The Šventoji River is the longest river that flows entirely within Lithuania

Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

 and the largest tributary of the Neris River. It originates from the Lake Samanis in the Gražutė Regional Park

Gražutė Regional Park

Gražutė Regional Park, established in 1992, covers 29,741 hectares in northeast Lithuania.About 20% of its territory consists of lakes, including Lake Šventas and Lake Luodis, and wetlands; forests cover about 55% of the land. Several villages that include sites with architectural and historical...

 and flows into Neris near Jonava

Jonava

Jonava is the ninth largest city in Lithuania with a population of ca 35,000.It is located in Kaunas County in central Lithuania, north east of Kaunas, the second-largest city in Lithuania. It is served by Kaunas International Airport. The largest fertilizer factory in the Baltic states is...

. The longest tributary of the Šventoji is the Širvinta River

Širvinta River

The Širvinta is a river in Lithuania. Stretching for 129 km, it is the longest tributary of the Šventoji River. Its source is in the hinterlands of the Širvintos district. After it passes through the city of Širvintos, where a low head dam has been built, it continues through the Ukmergė district,...

.

The Šventoji passes through the cities of Anykščiai

Anykšciai

Anykščiai is a ski resort town in Lithuania, 20 miles west of Utena. The Roman Catholic Church of St. Matthias in Anykščiai is the tallest church in Lithuania, with spires measuring 79 meters in height.The city has a football club FK Anykščiai.-Name:...

, Kavarskas

Kavarskas

Kavarskas , with a population of only 700, is the fourth smallest city in Lithuania. The Šventoji River flows through the town. In 1956 near Kavarskas a water lifting station was built and part of the Šventoji River's water was channeled to the Nevėžis River...

 and Ukmergė

Ukmerge

-Early history:Ukmergė was first mentioned as a settlement in 1333. It was essentially a wooden fortress that stood on a hill, near the confluence of the Vilkmergė River and the Šventoji River. Ukmergė was attacked by the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order in 1333, 1365, 1378, 1386, and even...

. In 1963–1964 a dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

 near Kavarskas was built to replenish the Nevėžis River

Nevežis River

Nevėžis River is the sixth longest river in Lithuania and one of the main tributaries of the Neman River. Its length is , and it flows only within the geographical confines of Lithuania. It is the second longest river in Lithuania, after the Šventoji River, that flows exclusively within its borders...

 using water from the Šventoji. However, the dam is no longer used as it is too expensive, ineffective, and violates environmental regulations of the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

. In 1959 the Antalieptė Reservoir, the second largest artificial lake in Lithuania, was built on the Šventoji.