Vievis: Streets, Churches and Nature

Vievis brings together the history of Lithuanian roads, church and printing history, and a lake on the southern edge of town. Geology and landscapes in the surrounding area add another perspective on the place. This lets you choose the highlights that interest you most for your trip.

Road History and Geology

The Lithuanian Road Museum in Vievis explores the history of Lithuania’s roads, from the Roman Empire to the present day. Models, tools, machinery, carts, signs, maps, photographs, books and magazines represent the different aspects of the subject. The collection spans everything from technical equipment and vehicles to maps and printed publications.

Geology is also a subject in its own right in Vievis: the Earth Depths Information Centre has a 4.20-hectare outdoor exhibition featuring more than 550 boulders arranged in 35 groups. The centre also preserves core samples from 1,148 boreholes, with a total length of more than 140 kilometres. The outdoor exhibition arranges the stones in groups, while the figures for the core samples convey the scale of the collection.

Churches and Printing History

St. Anne’s Church in Vievis is a Neo-Baroque basilica with Neoclassical elements and two towers on its facade. Three works of art are associated with it. Its architectural form and complementary stylistic elements give the church a distinct architectural character.

Other historical points of interest date back several centuries. A 1577 manor inventory mentions an old, ruined church near Vievis. M. Smotrickis’s “Slavonic Grammar” was printed in Vievis in 1619. An earlier church was destroyed in 1812 during the Napoleonic Wars; the Orthodox Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Vievis was built as its replacement in 1842–1843. These dates trace a path from an early written reference, through printing history, to the construction of the present-day Orthodox church.

The Lake and Nature Nearby

Lake Vievis lies on the southern edge of town and is popular with holidaymakers; anglers also come here. The forests around Vievis are home to a diverse range of plants, animals and birds. The lake and surrounding forests are both part of the area’s natural appeal.

The Ausiutiškės observation platform in the nearby Neris Regional Park offers panoramic views of the Neris Valley and pine forests. The Grabijolai educational trail in Elektrėnai Municipality offers a different landscape. The marked hiking trail is about 4 kilometres long and passes through meadows, along field edges and former village roads, as well as over steep slopes and through ravines. The terrain is rugged; as trail conditions can change, check them before setting out.

Tourism options in Vievis and the surrounding area include holiday resorts, rural tourism homesteads and saunas. Check which specific facilities are available before your trip.

Discover more destinations: Aukštadvaris, Karvys, Trakai, Žydkaimis, Strėva, Kiemeliai, Juodšiliai, Eišiškės.

For the broader travel overview: Vilnius County.