Monte Pacis, Kaunas

Check in: 15:00 (3:00pm) - 16:30 (4:30pm) (arrivals may be allowed outside this window if your travel plans can't be adjusted however this is subject to availability)

Check out: 08:00 (8:00am) - 12:00 (12:00pm)

History

An impressive sanctum at the outskirts of Kaunas, which was located in the distant forest at that time, was built by Kristupas Žygimantas Pacas (1621–1684), the Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, for the the Camaldolese Hermits. The Camaldolese order was established by the monk St. Romuald from the Benedictine Order in Campus Maldoli, Italy, at the beginning of the 11th century. Camaldoli monks stayed in Pažaislis for almost two centuries.  Camaldoli – eremites or hermits, that’s mean they are living alienated in absolute silence.

In the first part of 19th century  Emperor of Russia Nicholas I visited Pažaislis monastery and because he found it attractive, decided to remake it to the Orthodox monastery. Very soon after the camaldolese monks had been expelled from the Pazaislis, the highest class orthodox monastery Uspenija was established here in 1842. It functioned until the First World War – almost one hundred years.

Today monastery belongs to the Sisters of Saint Casimir congregation. It was established one hundred years ago in USA by young woman Marija Kaupaitė. Very soon the Bishops of Lithuania wrote to Mother Maria seeking her assistance.  They had heard about the great advancement she and her Sisters had made among the Lithuanian American immigrants.  They wrote asking that she return to Lithuania and establish her Congregation there. In 1920, Mother Maria sailed to Lithuania with four of her Sisters.

In 1940 the Pažaislis sisters experienced the first results of the Soviet occupation: the Central State Archive was transferred to the monastery, and the farm with gardens was inventoried and confiscated. Sisters shared memories about the second world war time – here, very close bombs where exploded several times, but the monastery remained intact. The Soviet authorities evicted the Sisters from Pažaislis in 1948 and closed the monastery. After that, the complex changed hosts several times, becoming a state archive, a tourist resort and a psycho-neurological hospital,  a branch of the M. K. Čiurlionis Art Museum, during all periods many renovation of the buildings’ interiors and exteriors was undertaken.

The Pažaislis monastery was returned to the Sisters of the Congregation of St Casimir in 1992. Present sisters repeated history – they had to revive monastery again. Thanks to them, the complex has become not just a home for their congregation but a true spiritual hub. Retreats are now organized for diverse groups of people at Pažaislis, which also opens its doors to new social and cultural traditions. International music festivals are held at Pažaislis each summer with ever increasing popularity. People come to the monastery for different reasons: to meet the sisters, to admire heritage and culture, to pray, to look for peace.  The monastery receives an average of of ninty to a hundred thousand visitors annually.

Food & beverage

Hospitality complex MONTE PACIS invites to try the finest dishes from A la Carte menu, Brunch or 4 / 6 course tasting menu (available with 4 / 6 wine pairings). There also is a delicious three course breakfast as well as a kids menu for dinner.

In the wintertime the restaurant is worling in a unique and cory restaurant hall inside and in the summertime the restaurant is working in the outdoor terrase where also ir as woking open bar.

Monte Pacis is a very distinctive wine & gourmet destination not just in the Baltic context.

Now in the MONTE PACIS wine collection, kept in the cool cellars of Pažaislis monastery are more than 200 wine names, an array of mature, rare vintages of Bordeaux, Champagne, and many other  beloved Old World regions. On top of that, expect whole sections devoted to wines from functioning monasteries, wines from Europe’s noble sweet wine appellations, and even Lithuanian berry winesall – from Old World.

Grounds & Gardens

Hospitality complex MONTE PACIS is located in Kauno Marios Regional park and an cognitive trail with the walking distande of 3,6 km. About 1km away there is a yachtclub, Kaunas Lagoon beach is only 300 meters away, downtown – 7 km, main highway – 7 km.

Also, there is a working monastery with a church and a museum that You can visit. (mišios). In the monatery theritory there are gardens that grow herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables that ar later used in the restaurant.

Pažaislis Monastery – an ensemble of buildings in Pažaislis is located in Kaunas, second biggest city in Lithuania, on the north-western shore of the Kaunas Lagoon. The sanctuary is in the outskirts of the city, on a landscape architectural reserve, one of the places of Catholic pilgrimage in Kaunas Archdiocese. Pažaislis location is exceptional, because the monastery is surrounded by huge centuries-old oaks and forests of various trees. A Nemunas river meanders nearby. The monastery is situated by the tranquillity of nature, various paths and the peace and quiet from the city.

Sacral Exposition Museum. Pažaislis monastery opened a small heritage exposition in the office of the monastery. Here have the opportunity to learn so much in less than one hour. Entering this small museum, you will see a notice saying that this place is family-friendly. You will also read the following words in the guest book: "For those who wish to discover the world".

Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The main point of Pažaislis church is the middle of the hexagonal church dome. Also visitors can delight the beauty of Italian style architecture, murals and paintings. In the summer you can smell here deep fragrance of beautiful, old style rose petals. The same type roses you will see in the most famous painting of Pažaislis in the church - The Mother of Beautiful Love, known for its miraculous power.

Culture. Pažaislis opens the gates to new social and cultural traditions: visitors are introduced to the monastery’s artistic treasures, meetings of cultural people, poetry evenings, concerts. Since 1996, every summer, increasingly popular international Pažaislis Music Festivals have been held. It hosts around 40 concerts, attracting more than twenty five thousand visitors. The festival’s variety of genres range from chamber or symphonic music to experimental/electronic music. Every year the traditional Feast of the Assumption (lt. Žolinės) is also held here, Mass is celebrated, the Kaunas State Choir performs. The Sacred Museum of the Pažaislis Monastery Ensemble hosts annual educational programmes for the visitors.

Movie trails. Some of the scenes of the HBO and Sky miniseries Catherine the Great were filmed in this magnificent location. The production turned Pažaislis Church into an Orthodox church, and parts of the Monastery became guards’ barracks, and even a morgue. The uniqueness of the ensemble contributed towards the sense of authenticity in the depiction of the splendid and opulent reign of one of the most powerful monarchs in history. Also, nearby there is a famous bridge that was included in the filming of the legendaty series "Chernobyl". You would be able to spot the bridge in the first episode of the series.

Nature. Turn left by the gate of Pažaislis Monastery. You will arrive at the Kaunas Yacht Club, which is a much-loved destination for many Kaunas residents and visitors. The yacht harbour, located in a pine forest by the Kaunas lagoon, is a popular spot with exceptional nature, quiet pathways and areas around the harbour. From Pažaislis Monastery you can reach Kaunas lagoon on foot. Kaunas lagoon is the largest artificial body of water in Lithuania. You can choose to get on one of the boats and sail to admire the spectacular scenery or stay on the shore and go to the beach. A boat trip is available at the old lagoon pier near Pažaislis. You will have the opportunity to admire the Kaunas Lagoon outcrop. In Rumšiškės, you will see the buildings of the 18th- and 20th-century regions of Lithuania, the everyday life of the inhabitants, and the traditional crafts of that time.

Petrašiūnai cemetery (2 km walk from Pažaislis monastery) is the burial place for the famous people of Lithuania. The pantheon is in northeast divided into sections by occupation (politics, scientists, priests, sportsmen, artists, Soviet political prisoners...).

Other facilities

Hospitality complex restaurant invites to try the finest dishes from A la Carte menu, Brunch or 4 / 6 course tasting menu (available with 4 / 6 wine pairings).