Pažaislis Monastery

Pažaislis Monastery tickets: which one to buy

Pažaislis Monastery stands on the edge of the Kaunas Reservoir, on the eastern outskirts of Kaunas, Lithuania's second city, about eight kilometres from the old town, and it is regarded as one of the finest examples of Italian baroque architecture in Northern Europe. The church and the monastery are visited on guided tours, which require a ticket, and part of the complex is used by the Lithuanian Art Museum and by a hotel and restaurant. The monastery is best known to many Lithuanians for the Pažaislis Music Festival, a summer season of classical concerts held in the church and the courtyard.

Buses and taxis run from central Kaunas, and the drive takes about fifteen minutes. Visitors often combine the monastery with Kaunas Old Town and its castle, the Ninth Fort memorial, the Kaunas Lagoon Regional Park and the nearby open-air museum in Rumšiškės. The monastery is home to a community of sisters, and visitors should dress modestly and be quiet in the church. The lakeside setting, with pine forest and a marina, makes a pleasant half-day excursion.

Visiting Pažaislis Monastery: what to see

The monastery was founded in 1662 by Krzysztof Zygmunt Pac, Grand Chancellor of Lithuania, for the Camaldolese monks, a strict order of hermits, and it was built over the following decades by Italian architects and artists, including members of the Florentine Frediani family, with frescoes by Michelangelo Palloni. The church, dedicated to the Visitation of the Virgin, has a hexagonal plan crowned by a large dome and a facade flanked by two towers. Inside, the dome and chapels are covered with frescoes of the life of the Virgin and of saints, and the walls and altars are made of coloured marble imported from Italy, a luxury rarely seen so far north.

The monks' cells were arranged as small separate houses, following the Camaldolese rule of solitude. After the uprising of 1831, the Russian authorities handed the monastery to the Orthodox Church, and it was later used as a hospital, a psychiatric institution and an archive. Sisters of Saint Casimir returned from the United States after Lithuanian independence, and restoration has brought the frescoes back to their former colours. The courtyard's gate, the arcades and the formal gardens complete the ensemble.

Pažaislis Monastery opening hours and the best time to go

The church and museum are usually open from Tuesday to Sunday, with guided tours at set times, and hours are shorter in winter. The Pažaislis Music Festival runs from June to August, with evening concerts, and tickets sell out for the most popular performances. Summer is the best season, with long days and boat trips on the reservoir; spring and early autumn are quieter and pleasant for walks along the shore. Winters in Lithuania are cold and snowy. The feast of the Visitation on 2 July brings pilgrims. Allow about an hour for the guided visit, and more if you plan to eat at the restaurant or walk by the lake.