Discover Šiauliai: Art Nouveau, roses and photography

Art Nouveau villa and rose garden

The park belonging to the Chaimas Frenkelis Villa is designed in the Art Nouveau style and is open to visitors. A rose garden was created there in 2018, and almost 2,000 roses grow in it. This brings a clearly defined architectural style together with a distinctive garden feature. If you would also like to include a landscaped outdoor space in your trip planning, the park offers a separate focus alongside the villa’s museum themes.

The villa itself is an Art Nouveau building from the early 20th century. Its authentic interior is characterised by wood panelling and elaborate stucco decorations. These details make the architectural description more specific than a simple style label: the wood panelling and stucco create different effects in the interior design. Those interested in architecture can therefore consider both its classification as an Art Nouveau building and the named design elements.

Exhibition and educational activities

At the Chaimas Frenkelis Villa, the exhibition “Fabrikantai Frenkeliai” covers the history of two generations of the Frenkelis family and Šiauliai’s Jewish community. This gives the villa a historical focus alongside its architecture. The exhibition presents a family history and the history of a community as its themes. For your choice, this offers a different approach from exploring the building and its interior.

Guided tours and themed educational activities are offered at the Chaimas Frenkelis Villa Museum. If you would like to include one in your plans, check the current arrangements with the museum in advance. This lets you plan your visit around an educational activity rather than focusing solely on the exhibition topic.

Photography and nature as additional themes

The Fotografijos muziejus preserves a collection of almost 150,000 exhibits and museum objects. Its themes include Lithuania’s visual heritage, photographic technology and equipment, as well as prints and documents. The collection therefore goes beyond photography as a subject for images: technical and documentary aspects are also represented. When comparing cultural attractions, the photography museum consequently offers a different focus from the architecture and history of the Chaimas Frenkelis Villa.

The Talkša Ecological Trail begins on the shore of Lake Talkša. Its starting point by the lakeshore distinguishes this nature-focused attraction from the buildings and collections. If you do not want to focus your trip exclusively on culture, you can include the trail as a separate theme in your plans. The villa, the photography museum and the path by the lakeshore cater to different interests, rather than being interchangeable versions of the same visit.

Which holiday apartment suits your travel plans?

When looking for a holiday apartment in Šiauliai, it helps to decide in advance what you would like to prioritise: are architecture and the history of the Jewish community most important, are you mainly interested in the photography collection, or would you also like to include the Talkša Ecological Trail? If you are travelling with others, their different interests can factor into the decision. Decide which theme will be the deciding factor and which other interests you would like to add to your stay.

Discover more destinations: Kuršėnai, Meškuičiai, Margiai, Kelmė, Gaugariai, Jurgaičiai, Šiaulių kaimiškoji seniūnija and Bubiai.

For the broader travel overview: Šiauliai District.