Pagėgiai District

Pagėgiai is located on an elevated area above the floodplain of the Nemunas River, near a pine forest. The town's name comes from the Gėgė River, though the origin of the river's name is unclear—it may be related to the honking of geese or the word "cuckoo." The town was first mentioned in 1307 in a Scalvian document that refers to local nobles Beita and Spudas. By 1736, Pagėgiai already had a school, and in the 19th century, Jonas Urbonas, a participant in the Lithuanian literary movement, taught there. The northern Skalva region, known as Lithuanian Switzerland, has always been admired by locals and visitors alike.