Church of St. Matthew, Anykščiai

The Church of St. Matthew is a Neo-Gothic church building in Anykščiai with two red brick towers reaching about 79 meters high. The structure dominates the town's skyline with its solid masonry construction and twin spires.

An earlier wooden structure from 1500 burned down repeatedly until the current brick building was constructed between 1899 and 1909. This rebuilt version represented a shift toward fire-resistant masonry construction.

The interior displays fifteen stained glass windows created by artist Anortė Mackelaitė throughout the 1970s and 1980s. These works shape how light fills the prayer space and give the church its visual character.

Visitors can climb 186 steps inside one of the towers to reach an observation platform. From there, you get views across the town and the surrounding valley landscape.

The towers were deliberately shortened from 84 to 79 meters to prevent their use as military targets during World War I. This change reveals how war shaped decisions about the structure's final form.

Location: Anykščiai

GPS coordinates: 55.52444,25.09944

Latest update: December 11, 2025 18:01