Utena County is the spectacular lake district of the east where the water seems to be around every corner. **Aukštaitija** National Park is the crown jewel of the region featuring hundreds of interconnected lakes and ancient forests. You can climb the **Ladakalnis** hill to see six different lakes at once a view that has inspired poets for centuries. The treetop walkway in **Anykščiai** allows you to walk through the canopy of the forest high above the ground. Nearby the Space Museum offers a chance to look at the stars through massive telescopes in the dark heart of the woods. The county is filled with wooden watermills and hexagonal churches that look like they belong in a fairytale. Small towns like **Zarasai** are built on hills surrounded by water with modern observation circles that let you walk over the lake. You can explore the **Labanoras** forest to find secret bogs and rare birds or visit the Beekeeping Museum to learn about the ancient craft of honey. It is a land of outdoor adventure and quiet reflection where the water is always the star.

Utena (county) highlights

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History of Utena (county)

Utena County is an ancient glacial landscape where the history of the **Aukštaitija** tribes is intertwined with thousands of lakes and oak forests. **The Stelmužė Oak** a living witness to over 1,500 years of history saw the transition from pagan rituals to Christian statehood. In the 1300s the region was a royal retreat for Grand Duke **Vytautas** who used the high mounds of **Ladakalnis** for state ceremonies. The 1800s saw the region become a center for the 1831 November Uprising where the female officer **Emilija Pliaterytė** led rebel troops through the dense forests of **Zarasai**. This era of rebellion defined the local spirit and led to the creation of many songs and legends about forest heroes. The region’s interconnected lakes were also vital for medieval trade and communication between remote forest settlements. In 1974 the creation of the nation’s first national park preserved medieval water management systems including the **Ginučiai** Watermill. Modern history in the county is defined by the **Ignalina** Nuclear Power Plant built in the 1970s which featured the world’s most powerful reactors before its decommissioning. The history here is a story of a natural paradise meeting the giants of industrial engineering.

Utena (county)

Utena (county) highlights

Part of these road trips

History of Utena (county)

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