Dainava Forest

Dainava Forest (Lithuanian: Dainavos giria) is the largest wood massive in Lithuania. It is located in southern part of the country which is called Dzūkija or Dainava. The total area of the forest is 1450 km² from which 1145 km² is covered by woods. A big part of the forest belongs to Dzūkija National Park.

Dainava Forest mainly consists of pine trees. There are some birch, spruce, black alder groves. Soils are sandy, light, densely covered by cup lichen. The forest is famous for big amounts of mushrooms, billberies, cranberies, cowberries. There are a lot of endangered animal species like Gray Wolf, Wood Grouse, Black Grouse, Hoopoe, Eurasian Eagle-owl, Osprey, Mountain Hare, Stoat, Coronella austriaca, Great Capricorn Beetle, Lucanus cervus in Dainava Forest.

Most rivers of the forest belongs to Merkys River basin, like Ūla, Katra, Grūda, Varėnė, Skroblus. These rivers characterize by their clear, cold water, big amount of sources. Also, there are some tiny thermocarstic lakes and bogs including the biggest bog in Lithuania the Čepkeliai.

Dainava Forest is the most sparsely populated place of Lithuania. There are few settlements but a big part of them have saved a unique architecture and now are preserved as architecture monuments. These villages include Marcinkonys, Zervynos, Latežeris, Lynežeris, Perloja, Musteika.