Welcome to Druskininkai! Here, you can learn about the unique history, culture and surroundings of our land. Discover the most visited places in this town, learn about its famous residents and find out how the Druskininkai Resort originated.
Druskininkai has long been known for its mineral water. The name of the town is related to the mineral salt springs and its meaning is close to the Lithuanian word ‘druskininkas’, which describes a person who produces and sells salt. The healing powers of the Druskininkai Springs were first discovered by the locals, who noticed that after wading through some of the Nemunas Springs their wounded legs would be cured more quickly. The first people to research the Druskininkai mineral water and to use it for medical treatment were the local peasant Pranas Suraučius, who was the first to notice the healing properties of the miraculous waters in the 18th century, as well as the pharmacist Rumelis from the town of Gardinas, and the doctors Aniceta Renje, Ksaveras Volfgangas and Jonas Pileckis. These people worked in Druskininkai and became the founders of a spa treatment. After Professor Ignacijus Fonbergas of Vilnius University researched and announced the chemical composition of this mineral water, Russian Emperor Nicholas I approved the project for the establishment of Druskininkai Resort.
The period from the middle of the XIX century to the beginning of the XX century was a time of prosperity for the resort – Druskininkai was not only a place to visit for treatments with the salt springs, mud and kumis, but was also a place of entertainment where concerts, performances and dances took place. Before World War I, Druskininkai Resort was the third most popular destination in tsarist Russia after the resorts of Crimea and Caucasus. From 1924–1939, the young doctor Eugenija Levicka worked in Druskininkai, and she established a historic wellness park. There, holidaymakers were treated with the sun, air and motion. Later, Karolis Dineika, a renowned innovator for various treatment activities in Druskininkai, continued her work in promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Druskininkai is famous not only for its mineral waters and wellness services, but also for some world-renowned artists. It was the place where the Lithuanian artist and composer M. K. Čiurlionis lived and worked, and the place-of-birth of the world-renowned sculptor Jacques Lipchitz. In 1963, in the house where Čiurlionis lived with his family from late 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, a memorial museum for Čiurlionis was founded. Čiurlionis painted many of his paintings and composed his musical works in Druskininkai. He often mentioned Druskininkai in his letters, expressing his love for the region and he remembered his parents’ house fondly until the end of his life.
The world-renowned sculptor Jacques Lipchitz was born in Druskininkai and lived here until the age of 17. Even after working in different countries around the world, Lipchitz never forgot his home town. A hotel located on Šv. Jokūbo Street is the creation of the famous sculptor’s father, and a bust of Lipchitz was erected next to the wooden villa facing the hotel.
Nowadays, Druskininkai is a modern international resort that is popular among tourists, which provides high-quality wellness treatments, as well as tourism and recreation services aimed at ensuring a high quality of life. The resort is not affected by seasonality, since tourists can use the majority of the Druskininkai services at any time of the year. Its hospitals, sanatoriums and hotels, as well as the largest Aqua Park and ski complex in the Baltic States, are open all year round. In 2015, a cableway was constructed over the Nemunas River, which is the only passenger cableway in Lithuania. It connects two of the most visited tourist attractions in Druskininkai – the Aqua Park and the Snow Arena. There are many parks and museums in the town, and its surroundings are full of homesteads for rural tourism accommodation, where the guests of the resort can enjoy clean air and tranquillity surrounded by nature. Druskininkai has 12 mineral water springs and its air is exceptionally clean due to the pine forests and numerous water bodies that surround the town. In 2003, Newsweek magazine published its list of the Top Ten Resorts worth visiting and included Druskininkai, naming it the best balneology resort in Europe.
There are also many beautiful events that have become tradition in the resort. Every year, the locals and tourists enjoy the Druskininkai Resort Festival, Narcissi Blooming Festival, ‘Druskininkai Summer with M. K. Čiurlionis’ international art festival, ‘Poetic Autumn in Druskininkai’ international literary festival, ‘Music without Borders’ international competition, a farewell to summer celebration and many other occasions. During the spectacular Resort Festival, visitors can engage in plenty of entertaining activities and events, including a theatrical ceremony. In the early spring, over 200,000 narcissi bloom in Vijūnėlė Park, and the ‘Druskininkai Summer with M. K. Čiurlionis’ international art festival reminds visitors of the works of one of the most famous Lithuanian artists, composers and painters.
You are welcome to take part in our traditional events and to visit Druskininkai Resort, where you can relax surrounded by nature, enjoy many leisure activities, try out the mineral water treatments and the pleasures of the spa. Here, you will find tranquillity and refresh your body and your soul.
