In Joniškėlis, the manor estate park covers 27 hectares of the estate’s total area of 34.1 hectares. The site also offers the history of the Karpiai family, a night-time tour of the manor house, sacred architecture and the heritage of the narrow-gauge railway. This makes it possible to explore the area through a range of interests: landscape and plants, historic buildings or technical history.

Manor estate: family history and buildings

From 1723 to 1940, the Joniškėlis estate belonged to the Karpiai family, who made it one of the largest manor estates in the Žiemgala region. The former complex includes more than manor houses: the surviving buildings include an old and a new manor house, an office building, a watermill, a cowshed, granaries, workers’ houses, a coach house, a forge, a smokehouse and a gardener’s house. The remains of an orangery are also part of the site. The variety of buildings gives the estate a history that extends beyond the family and its residences.

Education and medicine are also part of this history. Vilnius University established a university primary school and a hospital at the estate. Together with the residential and farm buildings, they offer a broader picture of the historic complex as more than a single manor house.

Park: landscape, plants and paths

The park has a mixed design: it was laid out in the late 18th century and expanded in the late 19th century. Its described natural features include three ponds, more than 20 native tree and shrub species, and more than 30 introduced plant species. The park is also home to four bat species; whether animals can be observed may vary seasonally. As a nationally significant state-protected site, it includes protected features such as landscape and vegetation.

The park has just under three kilometres of walking paths, as well as benches and bridges. You can explore the site not only through its architectural history, but also through the design of the landscape and its variety of plants. If you plan to use the paths, check their condition before your visit, as physical conditions may change.

Night-time manor house tour

Joniškėlis Regional Museum offers a tour of the manor house after dark; whether it takes place depends on operational availability. Participants on the night-time manor house tour must bring a flashlight and wear comfortable, waterproof shoes and warm clothing. Program requirements may change, so check the current instructions before taking part.

Narrow-gauge railway and sacred architecture

The old Biržai–Panevėžys narrow-gauge railway also runs through Joniškėlis. The state-protected narrow-gauge railway complex includes the Joniškėlis–Linkuva section, stations, industrial buildings and track infrastructure. For those interested in technical history, this adds another dimension beyond the manor estate architecture: the heritage is shaped not only by an individual building, but also by the route and its associated railway facilities.

Joniškėlis Church is considered an early Classicist architectural monument; its interior is designed in the Baroque and Neo-Baroque styles. Its distinctive tower is considered rare in Lithuanian sacred architecture. For architecture enthusiasts, one point of comparison is the difference between the classification of the building and the stylistic influences in its interior.

Sigutės Koldūninė is a Lithuanian cuisine restaurant at Vytauto gatvė 50 in Joniškėlis. Check the address and availability before visiting.

For the broader travel overview: Pasvalys District Municipality.