Not every region can boast of having a forest or a woodland, but we have the endlessly mysterious and treasure-filled Karšuva Forest. Within its territory are parts of the Jūra Ichthyological Reserve and the Viešvilė State Nature Reserve.
The Kaskalnis Reserve stands out not only for its most impressive but also the highest inland dunes in the country, but also for the numerous dunes covered with pine trees. Scientists suggest that the inland dunes of Kaskalnis formed approximately 8,000–9,000 years ago. As the glaciers retreated, a large lake formed in that area, and as it dried up, the wind piled up the sand left on its bottom into large hills. These hills have survived to this day in the form of inland sand dunes. The Kaskalnis Reserve was established in 1988.
The reserve is dominated by pine forests, with spruce forests on its eastern edge. Moose, red deer, and wild boar are found in the reserve. Mushrooms, blueberries, and lingonberries grow here.
If you travel to the northern part, you can see the old border between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Prussia. Also, right next to the border of the Viešvilė Nature Reserve, you will have a great opportunity to get to know this unique natural treasure without even stepping into it. After crossing the bridge over the Viešvilė stream, you will see another wonderful natural monument—a western taiga forest, barely touched by human hands.
A bit of history: It is believed that in the past, the name "Kaskalnis" referred to only one dune at the northeastern corner of the massif. It is said that this dune is the approximate site of an unofficial meeting between the rulers of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Teutonic Order in 1517. Ethnographer Hans E. von Knobloch was the first to notice that a 1705 map of the Ragnit district marked an object in this area called "Casto Calna"—Kastas Hill. There is also a note that King Sigismund the Old and the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Albrecht of Brandenburg, dined here. Other sources confirm that both rulers visited these areas in that year. The inscription suggests that to commemorate the event, they ordered the hill to be dug. Perhaps this is a legend, or maybe something similar was done, and the dune began to be called Kaskalnis.
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