Trail length – 11 km.

How to use:

1. Download the „TrekTours – hiking routes” app on AppStore or GooglePlay.

2. Create a profile and log in.

3. You will find the trail in the map (that should appear after login) near Senoji Varėna or through this link.

This hiking trail is ideal for those who enjoy waterside scenery. It winds its way through streams, wetlands, and small lakes, inviting hikers to explore the lesser-known corners of the Varėnė River area and the remarkable traces of history hidden deep within Glūkas forest.

The route begins at the Varėnė River dam, where the water briefly slows, creating a peaceful and relaxed riverside atmosphere. From there, the trail turns toward a green peninsula in the Varėnė pond. Forest paths run close to the water, offering tranquil views across the pond from the shoreline.

As you continue north, you gradually enter the most mysterious part of the hike. Here, the forest of Glūkas shelters the remains of a late 19th-century artillery training ground. Moss-covered foundations of explosives storage buildings and earth embankments emerge among the trees, still hinting at the area’s once heavily guarded past. The path leads onward to the site of a former artillery railway station, where old buildings remain standing and a striking water tower nearby once supplied steam locomotives with essential water.

Continuing east in a circular loop, the trail approaches the forest-hidden remnants of the Glūkas railway bridge. Narrow-gauge trains once thundered through this place, but today only silent fragments of masonry remain, preserving their history among the undergrowth. From here, the trail descends back toward Varėnė, bringing the hike to a calm conclusion where river, forest, and the region’s long-forgotten military past come together naturally.