Narrow Gauge Railway

Narrow gauge railway reached Anykščiai at the end of the 19th century. Presently, this unique monument of engineering, the only of its kind in Lithuania, tenderly called "the narrow" (Lith. siaurukas) by the locals, serves as an entertaining tourist attraction as well as an object of railway history. The narrow gauge railway section Anykščiai – Rubikiai offers a romantic trip by train or manual railcar to the fascinating lake Rubikiai. This is an exotic trip for families and everyone who is tired of the noisy city life.

 

 

 

Built during the Tsarist rule at the end of the 19th century, the narrow gauge railway Pastovys – Švenčionėliai – Utena – Panevėžys served to carry timber from forests that were being cut down on a massive scale as well as to transport passengers. It was the main means of transport even in the post-war years, in the absence of bus transport. Residents of Anykščiai would take a train to Švenčionėliai, a town which had access to Vilnius. The narrow gauge railway was also used to carry people to the first broad gauge railway station, from which people were exiled to Siberia. For many of them this was the last trip, separating them from the native land forever... The current route of the narrow gauge railway is considerably shorter. Today, the rails are not covered with rust only in the section Panevėžys – Anykščiai – Rubikiai. The round trip Anykščiai – Rubikiai takes about 2 hours, however it won’t be boring. The narrow gauge railway leads over the iron bridge built in 1936 from where you may enjoy the landscape of the Anykšta rivulet banks crowned with trees and bushes and the Šventoji River. You will pass by an Orthodox church built in 1873 and the place of the ancient Anykščiai manor mentioned in written sources of the 15th century.

 

 

As you admire the opening picturesque valleys of the Anykšta rivulet, the train will take you by the Kalita hill where the manor of landlord Nykštys, depicted in Anykščiai Stories by the Lithuanian writer A.Vienuolis, once stood. In winter, an elevator takes skiers to the top of the hill. At the Žažumbris Oak (which is 5.4 m in circumference and about 300 years old) entertainment is waiting for you. For an extra payment, you may enjoy a theatrical performance of "the train capture", folk-group concerts, or lunch by the fire. For various occasions, we recommend ordering Lithuania’s unique dining-cars of the narrow gauge railway: the trip will include tasting of the products of Anykščiai winery Anykščių Vynas. Equally entertaining and exciting is the trip by a manual railcar with open carriages. You will certainly be impressed at the sight of the greatest jewel of the region – the Rubikiai Lake with 16 islands. There are 10 holiday camps around the lake. You will experience a number of unforgettable moments here: you may go bathing, boating, water-cycling, fishing, and stay for a night at rural tourism farmsteads.

 

 

 

 

 

1st day. We would recommend starting the trip from a sightseeing tour in Anykščiai region. You will see A.Baranauskas Granary, A.Vienuolis House-Museum, the exhibition of S.Petraška’s paintings in stone, the Old Railway Station Museum, and the old town where you will feel the atmosphere of ancient streets, St. Mathew’s Neo-gothic Church, the chapel, which is now the centre of chamber music events, the giant Puntukas Stone which, as the legend goes, was "carried and dropped here by a devil", and a monument to J. Biliūnas, called the Beacon of Happiness.

 

After lunch at the café Šilas (a member of the network of Aukštaitija culinary heritage), you are invited to:

2nd day. We recommend rafting or canoeing in the picturesque windings of the Šventoji River. On your way back to Anykščiai, you will visit Šeimyniškėliai mound (Voruta), the Varius rock exposure, the “Witch’s Granary”, and the Horse Museum in Niūronys. After seeing the exhibition of the museum, you will have a possibility to go horse riding or go for a ride in carts in the village and picturesque surroundings.

 

We also offer individualized routes according to customers’ wishes (tel.: +370 381 59177,+370 655 00319).

 

 

Anykščiai has preserved the narrow gauge railway complex including restored buildings of a hundred-year old station, rails, cobble-stoned square, a 96 metre steel bridge fastened by rivets over the Šventoji River, railway beds, sluice-gates featuring engineering and historical monuments preserving the features of the last century. In the prosperous years of the narrow gauge railway, several passenger and cargo trains went through Anykščiai every day.

 

In the seventies train traffic in the section Anykščiai – Utena – Švenčionėliai was discontinued. The section Panevėžys – Anykščiai – Rubikiai, 68.4 km long, was used for carrying cargos, passengers as well as for tourism purposes. From the autumn of 1999, the carriage of quartz sand by the narrow gauge railway was terminated, and in the spring of 2001 regular passenger trips were cancelled as well.

 

Today, trips by narrow gauge railway are available only when ordered in advance.

 

In 1999, museum expositions were opened at the Station. Visitors can see the exhibition devoted to the history of narrow gauge railway, take a look at the restored pre-war office of the Chief of the Station, a waiting hall, and a water tower.

 

Exhibits of various rolling-stock are displayed at the Station: a heat engine, a roofed cargo carriage, a platform, a carriage for sand, a tank-car, an ice-car, a steam engine Kukushka made at the factory Skoda in 1949. Tourists are attracted by entertainment at the Station: biking on rails or riding in a manual railcar.

 

More information: www.siaurukas.lt