TOUR AROUND THE REGION OF SEMIGALLIA
We invite you to visit the region of Semigallia with this route.
A guide can be booked for the whole route (price is 2 € per person), but you can also visit the objects by yourself.
1. Zeimelis. We arrive to Zeimelis (Pakruojis district, Latvian border). We visit the museum of Ziemgala, where numerous educational activities and exhibitions take place. Phone number for inquiries: +370 614 77 687.
Educational activities:
· The history of soap, production process and packaging; rag doll making activity; gift box making;
· Treasure hunt and board game; orientational competition around the village;
· Visiting the museum (price for adults - 1€, for children and seniors – 0,50€).
With educational activities we spend around 2 hours in the museum (price 2,00-2,50€ per person depending on the chosen activity).
After visiting the museum, you can walk around the village (if you wish, a museum worker can be your guide).
Zeimelis is one of the oldest villages in the North of Lithuania, near Latvian border. It was first mentioned in written sources in 1500. The township is interesting because of its red brick buildings and its Gothic quadrilateral square. There are two churches – Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran. In the past, Russian old Believers, Latvians, Jews and Lithuanians lived in the village and there were many taverns. F. Grotusas, Barklay de Tolly and J. Juzeliunas among many other famous historical personalities lived near the town.
In Zeimelis you can eat in the local kebab place (phone for inquiries +370 604 41 979) or in Gerda’s café (phone number +370 612 45 757).
2. Lauksodis. We continue our route in Lauksodis, where we recommend to visit the monument of Birute and St. Aloysius church. You can see the inside of the Church as well with prior registration. This church in the only Baroque-style, wooden, Jesuit still remaining temple in our land. Jesuit monks operated there since the end of the XVII century up to 1773.
3. Steigviliai. After visiting Lauksodis, we are going to Steigviliai village, where we are meeting with young ethnographer Aleksas Pasuskevicius (phone for inquiries +370 626 98 605). Steigviliai is a former royal village. The township has many preserved authentic brick and wooden houses and barns. In 1903, one of the first Lithuanian evenings was held here, during which the play ‘From Dark to Light’ by Adam Sketer, a resident of Zeimelis, was played.
4. Petroniai. From Steigviliai we are travelling to Petroniai – the ethnographic homestead of Laimute Skopiene, where the hostess will welcome the visitors with homemade cheeses and wonderful animals highlands. It is possible to sleep in the homestead for 4 people, if you made a prior booking reservation with the owner. Phone for inquiries +370 614 60 580.
5. Striukai. Afterwards, we are driving to the village Striukai, where the goal is to visit Gediminas Alisauskas wood and stone homestead. It is a unique corner of nature, where simple outdoor boulders turn into magical stones. The homestead exhibits sculptural compositions and many beautiful rock gardens. The building houses a museum of rural life and on the edge of the field there is an exposition of powerful Soviet technology. Phone for inquiries +370 687 91 395.
For overnight stay, it is possible to return to Zeimelis, where you can spend the night at the guest house of Zeimel School of Technology and Services (phone for inquiries +370 686 71 414).
The next day the journey can be continued in Latvia. Nearby, there is Bauska city with castle, Baroque-Rococo style Rundale Palace with beautiful flower gardens. From Zeimelis to Rundale there is only 17 km.
You are welcome to visit. It will be interesting to introduce Zemgale's past and history.
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