Birštonas Museum of Sacral Art

The Sacral Museum, located in the former rectory building, attracts more and more pilgrims and individual visitors every year. Whether it is because of the excellent exhibition of art treasures or the sincere attention to each visitor, those who have been here have called their visit "a true rest for the soul and refreshment of thoughts." The legendary Lithuanian poet Justinas Marcinkevičius stated that this museum is dedicated to love.

From the outside, the current museum building looks like a modest wooden structure with ethnographic decorations. However, inside, valuable historical, religious, and art exhibits are perfectly arranged.

From 1956, Blessed Archbishop Teofilius Matulionis lived here for two years. Two rooms are dedicated to his memory, where not only the attributes of the bishop are exhibited, but also items commemorating his sixteen years of imprisonment in Soviet prisons. The unbreakable martyr called his rosary made of bread and his handwritten prayer book “rays of light.” After viewing them, you will be able to make your own rosary out of bread during the educational program while listening to stories about the priest, whom even prison guards called a real person, and KGB agents predicted that he could be declared a saint.

The exhibition of colorful wooden sculptures carved by folk artists attracts special attention. Most of them were created in Samogitia in the 19th century. Art historians see elements of paganism in them, and UNESCO has included Lithuanian idolatry on the list of intangible heritage.

The museum also exhibits works of extremely high artistic level of church painting, ritual vessels from the funds of the National Museum of Art. Pilgrims stay longer in the hall dedicated to the relics of saints.

Events and constantly changing art exhibitions are held on the second floor of the museum.

We recommend that you allow at least an hour for your visit to the museum. Educational programs on the theme of martyrdom or gingerbread baking, candle making, and folk art must be booked in advance.

It is convenient to arrive by car, you can leave it in the parking lot nearby.

The price of a visitor's ticket is 2 EUR, the price of a visitor's ticket for a visit to the Birštonas Sacral Museum and Birštonas Museum is 3 EUR.