Birštonas

Birštonas
Birštonas
	— City —
	; Coat of arms
	; Coat of arms
	; Birštonas Location of Birštonas
	Coordinates: 54°36′10″N 24°1′14.0″E / 54.60278°N 24.02056°ECoordinates: 54°36′10″N 24°1′14.0″E / 54.60278°N 24.02056°E
Country	Lithuania
Ethnographic region	Suvalkija
County	Kaunas County
Municipality	Birštonas municipality
Capital of	Birštonas municipality
First mentioned	1382
Granted city rights	1529
	Population (2005)
- Total	3,138
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
- Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)

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Birštonas ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a spa town in Lithuania situated on Nemunas River. Birštonas received its city rights 1529, and was appointed a city in 1966.

[edit] History

Birštonas was first mentioned in chronicles of the Teutonic Knights in 1382 and described as a "a farmstead at the salty water". A lot of Lithuanian Dukes and noblemen stayed in Birštonas to hunt during 14th and 16th centuries. The resort was founded in 1846. Many people from Russian, Polish and Lithuanian cities came to sanitoriums and applied mineral water and curative mud procedures. These procedures were applied to Balys Sruoga, who was ill after the Stutthof concentration camp.

[edit] Environment

Birštonas is surrounded by pine forests and the Neman River, which is very good for the ill. Some hills offer nice views of the Neman River. There are also shops, police department, library, theatre, clinic, pharmacy, book store, schools, museums, cafes, restaurants and the City Hall. There are many apartments and rare houses.

[edit] Festivals

There are many festivals in Birštonas. One of them is Jazz festival, which is held every two years at the end of March. This festival has attracted thousands of jazz lovers. It's being broadcasted, too. It has been a tradition in Birštonas for more than twenty years.

[edit] Tourism

Birštonas is known for its mineral water. This water is used by sanatoriums for mineral water pools and baths. There are two large sanatoriums in Birštonas – Tulpė (English: Tulip) and Versmė (English: Spring). Both sanatoriums offers halotherapy, therapeutic mud bathes, mineral water pools, baths, massages, and wide range of curative procedures. Birštonas also has hotels and country farmsteads, adapted for rural tourism. Local attractions include Vytautas hill, where a Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytautas had his hunting mansion, two museums, promenade a path near Neman River. Birštonas is one of few Lithuanian resorts.