The best hiking routes in Telšiai County

Telšiai County offers a landscape shaped by glacial retreat, characterized by low rolling hills, dense spruce forests, and peatlands rather than dramatic peaks or deep gorges. Walkers can choose between the vast, lake-dominated terrain of the west and the quieter, forested river valleys of the east. Underfoot, paths vary from soft pine needle tracks and sandy forest floors to wooden boardwalks designed to cross fragile bog environments.

For those drawn to large bodies of water and deep cultural roots, Źemaitijos nacionalinis parkas provides trails around Lake Plateliai, where the path alternates between lakeside gravel and damp woodland. In contrast, Varnių regioninis parkas features extensive wetland systems and historical mounds, where wooden boardwalks allow access over the shaking peat of the Sietuva myth-laden swamp crossing. These areas are popular and can be busier during the mid-summer months of July and August.

If you prefer quieter, more intimate woodland walks, Germanto kraštovaizdųio draustinis offers well-marked paths around forest lakes close to Telšiai town, characterized by sandy ridges and spruce stands. Further east, Ventos regioninis parkas shifts the focus to river valley walking, where exposed limestone outcrops and clay banks line the Venta River, offering a completely different geological texture underfoot.