Veiviržėnai

The settlement of Veiviržėnai is located in the southeast part of the Klaipėda District Municipality. It is one of the most picturesque corners of the Klaipėda region, with its undulating relief carved by one of the largest tributaries of the Minija River – the Veivirža River and the Šalpė, Šlūžmė, Upita, Purlė, Judrė and other streams branching off from it.

The town is mentioned in historical sources as early as the 13th century.

The first wooden church was built in 1639 by the Elder of Rietavas. The current church of Veiviržėnai, the Church of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, was rebuilt in 1882. The church is of folk architectural forms, with predominant baroque features. It has a broken rectangular layout with a tower. The church is equipped with seven altars, and the churchyard fence is of stone masonry.

The township's biggest celebration is the Indulgence Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. The celebration is by no means limited to ceremonial rites in the church, since, as a long-standing tradition, the feast gathers and involves all local residents with their families and relatives. The Indulgence Feast is traditionally celebrated on a Sunday after 20 July.

Near the St. George Cemetery, you will find the Lourdes of St. Virgin Mary. According to the legend, there was a lady in Veiviržėnai, whose last name was Rudgalvytė, who was very sick and no doctors could cure her. One night, she had a dream that suggested that the Chapel of Lourdes should be built, and so it was done. When the pastor consecrated the chapel, Rudgalvytė crawled on her knees to kiss St. Mary's feet, and soon after that, the lady was cured (according to P. Žilius, 1996).

The Jurgis Šaulys Gymnasium in Veiviržėnai has hosted a household museum since 1957.

The most valuable objects of archaeological heritage in the area:

• Skomantai Hillfort;
• Vyskupiškės Hillfort;
• Veiviržėnai (Wolves) Hillfort;
• Mockaičiai Hillfort.

The Skomantai Hillfort stands out for its expressiveness within the landscape and the memorial signs of historical significance, with a monument installed on the site on the top of the hillfort in 1928. Designed by Kostas Rameika, the monument was erected to mark the tenth anniversary of Lithuanian independence and the fifth anniversary of the incorporation of the Klaipėda Region into Lithuania. In 1965, another monument – a sculpture named ‘A Samogitian’ by Vytautas Majoras was erected at the foot of the hillfort.

Other places of significance in the vicinity of Veiviržėnai:

• The cemetery of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust in Trepkalnis;
• Sites marking the memory of the struggle for freedom in Veiviržėnai;
• The gravesite for the reburial of partisan remains in the Veiviržėnai cemetery.

Veiviržėnai is home to the Veiviržėnai Crafts Centre, offering various craft educational programmes adapted to people of different age groups.

In the summertime, movie nights are organised in the valley of the Veivirža River, which attract a large number of participants not only from Veiviržėnai but also from the entire Klaipėda region. The exclusive Movie Nights in the Valley summer festival offers the opportunity to watch movies in the open air, right from your car. The festival invites movie lovers not only to watch films but also to create them.