[2018] Lithuania in hiking shoes – Didysis Dainavos girio žiedas / Dainava Primeval Forest Great Loop Trail

DESCRIPTION: This trail is made of two sections: the northern section runs westbound from the sleepy town of Varėna to the health resort town of Druskininkai, on the banks of the Neman River, and the southern section takes you back eastbound to Varėna train station, thus crossing twice Dainava Primeval Forest – the largest old-growth forest in Lithuania. The northern section will have you walk past lakes, rivers, wooden suspension footbridges and a number of remote wooden villages, while the southern section runs through dry pine forest, inland dunes, and more lakes, rivers and wooden villages. It was researched in May-September 2018 and is meant as a five- to six-days backpacking trip

START/FINISH: Varėna train station, 80 km southwest of Vilnius

DISTANCE: 135 km

MAPS: Dzūkija, Dzūkija I and Dzūkija II (all three by Briedis)
http://gamta.cepkeliai-dzukija.lt/modules/download.php?file_id=1317

RESUPPLYING: in Druskininkai of course, and there’s also a small convenience store in Marcinkonys

RESTAURANTS: El Arm El Armenian Inn in Grūtas (close to Lake Ilgis) ▪ many to choose from in Druskininkai

CAMPSITES / REST AREAS: Lake Lavysas ▪ Trakiškiai (Ūla River) ▪ Puvočiai (Merkys River) ▪ Lake Ilgis ▪ Druskininkai ▪ Lake Ašarėlis ▪ Marcinkonys (Lake Kastinis)

[NOTA BENE: Ratnyčia/Lake Ašarėlis area: I went a little bit off-trail in Ratnyčia, east of the A4 highway (~64.1km), and took a wrong fork about a kilometer later (~65.8km), plus I messed up slightly near Lake Ašarėlis (~69.6km): my original intention was to reach a beach on the west coast, but for some reason I simply missed it. See the two screenshots in the photos section with trail corrections in blue]