The Catholic Pilgrim's Guide to Žemaičių Kalvarija, Lithuania

Žemaičių Kalvarija

Lithuania's oldest Calvary, where pilgrims walk 19 hilltop chapels singing ancient Kalnai hymns and venerate the Baltic's largest True Cross relic.

Žemaičių Kalvarija, nestled among the rolling glacial hills of Samogitia in northwestern Lithuania, invites pilgrims to walk the oldest Way of the Cross in the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania—a sacred landscape where 19 wooden and stone chapels trace Christ's Passion through terrain deliberately shaped to echo Jerusalem's own geography. Each July, over 70,000 faithful gather here for the Great Feast, their voices rising in the haunting Kalnai hymns that have echoed through these hills for nearly four centuries. In 1637, Bishop Jurgis Tiškevičius of Samogitia stood on a hillside in the village of Gardai and began counting his steps. Having brought soil from Jerusalem itself, the bishop was determined to create a "New Jerusalem" in his diocese—measuring the exact distances Christ walked to Calvary and marking each station where a chapel would rise. Over the next two years, working with Dominican friars and Jesuit advisers, Tiškevičius established 19 chapels along a 7-kilometer route through the forested hills flanking the Varduva River, its small tributary renamed "Cedronas" to evoke the Kidron Valley. The shrine quickly became famous. In his 1646 report to Rome, Tiškevičius wrote with evident satisfaction that "thousands of people gather here any month at the established time." A miraculous painting of the Virgin Mary arrived from Rome in 1643, and in 1649, Dominican friars brought a relic of the True Cross from Lublin—at 3.2 centimeters by 0.6 centimeters, still the largest such relic in the Baltic states. Today, the Minor Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary dominates the town center, its twin neo-Baroque towers visible across the surrounding farmland. The miraculous painting within wears papal crowns bestowed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, when he granted it the title "Queen of Christian Families."

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📜 History & Spiritual Significance

The story begins with a nobleman turned bishop. Jurgis Tiškevičius (1596–1656), educated by Jesuits and appointed Bishop of Samogitia in 1633, had been deeply moved by the European tradition of creating Calvary shrines that replicated Jerusalem's sacred geography. Kalwaria Zebrzydowska in Poland (1604) and Kalwaria Pakoska (1628) had already demonstrated the power of such devotions to kindle faith among ordinary people. Tiškevičius determined to bring this tradition to his diocese. In 1637, he invited Dominican friars to the hillside village of Gardai, donating land and establishing a monastery. Working with Jesuits Benedict de Sochs and Michael Ginkiewicz, and consulting Christian van Adrichem's 1584 treatise on Jerusalem's topography, the bishop personally surveyed the terrain. The hills around Gardai proved ideal—St. John's Hill could represent the Mount of Olives, Žvizdrai Hill corresponded to Mount Zion, Birch Hill to Mount Moriah, and Kryžiauninkė Hill to Golgotha. The Pagardenis stream, renamed "Cedronas," would stand for the Kidron Valley. The founding moment came when Tiškevičius counted each step between stations to match the distances Jesus walked, then during the first ceremonial procession, scattered earth he had carried from Jerusalem along the paths. He attempted to rename the village "New Jerusalem"—though the name that endured was Žemaičių Kalvarija, meaning "Samogitian Calvary." Within a decade, the shrine had acquired its most precious treasures. In 1642–1643, Dominican Father Petras Pugačevskis brought from Rome a painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Infant—art historians identify it as one of the oldest copies of Naples' Madonna del Carmine in Polish and Lithuanian art. Considered miraculous from its installation, the image soon drew pilgrims seeking the Virgin's intercession. In 1644, when Tiškevičius traveled to Rome as ambassador, Pope Urban VIII granted a plenary indulgence to six chapels. Five years later, in 1649, a relic of the True Cross arrived from the Dominican monastery in Lublin—the largest such relic in the Baltic states, preserved to this day. The Dominicans shaped the shrine's distinctive character for 252 years. In 1681, Dominican Jurgis Kasakauskis published the first Kalnai prayer book, containing the hymns sung at each station. These Samogitian devotional songs exist nowhere else in the world—traditionally accompanied by kanklės (Lithuanian zither), birbalas (shepherd's pipe), drums, and wooden trumpets. The historian Simonas Daukantas, who studied at the Dominican school here, described the sound as "mournfully pleasant, more stern than joyful, evoking sorrow and pity." Beyond the annual pilgrimage, these hymns entered Samogitian homes, sung during wakes and funeral commemorations—a tradition unbroken to this day. The current basilica, the fourth church built on the site, rose between 1780 and 1822 under architect Augustinas Kosakauskas. Its transitional Late Baroque-to-Classicism style features twin towers, a three-nave interior, and nine altars. A devastating fire in 1896 destroyed the book recording miracles and hundreds of documents, but the church was rebuilt to its original design. Through periods of trial, the faithful preserved their traditions with remarkable determination. In 1937, a record 100,000 pilgrims attended the July festival. Even when authorities sought to suppress religious gatherings and renamed the town "Varduva," pilgrims continued to come—and in particularly difficult years, when checkpoints blocked roads into town, attendance remained strong. The community's perseverance was recognized in 1988 when Pope John Paul II elevated the church to Minor Basilica status during Lithuania's 600th anniversary of Christianity. The culminating honor came on October 8, 2006, when the miraculous painting received papal crowns consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI, who bestowed upon it the title Krikščioniškų šeimų Karalienė—"Queen of Christian Families." This canonical coronation represents one of the highest honors the Catholic Church can bestow upon a Marian image.

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☩ Pilgrimage Sites in Žemaičių Kalvarija

The pilgrimage complex of Žemaičių Kalvarija unfolds across the undulating terrain north and south of the Varduva River, with the basilica at its heart and 19 chapels scattered through forested hillsides and meadows. The town itself—population around 600—exists almost entirely in service to the shrine, its streets having developed from 17th-century pilgrim paths. Approaching from Plungė, you first see the basilica's twin towers rising above the trees, a beacon that has guided pilgrims for over two centuries.

1. Minor Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Local Name (Lithuanian): Žemaičių Kalvarijos Švč. Mergelės Marijos Apsilankymo mažoji bazilika Address: Vienuolyno g. 1A, Žemaičių Kalvarija, LT-90442, Plungė District, Lithuania GPS Coordinates: 56.1167, 22.0167 Google Maps: View Map Website: https://www.zemaiciukalvarija.lt/ Dedication: The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Historical Note: Architect Augustinas Kosakauskas designed the current structure in transitional Late Baroque-to-Classicism style, with construction spanning from 1780 to 1822. This is the fourth church to stand on consecrated ground first dedicated in the 1630s. Pope John Paul II elevated the church to Minor Basilica status in 1988, and Pope Benedict XVI consecrated papal crowns for the miraculous painting in 2006. Spiritual Importance: The basilica's spiritual heart is the miraculous painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary with Infant, surrounded by over 150 votive offerings—silver hearts, hands, and tablets placed by pilgrims over nearly four centuries to commemorate graces received. Art historians identify this 17th-century work as one of the oldest copies of Naples' Madonna del Carmine in Polish and Lithuanian art. Also within the basilica rests the relic of the True Cross brought from Lublin in 1649—the largest such relic in the Baltic states. During the July festival, priests carry this relic in procession through the Way of the Cross, sheltered beneath a canopy. Other treasures include a 17th-century painting of the Holy Virgin Mary of the Rosary, 18th-century sculptures from the Samogitian wood carving school, and a unique 18th-century baptistery.

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2. The Way of the Cross (Kryžiaus kelias)

Local Name (Lithuanian): Žemaičių Kalvarijos Kryžiaus kelias Address: Various locations around Žemaičių Kalvarija, LT-90442, Plungė District, Lithuania (chapels distributed across approximately 7 km) GPS Coordinates: 56.1167, 22.0167 (Basilica starting point) Google Maps: View Map Website: https://www.zemaiciukalvarija.lt/ Dedication: The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ Historical Note: The Way of the Cross comprises 19 chapels containing 20 stations—a Dominican-style arrangement extending the traditional 14 stations to include the Last Supper through the Discovery of the Holy Cross. Art historians consider this ensemble the only architecturally authentic Way of Suffering complex surviving in Lithuania. Thirteen of the 19 chapels remain wooden, preserving the Lithuanian folk style from the 17th and 18th centuries. Spiritual Importance: The pilgrimage divides into two parts. The Path of Christ's Arrest (Stations 1–10) begins at the First Chapel "The Last Supper" on Žvizdrai Hill and proceeds through the Olive Garden on St. John's Hill—an ancient hillfort offering panoramic views—then crosses the Pagardenis stream to the Tenth Chapel "The Praetorium" on Birch Hill. The Way of the Cross proper (Stations 10–20) continues from Pilate's palace to Golgotha. The Kryžiauninkė Chapel (Stations 17–18) is the largest and most architecturally significant, built on a Latin cross floor plan and containing monumental folk paintings by master artist Kazimieras Varnelis from 1906–1911. Walking the full route takes approximately 3–4 hours when stopping to pray at each station. What makes this Calvary unlike any other is the Kalnai (Hills) hymn tradition—first published in 1681, these Samogitian devotional songs are sung at each station during processions. A mobile app, "Žemaičių Kalvarijos Kalnai," is available for pilgrims wishing to learn the hymns.

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🕯️ Annual Feast Days & Celebrations

July 2–12 – Great Feast of Žemaičių Kalvarija (Didieji Žemaičių Kalvarijos atlaidai) Minor Basilica of the Visitation and the Way of the Cross. Lithuania's largest annual pilgrimage begins on the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary and continues for ten days, drawing over 70,000 pilgrims from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and beyond. Each day carries a specific intention—farmers and temperance, state leaders, young families, priests, seminary students—with the main celebration (Didžioji Kalvarija) falling on July 5. Day and night, solemn processions wind through the 19 chapels, the True Cross relic carried beneath a canopy while pilgrims sing the ancient Kalnai hymns by torchlight. 2nd of Every Month – Monthly Pilgrimage (Atlaidai) Minor Basilica of the Visitation. Monthly pilgrimages continue the tradition established in the 17th century, with special devotions, confessions, and processions through the Way of the Cross. Every Saturday is additionally dedicated to honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary.

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🛏️ Where to Stay

There is no accommodation within Žemaičių Kalvarija itself—the town of 600 residents centers entirely on the pilgrimage site. Pilgrims typically stay in the surrounding region, particularly the scenic Lake Plateliai area within Žemaitija National Park or the district center of Plungė. Sala Resort Plateliai & SPA ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Žemaičių Kalvarijos g. 66, Paežerės Rūdaičiai, LT-90423, Plungė District, Lithuania 🌐 Website: https://salaresort.lt/en/ 🔗 Booking.com: sala-resort-plateliai Luxury lakeside resort approximately 15 km from Žemaičių Kalvarija, offering spa facilities, restaurant, and views across Lake Plateliai within the national park. Saulės Slėnis 📍 Address: Bičių takas 3, Paplatelės k., LT-90420, Plungė District, Lithuania 🌐 Website: http://www.saulesslenis.lt/en/ 🔗 Booking.com: saules-slenis Holiday cottages near Lake Plateliai offering self-catering accommodation in a peaceful woodland setting, approximately 15 km from the shrine. Hotel Porto ⭐⭐⭐ 📍 Address: Pramogų g., Truikiai, Babrungas, LT-90110, Plungė, Lithuania 🌐 Website: https://www.portoplunge.net/viesbutis?lang=en 🔗 Booking.com: porto Modern hotel in the district center of Plungė, approximately 25 km from Žemaičių Kalvarija, with restaurant, spa, and comfortable rooms.

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🚗 Getting There

By Air: The nearest airport is Palanga International Airport (PLQ), approximately 60–80 km west of Žemaičių Kalvarija. From Palanga, rent a car or take a bus via Plungė. Kaunas Airport (KUN) and Vilnius Airport (VNO) offer more international connections but require longer drives (217 km and 320 km respectively). Riga International Airport (RIX) in Latvia is approximately 200 km distant. By Car: From Kaunas, take the A1 motorway northwest, then branch north on Highway 164 through Plungė. From Vilnius, route via Kaunas or take the A2 north to Panevėžys, then west through Šiauliai and Telšiai. The final approach from Plungė follows local road 2511. Free parking is available near the basilica. By Bus: Three daily buses run from Klaipėda (approximately 2 hours 15 minutes via Palanga and Plungė). One daily bus departs Kaunas around 13:30 (approximately 3 hours 45 minutes). Check schedules at www.autobusubilietai.lt. By Train: No direct train service exists to Žemaičių Kalvarija. The nearest railway stations are in Plungė and Telšiai, from which local buses or taxis connect to the shrine. On Foot: The Way of St. James passes through Žemaičių Kalvarija on the section from Telšiai through Alsėdžiai (approximately 25 km). The Baltic Forest Trail Section 81 terminates here, offering a pilgrim walking experience through Žemaitija National Park.

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📚 Further Reading

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Articles & Online Resources:

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🎥 Recommended Videos

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🔗 Useful Links

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💡 Nearby Pilgrimage Destinations

  • Šiluva (approximately 90 km southeast) – Major Marian shrine commemorating an apparition of the Virgin Mary in 1608, visited by Pope John Paul II in 1993.
  • Hill of Crosses, Šiauliai (approximately 85 km east) – Iconic site of popular devotion where over 100,000 crosses cover a small hill, visited by Pope John Paul II in 1993.

🥾 Pilgrimage Routes

  • Pope John Paul II Pilgrim Route (Jono Pauliaus II piligrimų kelias) – 16-site pilgrimage trail connecting Lithuania's most significant Catholic shrines, established 2007.
  • The Way of St. James (Šv. Jokūbo kelias) – Lithuanian section of the Camino network, with the Telšiai–Alsėdžiai–Žemaičių Kalvarija segment (approximately 25 km).
  • Baltic Forest Trail Section 81 – Long-distance hiking trail terminating at Žemaičių Kalvarija.

🪶 Closing Reflection

"To go to Mass means going to Calvary to meet him, our Redeemer."

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— Pope Saint John Paul II, Address to Italian Youth, November 8, 1978