Discover Telšiai District: Nature Trails and Žemaitija Culture

In Telšiai District, you can shape your trip in different ways: around a nature trail, paths along a lakeshore, or museums devoted to the history and culture of Žemaitija. This makes it easier to match your choices to your own plans for visiting.

Key facts

• The nature trail in Jomantų Forest is four kilometres long; allow about three hours to complete the route, take in the information and then solve the crossword puzzle.
• The trail has 23 information boards and seven rest areas.
• Germantas Landscape Reserve covers 924 hectares of lakes, forests, streams and wetlands.
• There are walking and cycling paths along the shore of Lake Mastis.
• Museums in Telšiai, Mažeikiai, Plungė, Varniai and other places cover topics including regional history, art and everyday culture.
• Manor houses and their grounds offer further insights into the history of the region and Lithuania.

Experience nature and plan your time

The trail in Jomantų Forest is especially suited to anyone who wants to combine nature observation with a specific activity. Its 23 information boards also make the route an opportunity to explore the trail’s themes. Allow about three hours for the full route if you want to read the information and then solve the crossword puzzle. The seven rest areas add designated places to stop along the way.

The 924-hectare Germantas Landscape Reserve offers a different kind of scenery. Its protected landscape, typical of the Central Samogitian Upland, includes lakes, forests, streams and wetlands. At Lake Mastis, walking and cycling paths offer a way to spend time by the shore. You can choose between the different nature experiences depending on whether you would rather focus on an information trail with a puzzle or paths along a lakeshore.

Museums and regional history

In Telšiai, the Bear Museum is home to an unusually large collection: it houses more than 5,837 bears and teddy bears made from different materials and in a variety of sizes and shapes. In Mažeikiai, the permanent exhibition “Naftos kelias” explores the extraction and processing of petroleum products, the products made from them and their uses, as well as the history of the Mažeikiai Oil Refinery. The Mažeikiai Museum also preserves and presents the history, archaeology and ethnography of Žemaitija, along with folk art.

The Žemaitija Art Museum is housed in Plungė Manor Palace. Its presentation of cultural heritage reflects the history of Plungė Manor and the Oginski family. The museum remains open and has seasonal opening hours. In Plateliai, an exhibition at Žemaitija National Park presents the history of Plateliai Manor, Samogitian ethnography and the nature of the region. The national park’s visitor centre offers a complementary perspective with the exhibition “Keliaukime aplink Platelių ežerą”: it covers the lake’s formation, underwater relief and aquatic life, as well as water activities, places to visit in the park and educational trails.

Smaller museums with a more focused subject matter also offer varied insights. Viekšniai Pharmacy Museum is Lithuania’s only museum of a rural pharmacy from the 19th to the 20th century. The pharmacist’s living quarters and a handwritten history of the pharmacy, written entirely by hand, have been preserved. The Žemaitija Diocese Museum, a department of the Alka Museum, is housed in the historic buildings of the Žemaitija seminary in Varniai, Telšiai District. At the Kuliai Regional Museum, a short visit can introduce you to the town’s history, way of life and notable figures.

Other sites offer a glimpse of manor culture: a museum exhibition at the restored 19th-century Renavas Manor complex provides insights into Lithuanian manor culture. The 19th-century Rietavas Manor Park combines ponds, islands and old trees with opportunities for walks, relaxation and learning about the manor’s history. A Cold War exhibition is housed in a former underground Soviet ballistic missile launch complex. Check seasonal opening hours and visitor information before your visit.

Choose a focus for your trip

When looking for a hotel, you can start by weighing nature against culture: Jomantų Forest has a clearly stated route length and approximate duration, while the museums cover different subjects, from collections and regional history to manor culture. If you want to combine several of these interests, check the location of specific options against the places you plan to visit. A short visit to the museum in Kuliai, an exhibition in Plungė or Varniai, and paths along Lake Mastis each offer a different focus for your trip.

As a broader cultural note, you can also consider Lithuania as a whole: the Baltic Song and Dance Celebration takes place there every four years and brings together thousands of participants in song and dance. Check the dates of each edition separately. This nationwide event offers an additional perspective on Lithuania; it is not specific to Telšiai District.

More pages for regional orientation: Plungė, Mažeikiai, Telšiai, Gečaičiai, Plateliai, Varniai, Ubiškė, Luokės Seniūnija, Rapaliai, Mažeikių rajono savivaldybė, Telšių rajono savivaldybė, Rietavo savivaldybė, Plungės rajono savivaldybė.