This stage takes pilgrims deep into the Dzūkija region — Lithuania’s most forested area — along the meandering Nemunas river. From the hilltop at Punia, commanding views extend across the river valley before the path descends into dense pine forest. The forest sections are beautiful but demanding underfoot. Alytus, with its twin bridges over the Nemunas, marks the end of the day.
The Punia Hillfort is the stage’s defining landmark — one of the most significant prehistoric sites in Lithuania and a place of legends about the last stand of pagan Lithuania.