„None calls solemn meetings, doesn’t gather any money for this, doesn’t seek a sound to be heard far away.

It is done what is sacred „after parents command”.

The hat is taken of and it is gone silently farther.

Here’s Zemaitija."

(Professor C. Kudaba) 

• Numbers and Facts
• Tourist Information
• In the Telsiai county
• Telsiai Region
• Plunge Region
• Mazeikiai Region

Numbers and Facts

• Telsiai county lying in the North West of Lithuania covers the Northern part of Zemaitija ethnographic region.
• The county unites Telsiai, Plunge and Mazeikiai regions municipalities’ territories which area is 4139 km². It is one of the smallest counties in Lithuania. There are 182.8 thousand inhabitants: 97% of them are Lithuanians, 2 % – Russians, 1 % – other nationalities.
• The county has border on Latvia. In Lithuania it adjoins with Siauliai, Taurage and Klaipeda counts. Lots of forests embellish the landscape of the counties. The woodenness is 32.3 % and forests are equally distributed in the territory.
• There are a lot rivers, rivulets and picturesque lakes various size.
• The highest point of the county is Satrija hill (228 m above sea level).
• From the point of ethnographic view all the county is in Zemaitija and in every day’s life till nowadays people speak in Zemaiciai dialect. The center of the county Telsiai is called the capital of Zemaitija from ancient times.

Tourist Information

Telsiai County Chiefs Administration:

Zemaites str. 14, LT-5610 Telsiai, Lithuania

Tel./fax (370 94) 51442

Telsiai County Business and Training Center:

Zemaites str. 14, LT-5610 Telsiai, Lithuania

Tel./fax (370 94) 53099

Zemaitija National Park:

Tourism Information center, Plateliai, Plunge reg.

Tel. (37018) 49231, fax (370 18) 51281

Varniai Regional Park:

Oztakiai village, Varniai, Telsiai region

Tel. (370 94) 42596, 47415

In the Telsiai County

• From ancient times Zemaiciai were brave defenders of their land, who had courage, persistence and respect to their ancestors. Today all speak in Zemaiciai dialect, live under that cultural spirit, which was given by history, they like the old dishes of Zemaiciai.

• Telsiai county joining three regions Telsiai, Plunge, Mazeikiai, is active in Republic's economical and cultural life.

• There are 29 big industrial enterprises in the county. Joint-stock companies Mazeikiu Nafta, Zemaitijos Pienas are the biggest ones not only in Lithuania, but in Latvia and Estonia too.

• The companies produce textile, knitted garments, leather, art and furniture articles. There are a lot of construction organizations in the county, but food, building materials and oil processing industry is dominating. Such joint-stock companies as Eliuda, Zemaitijos keliai, Telsoda, Linu audiniai, Litoda, Plunges Grudai, Ingman-Vega, Mazeikiu Pienine, Uotas are known not only in Lithuania, but abroad too.

• Telsiai county is the land of agriculture and cattle-breeding. There are 217,3 thousand ha soil suitable for cultivator and 172,9 thousand ha of it is being ploughed. The land of private husbandry covers 109 thousand ha.
• In the county as everywhere in Lithuania, predominate private husbandry and agriculture companies, accordingly 7762 and 60. The farmers grow cattle and traditional crops as ryes, wheat's, barley, potatoes.

• People in the county begin growing non traditional agriculture crops and cattle. Some of them start other business as growing berries, mushrooms, medical herbs, fish and other water fauna. They wattle of thin twigs, make handicrafts, process agriculture production and develop country tourism.

• There are 199 educational institutions in the county: 4 gymnasiums, 41 secondary schools, 32 pre-school institutions, 16 extra training, 3 special schools, 2 children houses, 7 manual training schools.

• Telsiai higher school of applied art, priests’ seminary, Rietavas higher agriculture school make Telsiai county more known.

• The children of the county attend supplementary schools as music, sports, art and take part in various extra-curricular activities (clubs, societies). They learn folk songs and dances, ball-room dances, parachute-jumping. The children take part in republic contests of exact sciences and the humanities where they take prizes and make our county famous.

• The county has and its cultural life. There are a lot of international festivals as folklore one Er paauga zale leipa, comedies festival Cha-cha-cha, children’s folklore festival As pasiejau veina popa in Telsiai, brass band festival, folklore festival Saulele raudona in Plunge, brass band, songs and dances, trade festival in Mazeikiai. A lot of festivals are organized not only by urban people but by country people too.

• Such monuments as Telsiai old city, Cathedral, Varniai St. Alexander and St. Peter and Paul churches, Telsiai Bernardin’s monastery, Plunge and Rietavas, Renavas and Plinkses estates-steeds ensembles, Seda, Berzoras churches’ ensembles, Small Bazilika of Zemaiciu Kalvarija, with statues of much troubles amaze us with their historic value, beauty and majesty.

• Tourists are interested in Zemaiciai Museum Alka, Countryside Museum, Zemaiciai Art Museum, Mazeikiai Museum of regional study, Exposition of Lithuanian Art Museum in Renavas Estate, Militaristic Museum in the territory where was a secret base of thermonuclear rockets, writers’ Zemaite, Satrijos Ragana, poet Vytautas Macernis, Juozas Vaickus, the theatre founder, memorial museums.

• We hope that such museums as bishopric and Shrovetide which are being established in Lithuania will attract people’s attention.

• We are rich in our history, cultural values and ancestors customs.

• You are welcome to us, you are welcome to co-operate in all spheres-business, culture, sports. We want to make you as rich as we are.

Telsiai Region

• Telsiai is the administrative center of the region. The region stretches in the North West of Lithuania, in the mid highlands of Zemaitija (Samogitia) and covers area 1439 km². The population of it is 61.5 thousand. About 31 % of the territory is covered by forests. The lakes and water depositories cover 2800 ha (1,9% of the total area).

• The biggest lakes out of 47 ones are Lukstas, Mastis, Tausalas, Germantas, Birzulis.

• The beautiful river Virvyte with its tributaries flows through the region. Lots of wonderful nature and historic values are girdled by Varniai Region Park. There are over 300 cultural monuments in the region.

Plunge Region

• Plunge is the administrative center of the region. The area of the region is 1692 km². The population is 56.7 thousand.

• National Park of Zemaitija with Plateliai lake district is its pride and decoration. There are 37 lakes in the region. The river Minija with tributaries shows its beauty and in the southern part-upper reaches of the Jura. 37.9% of the region territory is covered by forests, mostly fir-groves and penuries.

• There are over 350 cultural monuments in it.

Mazeikiai Region

• Mazeikiai is the administrative center of the region. The area of it is 1009 km². The population is 64.5 thousand.

• The region hasn’t many water reservoirs. Out of three lakes. Plinksiai is the most beautiful one. The river Venta with its tributaries flows through territory is covered by forests, mostly fir groves and penuries.

• Plinkses and Renavas’ landscape parks, which are being taken care by state. Are the pride of Mazeikiu region.

• There are over 150 cultural monuments in it.

Text by I. Satkauskiene, L. Sirastanovas.

Translation: I. Petrauskiene

Photo: R. Eitkevicius, M. Silinskas, S. Varnas, V. Bezaras

Map: S. Jucevicius

From the publication Telsiai County. Klaipeda, 1998

© Samogitian Cultural Association Editorial  Board, 1998-2000 Page updated 2003.05.15 . Comments to: samogit@delfi.lt