- Place
- Kėdainiai District Municipality
- Region
- Kėdainiai District
- Type
- historicist brick church
- Address
- 1 Betygalos Street, Krakes, Kėdainiai District Municipality
- Coordinates
- 55.40758, 23.72752
- Visit duration
- 20-40 minutes
- Best time
- before or after Mass, with interior access arranged with the parish in advance
Krakes Church of St Matthew
A church beside the Smilgaitis in Krakes
Krakes Church of St Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist stands at 1 Betygalos Street in the town of Krakes, near the Smilgaitis. The address identifies the church itself rather than a separate parish office, and the red-brick façade, tower, and gates make the site easy to recognise. Krakes is about 21 km north-west of Kėdainiai.
This is an active Catholic church, so its primary purpose is worship and parish life. A visit depends on the Mass schedule and whether the interior is open that day; contact the parish in advance if you want to go inside.
Building the present brick church
Construction of the present brick church ran from 1897 to 1908, and 1908 is also used as the date of the completed historicist building. The span shows that the red-brick volume took shape over several years rather than in one building moment.
Red brick, the vertical tower silhouette, and arched openings give the building a distinctive historicist character. Take time to look at the gates, façade rhythm, and scale of the setting: they show how the church was placed in the town street even when the interior is not open to visitors.
Older parish and convent memory
Krakes's religious history predates the current masonry: a church is recorded here in 1478, while Krakes are linked with Vytautas from 1421. Mikalojus Daukša served here in the sixteenth century, making the church important as more than an example of a late historicist building.
A convent was established in Krakes in 1645, and a Church of St Catherine was built in 1692 before later rebuilding after a fire. These earlier layers explain why the present St Matthew's church continues a long parish, convent, and town history, even though the building visitors see is later.
Art, respectful access, and planning
The church was decorated in 1931 and contains valuable works of art. A particular work may not be visible on every visit: the interior can be closed, Mass may be underway, or parish rules may apply. Plan interior viewing and photography with those conditions in mind.
Ordinary visits to the prayer space do not require a ticket, but there is no permanent tourist timetable. If you want to enter, photograph, or bring a group, contact the parish beforehand, choose a time outside Mass, and follow the church's quiet and clothing etiquette.
