Panevėžys: Theatre, Art and Waterside Trails

Key facts

• The Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre presents contemporary and traditional plays in various genres for adults and younger audiences.
• The courtyard of the Panevėžys City Art Gallery has a permanent, year-round exhibition of ceramic works from international symposiums.
• The Panevėžys Puppet Wagon Theatre offers educational activities about theatre and puppetry.
• The local history museum features the interactive nature exhibition “Gamtos medija” and educational programmes.
• Skaistakalnis Park combines renovated riverside areas along the Nevėžis with recreational spaces and renovated cycle paths.
• At Senvagė, you will find walking and cycling paths, as well as sports, play, leisure and viewing facilities.
• There is a walking and cycling path at the “Ekrano” Lagoon, where you can also take a trip on an excursion boat or pedal boat.

Theatre, art and hands-on activities

The Juozas Miltinis Drama Theatre covers several genres with contemporary and traditional plays. Performances are aimed at adults as well as younger audiences. If you are travelling with people who have different interests, its programme offers a shared cultural point of interest without requiring everyone to take the same thing away from a performance.

The puppet theatre offerings go beyond performances, too: at the Panevėžys Puppet Wagon Theatre, you can explore educational activities about theatre work and the techniques of puppetry and puppet-making. At the local history museum, the interactive nature exhibition “Gamtos medija” offers an extensive collection of insects from around the world and a new perspective on the region. There is also a wide range of educational programmes. This means you can explore in different ways during your stay: through performances, practical insights into theatre techniques and nature topics at the museum.

The courtyard of the Panevėžys City Art Gallery offers a distinct artistic highlight. It has a permanent, year-round exhibition of works from Panevėžys international ceramics symposiums. This gives you a specific exhibition to focus on if you would like to include art in your city break.

Parks and waterside trails

There are different public spaces to enjoy time outdoors. At Skaistakalnis Park, renovated riverside areas along the Nevėžis meet recreational spaces and renovated cycle paths. Senvagė, in turn, combines renovated walking and cycling paths with sports, play, leisure and viewing facilities. These options let you decide whether you would prefer a riverside park or several kinds of open spaces and activities during your stay.

The “Ekrano” Lagoon also offers more than one way to enjoy your leisure time: a walking and cycling path along the shore connects sports and leisure facilities. On the water, you can take a trip on an excursion boat or pedal boat. The path and boating activities appeal to different preferences, so you can decide whether to explore the area on foot, by bike or from the water.

The Culture and Recreation Park also has an 18-basket disc golf course. This extends the choices from paths and viewpoints to a specific sporting activity. Together with the play and leisure facilities at Senvagė, there are various ways to include outdoor activities in your stay.

Trips and accommodation choices

Festive or educational trips on the narrow-gauge railway are available from Panevėžys Railway Station. Educational programmes also take place at the locomotive depot of the Aukštaitija Narrow-Gauge Railway. If you are interested in railways and technology, these offer two different points of interest: a train ride and an educational activity at the depot.

When looking for a hotel, you can start by considering which of these interests you want to shape your trip: theatre, art and museum offerings, or parks, riverside paths and outdoor activities. Panevėžys offers specific examples of both. Choose your accommodation based on the experiences you want to include in your stay; the right mix of culture and time outdoors is up to you.

More destinations: Šilagalys, Kučiai, Krekenavos Seniūnija, Kupiškis, Puožas, Naujamiestis, Biržai.

For the full travel overview: Panevėžys County.