Discover Eišiškės

• The Old Town of Eišiškės is an architectural monument.
• The hillfort site is listed as number 270 in Lithuania’s register of cultural heritage sites.
• The church was built between 1847 and 1852 to a design by Teodoras Narbutas, a historian and engineer.
• The complex of old Jewish cemeteries is located at Gegužės a. 19 in Eišiškės.

The Old Town and the hillfort site offer two different perspectives on Eišiškės’ architectural heritage. The Old Town is an architectural monument; the hillfort site is listed as number 270 in Lithuania’s register of cultural heritage sites. The two designations differ in scope: one applies to the Old Town, while the other identifies a specific hillfort site. Those interested in the character of a town center can explore the Old Town as a subject in its own right; those wishing to include a specifically listed site can focus on the hillfort. This makes it possible to organize the architectural and heritage-related themes for your trip according to your interests.

The church in Eišiškės was built between 1847 and 1852 to a design by Teodoras Narbutas, who was a historian and engineer. The construction period gives this building a clear historical context and connects it to a named designer. For architecture enthusiasts, the church adds a specific building with a dated construction period to the picture of the Old Town. The church thus represents a single building with specific construction dates, while the Old Town, as an architectural monument, refers to a different scale.

There is a Jewish cemetery in Eišiškės. The complex of old Jewish cemeteries is located at Gegužės a. 19. A synagogue on Naujoji gatvė is mentioned in inventories from 1775 and 1776; it has not survived. The years refer to the inventories, not to the synagogue’s construction date.

A different period and type of information applies to the courtyard of the Eišiškės synagogue: in the first half of the 20th century, it covered nearly 162 ar. This area measurement explicitly refers to that historical period. The inventory references to a synagogue and the measurement of its courtyard are separate historical details. The name Shulhoyf adds to the picture: it is associated with a plot belonging to the Jewish community on Naujoji gatvė. The cemetery, inventory dates, area measurement, and place name thus offer different ways to explore the Jewish history of Eišiškės.

When planning your trip, it helps to consider what each date refers to: the church’s construction period, the synagogue’s inventory dates, and the historical area measurement describe different things. Those interested in architecture can explore both the dated church building and the Old Town’s monument status. Those wishing to learn more about local Jewish history can focus on the cemetery and synagogue connections, as well as the name Shulhoyf.

Discover more destinations: Liucionys, Žuklijai, Aluona, Lentvaris, Avižieniai, Vievis, Karvys, Kernavė.

When was the church in Eišiškės built?

It was built between 1847 and 1852 to a design by the historian and engineer Teodoras Narbutas.

What is known about the synagogue on Naujoji gatvė?

It is mentioned in inventories from 1775 and 1776 and has not survived.

How is the hillfort site designated as a heritage site?

The hillfort site in Eišiškės is listed as number 270 in Lithuania’s register of cultural heritage sites.

For the broader travel overview: Vilnius District.