The calm, quiet and homely cozy town of Šiauliai is located in the north of Lithuania. In terms of population, it is the fourth in the country. The city of Šiauliai in Lithuania appeared a hundred years earlier than Vilnius, it is a year older than the German capital - Berlin - and only a year younger than Tehran. The history of the city has 770 years.
Geography
The city of Šiauliai in Lithuania is the administrative center of the district of the same name. It is separated by 214 kilometers from Vilnius, 142 kilometers from Kaunas, and 161 kilometers from Klaipeda. The major cities of the country from Šiauliai can be reached by bus or rail.
Lithuania, Šiauliai: climatic conditions
The climate in the city is considered transitional from maritime to continental. It is characterized by cool summers with heavy rainfall and rather mild winters. The weather in Šiauliai (Lithuania) is inconsistent, and a windless day is a rarity here. In July, the air warms up to +25 ° C, the average January temperature is not lower than -1 ° C.
Lithuania, Šiauliai: attractions. Peter and Paul Cathedral
The history of the appearance of the Cathedral of Peter and Paul has two versions. According to one, it was erected in the period from 1617 to 1637, on the other - a different date: between 1594 and 1625. Be that as it may, this ancient structure has retained its original appearance to our days, despite the fire of 1880, serious damage during the war with fascist Germany.
The cathedral in Soviet times was restored and since then is one of the most popular attractions. Among other churches and temples in Lithuania, the cathedral is distinguished by the presence of bay windows, which indicate that the structure also had a defensive function.
In the temple is an ancient organ (XVIII century), which was transferred here from the Church of the Holy Trinity (Kaunass). And on the seventy-meter tower of the cathedral, as in antiquity, the sundial shows the exact time, despite their "advanced" age.
All city roads led to this temple: here, on Resurrection Square, craftsmen and merchants gathered, noisy fairs and bazaars were organized. And today, on the street in front of the cathedral, townspeople and city guests make appointments, city holidays are held.
Franciscan Monastery
In 2000, a Franciscan monastery was built in this Lithuanian city. His appearance was initiated by Pope Paul II. For the construction, a place was chosen near the Mountain of Crosses.
Returning to his homeland after visiting Lithuania, the pope notified the monks of the Franciscan monastery, which is located on Mount La Verna (Italy), that he had visited the Hill of Crosses. At the end of the visit, it was decided to establish a monastery in Lithuania. In 1997, the model of the future structure was approved and consecrated, the first stone in the foundation of the building was laid in 1998.
The monastery building is made of red brick; a cross crowns its roof. In the courtyard you can see the sculpture of a praying monk, and the interior is decorated with icons. Today in the monastery everyone can buy a pectoral cross and consecrate it.
Mountain of Crosses
One of the most unusual sights of the city of Šiauliai in Lithuania. This is a local shrine and a place of pilgrimage. It is located twelve kilometers north of the city and is a small hill covered with established crosses. According to rough estimates, their number exceeds fifty thousand.
The causes of this city attraction are not known for certain. Researchers find it difficult to name the date of its appearance in the city: some attribute it to 1831, others are sure that it appeared much earlier. According to popular belief, everyone who erects a cross on a mountain will find happiness, and luck will never turn away from him.
Crosses here are very different - huge, several meters tall crucifixes and ordinary body crosses dug in the ground. One crucifix was established here by Paul II during his visit to the country. This event had a great resonance, and a huge number of tourists rushed to the hill.
In the twentieth century, Soviet officials tried several times to destroy the Mountain, but immediately after the next bulldozers mopping up the hill, crucifixes appeared again at this place.
Pedestrian street Vilnius
Like many modern cities, Šiauliai in Lithuania has a pedestrian street, but not everyone knows that it was in this city that it appeared first in the USSR. Its length is about five kilometers, and the pedestrian part of Vilnius Street is located between Zhamytes Street and Draugistes Avenue. Citizens call this part Šiauliai Boulevard.
In 1975, traffic was completely stopped on this site. Today, there are many cozy cafes and restaurants, shops and art galleries. It also housed several museums: bicycles, photographs, etc. The street is decorated with numerous fountains and sculptural compositions. At the beginning of the XXI century, the pedestrian street became the tourist center of the city. House No. 213 now houses a tourist information center.
Museum of Radio and Television
Šiauliai in Lithuania, the photo of which you can see in this article, is a city in which ancient structures and modern buildings harmoniously combine. It is built in the same style, which undoubtedly adds to it a special charm.
The Museum of Television and Radio appeared in this city for a reason. It was in Šiauliai in 1925 that the country's first radio laboratory appeared. It was founded by Stasis Braziskis, who assembled the first Lithuanian television and radio. At the initiative of local radio engineers, a museum (1982) appeared in Šiauliai, which is completely dedicated to the development of radio and television.
Today it is part of the Aushra art project. Here are radios from different times and from different countries, televisions, ancient mechanical devices used to reproduce sound. The museum adjoins computer technology and gramophones, as well as many other interesting equipment.
Museum staff creates their own traditions. So, since 1995, competitions have been held here every year among young radio enthusiasts for the best invention. Students can listen to a course of lectures on the history of radio, compare current equipment with the first devices.
Villa Chaim Frenkel
A magnificent architectural monument from the beginning of the 20th century is included in almost all sightseeing tours in the city of Šiauliai in Lithuania. The building was built in 1908 in the Art Nouveau style for the owner of the leather factory H. Frenkel. The first years the owner’s family lived here, and in the twenties of the last century, a Jewish gymnasium was located here, which worked for nearly twenty years.
During the Second World War, a German hospital was located here, and after its completion - a Soviet hospital. Since 1994, a museum has been operating in this building, where you can view two exhibits. In 2003, the exposition "Provincial estate" was created, dedicated to provincial life at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. In the second part of the museum are documents and exhibits highlighting the cultural heritage of the Jewish people in Šiauliai.
The complex consists of three exhibition halls, two living rooms and a library. The villa is a paired architectural composition: it seems that it consists of two identical houses. In the interior of the villa you can take a walk in a beautiful park and enjoy the fountain with a swimming pool.