On a sunny morning of the 27th of May, a large number of the EU program Creative Europe project ePublisher participants and enthusiasts went to visit the Lithuanian town of Anykščiai, which is a homeland of prominent Lithuanian poets A. Baranauskas, J. Biliūnas and A. Vienuolis-Žukauskas.
People who write poetry and have been publishing it on the project website, have taken advantage of a great opportunity to experience the special spirit of the town, where once lived and worked famous poets and prose writers, and the eternally green indestructible Forest of Anykščiai (Lithuanian: Anykščių šilelis) by A. Baranauskas.
The first stop – a recently founded Treetop Walking Path (http://anyksciuparkas.lt/parko-lankytojams/medziu-laju-takas) in Anykščiai pinewood near the Puntukas stone. The treetop path winds through the tree tops for about 300 meters, gradually going upwards until it reaches 21 meters in height. Then everyone had a chance to climb up to 36 meters in height and observe Anykščiai pinewood from above, bends of the river Šventoji and the surrounding plains. The impression of natural beauty was strengthened by an actress and project participant G.Malinauskaitė, reciting extracts from the poem The Forest of Anykščiai (http://antologija.lt/text/antanas-baranauskas-anyksciu-silelis).
Later, we visited The Beacon of Happiness (Lithuanian „Laimės žiburys") (http://www.anyksciuparkas.lt/gamta-ir-kultura/kulturos-vertybes/jbiliuno-kapas-laimes-ziburys - poet J.Biliūnas’ grave. Lithuanian literary classic J.Biliūnas died in 1907 in Zakopanė, Poland, where he was also buried, as his wife Julia had no money to bring his body back to Anykščiai. J.Biliūnas was fulfilled in 1953 when his remains were transported from Poland to Lithuania and buried near Anykščiai, on Liudiškiai hill.
In Anykščiai it is a must to visit the Church of Apostle Evangelist St. Matthew (http://www.anyksciuparkas.lt/gamta-ir-kultura/kulturos-vertybes/anyksciu-sv-mato-baznycia). It is exclusive in Lithuania not only for its height (the twin spires of this Neo-Gothic church, each 79 metres in height, make the church the tallest in Lithuania) and works of art, but also an observation deck, situated upon the church tower at 33 meters height.
After taking a walk through The Old Town streets and visiting A. Baranauskas and A.Vienuolis-Žukauskas squares, filled with excitement and good mood, we headed to the final destination of our tour - Burbiškis Manor (http://www.burbiskis.lt). It is located in Anykščiai Regional Park, near Rubikiai Lake, 8 km away from Anykščiai. Standing at a scenic left bank of Anykšta River, the elegant palace can be seen from afar – it is an architectural monument of the 19th century, a neoclassical era gem, fascinating us with its subtlety and elegance. A graciously designed local park, a home for more than 30 species of trees and bushes, blends into the landscape as an oasis of peace and tranquility. Burbiškis Manor House, built in 1853 by the Lithuanian – Polish noble family, Venclovavičiai, remains one of the most beautiful examples of its sort in Anykščiai region. The whole manor estate has been granted a status of Burbiškis Landscape Architecture Reserve and is included in the European Heritage Sites list.
We would like to especially thank the active participants of ePublisher project L.Buividavičiūtė, D.Morkūnienė, V.Valiulis and L.Stanevičius for reading their own poetry in one of the manor’s halls, as well as a translator N.Riaubaitė who translates poetry into different languages. Together with all remaining participants, who have chosen a poetry reading of a Lithuanian American author Stacy Lee, uploading her works on ePublisher platform in Lithuanian and English languages, followed by warm dinner-table communication, they have created a unique atmosphere, which was the prime aim of our trip.
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