The Šalčia is the largest tributary of the Merkys. It is a rather torrential stream with a shallow valley, shallow banks, very meandering (with all four degrees of meandering). The route is intended for lovers of short trips. It is suggested to start from Kaniuki. Then the river meanders through Pačiabati and Gerviškes. After the Visintė River enters the river, the river lengthens up to 2 m. There are two resting places on the right bank of the river until Žygmantiškių. Beyond the Eišiškės-Vilnius road bridge at Žygmantiškių, the river flows for 13km through a narrowing forest, with a campsite on the left bank. This is the most convenient place to end the trip.
Kaniūkai, Pačiabačiai, Gerviškės, Žygmantiškės and Eišiškės. Compared to other rivers in Lithuania, the water of the Šalča is colder, with many springs along the banks. It is also a rather torrential, meandering and shallow valley river, which makes it difficult to navigate. The Shalcha starts in Kaniūkiai, then meanders through the Rūdninki Forest and ends thirteen kilometres outside Eišiškės, on the left bank. The nature of the river varies: at times it flows slowly, at other times you have to manoeuvre through bends and fallen trees, so you won’t get bored if you choose this route. There are several options on the Šalča route: from Kaniūkiai via Gerviškės to Žygmantiski (25km) or from Kaniūkiai via Žygmantiski to Valkininkai in the district of Varėna (55km).
