Liškiava Monastery Complex

Liškiava Monastery stands on a hilltop overlooking the Nemunas River in the heart of Dzūkija, Lithuania's most forested and culturally distinctive region. This Dominican monastery, founded in 1699, features a beautifully restored baroque church with stunning ceiling frescoes that are among the finest in Lithuania. The monastery complex includes the church, residential buildings, a courtyard, and terraced grounds that offer sweeping views over the Nemunas valley and the forests beyond. The frescoes inside the church depict scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary and the Dominican order, painted with a warmth and skill that brings them vividly to life. The monastery's hilltop location is itself significant — archaeological evidence suggests the site was used for pagan worship long before the Dominicans arrived. Below the monastery, the Nemunas River bends through a dramatic landscape of forested cliffs and flood meadows, creating one of the most picturesque settings of any monastery in Lithuania.