Good practice:

Reconstruction and adaptation of Zapyškis church for cultural purposes

A small church in Zapyškis standing in the middle of open country, on the banks of the Nemunas River, looks as if it travelled from ancient times up to the present. This is the oldest church in Lithuania, also called "the mother" of all churches. Legend has it that the church was built on the site of the former temple of ancient Baltic Tribal People in 14th century, even thought it was first mentioned in historical records in 1562. Throughout its history for a period of several hundred years, the church suffered a host of wars, fires, and floods; it was abandoned and repaired, but remained one of the unique examples of Gothic architecture in Lithuania. Since the beginning of the 20th century, this church was no longer used for religious purposes, it was turned into a warehouse of church accessories. Since 1996, this church has become a place for Pažaislis Music Festival concerts and other cultural events. In 2020 the church was reconstructed and adapted for cultural purposes.

One full time curator working with the artistic programme in Zapyškis Church.

Existence of a beautiful building, impressive nature; Good cycling path on the riverbanks; Good way to attract the attention of tourists; Decentralization of tourism; Re-invention of historic place as a contemporary place for culture.

Transferability of this good practice could be visible in the following ways: restoration of cultural heritage and adaptation for cultural needs; community engagement creating the activities along the river and using existing infrastructure; involving international parners through artistic projects.