Grabijolai is one of the most beautiful villages in Lithuania, with a 228-year history. Located in the Neris Regional Park, the village fascinates not only with its wooden architecture but also with its sustainable approach to life and the living environment of the local people.
Audronė Žičkutė, who leads guided tours of the Neris Regional Park “Neries žygiai”, says she has long been fascinated by the village of Grabijolai on the left bank of the Neris River. It is a magical and fascinating place and a safe haven to live since ancient times.
“When you live in Lithuania, a land regularly crossed by foreign armies fighting each other, a land of uprisings, at least in the 19th and 20th centuries, it was a great advantage to live in a backwater. There was much less chance of being burned, robbed, exiled. Grabijolai was a lucky place,” says Žičkutė.
Although 228 years may not seem like a long history, she points out that the village is unique for the “deep connection” its people have with the place. The atmosphere created by the locals fascinates tourists, Žičkutė says.
“People have lived here for generations, for many years. This deep connection is passed on to those who live here and to those who come here,” she says. “You can’t describe the feeling, but everyone who comes here can feel it.”
The old well and the old maple tree with its impressive branches reaching to the sky mark the centre of the village of Grabijolai. The place dates back to the 19th century.
“You could say that the old maple tree was the place where text messages were sent to the whole village because there is a bell hanging on the tree, which, if rung, would bring the whole village together in case of trouble. Helping each other was very important because the village is remote. It was no use expecting help from outside. And the first well was like a Facebook page where you could come and find out everything and discuss the news,” says the guide who organises the hikes.
Grabijolai is a street village in the Elektrėnai municipality, on the left bank of the Neris River, in a valley at the foot of the high Neris valley hills. It is a typical rural village of 25 homesteads, with a large number of old wooden buildings of interesting decoration. According to the last census, Grabijolai had only 14 inhabitants.
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