If you are considering Kuliai as a travel destination, you can base your choice on specific cultural themes: classical church architecture, the history of the town, and the lives of people who lived there. These themes are especially tangible in the buildings and the guided tours on offer. Your decision therefore depends on whether you would like to focus on architecture, local history, or a biographical story.
Church, architectural history, and exhibition
Kuliai began to develop in the late 16th century; the first church was built there in 1644. The Church of Saint Bishop Stanislovas was built in 1900 and is an example of classical architecture. A wooden, pentagonal bell tower stands in its courtyard. These different dates give the town’s history a tangible architectural dimension, without conflating the first church with the later church building.
The church complex also includes Kultūros virenė, a building historically known as the “White House” or the “House That Does Not Burn.” One authentic, preserved feature of the house is among the largest in Žemaitija. Sculptural installations in the church park commemorate historical figures who lived in Kuliai. The buildings, preserved details, and memorials to people thus offer different perspectives on the town.
Another cultural highlight is the museum exhibition “Kulių krašto muziejus” at the Kuliai Cultural Centre. It has existed, with interruptions, for around six decades. Visitors interested in the town’s history can therefore explore not only its buildings but also an exhibition with a history of its own, developed over a long period.
People and local history
Education and literature also feature in the stories passed down from Kuliai. In the 19th century, the priest and educator Kazimieras Skrodskis carried out extensive educational work there. After Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas arrived in 1898, Kuliai became a centre of the book-smuggling movement. These two historical connections bring together different aspects of the town’s history: educational work and Kuliai’s role in the book-smuggling movement.
The writer Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė grew up in Kuliai and received her education there. Her biography is the focus of a dedicated guided tour. This allows you to explore the town’s history through broader developments such as education and book smuggling, or through the life story of an individual writer.
Guided tours and practical planning
The “Sofijos Kymantaitės-Čiurlionienės Kuliai” tour visits the room where Sofija lived. It covers her childhood and her first Lithuanian teacher, the circumstances of Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis’ arrival in Kuliai, and the location of Sofija and Konstantas’ “Honey Meadows.” The tour can be conducted in Samogitian, Lithuanian, or English. Advance booking is required for the tour and its accompanying educational activity.
The optional educational activity “Sofijos kafija su senoviniais pyragėliais” is offered at Kultūros virenė or beneath the Vaižgantas oaks. The activity adds a separate offering to the biographical focus and must also be booked in advance.
“Kuliai – nuo akmens iki rašmens” offers a different perspective. This tour invites visitors to get to know Kuliai at a leisurely pace and hear stories about authentic buildings that have been preserved, as well as about people who lived in Kuliai. Compared with the tour about Sofija, it takes a broader look at buildings and local residents. If you would like to follow a particular biography, Sofija’s life story is the focus; if you are more interested in a range of historic buildings and people, the second tour covers a broader theme.
Discover more destinations: Grumbliai.
Go to the main travel overview: PlungÄ—s rajono savivaldybÄ—.
