Aluona combines early settlement history with a setting where the river, lakes and a botanical reserve are important features. The Aluona River flows near the settlement; Lakes Luknos and IlguÄŤio are also nearby. Visitors weighing historical sites against nature during their stay can easily distinguish between the two: the history spans early mentions through to an archaeological find, while the reserve encompasses a lake, forests and habitats for rare plants.
River, Lakes and Reserve
The IlguÄŤio Botanical Reserve lies near Aluona and covers 60 hectares. It was established in 1960 to protect Lake IlguÄŤio, the surrounding forests and habitats for rare plants. Its conservation remit therefore extends beyond the water: forests and plant habitats are expressly included. For travellers who want to explore nature through more than just a lake, the reserve offers a clearly defined focus on different conservation priorities.
Settlement, Manor and Chapel
Aluona is considered an old Lithuanian settlement and is mentioned in accounts of Vytautas’s early 15th-century wars with the Teutonic Knights. An inventory from 1735 describes the Aluona manor. Historical inventories also record a small pond on the Aluona Stream and a mill by the manor. These points in time show different facets of the settlement’s history: the early mentions and manor records each represent a different period.
A wooden chapel belonging to the Senieji Trakai parish stood in Aluona in 1794. Thirty-five years later, in 1829, the abandoned Aluona chapel was moved to Paluknys; the Chapel of St John the Baptist was built there. The chronology therefore covers both the chapel’s location in Aluona and its subsequent relocation and construction in Paluknys.
The Aluona–Šklėriai hoard was discovered in 1929 during repairs to the road between Aluona and Šklėriai. This find belongs to a different chapter of history than the early mentions or manor records, adding an archaeological discovery from the 20th century to the historical picture.
Archaeological Traces and Planning Your Visit
About 200 metres east of Aluona lies the Raistinė burial site, also known as the Aluona barrow cemetery or Swedish Graves. It is a national archaeological monument and is listed in the Cultural Register under code 3524. The cemetery comprises 16 burial mounds; five have been levelled and ploughed over. The shapes of the burial mounds are considered characteristic of the 9th to 12th centuries. This site therefore offers a view of both the cemetery’s layout and its place in a historical period.
Aluona lies beside the Trakai–Rūdiškės road. The sightseeing route “A Walk Around Rūdiškės” is associated with the Rūdiškės area. The Raistas educational trail is on private land; check the access arrangements before visiting. There are shelters with barbecue facilities there, suitable for picnics.
Discover more destinations: Bezdonys, Kaniūkai, Antatilčiai, Kiemeliai, Žuklijai, Glitiškės, Švenčionys, Eišiškės.
For the broader travel overview: Vilnius District.
