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The Zvejone Environmental Club/ Bicycle Information Center - dvirINFO and the Lithuanian Cyclists Community invites you to a mass environmental cycling tour to the South-Eastern Lithuania (DZUKIJA region) July 16-25, 1999.Mass cycling tours through Lithuania have attracted hundreds of people each year since 1989 when the 1st environmental cycling tour was organized. The aim is to promote bicycle transport and tourism, raise public awareness about environmental issues and Lithuanian cultural heritage. You are welcome and invited to participate in all or any part of the tour, even if you wish to just join in for the evening festivities. Please contact us for an itinerary/schedule.
Bicycle touring in Lithuania is a wonderful choice for your holiday. You will have an opportunity to learn a great deal about the nature, history and culture of Lithuania. You will see and experience real Lithuanian life and meet local people in small villages and larger towns, as well as see 2 Lithuanian capital cities: Vilnius and former temporal one - Kaunas. You will have the chance to visit 2 national parks - Dzukija and Trakai (the last is historical one) as well as 5 regional parks which were recently established in the last few years in the most valuable ecological areas like the Nemunas river curves or the Veisejai lake district. The tour participants will be allowed to give a glance to wildlife of 2 strict nature reserves - Zuvintas and Cepkeliai. Every day of the tour offers interesting new sites because the Lithuanian landscape is very diverse: rolling hills and plains make for excellent cycling as you pass through the Dzukija forests plenty of mushrooms and bilberries, there are also a number of streams and springs with extremely cold water, and lakes to stop and enjoy as a refreshing break. Additionally, there are planned excursions to traditional one-street villages in the Dzukija national park, historical places and buildings like the Trakai castle, meetings with local craftsmen of traditional arts like black pottery, rock music and folk evenings with ethnographic companies around a bonfire, and nature clean up activities during the tour.
The tour is for 10 days. The tour will start in Kaunas and finish in Vilnius. The route will cover 50-80 km/day with one off day in the Dzukija national park. Sleeping will be organized in tents at camp sites (mostly in national and regional parks), cooking will be on gas stoves or over open fires (where it is allowed), bicycle repair will be available by an experienced repairman (if needed).
Bring with you: bicycle, sleeping bag, tent, gas stove, environmental friendly soap, musical instruments, money and good mood. Don^�t worry about food. You can buy a lot of very good ecologically grown food in many stores and straight from farmers on route (of course cheaper than in Western Europe). Remember to change some money before starting off, exchange offices are available at larger towns including the starting point of Kaunas.
Maps and guides for cyclists: Although the tour follows a planned route and you will be guided, you may wish to buy an ordinary driving map which show smaller roads, there are no special maps or guides for cycling in Lithuania. Some bicycle paths exist and will be used where available, otherwise cycling will be done on country roads, some gravel, and where auto traffic is minimal.
Participation is free in the tour, any support you can provide (financial or organizational) is very welcome. Theme articles of the tour will be produced and available for sale: T-shirts, tour flags, stickers and travel books (tour guide and maps) will be translated to English as well. Therefore let us know by e-mail or fax if you plan to join the cycling tour !!!
For more information please contact Mr. Saulius Ruzinskas:
Zvejone Environmental Club / dvirINFO, Lithuanian Cyclists Community
Taikos pr. 42-3, LT-5802
KLAIPEDA, Lithuania
tel: (+370-6) 310870
tel./fax: (+370-6) 380650
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www1.omnitel.net/zvejone/dvirinfo/
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Last updated: January 29, 1999