Zyplia Manor

Zyplia manor at Lukšiai is one of the more complete manor ensembles in the Sudovia region of southwestern Lithuania: a classicist house of the early nineteenth century with a portico, flanked by a substantial group of outbuildings, stables, granary, ice house and coach house around a yard, with a park behind. It was restored over recent decades and put to use rather than left as a museum piece: the stables hold galleries and studios, the house has exhibition rooms and event spaces, and craft workshops and concerts run through the year. The Sudovia countryside around is flat farmland with wooden villages. It is off the main routes and sees few visitors, which makes it a quiet stop between Kaunas and the Polish border.

History

Parish records of Sintautai date the founding of Zypliai village to 1697 to 1706. A later owner founded a new manor near Lukšiai, New Zypliai, with a single-storey brick manor house and outbuildings in a modest classical style, and after a fire around 1897 the wooden outbuildings were rebuilt in red brick by German builders (Wikipedia, Zypliai Manor).

What to look for

• The classicist house - the porticoed manor at the centre of the yard.
• The outbuilding group - stables, granary and coach house restored.
• Galleries and studios - the arts use the buildings have been given.
• The park - grounds behind the house with old trees.

When to go

May to September for the park and the fuller programme of events; the manor keeps museum hours and reduces in winter. Concerts and exhibitions are worth checking before going.

Good to know

The manor is off the main routes and public transport is poor. Interiors are used for events, so access varies. Interpretation is largely in Lithuanian. The surrounding area has little else for visitors.

Nearby

Šakiai lies south; Kaunas is northeast.

Key facts