ALYTUS COUNTY - Geography and history
The capital of the Dzukija ethnic region
Alytus county is the southernmost and one of the smallest counties of Lithuania, and covers the entire ethnic region of Dzukija, stretching out on either side of the Nemunas river. There have been settlements along the river for centuries, and the Merkine, Li?kiava, and Punia castles on its banks were an arena for many heroic battles with different enemies from the 14th century on when hunting manors belonging to knights were built in these places. Vytautas the Great, a duke of Lithuania, settled Tartars not far from Alytus.
Today, the county of Alytus includes the districts of Alytus, Varena, Lazdijai and the resort town of Druskininkai. The majority of the county?s population speaks Lithuanian. The local dialect is called ?Dzukai?.
Alytus town is the centre of the county, unofficially called the capital of Dzukija. It was first mentioned in written manuscripts in 1377. The major part of Alytus, its centre and most significant industrial enterprises, are on the left bank of the Nemunas river, whereas the right bank is a residential area.
The county is served by good rail connections, has a stretch of highway running to the east as well as other highways constructed on both sides of the Nemunas in a north-south direction.
The county has a very diverse and rich nature, covering the largest areas of lakes and rivers and the second largest area of forest in Lithuania, which make it most attractive for tourism. The Dzukija National Park, the ?uvintas and the Cepkeliai nature reserves and the Veisejai regional park, teeming with flora and fauna, are all situated here. The town of Druskininkai is situated at the mouth of the river Ratnycia, and is surrounded by forests, mostly dry pine woods. Druskininkai is a well known spa town, famous for its mineral water and curative mud.
A land of lakes, forests and mushrooms
The total area of the county is 5 425 km2 or 8.3% of Lithuania's total area. Alytus county borders on both Poland and Belarus.
Alytus county is situated within the Dainava plain, which is surrounded by the Suduva and Dzuku hills in the north, and the Ei?i?kiai plateau in the south. The relief has a great influence on the climate of the region, and considerable variation in temperature is typical for the winter months. The average July temperature is slightly higher than in the country as a whole and this is particularly true around the Nemunas river, where the average July temperature is the highest in Lithuania (over 20.6 C). Precipitation amounts to 594 - 674 mm per year.
The most important resource which the county possesses is the Druskininkai spa, open year ?round and offering therapy treatments.
Major rivers flowing through the county are Nemunas ? Lithuania?s largest river ? and its tributary the Merkys river. The county?s landscape is adorned by lakes (about 400), especially in the western part - Lazdijai district has 207 lakes. Lakes Dusia, Metelys and Zuvintas are the largest.
Woodlands comprise 45% of the county?s territory, which is the highest share among all Lithuanian counties. The largest forest is found in the district of Varena in Dainava, which covers more than half (60%) of the region. The Kapciamiestis forest stretches on the other side of the Nemunas. Large quantities of mushrooms are found in the forests here.
Agricultural land covers only 38% of the total area, the lowest figure among the Lithuanian counties. The district of Varena, being the most densely wooded, has the smallest area of arable land within the whole country, while slightly larger arable areas are found in the district of Alytus.
|
|