Liškiava

Liškiava stands on a high bank of the Nemunas in the Dzūkija forests, and the ensemble of church and Dominican monastery built in the first half of the eighteenth century is among the finest late Baroque work in Lithuania: a domed church with a richly stuccoed interior, seven altars, and a crypt below where mummified remains were found. The monastery buildings adjoin it. On the bluff beside are a hillfort and the remains of a fourteenth-century castle, and the river bends below with sandy banks. Canoeists on the Nemunas stop here, and the site is a standard trip from Druskininkai by road, bicycle or boat. A tower can be climbed for the view along the valley.

History

At the end of the 14th century Vytautas the Great ordered a stone castle on the hill, which was never finished, and only the ruins of one tower remain. In 1697 the town was given to the Dominicans, who built their monastery in 1699 to 1741 and the brick Holy Trinity church in 1704 to 1720 (Wikipedia, Liškiava).

What to look for

• The Baroque church - domed interior with stucco and seven altars.
• The monastery buildings - the Dominican range adjoining the church.
• The hillfort and castle site - earthworks on the bluff beside.
• The Nemunas bend - the river and its sandy banks below.

When to go

May to September, when the church and tower keep regular hours and river traffic passes. Autumn colour along the Nemunas is good. Winter access is limited and the buildings often closed.

Practical notes

Opening hours are seasonal and the church may be locked outside them. The crypt display of human remains is not to everyone's taste. Facilities are minimal. The road in is a detour off the main Druskininkai route.

Nearby

Druskininkai lies south; the Dzūkija forests surround the site.