[2017-18] Lithuania in hiking shoes – Ežerų labirintas / Labyrinth of lakes

DESCRIPTION: this trail was researched in the off-season 2017-18 and is intended as an end-to-end trip starting in Dubingiai, about 50 km north of Vilnius, crossing Asveja Regional Park (ARP), Molėtai Regional Park (MRP), Aukštaitija National Park (ANP) and Gražutė Regional Park (GRP), and finishing in Zarasai, near the Latvian border. It's a 6/8-days adventure on and off beaten trails, passing beautiful lakes, meditative forests and picturesque villages along the way

START: Dubingiai wooden bridge, 50 km north of Vilnius

FINISH: Lesser Ring of Gražutė cycle track trailhead, in Zarasai, at the T-junction of local road 5315 (to Salakas) and the A6 highway, on the southern shore of Lake Zarasas, 150 km northeast of Vilnius

DISTANCE: 160 km

MAPS: Rytų Lietuvos ežerų labirintas (Briedis), Asveja ir apylinkės (Briedis), Molėtų ežerynas (Briedis), Aukštaitijos nacionalinis parkas (Briedis). For Gražutė Regional Park, get a map at the Visitor Centre in Salakas or ask at the VSTT Visitor Centre in Vilnius (Antakalnio g. 25)
http://asvejosparkas.lt/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/zemelapis.rar
http://www.aparkai.lt/data/ckfinder/files/Labanoro_RP.pdf
http://www.aparkai.lt/data/ckfinder/files/Aukstaitijos_NP.pdf
http://grazute.lt/data/files/zemelapis_internetui_1.pdf

RESUPPLYING: there are convenience stores along the trail in Joniškis, Kaltanėnai, Palūšė, Ginučiai and Salakas

RESTAURANTS: Kaltanėnai is blessed with an outdoor Caucasian restaurant, plus there are two cafes in Ginučiai

CAMPSITES / REST AREAS: Lake Baluošai (ARP) ▪ Lake Galonas (ARP) ▪ Joniškis (Lake Arinas) ▪ Lake Mažasai Siaurys (LRP) ▪ Lake Didysai Siaurys (LRP) ▪ Lake Žeimenys (ANP) ▪ Pakretuonė (Lake Žeimenys , ANP) ▪ Palūšė (Lake Lūšiai, ANP) ▪ Lake Asalnai (ANP) ▪ Ginučiai (ANP, there is a campsite a few hundred meters north of the village, on the shore of Lake Almajas) ▪ Lake Utenas (ANP) ▪ Salakas (Lake Luodis, GRP) ▪ Lake Šventas (GRP)

⚠ note that the trail between the southern end of Lake Sutrinis and Jusėniškės (LRP) is not so clear. If the mud and overgrowth are too much for you, consider this alternative: Šakališkės ▪ Local road 4428 ▪ Prie Labanoro homestead ▪ Pakapė ▪ Jusėniškės
⚠ be aware that the bridge in Senatiltė (over Būka River, ANP) is in ruins, but the river is shallow and can be waded easily

[NOTA BENE: Jusėniškės/Žukaučizna area: my original intention was to walk from Lake Sutrinis (~30.4km) to Žukaučizna (~33.6km) across the forest via Kumelynė Kurgan, but instead the above trail uses the Slabada-Januliškis forest road; see the scan in the photos section for trail corrections: the recorded trail is in red, blue dots mark the route via Kumelynė Kurgan]