PROJECT
A RESORT PLACE I LIKE BEST
CONTENTS
• Introduction
• The aim of the Project Work
• The Project Work
“A resort place I like best”:
• History;
• Land;
• Population;
• Facilities;
• About Birstonas;
• Things to do;
• Regularly scheduled sport and cultural events;
• Sanatoriums;
Conclusions
INTRODUCTION
One day our English teacher asked us to make a project work. She gave us a
lot of subjects and we had to choose one of them. I have chosen “A resort
place I like best”. A resort place I like best is Birstonas. My parents –
my mother and my father, were born in Birstonas. First time I visited
Birstonas when I was four years old. It was fantastic! I enjoyed breathing
the fresh air, walking in wonderful pinewoods, swimming in enormous
swimming-pools. Birstonas charmed me from my childhood. It is the only
town, where I can relax. That is the reason why I visit Birstonas every
year.
THE AIM OF THE PROJECT WORK
There are a lot of aims of my project work. I will mention some of them:
• It was very useful for me to make a project work because now (after
making it) I know plenty of new facts about this unique resort town –
Birstonas;
• I have friends in United States of America, in United Kingdom and in
Italy. I am able to tell a great number of interesting facts about
Birstonas to my friends.
• I have repeated the subject that we learned about in our English
lessons – Resort town in Lithuania.
HISTORY
Birstonas is situated in the southern part of Lithuania at the one of the
bends of the Nemunas River. In 1966 it gained the status of the town of
republican subordination.
First time the name of Birstonas was mentioned in 1382. Chronicle of Vygand
of Marburg mentions „a farmstead at the salty water“ (Birstain or Birstan).
The wooden castle of Birstonas is also referred to in descriptions of the
routes to Lithuania by Crusaders’ scouts; these descriptions, surviving
from the period of 1384-1402, include the above-mentioned names of
Birstonas. In the early 19th century, Teodoras Narbutas, a researcher of
Lithuanian history, discovered these documents in the secret archives of
Konigsberg. The master of the castle, Vytautas the Great, was a keen
hunter. For hunting sessions the game would have been driven into the
forest surrounded by the Nemunas bend from Trakai and Aukstadvaris; that is
why the forest is still called Zverincius (a place full of beasts).
Birstonas developed into a highly sought after and prized health resort
town. It served the restorative and relaxation needs primarily of the
citizens of the Soviet Union prior to Lithuania’s independence in March of
1990. Since the independence of 1990, Birstonas has been free to develop
its beautiful surroundings, clean air, and abundant sources of water into
one of Lithuania’s most charming destinations. It’s charm of late XIX
century -early XX century resort villas were never spoiled by soviet style
„architecture.“ The tallest building is only 4 stories high. The entire
city is ablaze in nature and colour throughout the seasons.
In 1414 a famous Flemish traveller Gilbert de Lanua visited the region and
was the first one to mention the Birstonas Castle. Sources tell that
escaping from plague epidemic the Grand Duke of Lithuania Kazimieras
Jogailaitis with his family spent there the winter of 1473. The hunting
estate had been expanding rapidly and it became known as Birstonas town in
1518. The first church there was built in 1549 (rebuilt in 1643). The town
was severely damaged during the 17th century wars against Russia.
From 1924 Birstonas was subordinate to Lithuanian Red Cross organization.
The park was cleaned out, new buildings and running water system were
built, and water springs put in order. In 1924 the production of bottled
mineral water from Birstonas springs “Birute” and “Vytautas” was started at
the hotel Lietuva in Kaunas. Later on the production process was moved to a
small plant in Birstonas. Buildings for mud treatment procedures were built
in 1927, while buildings for mineral water procedures – in 1931.
In 1939 the monument to Doctor Jonas Basanavicius (sculptor A.
Aleksandravicius), a leader and ideologist of Lithuanian national movement,
was erected in Birstonas and stands there until now. World War II severely
damaged the town; the fire destroyed the most beautiful building of the
town, Kurhaus (it was rebuilt later) as well as the pictures by famous
painter Kazys Simonis that were kept in it.
Professor Balys Sruoga, a Lithuanian writer, came to Birstonas to recover
and be treated at the Baltoji vila (White Villa) Sanatorium after the years
in Stutthof concentration camp, in 1946. In Birstonas he wrote his best
novel “Dievu miskas” (“Forest of the Gods”). It was built the monument to
Balys Sruoga (sculptor G. Plechavicius)
here.
Birstonas hydrographical network includes the Nemunas River, the Druskupis
rivulet, mineral springs, and wells. When the Kaunas Hydroelectric power
station was put in operation, the water level of the Nemunas by Birstonas
increased. After 1959 flood, 2.2 m of length embankment was made to protect
the town from floodwater.
The history of the town is introduced at the history museum that was opened
in 1967. It has a conventional exposition and two exhibit halls. Museum
archives contain about 6,000 pieces. The museum organizes meetings,
exhibitions, and lessons of history. A sacred museum commemorating Cardinal
V. Sladkevicius and Archbishop J. Matulionis has been founded.
The beginning of secondary education dates back to 1796, when the first