“Participants will once again embark on a meaningful journey around Lithuania, where the most important thing is not speed, but discoveries. Each point of the route is history, people and experiences that need to be meaningfully discovered, not just passed by,” says Birutė Vaitkutė, the organizer of the event.
Photo of the organizers/Birutė Vaitkutė
This year, the event for the 16th time invites participants to a traditional, but every year new cultural journey, where motorcycling merges with history, heritage and thematic knowledge. The finish will take place in the central square of the Varėna district municipality.
“We are especially happy that this intellectual community is increasingly actively involved in learning about cultural heritage. Such initiatives show that heritage is not just a relic of the past. It is alive as long as we are interested in it, visit it, talk about it and pass on its value to others.
I wish the participants a safe journey, good experiences, new discoveries and meaningful stops. Let each object visited today become not only a route point on the map, but also a new story that you will take home,” says Vidmantas Bezaras, director of the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture.
Organizers’ photo/V. Bezaras
A route that combines history, technology and culture
The route of the event will traditionally include dozens of cultural, historical, defense, business and social objects. Participants will plan their travel strategy, visit facilities and complete intellectual tasks.
Preparation of the rally route and selection of objects lasted more than half a year. Each place included in the route was carefully selected, recorded in books and live, the organizers analyzed historical sources, consulted with experts in various fields and collected authentic stories that would allow the participants to get to know Lithuania through new flavors of discovery as if in a real tasting.
Specialists from the National Martynas Mažvydas Library, Department of Cultural Heritage, Lithuanian Police, Lithuanian Agricultural Advisory Service, TUV NORD Lithuania and independent experts contributed to the development of the route. The organizers were advised by historian Diana Varnaitė and radio history researcher Sigitas Žilionis, head of the Public Order Office of the Police Department Vytautas Grašys and many experts from local communities who will meet the participants at the objects of the route.
Organizers’ photo/”Mototourism Sprint”, Vytautas Grashys
“This year, we will open to the participants the places and stories that we have collected and put together for more than half a year. Some places on the route appeared very planned, while others were “born” only after live meetings with local people, experts. Each object of the route is worth a whole separate event, and meeting with people who preserve history is more than one day, so we call this format more a tasting. Next, it will depend on everyone. Someone will return, someone will have a need to dig deeper more. The most important goal was to create a meaningful route that invites you to discover, get to know and understand”, says B. Vaitkutė.
A century of Ducati and traces of radio history
Ducati, celebrating 100 years of history, becomes the symbolic highlight of this year’s rally. Although the rally is not dedicated to one brand, this anniversary becomes an inspiration to tell the story of technological progress.
It is interesting that the origins of Ducati are connected with radio technologies, a topic that naturally intertwines with the celebration of the 2026 Lithuanian Radio Year. Participants along the route will get to know places where radio history is preserved, old devices and stories about the times when radio was a technological marvel.
“Radio changed the world back then – today it’s a reminder of how technology shapes our everyday lives,” say the organizers.
Getting to know the Čiurlionis region continues
The route will also continue the acquaintance with the heritage of the work and life of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. Although 2025 was dedicated to this outstanding personality, the organizers emphasize that such figures do not fit into one-year commemorations.
The participants will visit Dzūkija and meet the stories of Čiurlionis’ native land, which still inspire Lithuanian culture.
Of course, the traditional rally themes will also remain on the route – national defense, safe traffic, agriculture and the people who create modern Lithuania.
A tradition that grows every year
“Mototourism Sprint” has already become the opening celebration of the summer season, gathering motorcyclists from all over Lithuania. Every year the rally visits a different municipality – in 2024. it was Kaišiadorys, 2025. – Moletai, and in 2026 the journey will end in Varėna.
“We are glad that this year the Mototourism Sprint finish will take place in Varėna – a region that is famous not only for its nature, but also for its rich history, culture and hospitable people. We invite all participants and guests of the rally to discover Dzūkija, enjoy the events of the festival “Dive into the summer in the rhythm of nature”, hang out together and feel the true spirit of Varėna. This is a great opportunity to welcome summer together in our region”, says Alvydas Verbickas, Vice Mayor of Varėna District Municipality.
Over the course of sixteen years, the event has become an exceptional phenomenon in the Lithuanian motorcycling community, proving that a motorcycle trip can be not only an adventure, but also a meaningful way to get to know your country.
The start, as every year, will take place in Vilnius, and the finish line awaits this year in Varėna – on the square near the municipality. It has already become a beautiful tradition, when municipalities invite motorcyclists not only to get to know the region, but also to finish in it.
“Varėna is waiting. This year, the participants will “taste” and explore the history, nature and people of this region – it is a region that reveals itself through experience,” say the organizers.
