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By the Nemunas tourists will travel and cargo will be transported
Jole Juraite
Shipping by inland waterways in Lithuania in the
nearest future should become attractive destination to tourists from the country and
abroad.
A great attention of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and much money from the
European Union funds are given to this issue.
Lithuania and the EU finance the project of
the
Nemunas jetties
At the beginning of July the Lithuanian State Department of
Tourism (SDT) organized an international conference The Development of Water Tourism in
the Nemunas and the Curonian Lagoon. The two-day conference held in the ship navigating
from Jurbarkas to Kintai was dedicated to present the draft project of the construction of
the Nemunas jetties implemented by SDT and discuss business conditions for small ships and
shipping development problems.
54 representatives of the Ministries of Economics, Transport and Communications,
Environment and the departments belonging to them, county administrations, the
municipalities of the Nemunas river-basin, Kaliningrad region administration of the
Russian Federation, also public organizations, representatives of business, and mass media
participated in it.
In the long-term strategy of Lithuanian economy till the year 2015 it is stressed, that
inland water transport and the infrastructure of small ports and jetties are undeveloped.
The fact that the draft project of the construction of the Nemunas jetties is included in
State Investment Program, is a serious step opening national natural riches for public
use. This step is even more strengthened by the EU support.
The total value of the project is 9,54 million litas. 2,12 million litas were allocated
from the Lithuanian budget, the EU PHARE Cross-Border Cooperation Program allocated other
7,42 million litas.
The project that started this year will be carried out in the run of two years. Thirteen
municipalities located in Alytus, Kaunas, Marijampole, Taurage and Klaipeda districts
participate in it.
The project will be implemented in two stages. In the first stage (September
2004–February 2005), the technical and tender documentation, environment impact analysis
will be prepared. During the second stage – in 2005 on the river Nemunas route 9
stationary jetties in Rusne and Uostadvaris, Raudone, Mituva of small ships, Kaunas
passenger, and Kaunas lagoon, Birstonas, Alytus, Druskininkai, and 17 new mobile jetties
in Panemune, Bitenai, Pilies I, Veliuona, Seredzius, Gelgaudiskis, Ploksciai, Vilkija,
Kulautuva, Zapyskis, Raudondvaris, Panemunis, Vytautas, Rumsiskes, Prienai, Punia,
Merkine, Liskiava will be renovated. Beside the jetty construction much infrastructure
developing works are included into the project. The Nemunas banks will be reinforced on
jetty sites, car parking lots and recreation fields supplied by assembled open-air
furniture and hygiene equipment near all jetties will be improved. 60 information
road-signs and 10 information stands will be erected along the Nemunas tourist route.
From the means of the project it is planned to publish the guide of the Nemunas tourist
route in Lithuanian and in several foreign languages. State representatives, foreign
tourist agencies, and mass media will be introduced to the new water tourism route.
The Nemunas will revive village
tourism and cargo transportation
Director of the Lithuanian SDT Alvitis Lukosevicius
emphasizes that the development of the Nemunas tourist route is important to Lithuania
economically, ecologically, and culturally. After the project is implemented, an abundant
rush of Lithuanian and foreign tourists to the Nemunas region, rich by natural and
cultural objects is expected. The significance of the municipalities located near the
Nemunas will strongly grow, the life of the people there will be activated and improved.
A.Lukosevicius stresses that the importance of facilities on water tourism routes is given
an exceptional attention in the National Tourist Development Plan of 2003-2006, in which
it is stated that equipping water tourism routes is the main direction of the active
recreation products and the stimulus to develop private business of village tourism.
However, the draft project of the construction of the Nemunas jetties implemented by SDT
does not solve all problems. That’s why by the decision of the Government of the
Republic of Lithuania the means to ensure the functioning of Nemunas jetties, to make the
water tourism route lively, are planned. For that purpose the municipalities should
reconstruct or equip access roads to the jetties, arrange jetty environment, equip
campings to water tourists, plan the places of interest, and create conditions to visit
them. By the decision of the Government the means to ensure the exploitation of jetties,
quays, and their equipment, to prepare and implement technical documents of jetties and
quays, to analyze the possibilities of improving navigation conditions’ improvement,
etc. are indicated.
The State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy Gediminas Miskinis speaking at the
conference emphasized that village tourism is developing very rapidly, and it stimulates
the solution of cultural, economic, and ecological problems. So great hopes are related to
the EU Structural Funds, the support of which will help the development of all fields
including the pilot project of the construction of the Nemunas jetties, too. According to
G.Miskinis, it has to be successfully implemented.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications Algirdas Vaitkus thinks that
the Nemunas should become not only the route of tourist tracks, but also of cargo
transportation, too. So it is necessary to create the infrastructure of certain jetties
and the environment surrounding them. A river port located in Kaunas will become an
important logistics center as soon as the European railway is constructed up to Kaunas.
Inland waterways tourism should be linked to sea tourism. Last year a huge modern Cruise
Vessel Terminal was built in Klaipeda. During the season of this year more than fifty
cruise vessels called up it. Inland waterways can become a wonderful extension of sea
tourism routes.
Municipalities try to achieve the status
of stars and royal regalia
The Municipality of Silute region cherishes ambitious plans.
Its Mayor Arvydas Jakas said that the development of the infrastructure of tourism and
water resources utilization as the underlying activity is planned in the strategic plan of
region development. The municipality has raised a slogan: Silute – a new star in the
European context. In order this star starts shining it is planned to prepare projects to
get support from Structural Funds. The means will be allocated to develop water tourism
– it is planned to equip 5 jetties for small ships.
The municipality of Alytus intends to build a modern entertainment center near the Nemunas
and build a bicycle road, construct other objects. Alytus citizens plan to do the work
using the initiative of local businessmen and in close cooperation with the neighbours
Poles.
Sakiai district municipality plans to gladden tourists, too with a bicycle road that will
cost several million litas.
Birstonas municipality prepared the plan to built jetty in the very center of the resort,
too. The Deputy Mayor Juozas Aleksandravicius states that for Birstonas the time to become
a royal resort has come, because it meets all the ten quality critera obligatory for
European royal resorts. Birstonas municipality has already taken measures that this status
was awarded to it.
The pride of Jurbarkas district is Raudone castle. The reconstruction of it during the
project implementation is planned.
Pagegiai municipality expects to attract tourists not only by seven new jetties planned,
but also by fishy places of the Nemunas, and the huge stork colony flocked near Bitenai
every year. Those interested in the heritage of the nation’s culture and literature will
surely turn to Bitenai – the Museum of the Patriarch of Lithuania Minor Martynas Jankus.
On August 7th this year a hundred years anniversary of the resumption of Lithuanian press
in Latin scrip was celebrated in it.
Deputy Mayor of Kaunas district Nijole Kliuciene says that it is necessary to strive that
every jetty on the Nemunas route would be peculiar and unique, reflecting the essence of
that region.
Frontier section is a surmountable obstacle
At the conference many discussions about frontier formalities
arose, the ways to simplify them were sought. The member of the Parliament of the Republic
of Lithuania Virginijus Martisauskas stated that it is necessary to simplify the system of
frontier permissions and laws. In the opinion of Commander-in-chief of Pagegiai regiment
of State Frontier Guard Service Rimantas Cemnalianskis, the situation is not so bad. The
Nemunas segment from Smalininkai till Rusne is not a frontier zone, but only a frontier
section to which much more simple requirements are applied. Wishing to navigate by the
Nemunas in a frontier section, permissions are necessary, although many tourists are not
satisfied with that. Several frontier guard stations give the permits for free; one needs
to have only a document that proves the person’s identity.
The representative of Kaliningrad region of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Paskar
stressed that at present only ships with the Russian flag are permitted to navigate by
inland waterways in Kaliningrad region. It significantly limits the navigation of foreign
tourists by the region’s inland waterways. The new law that would provide the
possibility of transit navigation of tourist ships, sailboats, and small motor ships in
the territory of the Russian Federation is under preparation.
80 million litas for the shipping route
Klaipeda-Kaunas
Although the situation in the country’s inland waterways is
not as optimistic as we would like, Director General of Inland Waterways Direction
Gintautas Labanauskas is sure, that inland waterways transport will soon gain much firmer
positions. He thinks that till the year 2010 the revival of inland waterways shipping
using the means from the EU funds will be a success. During this period more than 80
million litas is planned to be invested in the infrastructure of inland waterways. These
means will be used to improve shipping conditions on the route Klaipeda-Kaunas.
This year Inland Waterways Authority (IWA) has already resumed the half forgotten
passenger route by the Nemunas river and Curonian lagoon Kaunas-Nida-Kaunas that was
stopped. This route, earlier very much appreciated by passengers, now was received by
Kaunas inhabitants and city guests with appreciation, too. A small, fourty-seat ship Deima
after a long break on May 22 departed for its maiden voyage and makes the voyages every
weekend. No lack of interested people is felt, enthusiasts are not frightened neither by a
bit longer travel (one way journey takes more than 6 hours), nor by a little more
expensive tickets as compared to the costs of traveling by car or by bus (one way tickets
costs 59 litas, two-way ticket – 99 litas. Snacks and drinks on board are served, IWA
proposes reservations at several rest homes of their partner-companies in Nida.
G.Labanauskas says that IWA heard only very positive remarks about this route. He is
pleased that they were not mistaken by the decision to resume this route and in the future
they will propose many more services and much more comfort.
A ship of a higher speed would make this voyage more attractive. IWA intended to buy one,
however, shipping business is the job of entrepreneurs, the more so, that they got
interested in navigation possibilities by the Nemunas river. Entertainment-tourism
navigation in the Nemunas delta and the Curonian lagoon becomes an attractive sphere of
investment. The task of the Inland Waterways Authority is to create conditions for the
development of such navigation, to improve infrastructure of waterways and the river
banks.
“With the purpose to expand and improve inland waterways infrastructure, the Lithuanian
Inland Waterways Coordination Council was established on May 31 this year. The latter
permanent collegial analyses and evaluates major problems of national inland waterways
development, submits proposals for Governmental institutions, companies, and enterprises
that implement the State policy in the sphere of inland waterways’ infrastructure
development and coordinates actions while preparing and implementing various projects
related to inland waterways infrastructure development”, - says G.Labanauskas.
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