The Rambynas hill is holy place of Skalvian tribe, mentioned in the 13th century descriptions of Crusaders’ war routes. It is believed that a Skalvian castle called Ramigė stood on the top of the Rambynas hill, which was conquered by the Order of Crusaders. The Rambynas hill was washed underneath by the Nemunas and collapsed three times. The small 46 meters high foothills is all that remains now.

It is believed that a defensive castle used to stand on the Šereitlaukis mound where Šereika, the last chief of the Skalvian tribe, died. Archaeological research conducted in the 20th and 21st century revealed the immensity of the site. It is comprised of the Šereitlaukis mound, a settlement at the foot of the mound – Sidabrakalnis, a burial ground called Milinkapis to the north, a settlement dating back to the 1st – 13th centuries next to it and another graveyard.

It is an old mound of the Skalvian tribe where intense activity used to take place. In the eastern part of the mound, 1.3 – 1.5 meters of cultural layer was found. At the foot of the mound, two ancient settlements dating back to the 1st – 2nd centuries are located close to each other. It is believed that these settlements led to the formation of the town of Vikyškiai.

At the highest point of the Rambynas Hill, there is a viewing platform which gives views of the bends of the Nemunas as well as the towns of Tilžė and Ragainė. It is one of the most spectacular panoramas in Lithuania.

The platform is situated near the road going through Rambynas Hill to Bitėnai. This observation deck gives views of the Merguva lake, the town of Ragainė, Bitėnai village and the bend of Nemunas alongside the village.

The reconstructed building of Martynas Jankus’s publishing house is now a museum where the valuables related to the life and work of Martynas Jankus, one of the publishers of the newspaper ‘Aušra’ and a signatory of the Act of Tilsit, are exhibited and stored.

Near the Martynas Jankus Museum, the Garden of Paintings of Lithuania Minor is established. The plein air paintings drawn on wooden planks can be admired all year long.

After the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, the Nemunas river became a state border between the Republic of Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation. It also serves as an external border of the European Union. In Bardėnai, the State Border Guard Service Barden was established – the cordon of Bardėnai.

Motor boats of the Border Guard Service are moored in the dock of the Nemunas river. Also, one can find here a tourist pleasure boat of the municipality of Pagėgiai called ‘Skalva’.

The eight meters high tower stands on the shore of lake Merguva. In the distance behind the Nemunas, the outline of the town of Ragainė is seen – remnants of a castle and chimneys of a pulp and paper mill.

On the approaches of Bardėnai village at the site of former mill, there is a tower overlooking the hills of the Vilkyškiai ridge, the beginning of the Nemunas delta and a road connecting Mikytai and Tilžė with bridges across oxbow lakes of the Nemunas.

Bitėnai – Užbičiai cemetery is the final resting place of the philosopher Vydūnas, the printer Martynas Jankus, the musician and journalist Valteris Kristupas Banaitis, the last Prussian Lithuanian of Bitėnai Elena Grigolaitytė-Kondratavičienė and the signatories of the Act of Tilsit Jonas Vanagaitis and Valteris Didžys.

For years, the cemetery have been disdained and destroyed by treasure seekers. In 2010, thanks to the initiative of Martynas Jankus’s granddaughter Ieva Jankutė-Gerola the graveyard was tidied up, and a sculpture by Algirdas Bosas called ‘In memory of Prussian Lithuanian posterity’ was built.

In the old graveyard of Bardėnai village, traditional forged and molded crosses with epitaphs and ornamentation fragments of metal fences have survived. This cemetery is supervised and managed by the border guards of the Bardėnai cordon.

The cemetery located on the outskirts of Lumpėnai village is the final resting place of the parents and other relatives of the printer Enzys Jagomastas. In this burial ground, symbolic crosses are also were built. The cemetery is taken care of by the Lumpėnai Enzys Jagomastas school community.

In the centre of Bitėnai village, in a small pine forest on bank of Nemunas, white stocks build nests since 1974. About 20 nests are spread between several dozen pine trees.

The purpose of the old Lumpėnai (Bardėnai) second elementary school has changed. Now it has become a guesthouse. During its reconstruction, the old areas, internal layout and wooden constructions were preserved.

When Soviet structures were demolished, the foundations of the manor’s outbuildings were found and preserved. The nearby towers of distilling dregs were also preserved. Oldest is the red brick tower, while the newer ones are built from concrete.

In the beginning of the Šereitlaukis manor park, near the former mansion, grows an old linden. It is believed that the tree can be around 400 years old. In the depths of the park, an old alley of lindens has survived to this day.

In the 19th century, a very straight 2 kilometre long alley connected the manor’s main building with the cemetery of landlords in the Šereitlaukis forest. Nowadays, the alley is part of walkway though Šereitlaukis wood.

In the 19th century, the cemetery of landlords was built within the Šereitlaukis forest, about 2 kilometres from the centre of the manor. On the hill, stood a small modest chapel. A special alley designed for carriages led to the graveyard.

In the graveyard located in the Šereitlaukis forest, landlords and their relatives from nearby manors were buried. The cemetery is cleaned and supervised by the community of Šereitlaukis village.

This tower stands on a hill on the edge of the forest and is part of a hiking route through Šereitlaukis grove. The tower overlooks the Nemunas river and two of its tributaries – Šešupė and Jūra.

It is the highest point of the Lithuanian part of the Vilkyškiai ridge. The height of hill is 75.5 meters above the sea level. It is surrounded by an old oak forest. The Abšriūtai Hill is part of the walking route through Šereitlaukis wood.

The folwark was built in the forest, near the road leading to crossing towards Ragainė. It belonged to the Šereitlaukis manor. Here, horses used to be bred. The folwark is completely outworn now. Only the foundation of its outbuildings has survived.

The remains of a garden, debris of a well and fragments of a residential house hidden between undergrowth are the only traces of the former folwark homestead. The history of the Dallnitz folwark is described on the information booth.

Each part of the village had its own graveyard. These graves are located on the hill near the forest in the east of Šereitlaukis village. The cemetery is dilapidated – only one area with several concrete columns is left.

It was discovered in 1988. Its powerful fortifications suggest that it was built in the 13th century. It is believed that the last chief of the Skalvian tribe Šereika died here. The mound can be reached by paths and stairs located on both sides.

The burial mound situated near the Šereitlaukis manor and planted by a ring of maples is called Tumulus. It is not an ordinary rural burial ground – the dead were buried here throughout the 2nd – 6th centuries. It might be the final resting place of the last chief of the Skalvian tribe Šereika.

From the observation tower standing on a hill in rural approaches, a wide panorama can be seen – the confluence of the Jūra and Nemunas rivers, Karšuva grove sprawling in the distance and Šereitlaukis village.

The old, basically vanished cemetery of Keleriškiai village is located in the forest near the road leading to Šereitlaukis. Here, many traditional elements have been preserved – forged and molded crosses and gravestones, fences and commemorative plates with various ornaments.

The graveyard is located within territory of the village, yet it is not used for burial anymore. A lot of traditional features have survived to this day – crosses, concrete monuments and epitaphs which are still legible.

It is possible that the small hill next to the dammed river Apstelė is not a mound, but rather a natural hill. It may also be that an unused mound was built. Such is the opinion of archaeologists. The mound can be reached by a pathway or stairs.

The 15 meters wide hill located near Opstainys is called the Meadow of sticky catchflies. In June, it gets decorated by a purple carpet thanks to the blossoming of the sticky catchfly, a rather rare plant.

The traditional red brick building, the former Šereitlaukis elementary school, has changed it purpose. It has been renovated yet it retained traditional architectural elements typical of the region. The building now serves as a guesthouse.

The stone granary of traditional architectural style is used for its intended purpose even now. The interior of the granary has been preserved. It includes building constructions, lintels and stairs.

The village community has opened a museum within the former spirits factory of the Šereitlaukis manor. One of the rooms is dedicated to the rich history of the manor, while another one accommodates an exhibition of village dwellers’ lifestyle. The founder of the museum is the painter Kristina Blankaitė.

This is a central construction with a square in the opposite direction and manor outbuildings at the sides. The manor house was founded in the 17th century. Now the manor house is restored and is adapted to the needs of society. It accommodates the administration of the eldership as well as a library.

These stables have become a handicraft centre following its reconstruction. The building has retained its traditional architectural style as well as the archaic exterior.

It is a typical Lithuania Minor granary – a two-storey structure with a gap between the roof and walls, which has inherent shutters and double-leaf doors. The building has deteriorated considerably during the Soviet era and is awaiting restoration.

In 1998, a monument symbolizing bended shafts of a carriage was built in the centre of the town of Vilkyškiai. It is dedicated to the people of Salzburg who settled in Vilkyškiai after the great plague of 1709 – 1711. A plaque on the monument reads in German and Lithuanian: ‘Dedicated to the people of Salzburg who found a new homeland here’.

On the western outskirts of the town stands an observation tower overlooking the panorama of Vilkyškiai, the Jūra river as well as expressive ridge terrain.

Vilkyškiai forest is home to a fir tree with seventeen (formerly eighteen) trunks known as the Fir Tree of Witches. It is about 32 meters high (higher than a nine-storey building) and is approximately 160 years old.

The stylish oak alley, which consists of 39 oak trees, starts from the road to Šereitlaukis in eastern direction. This alley merges with the forest. The oaks are about 200 years old. It is unknown who and why planted the trees. The oak alley is a state protected natural heritage site.

The Vilkyškiai manor house is an example of traditional architectural elements: old constructions from logs, columns, lintels and windows profiles.

The interior of the church is modest. The windows are decorated with stained glass windows donated by families and organizations. The pipe organ was presented to the church by the Detmold parish. The church serves its purpose. Additionally, exhibitions and festivals of organ music in Vilkyškiai are organized here.

The clergy house of Vilkiškiai Evangelical Lutheran church accommodates an exhibition dedicated to the writer. His workroom has been relocated from Berlin.

In the Tourist information centre of Vilkyškiai, an exhibition dedicated to the narrow-gauge railway is open. Such railway operated until the end of World War II and was the main means of transport of the local people.

The Catholic church was opened in Vilkyškiai in 1958 within a residential house. Now the church is repaired, its interior is furnished. Vilkyškiai, like the whole of Lithuania Minor, is dominated by the Catholic faith.

The diary was built in 1934. Nowadays it has a large production capacity. The diary’s administrative building has been reconstructed while preserving its internal structure and layout and exposing the red brick walls.

Rambynas Hill is a sacred place of the Skalvian tribe and one of the most mystical and picturesque sights in Lithuania. The bends of Nemunas as well as the towns of Tilžė and Ragainė are seen from here. There are stairs designed for descent at the highest point of the hill and stairs in whitewater for comfortable ascension. On the mythological platform of the hill stands a creation of the sculptor Regimantas Midvikis – a modern symbolic earring.

The steep bank of the Nemunas along Ragainė directs the river towards Rambynas. At the point where its waters hit the hill, the Nemunas makes a sharp turn toward Tilžė. Huge flooded grassland areas with unique plants and oxbow lakes comprise the reserve of the landscape of the Ragainė bend. The Nemunas serves as a border between the EU and Russia’s Kaliningrad Oblast.

Some of the buildings of the Šereitlaukis manor are still standing. Among them: an alcohol-factory, a shed, a barn (granary), silos (tower structures for grains or dregs), homes of workers and part of the park. In front of the former center structure of the estate, which has burned down during World War I, a memorial stone in honor of Heinrich Theodor von Schon has been unveiled.

Constructions of the former manor established in the early 17th century stand on the hill opposite the Evangelical Lutheran church. The manor house, building of an old inn, red brick stables, house of servants and granary have survived to this day. The manor is now home to the administration of the eldership of Vilkyškiai.

A small wooden farmhouse of traditional architecture style stands around half a kilometre away from the mythological platform. Its owner was Albertas Kumpys, then after World War II, the farmhouse came into the possession of the state. Now the farmhouse has been reconstructed in accordance with old architectural traditions.

The diary was built in 1934. Its operations are expanding – a number of new building have emerged, however the old facade has preserved its old look: plastered brick walls, tiled roof, typical windows with multiple partitions. All the structures of the diary are constructed according to local traditions.

In the Rambynas Regional Park’s visitor centre exhibition, one can get acquainted with natural, historical and cultural assets located within the park and watch documentaries in three languages – Lithuanian, English and German.

A typical farmhouse serving as an elementary school. It consists of one classroom, a teacher’s apartment and outbuildings – a stable, warehouse and adjacent bathrooms for boys, girls and the teacher.

A one-storey farmhouse with a gap between the roof and the wall, belonging to a middle-class farmer. The walls are made from brick, and the windows are divided into six parts. Outbuildings are located next to the red bricks. The farmhouse was built in 1927.

After the 1924 fire, a large house was built from red bricks at the site of the burnt Fricas Kosgalvis‘s pub. Rooms for travellers and holidaymakers were planned on the second floor.

The large red brick house on the shore of the Nemunas used to belong to the Fabianas family. Raftsmen and sailors travelling along the Nemunas as well as holidaymakers from Tilžė and Ragainė would often stay here.

A typical primary school built at the end of the 19th century. This school was attended not only by pupils from Bitėnai, but also by children living in Jogaudai, Pempynė and other nearby villages.

A one-storey residential house of the Pempynė manor with a mansard roof. The house is made from clay and has brick lintels above its windows and doors. The building has a high steep roof and was constructed in the early 18th century.

A two-storey brick barn with a mansard-type three-way roof. It has small windows in it for lighting and ventilation. A hoist can be seen in the eastern side of the building.

Two traditional stone buildings where manor workers resided have survived until our days. The back of the house is decorated with cut wooden racks.

In the early 20th century, a new two-storey spirits distillery with a high chimney was built from bricks manufactured in the brickyard in Šereitlaukis. It was a rather large factory for its time.

A massive two-storey brick barn with a mansard, spacious basement and a hoist at the side of the building. It is believed that the barn was built in the 18th century.

In the Opstainys manor, only a park with a linden alley and a dairy remain. It is a plastered red brick building with a mansard and a gap between the roof and the wall. A traditional outbuilding from red brick stands in the yard.

Travellers could spend the night in the inn near the road Tauragė – Ragainė. One could find a stable and a smithy here. In the 20th century, it belonged to the Urbanas family. The 19th century plastered one-story building is made from stone and has a steep roof.

The monument dedicated to the parishioners who died during World War I was built in approximately 1920 in the centre of Vilkyškiai. Such monuments were constructed in almost all parishes of Prussian Lithuania.

The school was opened as soon as the church was built in the middle of the 16th century. This was the first elementary school in the Klaipėda Region. This building served as school in the 19th – 20th centuries.

After the Vilkyškiai parish was created in 1560, a graveyard was established near the church. The Prussian war adviser and the administrator of the Šereitlaukis manor Gottfried Theodor von Schön (1704 – 1770) is buried here.

The church was built in Vilkyškiai in the middle of the 19th century. During the Seven Years' War, it was burned down by the Russian Cossacks. The church was rebuilt in 1711. In 1896, a new 45-meter-high red brick church was erected.

A former two-storey stone pharmacy with a spacious basement, traditional tall double-leaf door and rich decorations. Built in the 19th century.

The German writer Johannes Bobrowski (1917–1965) used to spend summers in Vilkyškiai in this house where his grandmother and aunt lived.

After World War I, the Klaipėda region was separated from Germany and handed over to France. Nemunas River served as the state border. Afterwards Šereiklaukis customs homestead was equipped with a red brick prison. It is there that the travelers in and out of Neman Town (Ragainė) were checked.

Bardėnai is a village of farmers and agriculturists which was mentioned in the 16th century. In the village, a small manor used to stand. The large majority of its inhabitants were Evangelical Lutherans and belonged to the Piktupėnai parish. The children attended Lumpėnai school. The residents of Bardėnai included family members of the printer Enzys Jagomastas.

Lumpėnai dates back to the early 16th century. With serfdom abolished in 1807 and narrow-gauge railway Mikytai – Smalininkai built, the village Lumpėnai had thrived. There were two schools, a post office, sawmill, three mills and Šlenteris’s pub. At the same time, crafts were developing. In 1870, the renowned Lithuanian printer Enzys Jagomastas was born in Lumpėnai.

Bitėnai is a village which is divided in two by the Bitė river. Bitėnai – Užbičiai is the only village on the bank of the Nemunas in the area between Smailininkai and the delta. Flood waters do not reach it. The village was inhabited by fishermen and farmers and consisted of a mill, dairy, port and several taverns frequented by travellers, sailors and raftsmen. At the times of press ban in Lithuania at the end of the 19th century, Bitėnai – Užbičiai became an important centre of Lithuanian press publication and distribution. Martynas Jankus’s printing house operated in Bitėnai from 1892 to 1909.

Bitėnai – Šilėnai is the smaller part of the Bitėnai village. There, a gendarme’s manor, foresters centre and school were found. The village was untouched by the great plague in 1709 – 1711. For centuries, it belonged to the Ragainė parish where Martynas Mažvydas, the author of the first book in Lithuanian, worked as a priest. Bitėnai – Šilėnai used to be called the suburbs of Ragainė. Some of the inhabitants were fishermen, while others cultivated the fields.

The village got its name from the mountain Pempynė. Germans used to call the settlement ‘Wahlenthal’, just like another nearby mountain called Wahlenberg. The manor was founded in 1833 when the lands taken away from surrounding villages were joined following the so called land separation. Farmhouses of the manor workers were built nearby. This estate became the folwark of the Šereitlaukis manor in 1905. In the Pempynė manor, horses used to be bred.

Šereitlaukis is a manor and village standing on the confluence of the Nemunas and Jūra rivers. For several centuries, the manor was one of the most economically-advanced estates in the whole of Prussia. In the 19th century, Šereitlaukis was comprised of several independent structures: the manor, village, school, brickyard, and mill. The separate territories of Šereitlaukis had their own cemetery. In the manor, horses and sheep were bred, and a spirit distillery used to work. The first Upper President of East Prussia, Theodor von Schön was born into the family of administrators of the manor. Šereitlaukis is described in the novel by Johannes Bobrowski ‘Lithuanian Pianos’.

The village is located on the right bank of the Jūra river near the large Šereitlaukis manor. The source of dwellers‘ livelihood was land, fields and water. In the middle of the 19th century, its population was 455. There local buildings included a school, inn, two mills and diary (creamery).

An old village and manor. There used to be a permanent crossing over the Jūra river and a temporary summer bridge which led to the fields belonging to the residents. Opstainys was quite lively thanks to the highway Ragainė – Tauragė. In the second half of the 19th century, the village was home to almost 500 dwellers. The poet Kristupas Kruopaitis worked here as a teacher, and the printing house of Kristupas Giedraitis was open for several years. Opstainys had a diary, smithy and two inns.

A town situated on the slopes of mountain ridges near the Pagėgiai – Jurbarkas road. Vilkyškiai has a traditional structure – streets and a square. The town dates back to the middle of the 16th century. In the centre of Vilkyškiai stands a manor with a residential house and other buildings – barn, stable, guesthouse, etc. The town is decorated by an Evangelical Lutheran church, war memorial and several traditional buildings.