Europe / Lithuania
Places to go. A little room to wander.
THE SHORTLIST
Aušros takas 3
Prominent with its 75 m spire, this large Roman Catholic church was built in Renaissance style in the 1620s. It was part defensive - note the shooting loops - as it was at risk from armed robbery and sectarian riots. It was bashed about in wartime but restored, and promoted to cathedral in 1997. Pity about the drab modern block of flats next to it.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
Šiauliai
A lakeside park, where a Golden Boy on a column shoots an arrow in the general direction of Minsk. The column casts a shadow on a sundial below, and commemorates the Battle of Saule (which means "sun") on 22 Sept 1236. The Livonian Brothers of the Sword advanced out of Riga to lay into the pagan Samogitian and Semigallian tribes, and to link up with their allies the Teutonic Knights of Prussia.
Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate
Vilniaus g 74
Frankel ran a leather business and built this Art Nouveau mansion in 1908. It was a military hospital under the Soviets then refurbished, to exhibit his era and the Jewish community of those times.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
Šiauliai
A pilgrimage site 12 km north of Šiauliai. It's a hillock or embankment packed with crosses - over 100,000 at the latest estimate in 2006, with more arriving daily. The cross was a pagan symbol long before Lithuania's conversion to Christianity in 1387, the last European country to convert, and there may already have been a tradition of planting them here on the site of a hill fort.
Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate
Šiauliai
The Brothers Minor of the Franciscan Province of St Casimir. It has 16 cells for novice monks but its church is open to visitors. Instead of a crucifix and wall behind the altar, there's a large window so the backdrop is of the crosses on the hill, so the church is not conventionally "oriented". Consecrated in 2000, it was built after the Pope pointedly asked where was the church?
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
A note before you go. Start with Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral, then decide whether Sundial Square deserves a separate visit rather than rushing both. The suggested days are an editable grouping, not a timed tour. Visit allowances exclude transfers, meals and queues; confirm the exact entrance and current visiting arrangements for Franciscan Hermitage before setting off.
Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. Suggested days and time allowances are editorial starting points. Check the linked visitor information for opening hours, access, and reservations.
BEFORE YOU SET OFF
Walk: The city sprawls, but most points of interest are within a compact area. Timetables are posted at bus stops, the station and online. Taxis are best booked through your accommodation, they know who's trustworthy. Or use the eTAKSI app for smartphones, or Taxify or Uber.
Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral and Sundial Square are about 0.3 km apart in a straight line. Use the route link to compare the actual streets or transport connections before putting both in the same morning; the measurement is not a walking distance or a transfer estimate.
A LITTLE STRUCTURE. ROOM FOR DISCOVERY.
Add a few stops, choose your days, and leave space between them.
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This city guide includes selected, abridged material by Wikivoyage contributors, adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. The adapted guide text is available under the same license; photographs and website design retain their separate terms. Selected and abridged reference descriptions; operational prices and timetables omitted. Elsewhere added the shortlist, geographic grouping and planning notes.
Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. It is community-edited background, not firsthand reporting or a live opening-hours service.
KEEP EXPLORING