Joniškis – Churches, Museums and City History

Church architecture and religious history sit alongside city history, regional collections and sports themes. This lets you consider whether you are most interested in a historic building, the development of the town square or the history of particular sports. Each cultural venue has its own focus.

Church: Architecture and Cultural Heritage

The present-day church in Joniškis was built in 1901. It has a single-nave, towered, three-aisled, cruciform design. Its bell tower is 59.83 metres high, and the church has seven altars. The tower and altars offer two specific ways to look at the building and the interior separately. The church is recognised as national cultural heritage for its significance to architecture, art, religious history and archaeology; its reference number is 2482. This single building brings together a precisely measured tower, a varied architectural design and several aspects of cultural history.

City History in Models and Images

The model “Istorinė Joniškio turgaus aikštė (1703 m.)” shows the historic market square layout from the early 18th century. The mural “Joniškis prieš 100 metų” is based on a historic photograph of Joniškis town square. The difference in focus is clear: the model looks at the former square layout, while the mural presents a photographic view. If you are interested in the history of the town square, these works offer two different ways of exploring its past.

Synagogues as Cultural Venues

Cultural and artistic activities take place in Joniškis’s two synagogues, including exhibitions, conferences, concerts and festivals. The programme therefore ranges from exhibitions to events featuring music or a conference programme. If you would like to include a concert or festival in your travel plans, check the specific dates in advance.

Museums: Regional Culture and Sports History

The Joniškis Museum of History and Culture displays ethnographic, archaeological and religious exhibits. These include reconstructed Semigallian costumes and weapons and armour of the Livonian Order. The collection brings together different types of objects: clothing sits alongside religious items and historic weapons. This offers a different perspective from the church, where the architecture and altars take centre stage.

The Joniškis Basketball Museum tells the story of basketball in Joniškis, Lithuania and around the world in an engaging and educational way across several rooms. Photographs of the country’s best basketball players and the medals they have won complement the theme. The scope extends from local basketball history through Lithuania to the global sporting scene; the photographs and medals also focus on players and sporting achievements.

The private table tennis museum is located at the Šiaurės vartai hotel in central Joniškis. Its collection includes nearly 5,000 table tennis balls and more than 10,000 other exhibits related to the sport; collection figures may change over time. Here, specific items in the collection set the focus, while the Basketball Museum tells the story of the sport across several rooms. If you plan to visit the table tennis museum, ask in advance about visiting arrangements, as it is privately run.

Discover more destinations: Margiai, Meškuičiai, Kelmė, Šiaulių kaimiškoji seniūnija, Pakruojis, Gaugariai, Vijoliai, Radviliškis

For the broader travel overview: Šiauliai District.