The Varėna region is rich in religious architecture – from long-standing stone temples and cozy wooden chapels to modern pyramid-shaped structures. For generations, local people have come here to seek a better fate for themselves and their loved ones, to search for meaning, and to pray for the salvation of the soul.

VALKININKAI. Start your journey in Valkininkai by visiting the Classicist Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known for its clergy who bravely defied occupying regimes and steadfastly defended Catholicism and Lithuanian identity.

AKMUO. Then travel to the village of Akmuo, where you'll find the small Church of the Crucified Jesus with its original log bell tower.

BABRIŠKĖS. Stop by the Church of St. Michael the Archangel in Babriškės, which evolved from a cemetery chapel and now shelters the remains of heroes from Lithuania's wars of independence.

PERLOJA. Be sure to visit the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Francis of Assisi in Perloja, founded by Grand Duke Vytautas himself. Inside, you can admire the interior designed by Jurgis Hopenas, a professor at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts.

MERKINĖ AND ČESUKAI. Visit Merkinė, where the Gothic walls of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church hold many Jesuit secrets. Nearby, in the village of Česukai, you’ll discover the famed dome-covered Pyramid of Merkinė – a symbol of modern spiritual expression.

PANARA. In the village of Panara, the Chapel of Divine Mercy, built by the "Pilnų namų" (Full House) community, houses a monastic group offering help to people struggling with addiction.

LIŠKIAVA. End your journey with a visit to the grand Baroque Church of the Holy Trinity in Liškiava. Admire its altars, works of art, frescoes painted in the dome, and explore the recently restored former Dominican monastery and residential house.