Druskininkai K. Dineika Wellness Park

About object:

Druskininkai – a nature’s corner of wonderful beauty – is constantly growing and welcoming visitors all year round. In 2015, a new public space – K. Dineika Wellness Park – was opened up. It is like another gem on this city’s attractions list.
The beginnings of the park activities date back to the late 19th century. In 1925, under the initiative of the promoter of sports medicine and the Polish Marshal Jozef Pilsudski’s doctor Eugenia Lewicka (1896-1931) a small sun-bathing park was established in this place. In 1952, under the initiative of the Ministry of Health of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic an establishment of a new type of preventive treatment was established – a therapeutic physical culture park. The pioneer of therapeutic physical culture, the doctor Karolis Dineika, was appointed as the head of the park.
The park has been recognized as a cultural asset, and it is the part of the historical “Sun trail”, Druskininkai urban structure and landscape as well. A great number of renowned Lithuanian architects contributed to the emergence of the park (A. L. Dringelis, A. Mačiulis, V. Gabriūnas).
In 2012, 16.17 ha park reconstruction project was prepared. The design team “Vilniaus architektūros studija” (Eng. Vilnius architecture studio) that has formed the vision of the park aimed to create a high-quality public space – a park in a rich natural environment, without changing its purpose and restoring the unique historical elements of the park. It was decided to use natural resources and the equipment of physical training and to restore a possibility to use medically based procedures applied in the past. The park provides spaces for active and passive recreation and health restoration.
In 2015, two of the four reconstruction stages were completed in the park. The main walkway was restored, the park trails were developed, cascade bathing-places, aerohydro-ionotherapy pavilion were reconstructed, a foot acupressure pool was renewed. For the expression of the constructional architecture, compositions of placid wooden boards and glass as if unify the space and provide cosiness.
In the eastern part of the park a sports trail with exercise equipment was established, children’s playing and exercise areas were set, as well as on the groomed slopes of Ratnyčia stream rest, yoga, chess-playing zone and terraces were arranged. The valuable landscape of the park was replenished by various floral arrangements.

I. Garnytė-Sapranavičienė