In short

This museum was established at the Liubavas Manor in 2011 on the initiative of sculptor and researcher Gintaras Karosas.

Located near Vilnius in a picturesque area by the Gerėja River, now known as Žalesa, Liubavas is one of the oldest and most romantic manors in Lithuania. In 1546, the treasury book of the manor of Žygimantas Augustas, ruler of Lithuania, described the Liubavas ponds that were being repaired at that time in detail. The Liubavas Manor has undergone tremendous changes over the centuries. Its territory even reached Lake Siesartis, and during the Soviet era, it underwent significant challenges.

It’s a museum recounting Lithuania’s historical, cultural and technical heritage, the purpose of which is to explore the Liubavas Manor and qualitatively restore the homestead’s buildings, adjusting them to cultural and public needs, and to set up museum exhibitions.

Brief History

In 2012, the Liubavas Manor Watermill-Museum was recognised as one of the best examples of the preservation of European cultural heritage. It has been awarded the European Union Cultural Heritage Prize and the Europa Nostra Award for quality restoration.

The Liubavas Manor is home to the only watermill in Lithuania that contains completely restored equipment. Several technological processes that occurred there were investigated and demonstrated: from grain, wood and metal processing, to mill and electricity production.

Hence, a visitor who goes there feels like they’re returning to the period when the watermill was constructed. The building itself is an example of the virtuosic stone construction, where stones were laid in such a way that even the binder is not visible among the huge blocks of stone! Visitors can also get acquainted with the wonderful 500-year history of the manor and its owners: Goštautai, the royal family, Duke Mikalojus Radvila Rudasis, Golejevskiai, Krišpinai Kiršenšteinai, Tyzenhauzai, Tiškevičiai and Slizieniai.