ABOUT BIRŠTONAS

Birštonas is a unique Lithuanian resort, situated in the meanders of the Neman river. A town that is famous for its all year-round open mineral water sources, mud and climate therapy is located in the very heart of Lithuania. It is also situated in a very strategically convenient location as you can reach other Lithuanian cities such as Vilnius, Kaunas, Alytus and Marijampolė by car just in an hour.

The history of Birštonas – one of the oldest resorts in Lithuania – dates back to the middle ages. After the battle of Grunwald, when the crusades of the Teutonic Order ceased, Birštonas was considered to be the hunting manor of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, especially beloved by Vytautas the Great, Casimir IV Jagiellon, his sons and Helena of Moscow. The rebirth of town started in the middle of 19thcentury, when people began to use mineral water for healing purposes.

The beginning of Birštonas development as a resort dates back to 1846, when Benediktas Bilinskis, a physician from then famous Stakliškės resort, sent here a female patient who had been previously treated with Stakliškės healing sources, but did not recover. To everyone’s surprise, the mineral waters of Birštonas cured the patient. After lengthy investigation and bureaucratic procedures, at the end of 1854, the interior minister of Russia signed a permit to establish Birštonas resort.

In olden days, the healing power of mineral water attracted the Great Dukes of Lithuania, poets, artists and musicians. All of them left their footprints in this small but beautiful resort, surrounded by the loops of the Neman river and evergreen forests.

Nowadays, the visitors of this resort find themselves fascinated not only by sanatoriums that still cherish the old healing traditions, but also by the world-renowned mineral water, cosy hotels and restaurants, the variety of leisure activities and exclusive cultural events. The resort supports Kneipp’s philosophy – a unique doctrine that combines and is based on five basic principles for healing and healthy life: Water, Plants, Nutrition, Exercise and Balance. The motto of Birštonas is “Your very own story!”.

As you can see, Birštonas is a perfect place for resting, finding harmony, indulging in health promotion procedures and engaging in pleasant, romantic or active leisure activities.