TELSIAI COUNTY - Geography and history
Capital of
Zemaitija
ethnic region
Telšiai county is situated in the northwest of Lithuania and covers the northern part of the Zemaitija ethnographic region. This is Lithuania's smallest county, bordering the counties of Šiauliai, Taurage and Klaipeda as well as Latvia to the north.
The county's history goes back as far as the 13th century, when invaders attacked Lithuania. The county is known for being the religious centre for Catholicism, and the
Zemaiciai bishop's residence was established here, as was the Seminary for Priests, which was active from 1740 to 1864.
The town of Telšiaiis the centre of the county, and the capital of Zemaitija. It was first mentioned in historical records in 1450. In the 15th century it was the seat of the Lithuanian Grand Duke. The town is situated on seven hills surrounding Lake Mastis.
Telšiaicounty covers the districts of Mazeikiai, Plunge, Telšiaiand the municipality of Rietavas. Telšiaicity, the administrative centre of the county due to historical reasons, is not the largest town in the county, which is rather unusual in Lithuania. The largest town is Mazeikiai.
The majority of its inhabitants speak Lithuanian.
The county's landscape is picturesque, with its scenic lakeshores and riversides. Furthermore, it is home to the Zemaitija national park, the
Plokštine nature reserve, the Varniu regional park as well as a number of other nature reserves. On
Šatrija hill there is a historic monument in a most picturesque area.
The largest lake in Zemaitija is Lake Plateliai, which is a base for water sports and a splendid place for recreation.
Many prominent Lithuanian writers resided in the county, among them two writers of classical literature, Julia Beniuševiciute-Zymantiene-Zemaite (1845-1921), and Marija Peckauskaite-Šatrijos Ragana (1877-1930).
Favourable conditions for the development of agrotourism
Due to the natural beauty of its landscape, the county is in a favourable position for the development of agrotourism. The Zemaitija national park, situated 45 km away from the Baltic Sea, is particularly valuable for the development of agrotourism. The park covers 20 000 ha, and its camp sites, recreational facilities, educational tours, and various festivals are well organised for tourists.
County with hilly relief
Telšiaicounty is one of the smallest in the country (after Taurage county) and covers 4 350 km2 or 6.6 % of Lithuania's total area. The Baltic Sea and the hilly relief influence the climate of the county, bringing it warm winters and cool summers. Average annual precipitation varies from 628 to 872 mm, which is due to the prevailing winds from the west and the south west.
The county is situated in the Zemaiciai uplands, which are well known for their picturesque hills, with Šatrija hill in particular known as one of the highest and most beautiful hills in the county.
The county has a rather dense network of meandering rivers and streams. The small, torrential, Virvyte river twists its way across the county. The riverhead of the Minija river rises here, while the Venta, which crosses the state border of Lithuania and Latvia, flows through the city of Mazeikiai. Venta river is the third longest river in both countries, flowing into the sea in Ventspils. Of the 90 lakes found in the county, the majority are in the districts of Telšiaiand Plunge.
The Zemaiciai uplands are quite typical with their non-fertile, stony land. Despite this, half of the county's area is used for agriculture, although the majority of it is to be found in the district of. Mazeikiai.
Forests cover one third of the area here, and the large forested areas of Kuliai and Rietavo merge together in the district of Plunge.
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