Utena is the main town of Aukštaitija, the Highlands of northeastern Lithuania, a region whose name simply means upper land. It is not mountainous, but the landscape rolls in low hills, glacial ridges and long blue lakes left behind by the last ice age, with pine forest, birch and farmland in between. The town has about thirty-three thousand people and sits beside a lake, Alaušas, with a pleasant park and a promenade. It is the place to buy fuel, groceries and a hot meal, with Anykščiai and Molėtai the next towns, each about thirty kilometres away.
Utena's name is known across Lithuania because of its brewery, whose beer is sold in almost every shop and bar in the country. A glass of local lager or a darker brew goes well with a plate of cepelinai, the large potato dumplings stuffed with meat and served with sour cream, or with a bowl of cold pink beetroot soup, šaltibarščiai, which is surprisingly refreshing in summer. This part of the country has a quiet, reserved, rather dry-humoured character, and people tend to be friendly once you talk to them.
The riding here is gentle rather than thrilling. The roads are mostly smooth, narrow and quiet, with long straight runs, soft curves and trees on both sides, and a lake appears every few kilometres. The pace is slow, and the reward is the scenery and the lack of traffic. Watch for tractors, cyclists and the occasional deer at dusk, and be careful on gravel side roads. Mornings can be misty, and in July the northern light stays long into the evening, so you can ride until ten without headlights.
Aukštaitija National Park, the oldest in Lithuania, lies not far to the northeast, a landscape of more than a hundred lakes and ancient forest, with villages of old wooden houses and old beehives carved into tree trunks. Molėtai, to the southwest, has an astronomical observatory that draws visitors to look at the dark sky. For a finish, Utena is calm: park by the lake, order a beer and let the long summer evening do its work. The mosquitoes around the water can be fierce at dusk, so carry repellent.