Telšiai.
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Overview

Telšiai is the chief city of Samogitia region in Lithuania, with a population of about 22,000 in 2023. It's industrial but has preserved many buildings of its Old Town.

Understand

The city was named after Telšė the stream flowing into Lake Mastis; the name means "flowing water". Telšiai was first documented around 1450 and became the chief town of Samogitia region, and remains so. During the 1831 and 1863 uprisings against Tsarist rule, Telšiai was a centre for the Polish–Lithuanian insurgents; Russia crushed them and strengthened its grip. In World War I the town was occupied by the Germans then by the Russians, who withdrew to leave Lithuania independent. Telšiai grew and industrialised during the next 20 years then again found itself caught between those ruthless powers. Memorials to the massacres of 1941 stand in several places.

Major industries in Telšiai are the Orlen oil refinery, food, furniture, wood and metal-bashing. These have left the old town centre relatively unscathed.

Visit Telsiai is the Tourist Information Centre, at Turgaus Aikštė 21 in town centre. It's open M-F 08:00-17:00, Sa 10:00-15:00.

Get in

The town is off Highway A11 from Šiauliai to Kretinga and Palanga on the coast. From Vilnius take A2 to Panevėžys then A9 to Šiauliai to join A11. From Kaunas take A1 towards Klaipėda then cut north via Laukava and Route 160.

Five buses a day run from Kaunas, taking 3 hr 40 min via Raseiniai. Some continue to Mažeikiai or Skuodas. Bus lines are Kautra and Toks.

One bus a day runs from Panevėžys via Radviliškis and Šiauliai to Telšiai, and continues west to Plungė, Kretinga, Palanga and Klaipėda.

the bus station is 500 m west of town centre.

Three trains run daily from Vilnius, taking 3 hr 15 min via Šiauliai, and continuing to Plungė, Kretinga and Klaipėda (another 70 min).

Get around

Telšiai is small enough to be covered by foot.

See

((Turgaus Square) is town centre, with its distinctive clocktower. Most of the buildings around it are modern and nondescript.

Telšiai Cathedral. This church was completed in 1794 as part of a Franciscan monastery, and re-modelled in the 19th when the monastery was dissolved and it became the parish church. It was promoted to cathedral in 1926. It'a mixture of Baroque and Neoclassical, with a two storey main altar and a gallery. The churchyard fountain is dedicated to Kazimieras Simonavičius (c 1600-51), the world's first rocket engineer. He wrote the first textbook "Artis Magnae Artilleriae" and invented the concepts of fin stabilisers, multi-stage propulsion, and packing bio-warheads with the saliva of rabid dogs, much more efficient than launching entire rabid dogs.

Bishop Vincentas Borisevičius Seminary is north flank of the cathedral, partly in old monastery buildings but mostly in the new block of 1927. It's named for its first rector, later bishop of Telšiai. Like many Roman Catholic seminaries it became unviable through dwindling candidates for the priesthood, and it closed in 2021.

Church of the Assumption. This was built as the Orthodox Church of St Nicholas in 1867 on the site of a demolished Roman Catholic church. In the 1930s the RC diocese sued for its return, and it re-opened as an RC parish church in 1935. It's a mix of neo- Gothic, Baroque and Byzantine.

St Nicolas Orthodox Church. When the Orthodox community were ejected from what became Church of the Assumption, they built this second St Nicholas in cubist style: it's a 10m x 10m x 10m box with a dinky onion dome. Altar, iconostasis, icons and other sacral items were transferred from the original church.

Wooden synagogue (Buvusi Telšių Amatininkų sinagoga) is 50 m south of Turgaus Square at Telšės g 5. It's been turned into a furniture showroom, which has closed down, so it's in good repair but has lost its character. There are more atmospheric traditional wooden houses in the nearby streets, but they're rapidly succumbing to the developers.

Jonušo Museum. Your search for Japanese pagodas in Lithuania is finally over. Jeweller and artist A Jonušas has created this pagoda and collection of other Japanese and Chinese artifacts, which you're free to wander.

Žemaičių muziejaus Alka. Open-air museum with historic buildings, and exhibits of local archaeological finds, art and culture. It used to be in town on Muziejaus g, but has moved to this more spacious site south of the lake and is still being re-built.

commemorates the massacre of over 70 political prisoners by the Soviets on 24 / 25 June 1941. They were being held in Telsiai; the Germans were advancing and would likely free them, so they were brought to Rainiai forest. Elaborate tortures were carried out before they were killed. Those responsible were protected by Russia, and it was only possible to build the chapel after independence. Holocaust memorials stand in several places in the surrounding woods and fields, including one 500 m south of Rainiai Chapel. The Germans found it convenient to blame the Jews for the Rainiai massacre, so first the men were tortured then shot. The women and children were marched to Geruliai 10 km east, along with those from other towns, then at the end of August 1941 most were shot. Some 500 younger women still had a use as labour and sex slaves, so they were kept until December. Of the 2800 Jewish population at the start of the war, only 64 fugitives survived. is a hill 25 km southeast of Telšiai, near the village of Luokė. At 228.7 m above sea level it stands out and offers good views. It's a drumlin formed of glacial deposits that once had a pagan temple, and in the 14th century had a wooden castle. is a castle mound 29 km south of Telšiai.

Do

Žemaitė Drama Theater. Year-round programme.

Football: FC Džiugas play soccer in A Lyga, the country's top tier. Their home ground Telšiai Stadium (capacity 2400) is 500 m northwest of town centre. The playing season is Mar-Nov. Lake Mastis has a walking trail along its north shore in town, and a park with water sports on its east shore. It's too grubby for swimming. Lake Germantas is in the forest 10 km west of town. It's a quieter cleaner area than Mastis, with trails through the forest.

Buy

Maxima supermarket is at Kęstučio g 20, 300 m north of central square, open daily 08:00-22:00.

Eat

Senamiestis. On the central square, going for Old Town atmosphere as the name implies, and often booked up for private parties. Pity about the food.

Harmony Lounge. Smart, friendly restaurant by central square.

Picų Namelis is a pizzeria next to Harmony Lounge open daily 10:00-22:00.

Senoji Kvorta. Cellar restaurant by the central square.

Restoranas Ukrainiečiai. Ukrainian restaurant serving hearty trad specialties.

Drink

Vaigra is a sports bar next to Senoji Kvorta on Respublikos g, open Su-Th 11:00-23:00, F Sa 11:00-00:00.

Sleep

Telšių viešbutis. Clean central hotel.

Bohema. Restaurant which added rooms and spa facilities in 2023, so it's squeaky clean and eager to please.

Sinchronas. Pleasant comfy place by the lakeside.