As part of its investment in Pagėgiai municipality, UAB LT Energija is pursuing the idea of installing one of the tallest and most advanced observation towers in Lithuania in the region and helping Pagėgiai become a national centre of tourism by doing so.
The plan is to build the new tower in a dormant wind power plant, with the observation deck installed 80-100 metres above the ground. This would offer both an impressive vista of Pagėgiai district landscape and a relaxing view of windmills peacefully spinning their blades. Towers of this kind, with a see-through glass observation deck equipped at the top of a wind power plant, are open to visitors in Austria, Germany, as well as other countries in Western Europe and North America.
LT Energija’s management believe that the new tower in Pagėgiai district will serve an entertainment function and can be used for educational purposes as well. A possibility is being considered to set up an educational space in or next to the tower where visitors could learn about climate change, green energy, wind power plants, and the energy goals of Lithuania and the EU. Similar projects do exist elsewhere in the world. For instance, Lamma Winds, a commercial wind power plant in China, features a wind power plant surrounded by an exhibition centre. This power plant is one of the world’s few wind power plants open to the public.
The cases of other towns and regions in Lithuania show that a centre of attraction will draw much more tourists to the region, promoting infrastructural development (the appearance of hotels, restaurants, and other services). Which means that such landmarks actually benefit the town and the local business alike. One of the most shining examples is Anykščiai, where, as a result of building a tree-top walkway, the tourist flow has increased by nearly 85 per cent (comparing the data for 2014 and 2019), and the number of restaurants and hotels has skyrocketed.
To implement the idea of building an observation tower in Pagėgiai district, the investors intend to raise funds from different sources of finance. If all goes well, the tower could open the doors for its first visitors in 2022 already.
