Druskininkai is one of Lithuania’s oldest resorts, but instead of being on the coast it is situated in a pretty bend in the forest-covered River Nemunas. Mineral water springs were discovered here in the 18th century and some time later it was found that the town was home to some of the best quality healing mud in Europe. As a consequence, at the beginning of the 20th century Druskininkai was transformed into a fashionable resort for the well-to-do, attracting nobility from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw and Vilnius. You can still see the villas of those times on the banks of Lake Druskonis.

These days, nine spa sanatoriums and one balneological water spa can serve up to 6,000 people at a time. Each spa applies the latest technologies in treatments and relaxation. Don’t miss the pleasures of a wide range of procedures – underwater massage, Jacuzzis, mud and mineral water baths, pearl baths, oxygen baths, vertical baths and herbal baths. Apart from all that, each of the spas boasts swimming pools, saunas, gyms and beauty salons. Seven sources of spurting mineral water can be found in this loveliest of spa towns.

The beauty of the countryside around Druskininkai is an additional healer. The resort is popular for its extensive parks, walking and cycling paths and pleasant roads, which can take you to some very pretty places – old-fashioned villages, mystical Raigardas Valley, the Grūtas theme park of Soviet sculptures and much more.

Druskininkai is also the native town of two world-known artists – the painter and composer M. K. Čiurlionis and Jacques Lipshitz, known as being the world’s very first cubist sculptor. You can visit their museums here as well as regular music festivals and events held in their memory.

With its fast-improving range of hotels and facilities, Druskininkai is enjoying a new wave of popularity, including as an interesting conference destination.

www.info.druskininkai.lt