The beautiful, undulating green and forested landscape of Aukstaitija National Park is 62 mi/100 km northeast of Vilnius and easily accessible from the capital. The name means "uplands," and the land is dotted with glittering blue lakes and rivers created by the last ice age. This is the oldest of the country's five national parks.
The park is popular with canoeists and hikers. Visitors may encounter roe deer, red deer, wild boar and even elk. Bird-watching is also popular, with as many as 48 species of birds spotted in the park. The only blight is the decommissioned nuclear power plant of Ignalina; this otherwise nice town with pastel-colored wooden houses offers accommodations and even has a modest center for winter sports.
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