museum of ancient beekeeping

Contacts
Address: Stripeikių kaimas, LT-30220, Ignalinos rajonas.
Mob. +370 686 12 105
E-mail: bites[at]anp.lt
Head of the exposition – Danutė Indrašienė.

Opening hours
1st  May – 15th October: Wednesday – Sunday 10–18.

Collection
Hives of various types (hives made of stumps, lying, standing hives, hives of various shapes etc.), beekeeping tools.

Exposition
The farmstead of the museum spreads on the hill at the Tauragnėlė Rill. 
The Museum was set up in 1984 by the initiative of Bronius Kazlas.
Wooden sculptures around the museum tell the history of beekeeping in Lithuania. Their creator is carver Teofilis Patiejūnas.
In the museum you can learn about the protection of bee-hollows from bears and about different kinds of beehives, made of the trunks. Beehives of this kind were used in Lithuani from the 15th until the beginning of the 20th century. Some sculptures are beehives themselves: the God of bees Babilas and the goddess Austėja are representatives from Lithuanian mythology.
The main building was constructed in a traditional way. The beekeeping equipment and tools are presented here. The photographs will explain how to climb the tree to reach the bee hollow. Here you will find a beehive made of straw and many more interesting things. In the next building, which by its architectural style represents a granary, you will learn about melliferous herbs and bee products. In the barn you will find the tools which were used to make beehives.
Across the Tauragnėlė Rill you will arrive into the world of old myths. The wooden sculptures illustrate the origin of the bee in mythology of different cultures: Egyptians, American Indians and Lithuanians.
The Museum is departmental. Its holder is the Aukštaitija National Park.