Daugai
Daugai is a town in Dzūkija the southern region of Lithuania. It's on the banks of Lake Didžiulis and is a holiday resort, with a population in 2020 of 928.
Get in
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By road from Vilnius is 89 km, follow A4 then branch west on Highway 128.
Buses from Vilnius run three times a day, taking 80 min, and continue to Alytus and Marijampolė. Two buses a day run from Kaunas, taking 2 hr 15 min via Prienai and Alytus. For tickets and times see Autobusubiletai.
1 Daugai bus stop is on Daugų g at the north edge of town. A statue of an armoured axeman stands nearby, but it doesn't mean the bus service is axed.
Get around
[edit]Town is small and walkable, but you could use a bike to explore the lake shores. The former Alytus-Varėna railway has been turned into a cycleway.
See
[edit]- 1 Church of Divine Providence (Dievo apvaizdos bažnyčia), Savanorių gatvė 17. Compact church in a mixture of styles, brick-built in 1862 after wooden predecessors repeatedly burned down. The detached bell-tower is wooden, looking like an overgrown beehive.
- 2 Jewish Cemetery (Žydkapiai), used from the 18th century to 1941, was originally on an island, as the lake level was 2 m higher and burial parties sploshed across a ford. The Soviets built a health resort here and used the tombstones as steps; after Independence these were re-erected in rows but couldn't be linked to original burial plots. The grove is accessible 24 hours.
Do
[edit]- Didžiulis is the lake south of town, with the town at the base of a peninsula. Multiple access points for swimming, kayaking, fishing and so on.
- Water park: Water Inn is on the lake by Kornelita campsite.
Buy
[edit]- Maxima is the town supermarket. It's at Vytauto g 5 near the bus stop, open daily 08:00-21:00.
- Fish from the lakes may be available direct from local fisherman, likewise game from huntsmen.
- Fuel: Viada filling station is on the main road by the town turn-off, open daily 06:00-22:00.
Eat
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- Turgaus 4, Turgaus aikste 4 (opposite supermarket), ☏ +370 694 95462. M-F 07:30-17:00, Sa 09:00-17:00. Small cafe for coffee and light bites.
- No restaurants or even takeaways, stock up on food items at the supermarket.
Drink
[edit]Daugai has no bars or nightclubs.
Sleep
[edit]- No hotels here, but several in Alytus.
- 1 Poilsio bazė Draugai, Kalvų g 23c, ☏ +370 677 08524. Lakeside self-catering lodges south edge of town.
- 2 Kornelita, ☏ +370 687 39416. Lakeside campsite on a former Soviet "recreation camp". Mixed reviews.
- 3 Dvarčėnų Dvaras, Suvingio g 5, Dvarčėnai, ☏ +370 698 36777. Relaxing place 3 km south of town.
Connect
[edit]As of March 2024, Daugai and its approach highways have 4G from Bite and Telia, but no signal from Tele2. 5G has not reached this area.
Go next
[edit]- Alytus 20 km west is industrial but has a couple of 19th century churches and a top-tier football team.
- Trakai to the northeast has a photogenic medieval castle on a lake island.