Highlands (Aukštaitija). The People and Culture

For hundreds of years, people from various nationalities and cultures travelled through the lands of Aukštaitija. Each one of them left a footprint, a little part of their culture. With their poetic, artistic souls, the people of Aukštaitija are famous for their work ethic and resourcefulness. In whatever they do, whether it is picking up a tree branch or a piece of clay, breaking off a willow rod, or pulling out a ball of yarn from a basket. They carve, mould, weave, and knit. In their hands, work sounds exactly like a song. Inscribed on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the archaic, multi-part songs known as “sutartinės” have been preserved by the people of Aukštaitija and are still being sung to this day.