Joniškis: Churches, Museums and Town History

Church Architecture and Cultural Heritage

The present-day church in Joniškis was built in 1901. It has a single nave and tower, three aisles and a cruciform plan; its bell tower reaches a height of 59.83 metres. The church also has seven altars. Recognised as national cultural heritage, it is listed under number 2482 for its significance in architecture, art, sacred history and archaeology. A look at the building therefore opens up several themes at once: its form, its furnishings and its role as a sacred place. For your trip planning, the church is an obvious focal point if you are interested in historic architecture and would like to connect it with the history of art and religion.

Collections on Culture and Sport

The Joniškis Museum of History and Culture displays ethnographic, archaeological and sacred exhibits. Highlights include reconstructed Semigallian costumes, as well as weapons and armour of the Livonian Order. The collection thus brings together everyday and cultural history with archaeological and religious themes. The Joniškis Basketball Museum takes a different approach: across several halls, it tells the history of basketball in Joniškis, Lithuania and around the world in an engaging and informative way. It also displays photographs of the country's best basketball players and the medals they have won.

The Table Tennis Museum also focuses on sport, but with an extensive collection: it displays almost 5,000 table tennis balls and more than 10,000 other table tennis exhibits. It is a private museum in the Šiaurės vartai Hotel in the centre of Joniškis. If you would like to include it in your trip plans, check directly in advance whether a visit is possible. The two sports museums differ considerably in focus: one tells a sporting history across several halls and through photographs, while the other explores table tennis through its extensive collection of objects. When choosing what interests you, you can therefore weigh a narrated sporting history against a collection focused on exhibits.

The Town Square as a Place of History

On the present-day town square, the model “Istorinė Joniškio turgaus aikštė (1703 m.)” depicts the historic Joniškis market square complex from the early 18th century. It offers a glimpse of the square's former layout at a place that is now part of the townscape. The mural “Joniškis prieš 100 metų”, based on a historic photograph of Joniškis town square, offers another historical perspective. The model and mural have different emphases: one depicts the market square complex from the early 18th century, while the other is based on a photograph. Together with the cultural and artistic activities in the two synagogues—including exhibitions, conferences, concerts and festivals—they broaden the focus from architecture to the town's history and cultural life.

Joniškis as a Destination in Your Holiday Rental Search

If church architecture, town history and museums are to be the focus of your trip, you can choose Joniškis as a destination for your holiday rental search. The town offers a clear selection to help you decide which themes to focus on: sacred architecture and cultural heritage, cultural and historical collections, the two very different sports museums, or the history of the town square.

Discover more destinations: Kelmė, Meškuičiai, Gaugariai, Bubiai, Jurgaičiai, Šiauliai, Vijoliai, Šiaulių kaimiškoji seniūnija.

For the regional travel overview: Šiauliai District.