Žemaičių Kalvarija is probably known to many. The town is a famous pilgrimage site in the Plungė district, renowned for its Great Feasts and Stations of the Cross chapels. Although only about 600 people lived in Žemaičių Kalvarija as of 2021, there is no shortage of activity here. The main attraction is the Minor Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a unique Way of the Cross consisting of 19 chapels (20 stations), and a recently opened impressive space to eat and find peace.
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Peace replacing the fast pace of life
“Although I am from Plungė, I worked in Klaipėda, Rolandas in Vilnius, neither of us wanted to move to big cities, so we decided to settle in Rolandas’ hometown – Žemaičių Kalvarija. We were captivated by this peace and the slower pace of a small town,” says Simona Gimbutienė, who opened a restaurant with her husband Rolandas.
Rolandas also notes that the pace of life in big cities is different, people seem to be constantly rushing somewhere, but when returning home, peace awaits. The couple is happy that unlike other towns, this one is still full of life and young families returning to live here.
For several years, an abandoned building stood in the very center of the town until we finally bought it.
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Simona confesses that she tries to convey this calm rhythm in the restaurant as well, which focuses on spending quiet time with family or sitting peacefully with a book in hand. This rhythm is also dictated by the Žemaičių Kalvarija Minor Basilica of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary located very close to the restaurant.
After the kindergarten closed, the restaurant opened its doors
The idea to open the restaurant came quite unexpectedly. “This building, where the restaurant is located, used to be a kindergarten. I attended it as a child,” Rolandas laughs. When the kindergarten closed, the family decided to buy the building.
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