BICYCLE ROUTE
POŠKONYS – RIMAŠIAI – DIEVENIŠKĖS
(trip length: 30 km)
The route starts at the Information Centre of the Dieveniškės Historical Regional Park (Poškonys Ethnographic Museum) in Poškonys. Here you can see the museum exposition, order a tour guide, and buy information publications about the park. As you continue along the banks of the Poškonys pond, you can stop at the boat and pedal boat rental point to enjoy the view of the village of Lastaučikas Street, rent a boat or pedal bike. After climbing a small hill, you will enter a forest. When you see the signpost, you can go to the camping site “Pelėda”. Here you can rest, have a snack, go for a swim and sit by the campfire. The next stop is at the Poškonys graveyard. You will learn about the burial traditions of our ancestors in the 5th – 6th centuries. Don’t forget to go to the impressive 22-metre diameter burial mound at the top of the hill. Continue along the forest path (about 1 km) and on your right you will see the impressive panorama of Grybiškės village with its system of rice fields. After driving along the forest road for another 0.5 km, you will reach the Grybiškės oak and pine trees, which are objects of natural heritage. The oak is the largest and oldest tree in the park. The mighty oak is sure to impress you with its beauty and impressive dimensions. At the turn towards the oak, another protected tree is the Grybiškės pine. From the oak we suggest you go back and turn left towards Grybiškės village. After crossing the dirt road, you will re-enter the forest. After a few hundred metres through the forest, you will see the Rimašiai Stone Mine on your left. One of the attractions of the park is its stones and boulders. The people of our region have always been surrounded by stones. People have used them in households, in construction and in cult objects. There are 4 heritage objects in the territory of the park – stones, about which many stories and legends have been created. A preserved site with stones brought from reclaimed fields is a witness of the reclamation drive. Stones from the surrounding reclaimed fields were transported to a specific area and piled up in rows. The plan was probably to blast them and use them for construction. As you continue your journey, you will reach the village of Rimašiai. The village’s only street follows the bend of the River Gauja. Rimašiai was first mentioned in 1744. There are now 26 homesteads in the village. Most of them were built at the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th century. After visiting the village of Rimašiai, you will move to the other side of the river Gauja, turn left and follow the highway towards the village of Bėčionys (about 2 km). Two right turns and you will reach the Bėčionių Mound. This is the only known mound in the park. From the mound, go back and turn right along the gravel road. You will continue for about 3 km along the forest tracks of the Dieveniškės Geomorphological Reserve. Note the hilly terrain after the penultimate glaciation. It is believed that this is where the edge of the glacier was. The glacier’s stopping point is still marked by a large, high arc of hills, known since ancient times as the Ašmena Highlands. In the Dieveniškės Geomorphological Reserve, you can visit the mythological stone “Mokas” and the Dieveniškės Hillfort. Mokas is steeped in legends and legends, and you can still see footprints on the stone today. Another 2.5 km and you are in Dieveniškės. This is a very old settlement. The first mention in written sources dates back to 1387. The central part of the town is preserved, with a quadrangular square and a network of streets. The town stands at the crossroads of five historic roads. The wooden church of the town, built in 1782, is very old. You will finish your journey by returning to Poškonis on the Dieveniškės – Šalčininkai highway. On the way, visit the mythological stones “Jankelis” and “Jankeliukas”.
