Welcome to the website of the municipality of the region of Kupiškis!

	Administrative centre – Kupiškis   Area – 1080 km² (13.7 % of the county’s area)   Population – 23 118 (8.1 % of the county’s population)   Wards – Alizava, Kupiškis, Noriūnai, Skapiškis, Subačius, Šimoniai

Kupiškis district municipality is located in the northeast of Lithuania, in Panevėžys county. The territory is crossed by the Lėvuo and Pyvesa rivers (higher riches) with tributaries. There are 19 lakes (Drulėnai, Puožas). The largest artificial water body – Kupiškis Reservoir. Primeval beauty of Notangė, Kepurinė, Iženas marshes attracts the eye. There is a big Šepeta peat bog near Kupiškis. There are the Lėvuo landscape, Aloja, Iženas, Kepurinė, Notigalė telmological, Buožiai geological, Prūsgalė geomorphological, Vainiškis pedological reserves, Šimoniai wood biosphere ground, 3 natural monuments: the Buivėnai oak, Stirniškiai outcrop, Visgiūnai spring. The largest forests – those of Šimoniai, Skapagiris-Notigalė, Subačius. Agricultural land makes up 57.7 %, forests – 28.1 %, roads – 1.6 %, built-up area – 2.3 %, water bodies – 2.4 %, other land – 7.9 % of the municipality.

There are two towns – Kupiškis and Subačius, and seven townships – Alizava, Antašava, Palėvenė, Salamiestis, Skapiškis, Subačius and Šimonys.  

The centre of the district municipality – Kupiškis – is located at the confluence of the Lėvuo and Kupa rivers. Kupiškis is a relatively small, but a distinct and cosy town of north-eastern Lithuania. It was for the first time mentioned in historical sources in 1529 as a township governed by the ruler of Lithuania Sigismund I the Old (Žygimantas Senasis). In 1561–1565, it was a district (valsčius) centre; at those times, Kupiškis was crossed by a main road from Vilnius to Riga. The peasants of Kupiškis region together with those of Rokiškis were then well-known flax growers; a centre of trade in linen was situated in Kupiškis, as evidenced by the extant stone building – a flax warehouse, built in the first half of the 18^th century. In 1915–1919 and 1946–1950, Kupiškis was a county centre.

Peat mining, manufacture of timber and wood products, building materials, wearing apparel, processing of agricultural products are developed. Small and medium economic entities flexibly adjust to the changes in the business environment and offer qualitative products. There is a well-developed, rational and safe, a rather environment-friendly transport system, connected with the transeuropean highway Via Baltica. The railway infrastructure is adjusted to business needs. A cognitive and recreational tourism infrastructure was developed in the basin of the Lėvuo River and other unique places of the region. The image of the region, formed at the national and international levels, is attractive from the points of view of investment, recreation and tourism. Particular attention is devoted to the development of water tourism. The purpose is to make Kupiškis district the most attractive water tourism point in the northern Lithuania, which could offer the locals, lovers of water sport and tourists clean and safe natural and cultural environment, as well as many qualitative water tourism services.

Kupiškis district is rather different from other regions of Lithuania. One of the main characteristic features of the district is the specific idiom, inherited from a tribe of Baltic peoples – Selonians (sėliai) – and preserved up to date. However, it is not only due to this idiom that the region is of particular interest but also due to huge respect demonstrated to its historical past and rustic traditions, as well as preserved ethnical culture of Kupiškis region.

Cultural monuments ­– the church of the Ascension, buildings and parks of Adomynė, Antašava and Noriūnai mansions, the church of St Dominic in Palėvenė, the church of St Hyacinth in Skapiškis, homeland of famous people.