Anykščiai Forest, a relatively small forest (approximately 1.5 thousand hectares), is one of the most famous in Lithuania.
A narrow (approximately 10 km) stretch of forest along the Šventoji River, located south of Anykščiai, is protected by the Anykščiai Woodland Landscape Reserve, which is rich in natural and cultural values. The Anykščiai Woodland Landscape Reserve was established to preserve the expressive associative landscape of the Anykščiai Woodland, the Šventoji River valley with outcrops and floodplain meadows, the Puntukas and Puntukas Brolis boulders, the “Queen's Marsh” spring, the Vetygala outcrop, the Peniankai barrow and other cultural heritage values. The reserve covers an area of 1,421.5 ha. According to botanical research data, 769 species of higher plants have been found here, more than 20 of which are listed in the Red Book of Lithuania. The diversity and abundance of flora in the relatively small territory of the reserve depend on the diversity of habitats, soils and water bodies. The relief of the woodland is very diverse and complex. On both sides of the river, steep slopes carved by deep gullies continue. The streams Marčiupys, Piktupis, Šlavė, Išplėstravis, Vingerkštynė, Pakalnytė, Paramaviėte, Gaugaris, Pašaltupis, Limenė flow into Šilely through the gullies of the slopes. In addition to the listed natural and cultural values, protected trees grow in Šilely: Šventieji oaks, a pine tree on the Šventoji educational trail, and Uoksinė pine.
Anykščiai Forest is part of the European ecological network "Natura 2000".
Habitats of European importance are found in the grove: steppe meadows, alluvial meadows and western taiga. Only 12 plant species listed in Annex IV, Part b of the Council Directive of the European Communities on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora grow in Lithuania. It is interesting that out of 12, as many as 6 are found in the Anykščiai grove. These are the two-leaved mudwort, the wind-leaved sillage, the naked-flowered flax, a typical subspecies of the sand clove, the erect sedge and the moss - the shiny drepane (riestūnė). This is a huge value of the grove, because there is no other place in Lithuania where such a large concentration of plants of European importance would be found in such a small area! In addition, 19 plants listed in the Lithuanian Red Book grow in the Anykščiai grove and 9 species of mushrooms listed in the Lithuanian Red Book have been discovered.
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The Šilelis landscape is an invaluable object of nature exploration.
The poet A. Baranauskas, writers J. Biliūnas, A Vienuolis and others drew their creative inspiration here. This is where the “song of hymns to nature” was born – this is how E. Mieželaitis called the poem “Anykščių šilelis”. The poem “Anykščių šilelis” by the poet A. Baranauskas uniquely conveys not only this natural value, but also the importance of the forest to the Lithuanian nation. The poem entered the Lithuanian Book of Records as the most translated Lithuanian work into foreign languages. The work reveals the colors, sounds, smells, even images of silence and peace of the forest. The poem illustrates a particularly close connection between man and nature, which can be felt when reading an excerpt from the work:
“You go to the forest, it used to be – it’s even eye-opening;
That's how it cheers the soul, it keeps the heart strong,
That even when your heart was cold, you repeatedly said:
"Am I standing here in the forest, or in the sky, or in paradise?"
According to Č. Kudaba, "there is a lot of talk today about the value and significance of our "song of hymns to Lithuanian nature". It has become almost an act with the force of law. That song was known and sung among the people, and after that Šilelis was no longer touched by an axe, he was not cut down (except by the hand of war). It can be said that since those times in Lithuania we have not only a national nature park protected by law, but simply a garden of nature, protected by the sacred will of the people."
The decoration of the Anykščiai grove is the Lithuanian Geological, Archaeological and Artistic Monument – the Puntukas Stone. It is the second largest stone in Lithuania. The length of the Puntukas is 6.9 m, width is 6.7 m, height is 5.7 m, weight is 265 t, and the largest horizontal volume is 21.39 m. It is a block of rapakivi (a granite structural variety) brought by glaciers from Finland during the last ice age, 14–20 thousand years ago. The Puntukas is of interest to visitors not only as an impressive geological monument or a mythological stone shrouded in legends – it became a place of commemoration of the legendary pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas. In midsummer 1943, sculptor Bronius Pundzius finished carving the bas-reliefs of the Lithuanian heroes S. Darius and S. Girėnas and the words of their testament. These are the pilots who successfully flew across the Atlantic Ocean in 1933. However, the plane crashed under unclear circumstances, less than a tenth of the way there...
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Visitors love to listen to legends about the Puntukas Stone.
One of them says that the stone was carried by the devil, who wanted to destroy the church in Anykščiai. But when the rooster crowed, the stone fell and now lies there... Another says that once upon a time there lived an evil and wicked man named Puntukas. After the wicked threw a stone at him, no one saw Puntukas again, and the stone began to be called by his name...
On the other side of the Šventoji River, a little more than 1 km from Puntukas, another state-protected geological monument protrudes from the ground – Puntukas’ brother. It was probably nicknamed “brother” because of its size, but based on its age, it could be called Puntukas’ great-grandfather. It was brought to Lithuania from present-day Sweden during the third glaciation of Lithuania – even tens of thousands of years earlier than its younger brother Puntukas found himself nearby.
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Anykščiai gold is quartz sand.
Quartz sand, known as the gold of Anykščiai, can be seen in another protected area of the Anykščiai šilel landscape reserve, the Vetygala outcrop, which has the status of a natural geological monument. Here, quartz sand layers several hundred million years old are visible, in which the remains of armored fish are found (they are entered in the Lithuanian Book of Records as the oldest fish found in Lithuania). The Šlavė outcrop in Šilel is also exceptional. It is the only place in Lithuania and the Baltic and Scandinavian countries where sediments from the oldest interglacial period, called Šlavė, have been found.
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In the Anykščiai grove, one of the largest freshwater springs in Lithuania, “Queen's Marsh”, is shrouded in legends.
It is a state-protected hydrogeological natural heritage site. The bog is located at the foot of the steep right slope of the Šventoji River. Excess water from the bog flows into the Šventoji River through a small, ditch-shaped stream. In terms of its appearance, the bog now resembles a small lake or pond. The area of the Karalienė bog is about 0.7 ha, depth reaches up to 3 m. Due to its depth and the water constantly gushing to the surface, Liūnas does not freeze even on the coldest days, and the place where the water gushes remains clear. Liūnas is surrounded by a forest on all sides, so it is always quiet and peaceful here. Liūnas is unique not only because of its size, but also because of its legends. It is said that a queen, having fallen into the depths of the bog, together with her carriage, driven by apple-colored horses. Another legend says that a witch was burning an altar to the goddess Milda and drowned herself because she did not want to be baptized.
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Near the Treetop Walk and the Puntukas Stone, two Sacred Oaks grow – a protected botanical natural heritage site.
After the storm, one of the oaks broke. In 1990, a young oak was planted in its place. It is believed that in ancient times, altars were built under these oaks, offerings were made to the gods, and prayers were made. Many stories have been created about oaks, and literary creators also liked to immortalize them with their pens. According to V. Račkaitis, “oaks were sacred. Under them the Eternal Fire burned, the little fairies guarded it, the gray-bearded raven spoke with the Sun, Thunder, and the Earth… That is why these oaks, which sheltered the spirits of their ancestors, have survived to this day. People did not dare to take an axe to them even when they were clearing the thicket.” A. Baranauskas wrote in his poem:
"From Puntukas to Šlava, there are many oak trees
People held it as some great sacred thing.
Living in unity, worthy of the gods,
Who left many monuments in the forests.
And these will be chased, even though the land is conquered by horses,
Many oak stumps in Puntuke are still blowing,
I went further and now I am still standing by the road;
The tops are still green, although the branches are already drying.
People are weeding them, not beating them with wheels:
"Tula, oppressed by illness, literally bows down."
Anykščiai šilelis is unique and interesting in all 4 seasons... In spring, we feel the awakening of nature by listening to the voices of birds and observing how the tree buds look. Looking around Šilelis, we can see breathtaking carpets of violets... In summer, we smell the intoxicating scent of the forest, listen and observe - perhaps we will be able to see a chanterelle or a jennie very close...
Being in the grove in autumn is like being in the workshop of a great artist – so many colors and shades! From the observation tower of the Tree Canopy Trail, you can see the treetops of the Anykščiai grove and the bend of the Šventoji River, which can also be seen in a different way every time. The grove is also interesting in winter. When there is no snow, we feel the silence and peace of nature, immersed in winter sleep… And if there is snow, we rush to enjoy the views that resemble a winter postcard!
It is convenient to visit and explore the Anykščiai Forest - the Šventoji educational trail has been established here, in 2015 the Tree Canopy Trail, a newly paved pedestrian and bicycle trail, and there is the opportunity to travel on an amusement train.