The Nemunas is the longest river in Lithuania. Its source is located south of the Belarusian capital Minsk. The total length of the river is 937 km, of which 359 kilometres are in Lithuania. The Nemunas flows through the Lithuanian resorts of Druskininkai and Birštonas. In the vicinity of Birštonas it throws large circles, which are called Nemunas loops. Here, the river flows in a deep riverbed with steep banks, the bends of which reveal impressive outcrops of sedimentary rocks. Nemunas are collected by Kaunas HPP, as a result of which the largest artificial water body in Lithuania, Kaunas Lagoon, was formed in this place. After Kaunas, the Nemunas flows in a northwest-west direction and absorbs the rapid waters of the Neris, Nevėžis and Dubysa rivers. Further on, the Nemunas is a border river between Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Region. Finally, the river flows into the Curonian Lagoon, forming a wide delta, which is a very important place for many bird species. The Nemunas crosses specially protected nature territories – Dzūkija National Park, Nemunas Loops, Kaunas Lagoon, Panemunė, Rambynas and Nemunas Delta Regional Parks. The river is wide and up to 5 m deep. During the year, 21.6 km3 of water flows into the Baltic Sea. There are many important cultural and historical monuments on the banks of the river – castle mounds, manors, churches, monasteries, Rumšiškės Folk Museum, etc. The Nevėžis river flows into the Nemunas near the village of Šilelis. One of the explanations for its name is that there are no crayfish in the river (“vėžys” means crayfish in Lithuanian).