Ukmergė District Municipality: Culture, Trails and Nature

Key facts

• The Ukmergė Local History Museum presents the region’s history and exhibits on natural history, archaeology, ethnography, written culture and art.
• The Mirabelių Trail offers a 1 km walking route with river access, a playground, and places to relax and picnic.
• The Podolės-Kameneco Trail is an illuminated 800 m cycling and walking route along the Šventoji.
• Ukmergė Health Park covers more than 12 hectares and features trails, fitness routes, ponds and a rose garden.
• The preserved Neoclassical Taujėnai Manor was built in the late 18th century.
• The Vepriai Calvaries comprise 35 stations over a total distance of 5.5 km.
• The Vepriai crater is the largest discovered meteorite crater in Lithuania.

Museums and buildings: history in detail

The Ukmergė Local History Museum focuses on the region’s history. Its collection brings together natural history and archaeology with historical and ethnographic exhibits, written culture and art. Archaeological finds on display include items from Obeliai, Berzgainiai, Antatilčiai, Ukmergė Hillfort, as well as Samantoniai, Sukiniai, Bečiai and Pabaiskas. A visit is especially well suited to those interested in different periods and areas of collecting.

The architecture, too, tells of different eras. The preserved Neoclassical Taujėnai Manor was built in the late 18th century under Benediktas Morikonis. The Užugiris School Museum is housed in a manor-house-style building in the village of Užulėnis. Antanas Smetona, the first president of the Republic of Lithuania, gave it to the people of his homeland. His summer residence is traditionally called Užugirio Manor; Smetona himself referred to the estate as Užugirio kiemas.

Siesikai Manor Castle holds a special place in architectural history: it is the only preserved Renaissance building in Lithuania that served as a fortified residence. In Ukmergė, the hillfort points to another historical layer. Historical sources mention that Vilkmergė Castle stood there. The Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity, meanwhile, is a Neo-Byzantine masonry church. It was built as an Orthodox church in 1868.

Riverside trails and parks for different interests

If you are looking for a short route, consider the 1 km Mirabelių Trail. It offers access to the river, places to relax and picnic, and a children’s playground. The illuminated 800 m Podolės-Kameneco cycling and walking trail also runs along the Šventoji. A drinking-water point, benches and a playground add to the route. The stated distances make it easy to choose between these two trails based on the time you have available.

Ukmergė Health Park offers more room for activity: its more than 12 hectares include walking paths, fitness routes with exercise equipment, a playground, renovated ponds and a rose garden. Pilies Park offers a different mix of features, including walking paths, a playground, outdoor musical instruments and three illuminated viewpoints. For a quieter outing, Pivonijos Forest is also a popular place for walks and active recreation.

The “Mini Lietuva” miniature park offers another way to explore Lithuanian culture. It features miniature replicas of Lithuania’s well-known architectural and cultural monuments, providing a vivid journey of discovery through the country. By contrast, the folk art museum of Rimantas Zinkevičius focuses on the work of a single artist: visitors can see his nativity scenes, devotional figures, sculptures of saints, and characters from fairy tales and fantasy.

Vepriai: the Way of the Cross and the crater

The Vepriai Calvaries combine religious heritage with a clearly defined route. Their 35 Stations of the Cross lie between Lake Vepriai and the Šventoji, in the southeastern part of the town of Vepriai; together, they cover 5.5 km. The route’s length makes it a distinct option for travellers interested in religious sites and longer walks.

The landscape around Vepriai also has special geological significance: its crater is the largest discovered meteorite crater in Lithuania. The Veprių krašto muziejus preserves ethnographic, historical and sacred heritage from the surrounding area, including roadside shrine pillars that survived the Soviet era. In Vepriai, geological significance, local history and religious heritage can be explored alongside one another, without having to combine them into a single itinerary.

If you’d like to explore your choice of places further, find additional pages about Taujėnai, Ukmergė and Lėnas. Then, when looking for accommodation, you can check which options suit your itinerary.

More destinations

More destinations at the same level: Elektrėnai Municipality, Vilniaus rajono savivaldybė, Vilnius District Municipality, Širvintų rajono savivaldybė, Švenčionių rajono savivaldybė.

For the overview of the higher-level destination: Vilnius County.