While vacationing at a rural tourism homestead in Alytus district, make sure to visit the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Nemunaitis.
In the 17th century, Mykolas and Kazimieras Sapiega built a wooden church on this site and established a parish. The famous Sigismund Vasa gifted three villages with an estate to the parish. The original structure burned down but was later rebuilt. The current brick church was constructed between 1899 and 1904, following the design of engineer Vaclovas Michnevičius.
This place of worship is characterized by its elegant Neo-Gothic style and spires. The interior consists of three vaulted naves. As you ascend the stairs, you will notice a plaque indicating that the church is one of the gravimetric points in Lithuania, which helps assess changes in gravitational fields.
If you wish to visit the interior outside of Holy Mass times, please arrange it with the parish priest. The priest's contact information can be found in the contact section.
Photo credit © B. Malaškevičiūtė
Forest trail section 56. Merkinė – Nemunaitis tourist attraction.
