Šiauliai – the city of the Sun.
Such name was accepted not only because of the famous battle of the Sun in 1236, in which the first Crusade to Lithuania suffered a defeat. This dramatic fight of the ancient Lithuanians is reflected in the stained glass ‘Battle of the Sun’. It is an impressive work of art, the first monumental artwork of this theme and scale in the country. The stained glass adorns one of the walls of the concert hall Saulė and fascinates passers-by. In Šiauliai, the Sun is everywhere: in the squares, art objects, people’s faces and their stories. This city has two special sundials: the oldest and the tallest. You can see one of them on the facade of the “elegant” Šiauliai Cathedral, which is considered to be perhaps the oldest in Lithuania and dates back to around 1625. The other flaunts in Sundial Square: it is an 18-metre-high column that not only shows hours on a sunny day, but also holds an archer, the so-called ‘golden boy’. The main accents of the square – the Sun, the archer and time – give meaning to the city’s symbols. Meanwhile, the clock Cock is a place for meetings and sentiments, which has become an integral part of the city. This bird, symbolizing the Sun, delights the townspeople and guests with its greetings in different languages. Šiauliai has other attractions with different stories too, but the motif is the same – the Sun: the art object ‘Mirror of the Sun’, the tactile map of solar objects, the fountain Solar Discs, etc.
What trip without sweet moments?!
In Šiauliai, you will find the sweet factory Rūta, which is the oldest in Lithuania, one of the oldest in Europe and is already counting its second century of existence. The factory houses a museum that invites you to wander through the labyrinths of the chocolate history and make your own sweets. The cafe Rūta located in the factory is waiting for everyone who wants to enjoy hot chocolate and more, and the branded sweets shop beckons you to pack your bags full of sweet gifts. Šiauliai delights and surprises those with a sweet tooth and the curious. Visit the teahouse Valerijonas to taste healthy sweets made here and to listen to delicious pharmaceutical stories, which leave no one indifferent. If you just want to refresh yourself, try the fermented bread drink Gubernijos gira, which is made in the oldest brewery and has preserved its archaic recipe. Those who want to travel to the old history of industry of Šiauliai and explore the 16th century cellars can book an educational tour. In Šiauliai, you can also visit the Dessert Workshops: here visitors not only enjoy a palette of delicate flavours, but also prepare exclusive, palate-pleasing French desserts.
The city of Šiauliai also surprises with its special museums!
There are many of them here and they are all unique. Many museums organize various educational programs for both children and adults. The Cats Museum, which is the only one in the Baltic countries, not only presents thousands of exhibits from all over the world, but also offers to make friends with cute cats walking around your legs. Incredible things await you in the Photography Museum: the opportunity to get inside the camera, try on the photography profession and experience a photographic adventure while traveling through time. This specialized museum of photography history, art and technology, which is unique in Lithuania, houses a collection of almost 150 000 exhibits and culture valuables. If you want to explore the history of Balts, visit the Baltic Culture Education Centre BALTS’ ROAD. In these interactive spaces, you can not only gain new knowledge about the life of your ancestors, but also try on a Baltic profession or stop the moment on a colourful photo wall. Meanwhile, in the Telephony Museum, which is located in a historical building (the former city treasury), you can try a corded phone or call a friend from a telephone booth. Interesting facts from the history of telephony and enjoyable photo sessions await you here. Šiauliai has other outstanding museums: the Railway Museum, Bicycle Museum, Chaim Frenkel’s Villa-Museum, the Vencliauskiai House-Museum, the Cents Room, etc.
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