Tourist routes and cognitive walkways
The path of natural riches
2015-04-07
The installer’s objective is to show for the visitors of Žagarė Regional Park the most important natural heritage objects in Žagarė and it’s outskirts. These objects: Žagarė Ridge, Dolomite Rock Exposure, Žvelgaitis pond, Žagarė Forest. Švedpolis Spring and The marsh of Mūša tyrelis.
The beginning of the route – near Žagarė Ridge. Walking along it you will find lots of recreational equipment. There are many different species of birds in Žvelgaitis pond. Dolomite Rock Exposure – one of the most important geological monuments. Žagarė Forest is interesting for the naturalists – there are lots of rare plants and animals. The marsh of Muša tyrelis – one of Natura 2000 territories in Žagarė Regional Park.
The values of the path:
1. Žagarė Ridge - it is one of the longest sandy ridge in Lithuania but also perhaps the most attractive as there are no other hills around it. The Žagarė Ridge was formed in the Ice Age. The sand was brought and deposited by rivers and streams running from glaciers.
2. Žvelgaitis pond - it is situated in the hollow of Žagarė ridge. There was Zigelis mill many years ago. In 1990 the pond was cleaned.
3. Dolomite Rock Exposure – geological monument since 1964. Traces of dolomite can be seen on the banks of the Švėtė river. The dolomite layers were formed 360 million years ago on the seabed. The banks are 50 m long and 3 m in height. Layers of dolomite and plaster can still be seen clearly. In the past dolomite was used for building.
4. Žagarė Forest – until 17th century Semigallians lived there. They hunted, put cattle out to pasture, berried and mushroomed, had fights with Teutonic Knights in this forest. In 1780 the forest was rented for the Duke of Kuršas. In 1793-1858 the owners were Zubovai, from 1858 – Naryškinai. After the Second World War 2500 hectares of Žagarė Forest was declared as botanical-zoological nature reserve.
5. Švedpolis Spring – situated in the river Švėtė near the border of Latvia. The water of the spring is fresh, full of calcium and magnesium bicarbonates.
6. The marsh of Mūša tyrelis – one of Natura 2000 territories in Žagarė Regional Park.