Venta Regional Park is a protected area in north-western Lithuania. It was established to preserve and foster the landscape of the Venta valley areas, their natural ecosystem and values of cultural heritage, manage and rationally use them as well as to provide conditions for recreational and educational tourism.
The park was established in 1992, its area is 9834 hectares. Venta Regional Park falls into the territories of municipalities of three districts: Mažeikiai (3592 ha); Akmenė (6005 ha) and Šiauliai (237 ha).
The park includes 1 reserve, 8 nature reserves, which occupy 40,9% of the territory, 16 protected natural heritage objects, 2 of which have been declared natural monuments. The habitats of the park are the home for 699 plants, 37 mammals, 144 birds, 12 amphibians and reptiles, 780 invertebrate species, of which 74 species (34 species of plants; 6, of mammals; 20, of birds; 1, of amphibians and reptiles; 13, of invertebrates) are included in the Lithuania’s Red Book.
In 2015, a modern Centre of Visitors was opened in Venta which has a special exhibition hall with the exhibits reminding of the times of dinosaurs. A great number of various fossils is shown in the exposition: from impressive ammonites up to ancient squid shells.
Thanks to the nature sounds reproduced in the exhibition hall, the visitors will feel as having suddenly been taken million years back.
Upon arrival to the Centre, the visitors are invited to see not only the exposition but also to take part in the educational activities:
- „In search of dinosaurs“;
- „History and archaeology of Venta district“;
- „Secrets of Purviai Nature Reserve“.
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