Merkinė is one of the most ancient residential places in Lithuania.

For the first time Merkinė was mentioned in 1359. In 1387 Jogaila granted Vilnius the city rights in Merkinė. Vladislov Vaza, the Great Duke of Lithuania and the king of Poland, spent a lot of time in Merkinė, where he died in 1648. During the Norh War (Russia against Sweden) the Russian czar Piotr the 1st visited the town twice.

Until the end of the 18th century, Merkinė was the capital of Dzūkija Region.

Merkinė’s church is one of the oldest Catholic churches in the whole Lithuania. The exact date of its foundation is not known, but it is thought that it was started right after Lithuania was christened in 1387.

In1492 the King Kazimieras donated some land, lakes and other wealth to the Catholic church.

The church was reconstructed a lot of times (1648, 1655, 1702 etc.)

During the 14th-15th centuries the church was also used for defensive purpose.

The inside and outside parts of the church were changed with time passing by: the walls were daubed, the defensive turrets were ripped off, the pediment was built, the construction of the roof was changed, the windows and the lobby were expanded.

Probably, the most valuable element of the interior of Merkinė’s church is the painting of Mother of God holding a baby. They are wearing crowns with jewels, which remind of the cap of Great Duke of Lithuania.

The magnificent mound reminds of the oldest times. The view from the top of the mound is outstanding. There was one of the most important Lithuania’s castles which was situated on the top of the mound.

Merkinė’s museum of regional studies and genocide.

In this place, there was the Town Hall in the 16th century. In 1885 it was demolished and an Orthodox church was built from its bricks.

There are a lot of exhibits in the museum dating back to the Stone Age (arrowheads, axes),the church’s bell made in 1670, and the exposition of Judaic life in Merkinė, etc.

1945–1953 the bodies of Dainava guerillas, murdered by NKVD and the USSR militia officers, were buried in this place.

1972 the stadium of Merkinė secondary school was built. The crosses were started to be constructed in 1989 by the initiative of Merkinė’s movement leader.

Today there are over 200 crosses and a chapel.

Merkinė in 1648. The map of Europe. (Only two cities from the whole Lithuania were marked there).

Zervynos is famous for its unique style of architecture formed in the 18th – 19th centuries. Hundreds of articles about this village are published in press. Two best Lithuanian films – “Nobody wanted to die” and “The Fact” were shooted in Zervynos.

Thousands of tourists visit this village every year.

However, recently Zervynos are starting to lose its originality and city lifestyle is striking right into the village.

Probably the most famous and mostly supervised place of Zervynos are those three wooden crosses.

As Zervynos is situated on two banks of the river Ūla, there is an old wooden bridge built over it. You can cross it either on foot or by car.

A winding street is the main axis of the village. Smaller street’s branches local people call “Ūlyčios”. Wooden homesteads are situated on both sides. Houses and barns are built from the squared logs by connecting corners or halvings. Stables, stockyards and other buildings are made of round logs. Basements of stables and granaries are usually made of wooden blocks. Windows, doors and lobbies are decorated and carved. Roofs are covered with straw, chips and reeds.

A barn in Zervynos

A straw roof