Church of St. James the Apostle in Švėkšna

Built in 1905 according to a design by Swedish architect Karl Eduard Strandmann, this neo-Gothic church is one of the town’s key architectural landmarks. Its construction was funded by the Plater counts of Švėkšna and Vilkėnai, with generous donations from residents of Švėkšna and neighboring parishes. Part of the funds came from Lithuanian emigrants in the United States.
The church features three longitudinal naves intersected by a transept. The twin towers rise to a height of 65 meters. The interior is adorned with eight altars. The main altar, nearly 16 meters tall, along with the pulpit, was made in Tyrol, Austria, at the Purger factory. A crypt lies beneath the main altar.
A unique arched pedestrian bridge (viaduct), built around 1885, connects the churchyard to the nearby park. It is a rare architectural structure in Lithuania.