Discover Perloja

History, art, and crafts meet in Perloja. The history museum, an excursion in the historic territory of the Republic of Perloja, the monument, and the church each offer a different focus. When planning your trip, it helps to distinguish between these themes and places: the museum presents several historical periods, while the monument and church art provide specific artistic highlights.

History and crafts at the museum

The Perloja History Museum is a department of the Merkinė Regional Museum and was founded in 1998 at the initiative of Antanas Volungėnas. It covers the settlement’s development under the Grand Dukes and during the period of tsarist rule, the Republic of Perloja, and life in independent Lithuania. It also explores the Second World War and the postwar period, as well as the establishment of collective farms and the experimental farm. Its subjects therefore span more than one historical period, linking political history with the development of the place. The museum also displays works by sculptor Vytautas Baublys, bringing sculpture into focus alongside the historical themes.

If you are interested in crafts, you can learn to weave towels and bedspreads, decorate Easter eggs with wax, and crochet at the museum by prior arrangement. The activities cover a range of techniques: weaving, wax decoration, and crocheting. Please arrange your visit with the museum in advance. This lets you make this hands-on activity a planned part of your trip alongside its historical and artistic themes.

Excursions and places of remembrance

The Merkinė Regional Museum offers the excursion “Perlojos paslaptys: išgirsti, pamatyti” (“The Secrets of Perloja: Hear and See”) in the historic territory of the Republic of Perloja. Contact the museum to arrange it. The excursion adds another connection to the Republic of Perloja to the historical themes covered in the history museum; it is a separate format alongside the museum’s exhibits.

The graves of Lithuanian partisans are also among the historical sites to visit in Perloja: you can visit them and learn the partisans’ stories. This place of remembrance offers a different way to approach the past than the historical periods covered in the museum. As you decide what interests you, you can focus on both the broader history of the place and specific personal stories.

The monument, church, and surroundings

The monument to Grand Duke Vytautas in Perloja is 8.3 metres tall. The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Francis of Assisi is decorated with wall paintings. The upper sections of the supporting arches feature Lithuanian heraldic motifs: the Columns of the Gediminids, the Jagiellonian Cross, and the Vytis. The monument and church offer distinct highlights: the monument’s height is clearly specified, while the church draws attention to its wall paintings and three specifically named motifs. Those interested in art and architecture will find more than one way to explore Perloja’s visible landmarks.

The nearby Paperlojo Lake is part of the surrounding landscape. It adds another aspect of the area to its historical and cultural themes. Together, the museum, crafts, excursion, places of remembrance, monument, church, and lake offer a range of focuses for planning your trip, without reducing Perloja to a single historical period or landmark.

Discover more destinations: Žiogeliai, Šventežeris, Atesninkai I, Latežeris, Druskininkai, Dyviliškiai, Vilkanastrai, Varėna

For the broader travel overview: Alytus District.