- Place
- Šilutė District Municipality
- Region
- Šilutė District
- Type
- religious-heritage compound with a chapel, Lourdes grotto and spring
- Address
- Plento g. 2, Inkakliai, Švėkšna eldership, Šilutė District
- Coordinates
- 55.47993, 21.57127
- Visit duration
- 30-60 minutes
- Best time
- in daylight; for the feast, after checking the current year's parish notices
Inkakliai Lourdes, Inkakliai chapel
Two structures on one hillside
Beside Plento Street, visitors first see the Lourdes-grotto imitation with a Marian statue and water point. Concrete steps climb to the small masonry chapel above. The coordinate marks the approach; ask locally about parking.
Chapel interior access and conditions around the water point follow parish and site arrangements. Check current notices before travelling.
The 1914 grotto and 1923 chapel
Local farmers created the grotto in 1914 at the urging of Švėkšna pastor Julius Maciejauskas. The high masonry chapel was built in 1923, when Bishop Pranciškus Karevičius blessed both parts of the compound.
In 1989 the chapel and grotto were repaired, the grounds arranged, lighting added and the steps concreted. These dates describe separate stages rather than one building campaign.
Feast tradition and local belief
The Visitation feast is associated with 2 July or the first Sunday afterwards. The tradition existed before the Second World War and resumed in 1989; check the current year's date in parish notices.
Local tradition attributes special power to the water, while the site is also valued as a spring or well and place of devotion. No medical benefit should be inferred.
Visiting Inkakliai Chapel
No fixed tourist hours or admission charge are given. The outdoor setting may be viewed from public access, but entry to the chapel depends on worship or local arrangement.
The steep slope, steps and uneven surface may be slippery. Step-free access is not confirmed; respect services and the nearby cemetery.
