“The Otherworld” / Vila „Anapilis“

The villa “Anapilis” (“The Otherworld”) was built about 1898. This is the most o unique villa, without equals not only in the resort architecture of Palanga, but entire Lithuania.

At the beginning of its life, villa “Anapilis” (“The Otherworld”) belonged to o Countess Sofija the mother of Palanga Count Feliksas Tiškevičius, for a long period, it was called “Sofija”.

Palanga legend says that the owner of the villa Sofija Tiškevičienė enjoyed o communicating with spirits. Allegedly, she had a secret mirror room above the attic, and once summoned, the spirits were not able to escape and return to their world. It was also said that the spirits of Sofija and her maid, who hanged herself, haunted the villa. Local residents avoided the villa because of the sounds of a wind organ coming from the inside. The story goes that Countess Sofija was in poor health, and as soon as she felt ill, she would go to listen to the sounds of the wind organ, which helped calm her down.

After World War l, the villa was sold to the Lithuanian Economy Bank (Lietuvos ūkio bankas). During the inter-war period, the villa was known for its bohemian aura. It was visited by the President of the Republic of Lithuania Aleksandras Stulginskis and his wife, including famous Lithuanian culture, art, science or political figures (poet Maironis, priest Juozas Vailokaitis, Kipras Petrauskas, etc.).

During World War Il, the building was nationalized and residential premises were set up. Later, the sanatorium club “Jūratė” was established in the villa. After Lithuania restored its independence, the building was transferred to Palanga Cultural Centre (1996). During the first years of the revival of “Anapilis” (“The Otherworld”), the most famous musical club in the Lithuanian seaside settled in the villa. In 1992, the building was included in the Register of Immovable Cultural Heritage Properties of the Republic of Lithuania.

In October 201 1, during a conference organized by the Department of Culture of Palanga City Municipality Administration, a resolution was approved by which the establishment of Palanga Resort Museum in villa “Anapilis” (“The Otherworld”) was initiated. In 2013, the Council of Palanga City Municipality approved the establishment of Palanga Resort Museum. Museologists started working in the villa from 2014, and in 2016, Palanga Resort Museum was opened to the visitors. Palanga Resort Museum website address: www.kurortomuziejus.lt.