Nature shows a different face in winter, but one well worth exploring. This winter, the State Service of Protected Areas recommends seeing seven impressive stones or boulders, all protected by the state.
These large boulders are scattered around the country, so visiting them would give an excellent excuse to explore the surrounding sites.
Although they are worthy destinations in themselves. Here are seven stones to visit over seven winter weekends:
1. Barstyčių/Puokės Stone - 56º11'26", 21º53'48" (Puokė village, Skuodas district)
2. Puntukas - 55º29'03", 25º03'35" (Anykščiai Regional Park)
3. Vištyčio Stone - 54º28'13", 22º42'18" (Vištyčio Regional Park)
4. Šilalės Kūlis - 56º09'15", 21º33'45" (Salantai Regional Park)
5. The Great Dzūkija Stone - 54º16'21", 24º01'13" (Vangelononiai village, Alytus district)
6. Jurkiškio Stone - 55º04'27", 25º24'54" (Asveja Regional Park)
7. Black Love Stone - 56º13'51", 22º28'32" (Venta Regional Park)
These boulders have been left by the last glacier that covered Lithuania around 14,000 years ago. The glaciers brought the boulders from Scandinavia and Finland. After the glaciers tore off large chunks of rocks, they incorporated them into a mass of ice, which crushed the boulders as it moved and transported them towards present-day Lithuania.
Puokės (Barstyčio) Stone, the largest protected boulder in Lithuania, weighs more than 500 tonnes.
What are these stones made of? They’re mostly dense granite and gneiss.
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