Gargždai Town Park
The park of the English landscape style is established in the western part of the town, in the first half of the XIXth c. by the barons F. and E. Rönne. The southeast part of the park is surrounded by the River Minija. The oldest trees of the park are counting more than 200 years. Hornbeam, white poplar, small-leaved and big-leaved lindens, horse-chestnut, maple and other kinds of trees grow in the older part of the park. The newly landscaped part of the park leads to the picturesque valley of Minija. Walking paths and alleys are formed in the park. Park is the most popular place of people living in Gargždai and guests of the town.
Vingis Park of Priekulė
Vingis Park was planted in the second half of the XXth c., in the bend of the right shore of the Minija River. The park has the elements of the landscape style and it covers the slightly rolling territory of 13 ha. The central entrance into the park is in the western side. The territory is seamed with system of paths. One of the main paths meanders by the very shore of Minija. The other main path from the central entrance leads to the east and, having made a large band, turns to the west to the central entrance into the park. The latter path by minor paths meets with the path, going by the very shore of Minija. Other paths, which run away and meet each other from the second main path, follow the contours of the tree plantations. Two ponds connected by a ditch lie in the northwest edge of the part territory.
Kliošai Park
Park was established in the middle of the XIXth c. in the bend of the left shore of the River Minija, in the territory of 12 ha. It is a park of the scenery style, seamed by winding paths. There is an old graveyard in the south border of the park, a famous volunteer of the Lithuania Minor J. F. Šrėderis was buried there. The tree plantations of the park mostly consist of the following local plants: Scotch pine, oak, silver birch, wych elm, ash, hornbeam etc. There are also such plants introducants such as ycamore maple , red oak, silver fir.
Vėžaičiai Small-town Park
The park is of mixed planning. It was settled at the end of the XIXth c. in the western part of the settlement, in the territory of count Volmeriai estate place, near the stream Skinija. The ensemble of the former Manor estate is situated on the left shore of the stream. The main alley of the park gently meanders by the shore of Skinija. Lindens, birches and sorbs and as well as thorn fir, white spruce, yellow ribbon, red oaks and various decorative bushes grow in the field in the higher terrace. The greatest number of spontaneous maples and ashes is in the tree plantations of the slope, distinguishing the terraces and the valley of Skinija. Oaks, lindens, elms and horse-chestnuts grow there too. During the Soviet occupation, a great number of household buildings, which devastated the image of the Manor, were built in the territory of the park. Present territory of the park is mostly used for organization of cultural events. In the future, it is sought to restore the former estate buildings complex to adapt them for the needs of cognitive and ecological tourism.
The River Minija Old Valley Landscape Reserve
Minija is one of the most beautiful rivers of Samogitia, the right affluent of river Nemunas. The Lake Didonas in the hills of Samogitia is its springhead. The river flows alongside the littoral lowland; its basin is asymmetric; left affluents comprise the greatest part of Minija affluents. Veiviržas, Tenenys and Žvelsa are the biggest affluents. The biggest right affluent is Salantas. The length of Minija is 201,
The brooding place of landrails and kingfishers is protected there. The river itself is also a dwelling of protected kinds. River Minija is important for protection of passing fishes such as salmon, sea-trout, zanthe, River lamprey. In the River Minija it’s pursued to preserve endangered kinds in Europe such as: common oak, loach, Eurasian minnow. It is also significant to preserve the untouched nature in the valleys of Minija with riverside elm forests, hornbeam forests and the forests of the downhills. There are abundant of rare plants such as ramson, perrenial satiflower in the valleys of Minija. Endangered and one of the biggest mollusc in Lithuania – Great Grey Slug – is found there. The valleys of Minija are significant for the protection of endangered moths – Clouded Apollo. Minija ichthyologic and old valley landscape reserves are established on the riverside of Minija.
Water tourism in kayaks, canoes along the River Minija is getting more and more popular every season. In 2005 Klaipėda District Municipality Administration received sponsorship from PHARE 2001 BAS program for the project “Development of Recreational Infrastructure in the Lower Reaches of the River Minija and Water Area of the Curonian Lagoon”. In the future river Minija should become the main route of water tourism in Klaipėda district with a well-developed infrastructure and services.
NATURE MONUMENTS
- Šernai oak. Šernai village, Dovilai monitory, Klaipėda district.
- Bobė oak. Agluonėnai village, Priekulė monitory, Klaipėda district.
- Bismark oak. Pjaulai village, Priekulė monitory, Klaipėda district.
- Legendary stone. Šernai forest, Dovilai forest division, Klaipėda district.
- Geological monument Stone – mushroom. Šernai forest, Dovilai forest division, Klaipėda district.
- Stone with a devil’s foot. Utriai village, Vėžaičiai monitory, Klaipėda district.
Kalniškė Mound
Kalniškė (Gargždai) Mound stands in the north from Gargždai, on the left side of Minija. The pitch of the Mound is of 100 metres. The very Mound stretches for 20 metres it is vastly overgrown by oaks, which fall to the old valley of Minija. Deep hollows, the bottom of which nameless streams flow into Minija, surround the Mound from the north into the south. The western end of the Mound connects with the valley of Minija, and the eastern end is reinforced by banks and ditches. Local people call the Mound as Gargždelė or Pilalė and the field that surrounds it is named by the name of Raganinė. It is told, that it was the place for the temple of religion of old Lithuanian people. People lived in the surrounding area even before the Christ. During the archeological excavations, the oldest findings which were found reach the Brass Age. Laminar graves of the III-IVth c. were found.
Skomantai Mound
One of the most impressive mound of the coast stands in the west from Skomantai village on the right bank of Veiviržas river, near the road to Švėkšna. Skomantai Mound is the monument of architecture and one of the best reinforced mounds in Lithuania; it is called as Raguva (Raguva Hill). The Mound was settled in the first ages in the year of grace and was used up to the XIIIth c. in the land of Pilsotas. It is considered that the family of Dukes Skomantai was living there. This opinion gave origin to the name of this place.
Skomantai Mound used to be a border between Lithuania Minor and Lithuania Greater. Having climbed on the hill, one could see the villages with big homesteads of farmers and Samogitia in the northeastern part. The sculpture Samogitian (by folk artist V. Majoras) which was built on the base of the Mound in 1969 tells the magnificent past and history of this land. If you climb into the Mound, you will see the needle committed to the Reunion of Lithuania Minor and Lithuania Greater.
2009-05-05 16:18:08