Jūra River park

The small 6 ha park stretches along Jūra River not far from the city centre. It begins near Molupis rivulet and ends along Vymer (Wiemer) Hill. Some of the trees in the park have been planted in the late 17th c., while others – only a quarter of a century ago. The park features linden, poplar, oak and pine trees. There are also several specimens of imported trees: the blue spruce, the weeping willow, as well as European and Siberian larches. In 1988, the park was acknowledged as the state natural monument of local significance.
In 2011, after the reconstruction between the bridge over Jūra River and the dam, as well as Banga Restaurant, the park was enhanced with a sculptural fountain, called the Tree of Life, and twelve original benches, made of oak, granite and metal. The benches are decorated with ancient Baltic symbols – the Sun, the Moon, the Infinity or harmony, the Tree of Life and the Grass-snake. Visitors of this park can get to know the ancient Lithuanian zodiac signs and, based on the Baltic mythology, try to understand what our ancestors could tell us through them. The original ancient Lithuanian zodiac signs were discovered on a 16th c. ritual cup, found in the basement of a church in Grodno.
The fountain sculpture and the decorative benches are the last works of the sculptor Steponas Juška (1953-2015), who decorated Tauragė district with his creations. The folk artist dedicated these works not only to the citizens and the city’s guests, but also the memory of the famous metal sculptor Edmundas Frėjus, who also hailed from Tauragė.
The park also features an impressive boulder to mark the 500th anniversary of Tauragė. That is a 4.4 m and approximately 100 t giant, rightfully referred to as Puntukas of Tauragė. In 2007, to mark the special anniversary, it was brought from Pagramantis forest and given to the city by the Tauragė Rotary Club.
The recreational area in the park attracts both children and adults.

Compiled in 2018