Discover Viliūšiai: rural culture

Viliūšiai combines a biographical connection with a rural, ethnocultural accommodation experience. Aviator Viktoras Ašmenskas was born here in 1912; Gervių giesmė is centred around two accommodation houses and educational activities involving herbs, cheese and weaving. In this way, a personal history of the place meets activities for guests.

A rural stay with cultural activities

The ethnocultural rural accommodation Gervių giesmė offers the houses “Klėtis po ąžuolu” and “Stuba”. “Klėtis po ąžuolu” accommodates five people. “Stuba” is intended for larger families or a quiet stay with friends. The houses can be distinguished by different features: at Klėtis po ąžuolu, the group size is the main consideration; at Stuba, it is the kind of stay described. For a group of five, the stated capacity is a practical planning detail; if you would like a quiet break with friends, you can consider Stuba, which is intended for that purpose.

At Gervių giesmė, activities include lessons in gathering herbs and preparing “witches’ tea” in a cauldron. There are also lessons in smoking homemade curd cheese and a tasting; weaving is another educational activity. The topics offer different points of focus: herbs and tea combine gathering and preparation, smoking and tasting go together with the curd cheese, and weaving adds another activity to the programme. If you are interested in plants, food or weaving, you can use these themes to help plan your stay. The activities listed are tied to a stay.

This means that choosing activities also goes hand in hand with choosing accommodation. If you are coming to Viliūšiai for the herb lessons, the curd cheese activities or weaving, consider Gervių giesmė as a place to stay. The two houses offer different points of reference: a specific capacity of five people, or accommodation intended for larger families or a quiet stay with friends.

A biographical connection to the village

The biography of aviator Viktoras Ašmenskas also leads to Viliūšiai: he was born in the village in 1912 and served as chairman of the aerobatics and parachuting associations. His year of birth gives the connection to the place a historical timeframe; his roles link his life story to aviation. This adds another perspective on Viliūšiai to the rural, ethnocultural stay: the story of a person whose birthplace is the village. You therefore have two distinct points of connection for your explorations—the biographical link and the educational activities at Gervių giesmė. Aerobatics focuses on aircraft manoeuvres; parachuting involves jumping with a parachute. Ašmenskas’s two association roles can thus be understood as distinct connections to aviation, rather than two names for the same activity.

For the wider travel overview: Kazlų Rūdos Municipality.