The cognitive trail located near Vilnius is one of the most beautiful and interesting in Lithuania.

Now urination is not threatened because the column of the thermometer shows 16 degrees of cold. Through the loose snow, I head towards the Neris, where I immediately find the symbolic gate with the sun at the top. It is like a symbolic entrance to a valley where our ancestors have lived since time immemorial and where their customs and way of life can be known at least to some extent. Now the valley is the largest ancestral cemetery in the vicinity of Vilnius. More than 110 burial mounds, each with a diameter of 7 to 15 meters, have been found in an area of ​​10 hectares. Many of them are rotten, overgrown with trees, or overgrown with trees, but the 3 burial mounds were restored to their original size and shape.

The cemetery near the river is not an accident. Researchers also find a link between the burial mounds and groups of streams and stones, so there is no doubt that the Neris is associated with ancient burial customs. It is assumed that in II – IV c. the inhabitants of the Neris simply released the bodies of the dead downstream until later the custom of burning the bodies arose. The water that flowed through the stones acted as a kind of mediator between this and that world, helping to cleanse the latter. The origin of the name of the river is also related to the word ghost, so for the ancestors the Neris could be like the sacred river of the Ganges.

The noble origin of the Carmelines

The river was not only a place of funeral rites, it was also a source of food and life. Since ancient times, people lived on the banks of the Neris, villages developed. On the right bank of the Neris there used to be the village of Karmazinai, which consisted of three settlements called First, Second and Third Karmazinai. It was not some peasants who lived here, but the nobles who wore red (crimson) garments. These were stained with a special pigment extracted from the crushed insect skeletons. The redder the garment, the more expensive the fabric, as extracting a large amount of pigment was a long process.

The origin of Karmazina is noble, perhaps that is why the Karmazina nature trail is so impressive. One of its sections follows the forest road, which was used to travel to Vilnius by the inhabitants of Karmazinai and Dūkštai. According to the locals, the old road hides many inexplicable things. It is said that when traveling through the forest, a woman would often appear with a child in her hands. He stopped the carriage, took everything out, and then put things back in order.

If residents mainly traveled to Vilnius by land, they would go down the river by water. They not only swam by themselves, but souls swam, reaching Klaipeda via Kaunas, and from there they traveled by boat to England or Germany.

Beautiful views and smart questions

All thoughts about the burial customs of the ancestors, about the noble origins of the towns and the ghosts that appeared in the forest, disappear immediately as soon as they saw the winter Neris. This time she does not transport the bodies and souls of the dead, her waters transport the sexes downstream. For more than a kilometer, the Karmazinai Cognitive Trail runs along the banks of the Neris, and as you travel this stretch, you realize that a respectable second place in choosing the most beautiful trail is not in vain.

I wonder if the Parque Regional de Neris here is lucky with nature, or if the park administration understood the wishes of the visitors and prepared what they expect. If this was the only educational trail in this regional park, I would say it could be a success, but judging from the efforts made and looking at the big picture of all the trails in the park, it is clear that this has been achieved through and work in focus. What is a sea eagle doing 300 kilometers from the sea? What birds buzz in the sky? What is the fisherman’s biggest competitor? Where do lunar flowers grow and old plants grow? The Neris Regional Park knows not only ask funny questions, but also answer them in an interesting way, so if you like encyclopedic texts, it is better not to read the information stands of the Karmazinai Cognitive Path.

The beautiful banks of the Neris end, but the beautiful views do not end. As you travel up the right bank of the Neris, a 60-meter-high mountain called Devil’s Corner rises upstream. It is necessary to climb many wooden stairs, but as an incentive several observation platforms have been set up, from which the panoramic view rewards the effort with a pile.

Here is the top of Devil’s Hill, the place where the witch’s party was held. Perhaps that is why the Neris Regional Park is not hostile even now before picnics in nature. Take has installed 5 rest areas, in one of which, even under the pressure of a funny cold, a barbecue was created to make a barbecue.

The Karmazinai Cognitive Trail has everything you need for an engaging route: beautiful scenery for those who like to see beautiful scenery, interesting information booths for curious travelers, camps for nature lovers, and clear signage that creates a sense of security for all. All you have to do is bring the right clothes and the right mood, and any educational trail will delight you in both the rain and the pressure of the cold.