that interior looks nice too and it has good exhibition inside. As we have been to Druskininkai only for a bit less than one day, we haven't managed to see it. It is worth to see this palace both with church from another side of Druskonis lake.
Updated Dec 16, 2008
Address: M. K. Čiurlionio str. 59
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It is hard to say when it started to function, but I have seen some typical graves from XIX century with crosses looking like tree branches. It has two nice gates into it and two bigger chapels inside. What is more, it is separated for Orthodox and Catholic people. This cemetery reminds me famous Bernardinu cemetery in Vilnius.
Updated Dec 16, 2008
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Church exists and very centre of Druskininkai town, near Druskonis lake. It was built in neo - Gothic style in 1931. It is pity, as it was closed, but outside view looked nice. The area around church was full of white camomile in summertime. The church area could be used as good meeting place in Druskininkai and as orientation place, map is located near church.
Updated Dec 16, 2008
Address: Fonbergo 15
Few kilos from Druskininkai center is Svendubre village. Near this pretty place you can find stone called Devil stone ("Devil carried to bank the Nemunas, but at cockcrow stone droped"). And probably the best thing - you can reach this by foot or bike on cycleway or footpath in forest!
Written Jul 20, 2008
Address: Svendubre village
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The Druskininkai Spa is linked to 4* Druskininkai hotel so the prices are according to 4 star standard. Druskininkai Spa is quite a good choice if you do not like crowded places.
They have one swimming pool, one stream circle, two jacuzzi type baths, two solariums, few massage rooms, a little bar and two little slides and 6 saunas, one ice room and steam bath, also "stormy" showers where you can choose the climate you want to take shower in :)
For us, it looked a bit expensive to the size of pools and facilities, though interior design looks good. The staff is rather helpful and speaks English.
For budget travelers like us, we totally recommend you to check out the Aqua park close by. (see our tip about Aqua park)
Written Mar 24, 2008
Address: V.Kudirkos g. 45, Druskininkai
Phone: +370 313 54401
Website: http://www.spadruskininkai.lt/
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The aqua park sustains more than just slides and swimming pools, there you can find 3* hotel, oriental high class spa and 6 different saunas. We did not go to the saunas or spa, but we spent 3 hours in pools and slides. We also had access to one sauna and steam bath, cafe and artificial beach. Within 3 hours in waterpark, you can cover all activities within the pool area. If you want to enjoy saunas as well, a day ticket would probably be the best choice.
Girls make sure that your swimsuit is tight because you don't want to lose it on a slide and start searching half naked for it. :)
In general, we both really liked the water park and it is without a doubt the best activity Druskininkai has to offer during winter time.
Written Mar 24, 2008
Address: Vilniaus ave. 13, Druskininkai, Lithuania
Website: http://www.akvapark.lt/
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Gruto Parkas is very interesting for the sake that most of the Baltic countries destroyed most of Soviet monuments when they gained independence in 1990, this park is privately owned and he has collected both sculptures, paintings, books, metals and more and less everything concerning the Soviet occupation era.
Entrance is: 15lt for adult 7lt for students and children
Opening hours
The park is open daily year round
in winter 9.00 – 17.00
in season 9.00 – 20.00
Check the website for details and how to get from Poland in a car :)
Written Mar 22, 2008
Address: Grûtas, 66441 Druskininkai
Phone: (370 313) 55511
Website: www.grutoparkas.lt
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