National parks

There are five national parks in Lithuania, one of which is historical. They are the Aukštaitija, Dzūkija, Curonian Spit, Trakai Historical and Žemaitija national parks.

AUKŠTAITIJA National Park

Aukštaitija National Park was established to protect:

• The upper reaches of the Žeimena River ecosystem at the confluence of three unique landscape zones, the Ažvinčiai(Gervėčiai) Old Forest and Baltis Lake natural complexes, the Baluša, Linkmena-Ūkoja, Tauragna and Utena bowl-shaped valleys with their many lakes and forests, the Šiliniškiai mid-lake ridge and the Ladakalnis, Benediktavas (Makiai) moraine massif and the Kiauna valley landscape, the Petriškiai geomorphological and Būka, Juodupė, Švogina, Pliaušė, Labažė, Asalnai and Žeimėna hydrographical complexes, the Kretuonas, Kretuonykštis, Knytis and Pažeimena biotic communties, as well as other rare and disappearing plants and animals, and other natural territorial complexes and objects.

• The remains of 12th – 15th century north east Lithuanian defensive lines including the Taurapilis, Ginučiai, Puziniškiai, Linkmenai, Vajuoniai and other castle mounds, the Rėkučiai ancient defensive embankments, the unique Kretuona archeological complex, the Minčia, Vyžai, Šakarva, Palūšė, Kaltėnai, Šventa and other barrows and Stone Age settlements, the ethnographically valuable Salos (II), Varniškiai (II), Vaikšnoriškiai, Šuminai (Pabaluošė), Strazdai (Šariškė), Kretuoniai, Benediktavas (Makniai) and other villages also rich in ethnographical elements, the Kaltanėnai urban complex, the Palūšė church architectural ensemble, water mills within the park territory, the Stripeikiai bee-keeping museum (devoted to the development of bee-keeping through the ages), and other cultural heritage values;

• The stability of the source of the Žeimena River natural ecosystem, the biota components and their diversity.

DZŪKIJA National Park

Dzūkija National Park is the largest protected area in Lithuania. It was established to protect:

•  The unique hydrographical network of the confluence of rivers in the Dainava region‘s river-basin and the Nemunas, Merkys, Ūla, Grūda and Skroblas River valleys with their typical plant and animal migratory pathways, the Skroblas River midsection which is of immense scientific value, the natural complexes of the Musteika and Povilnis streams and surrounds, the impressive continental dune expanses of the Dainava forest, the Liškiava, Strauja, Ucieka and Pakrykštė erosional geomorphological complexes, the Merkinė moraine plug, the Netiesai, Glynas and Ežerynas hydrographical objects, the Imiškia, Didžbalė, Bakanauskai and Dėlynas wetlands, biotic communities typical of the forests in Dzūkija, and other natural territorial complexes and objects; 
•  The notable Merkinė and Liškiava historical archeological and architectural urban complexes, the ethnocultural values of the forest and riverside villages of the Dzūkija region, some by the Nemunas (Musteika, Zervynas, Žiogeliai, Dubininkas, Margionys, Kašėtai, Lynežeris etc...), the ancient encampment sites around Glynas Lake, the Subartoniai memorial landscape complex, and other cultural heritage values;
• The stability of the Dainava river basin natural ecosystem, the components of its biotic community and their diversity.  

CURONIAN Spit National Park

The Curonian Spit National Park has an especially unique landscape making it without a doubt Lithuania‘s most valuable protected area. The Curonian Spit was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.

This Curoniana Spit national park was established to protect:

•   The Curonian Spit‘s Great Dune, its old parabolic dunes near Juodkrantė, the grey dunes along the Agila-Nagliai belt, the drifting Parnidžio dune, old dune-covered soils, the coastal and lagoon sand plains and the nature complexes within the undulating environs; the protective coastal dune ridge, the endemic Curonian Spit flora, fauna and forests containing remnants of the ancient forest structure;  
•   The specific cultural heritage of this region: authentic lagoon shore immovable culture values, ethnographic fishermens‘ homesteads, old villas in Nida, Juodkrantė, Preila, and Pervalka, the remains of ancient settlements that had fallen victim to the shifting dunes, memorials; and foster the traditional wooden architecture typical of the region. 

ŽEMAITIJA National Park

Žemaitija National Park was established to protect:
• Wooded and lake-covered natural complex, woody landscape structure with mashes of Plokstinė and Rukundziai, hydrographical complexes of Lake Plateliai, Laumalenka and Šilinė.
• Rare and endangered species of flora and fauna, archaeological and urban complexes of north Žemaitija with Mikytai, Pučkoriai, Gegrėnai, Pagardenis mounds and sacred places.
• Park of  the Plateliai manor with the original homestead buildings, to preserve ethno-cultural value attributes of the Beržoras, Stirbaičių and Visvainių villages and other cultural heritage and monuments, to preserve Žemaitijos northwestern part of the watershed of the natural ecosystem stability, biota components and their diversity. On the eastern coast of Plateliai lake and in the peninsulas of Kreiviškiai and Auksalė there are fragments of old pines left.
• to restore destroyed and damaged natural, cultural complexes and objects; to carry out research and gather information of environmental protection, cultural heritage protection, natural resources.
• The National Park has more than 200 cultural heritage and more than 30 archaeological monuments of the Stone Age camp traces of mounds, sacred places, grave- yards.  The mounds of Užpelkiai, Gegrėnai, Pučkoriai, Šarnelė, Mikytai, the old sacred places of Visvainiai, Mikytai, Vilkai,  the places of ancient settlements of Gegrėnai and Šarnelė are really interesting. More than 90 valuables of art are taken care of in the territory of the Park. They are Samogitian crosses, chapels, roofed crosses.

TRAKAI Historical National Park

The Trakai Historical National Park has been established to:

allow the conservation, management and use of the historical centre of Lithuania‘s Statehood – Trakai, with its castle complexes, the cultural and natural values of the city of Trakai and its surrounds, other objects, the historical national park landscape and ethnocultural heritage.

Thus far, Trakai Historical National Park is the only one of its kind in Lithuania. The Trakai region is rich in Lithuanian historical and archeological values, where the history of Trakai and Lithuania itself was written. The core of the historical national park consists of the Trakai Island and Peninsula Castle complexes and the Trakai Old Town located on the narrow peninsula between three lakes - Galvė, Totoriškiai and Bernardiniai. The characteristics of the natural surrounds had a direct influence of the city‘s defensive system and layout.