Telšiai County: Forest Trails, Lakes and Culture

Forest nature trails, lake landscapes and museums tell the story of nature and regional history in Telšiai County. Its cultural attractions each offer a distinctive experience – from a large teddy bear collection to an exhibition in a former missile complex.

Enjoy nature and get out and about

A four-kilometre nature trail runs through Jomantų Forest. There are 23 information boards along the route, as well as seven rest areas. The full route, including the information and the crossword puzzle at the end, takes about three hours. The puzzle is therefore part of the visit as described. If you enjoy combining nature with a challenge, you can make this trail a focus of your trip.

The Germantas Landscape Reserve offers a different kind of scenery. Covering 924 hectares, it protects an environment typical of the Central Samogitian Upland, with lakes, forests, streams and wetlands. These landscape features give nature lovers a tangible sense of what distinguishes the region beyond its museums. There are also walking and cycling routes along the shore of Lake Masčio. This means there are routes for both walking and cycling outdoors.

Museums and the history of Žemaitija

In Telšiai, the Bear Museum houses more than 5,837 bears and teddy bears. The collection includes a variety of materials, sizes and shapes; this diversity makes a visit an unusual addition to regional history exhibitions and nature experiences. The Mažeikiai Museum, by contrast, focuses on the history, archaeology and ethnography of the Žemaitija region, as well as folk art. Its permanent exhibition, “Naftos kelias” (“The Path of Oil”), explores the extraction and processing of petroleum products, the products made from them and their uses, as well as the history of the Mažeikiai oil refinery.

The history of manor houses can also be explored from different perspectives. The Žemaitija Art Museum is housed in Plungė Manor Palace. Its cultural heritage reflects the history of Plungė Manor and the Oginski family. In Plateliai, the exhibition at Žemaitija National Park presents the history of the local manor, as well as Samogitian ethnography and nature. The exhibition “Keliaukime aplink Platelių ežerą” (“Let’s Travel Around Lake Platelių”) at the national park’s visitor centre also covers the formation of Lake Platelių, its underwater topography and world, water activities, places to visit in the park and nature trails.

The Viekšniai Pharmacy Museum and the Žemaitija Diocese Museum offer further insights. The Pharmacy Museum is Lithuania’s only museum dedicated to a rural pharmacy from the 19th to the 20th century. The pharmacist’s living quarters and the pharmacy’s history, handwritten in its entirety, have been preserved. The Žemaitija Diocese Museum, a department of the Alka Museum, is located in the historic buildings of the Žemaitija seminary in Varniai, Telšiai County. If you are particularly interested in church or pharmaceutical history, you can make these two subjects a focus of your cultural itinerary.

Manor houses, places and special insights

At the restored 19th-century Renavas Manor estate, a museum exhibition offers a glimpse into Lithuanian manor-house culture. Rietavas Manor Park, also dating from the 19th century, has ponds, islands and old trees; it is ideal for walks, relaxation and exploring the history of the manor. In Kuliai, the regional museum offers a chance to learn about the town’s history, way of life and notable figures during a short visit. The cultural themes therefore range from individual places and families to broader regional history.

A particularly striking historic site is the former underground Soviet ballistic missile launch complex, which houses the Cold War exhibition. The Mykolinės celebration in Rietavas has a different character: its programme spans ten days and includes cultural, sporting, educational and community events. Together with museums, manor sites and nature attractions, these offer a range of interests for visitors – not all of the experiences are alike. When choosing a holiday rental, you can therefore start by considering whether forests and landscapes, regional collections, or manor-house and cultural history should be the focus of your stay.

More pages: Plungė, Mažeikiai, Telšiai, Gečaičiai, Plateliai, Varniai, Ubiškė, Luokės Seniūnija, Rapaliai, Mažeikių rajono savivaldybė, Telšių rajono savivaldybė, Rietavo savivaldybė, Plungės rajono savivaldybė.

For the broader travel overview: Lithuania.