Surrounded by a bend of the Nemunas, the Panemunė pinewood is the third park in Lithuania (after Juodkrantė and Vingis) created in a natural forest. Walking along your chosen route, you can discover rarer plants and spot wild animals and birds. Between the wars Panemunė was recognised as a resort, with sanatoriums and the wooden villas of well-off Kaunas residents. The elegant Kurhaus, of which only the foundations remain, turned into a ski centre in winter. History enthusiasts are still researching Panemunė's two "golden" decades. You can start a hike in the pinewood from the Trys Mergelės footbridge or from the end of A. Smetonos Alley, where you can leave your car. The park has a network of asphalt and natural paths and a nature trail with information signs. Depending on the route, it is 5.6 km or 4.6 km long. For active leisure you can choose hilly or flatter routes. There is a well-kept beach and children's playgrounds, so city residents happily relax here in every season. Although the park began to take shape between the wars (in 1928 it was named the Dr Jonas Basanavičius Park), its landscape is still changing. Before the Kaunas hydroelectric plant was built, there were sandy hillocks with pines as well as marshy areas. When the Nemunas was dammed, the small marshes disappeared. Walking here today, you can see how dry pinewoods are giving way to deciduous trees, while valuable old trees survive on the Nemunas slopes least touched by human hands. The most interesting natural monument is an oak and a pine that have grown together at the trunk. The history of Panemunė is vividly described in a 1932 issue of "Lietuvos aidas": "The air in the forest is lively and pleasant – just breathe it into your lungs and shake off the dust you have sniffed in town all week. Of course, people do shake it off. Some bring gramophones and dance, others sing as they drink, others play ball and jump about..."