Klaipėda District Tourism Information Center and Šilutė District Tourism Information Center, together with “Camino Lituano”, invite you to join the season opening hike “Lietuva eina” and walk together a section of the pilgrimage route Vanagai–Švėkšna (25 km).

Date: May 9

Cars will be left at the hike finish – in the square near Švėkšna St. Apostle James Church.
Participant registration will take place in the churchyard (Bažnyčios St. 8, Švėkšna).
Transport to the starting point will be organized by bus.

Programme:

• 10:00–10:30 – participant registration in the churchyard of Švėkšna St. Apostle James Church (Bažnyčios St. 8, Švėkšna)
• 10:30–11:00 – transfer by bus to the starting point (Vanagai Evangelical Lutheran Church)
• 11:00–16:30 – individual hike along the route Vanagai–Švėkšna
• 16:30–17:00 – end of the hike and picnic in Švėkšna Manor Park, lawn near the White Gates (coordinates: 55.516551, 21.618969)
• 17:00–18:00 – экскурсия po Švėkšna St. Apostle James Church

Route:

• Vanagai Evangelical Lutheran Church – Vanagai is a historically significant settlement in the Klaipėda district. The village is adorned by the neo-Gothic Vanagai Evangelical Lutheran Church built in 1909, featuring elements of modern and rational architecture. Near the church are the ethnographic cemetery of Vanagai village – the only still functioning cemetery of the parish. Notable figures of Lithuania Minor are buried there – priests Kristupas Lokys, Jurgis Sprogys with his wife, Emilis Bleiweisas, Ernstas Roga, public figure Jurgis Arnašius, relatives of writer Ieva Simonaitytė, and others.
  
• About 17 km from Vanagai, in Inkakliai, you can stop and replenish water and food supplies at the “Aibė” store.
  
• In Inkakliai, in 1914, local farmers installed an imitation of the Lourdes grotto with a statue of Mary and a spring. Nearby is a well which, according to local belief, contains water brought from Lourdes in France and is considered miraculous. Later, a masonry chapel was built. The grotto was renovated in 1989.
  
• The highlight of this section is Švėkšna – a former border town between East Prussia and Lithuania. The town’s urban structure and architecture differ from those in the Klaipėda region. In the center stands the neo-Gothic Church of St. Apostle James (built in 1905 according to the design of Swedish architect Karl Eduard Strandmann), one of the main architectural landmarks of the town. This red-brick church is the tallest twin-tower church in Šilutė district, reaching 65 m. A must-visit! The town is also known for the 19th-century Plater family park with an impressive linden alley, Genovaitė’s villa, ponds, and sculptures.

Hiking route:
https://www.klaipedosrajonas.lt/kiti-marsrutai/lietuva-eina-vanagai-sveksna/

Individual registration: https://forms.gle/ULzZNiM6WXVngsFy8

Participation fee – 10.00 Eur. The price includes transport to the starting point and catering at the end of the hike. A pilgrim passport can be purchased for 2.00 Eur.

After receiving your registration, payment information will be sent to your email. If you decide not to participate, the participation fee is non-refundable.

For group registration contact:
Klaipėda District Tourism Information Center
Tel. +370 620 81 901
Email: info@klaipedosrajonas.lt

Important: bring a good mood, comfortable footwear, suitable clothing, water, and snacks. The event will be photographed.

Number of participants is limited. Registration until May 5.