VILNIUS, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- More than 700 bikers went down on the roads on Saturday during Lithuania's largest mototourism rally which aims at strengthening the country's unity through exploring its culture and heritage.
According to the organizers, Ryterna Modul Mototourism Rally (MTR) is an intellectual, cultural rally where motorcyclists ride all over Lithuania, visit cultural, historic and heritage places, and get points for solving tasks provided by organizers.
"Mototourism rally is not just one rally of many, this year the main participants' mission is to contribute to the preserving of history, particularly historic mound sites," Birute Vaitkute, the rally organizers' spokeswoman, was quoted as saying by local website 15min.lt.
"Most of the people visit the most beautiful mounds, however, the mission of the participants of the rally is to spread the message how it is important to preserve all historic hills even they are not too spectacular or tourism-adjusted," she added.
Aside from the mounds, this year's routes proposed by the organizers include around 50 points related to Lithuania's upcoming centenary of the country's statehood and its cultural capitals etc.
The MTR, organized since 2011, is a team-based event where teams comprise 2-5 motorcyles and all types of motorcycles are welcome. Every team is free to plan its own route and should visit as many objects as possible within given time-frame, while also solving required tasks, the organizers' website explains. The team that collects most points - wins.
Even the rally's main point is cultural knowledge, however, the event includes the main features of sports rally, such as taking into account the time limit, average permitted speed, weather conditions and other requirements, Vaitkute explained.
"This competition leads to finding out which team managed to choose and implement the most meaningful route," she added.
Saturday's MTR rally finishes in Lithuanian Birstonas resort.
The event is being supported by the State Culture and Heritage department, State Tourism department, Lithuanian automobile roads directorate, Lithuanian Police, Lithuanian Motosport Federation and other institutions.
