Druskininkai (pop. 16,9 thousand) is one of the oldest health resorts in Lithuania nestling in the pinewoods by the bend of the Nemunas River.
Mineral water was discovered there in the 18th century, and a little later one of the best curative mud in Europe was found in Druskininkai.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Druskininkai was a resort popular with the rich, which was frequented by noblemen from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw and Vilnius.
Beautiful villas reminding us of these days still stand on the bank of Lake Druskonis.
Druskininkai has 9 sanatoriums and one balneological bath, which can serve about 6000 people at a time. The most advanced technologies of diagnostic and treatment along with a wide range of procedures, including underwater massage, Jacuzzi, and the mineral, pearl, oxygen, vertical, herbal and mud baths, are applied at the sanatoriums. All the sanatoriums have pools, saunas, training facilities and beauty parlours.
The town also has a health centre and 7 mineral water springs.
Druskininkai is gaining in popularity as a venue of seminars, conferences or meetings. The resort has several very beautiful and cosy small hotels.
The scenic nature of Druskininkai and the neighbouring Dzūkija National Park is another “curative” component. A great number of hiking paths, several cycling routes will take you to the most interesting places of the environs, including Švendubrė and other ethnographic villages, and the mystic valley of Raigardas.
You can also cycle to the park-museum of Grūtas displaying monsters of the Soviet era or visit the hill-forts of Liškiava and Merkinė on the banks of the rivers.
The lovers of water pleasures are offered to go canoeing or kayaking on water routes, enjoy a trip by a steamboat, or go fishing.
Druskininkai boasts a large supply of entertainments for active holidays.
Druskininkai is the native town of the world-famous artists, M.K. Čiurlionis and J. Lipchitz, the initiator of Cubism. The town perpetuates their memory. Druskininkai hosts the Čiurlionis Music Festival every year. The resort town also hosts concerts of classical and popular music, poetry evenings, and its art galleries organize a number of exhibitions.
