Šilutė: Old Town, Manor and River Landscape

• The historic centre is state-protected cultural heritage of national significance.
• The tower of the Evangelical Lutheran church is 50 metres high and houses three bells as well as Lithuania’s largest tower clock.
• From Šilutė, you can explore the Nemunas Delta on a boat trip; the “Rusnės sala” route passes through Šilutė and can be travelled by car or bicycle.

The Old Market Square brings together a long historical period and an architectural detail still visible today: large markets were held there from the 16th century until the Second World War. Old buildings still surround the square, and the stone paving remains beneath the asphalt. The iron arched bridge over the Šyša adds to this picture as an urban monument in Šilutė’s Old Town.

The city’s history is also presented in different ways on walls and in the streets. The 500-metre-long “Šilutės sienos” depicts important events in the city’s history and significant figures from the region. The “Šilutės sekretai” project takes a different approach: 20 miniature rooms covered with glass are set into the pavement of Lietuvininkų Street. They illustrate life in historic houses from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Large-scale historical displays thus stand alongside small scenes integrated into the pavement.

Šilutė’s Evangelical Lutheran church was built in 1926 to a design by architect K. Gutknecht. Its 50-metre-high tower holds three bells and houses Lithuania’s largest tower clock. Beside the main altar is an 80-square-metre fresco by painter Richard Pfeifer, featuring 104 people. The tower and fresco thus differ in scale: one shapes the silhouette of the church, while the other is a large-scale work inside it.

The Hugo Šojus Manor adds another architectural and historical dimension to the church architecture. Founded in 1721, the state-owned manor is an elegant building in the late Classicist and Historicist styles. Its restrained design is typical of the Klaipėda region. Since 2015, the manor has housed the Hugo Šojus Museum. Part of the former outbuildings houses restoration and education centres. The manor therefore brings together historic architecture, a museum and the use of former outbuildings.

From Šilutė, visitors can discover the river landscape and biological diversity of the Nemunas Delta Regional Park on a boat trip. The small-boat harbour at Uosto g. 9 provides for boarding and disembarking. As departure arrangements can change, check the latest information before taking a boat trip.

Another perspective is offered by the “Rusnės sala” route from the Šilutė Tourism Centre: it passes through Šilutė and can be travelled by car or bicycle. The difference is clear for trip planning: the boat trip opens up the river landscape from the water, while the route provides guidance for travelling by car or bicycle.

Discover more destinations: Švėkšna, Neringa, Dauparai, Dituva, Vilimiškė, Rusnė, Dreverna and Karklė.

What is historically notable about the Old Market Square?

Large markets were held there from the 16th century until the Second World War. Old buildings surround the square, and the stone paving remains beneath the asphalt.

What does “Šilutės sienos” depict?

The 500-metre-long wall depicts important events in the city’s history and significant figures from the region.

How can you travel the “Rusnės sala” route?

The route passes through Šilutė and can be travelled by car or bicycle.

Back to the main travel overview: Klaipėda County.