Ilzenbergas Manor with kids

Have you heard of Ilzenbergas Manor, which is located in the northernmost part of Lithuania, right on the Latvian border? It’s an old farm that has been revived and is now open for business, with the most delicious food made from certified products, interesting tastings, education and excursions. And the manor is also stunningly beautiful. We hesitated for a long time about whether it was worth going so far and whether it would be really interesting. But believe me, we were so surprised and impressed by Ilzenbergas Manor with kids that we will be back again and again.

If you are looking for fun activities, a place to spend time with your family and have fun – Ilzenbergas Manor with kids is the perfect place.  We are sure that you will be impressed by this wonderful estate and will want to come back again and again.

Ilzenbergas Manor with kids

Ilzenbergas Manor with children is our discovery of this summer. We spent the whole day there and even stayed overnight because it was so much fun and interesting. So what makes this estate so special and interesting, what to do here with children and why is it worth driving almost 3 hours from Vilnius? We’ll try to tell you all about it in a moment.

Ilzenbergas Manor is, first of all, more than a manor. It’s like a world of its own – a home of history, education, games, farming and nature, and events.

The estate itself and its grounds are impressive, and it’s a beautiful place just to walk around. And then there’s swimming in the lake. And there are lots of interesting activities and games for children. And then there is the interesting fact that there is a Lithuanian/Latvian border marker on the territory of the estate.

And then there are the tastings, concerts, events and restaurant. It’s such an interesting feeling, coming out of a food tasting, walking through the park, and there are the chamomile plants you just had tea with. Then you walk with your children by the playground and there are currants growing and you’ve just been spooning jam. But from the beginning.

History of Ilzenbergas Manor

History tells us that in 1515, Baron Berndt von Kerssenbrock founded Ilzenbergas Manor on a hilltop in the Rokiikis region, in a spectacular landscape between two lakes – Ilge and Apvalai. The German name Ilsen berg, meaning Ilse Hill, was given to the manor on the hill.

After more than 500 years of changes, historical twists and turns, and a change of owners, the estate has finally not only returned to its historical roots, but has also taken all the activities of the estate to a new level.

All the historic and monumental stone masonry buildings have been restored on the estate. Ilzenbergas Manor House welcomes you with a luxuriously furnished exterior and interior. The investment in this historical wonder has been impressive, not only restoring the manor to its former glory, but also making it suitable for the needs and expectations of modern man.

The Manor Park alone deserves its own article – a preserved and beautified centuries-old park with more than 3 km of walking trails and its wildlife, which is listed in the Red Data Book. The park’s artistic sculptures, the newlyweds’ favorite Love Island and the bridge leading to it can also be enjoyed here.

You can learn about the whole history of the estate and the surrounding park on very interesting guided tours.

If you tell us that you are not interested in the tours and that the children won’t find them interesting, believe us, they will. We, the whole family and Motiejus, didn’t even notice that it was fun and the time just flew by, both in the Manor Park and in the Manor itself. You can sign up for these excursions when you arrive at the park. They are led by a wonderful guide who is extremely interesting and simply draws everyone into her wonderful story. So, you won’t have a long time.

Exclusive food and drink tastings

Ilzenbergas Manor is the only manor in the Baltic States and one of the few in Europe to have been revived and farmed according to the principles of natural farming. The manor produces a wide range of natural, delicious and healthy food products from certified raw materials in accordance with old traditions. It is home to the largest vineyard in Lithuania – 5 hectares. We highly recommend that you make an appointment in advance for food and drink tastings. We enjoyed it very much. Although we had already tasted some of the products and bought some of them, we tasted even more and chose our favorites. By the way, after the tasting, you can buy food and drinks in the shop next door.

We didn’t attend the wine tasting with the children, but Motiejus’s grandparents did. The tasting takes place in the wine cellar, so the atmosphere is simply exceptional.

Entertainment for kids

Ilzenbergas Manor has perhaps the most interesting and varied playground in Lithuania! If, like us, you like to search and discover the most fun playgrounds, then this one will definitely be on your list!

The playground is very modern and interactive, including a hamster wheel that plays music, an optical wheel, curved mirrors, very interesting gallows and a combine harvester. Just as every manor has a farm caretaker, Ilzenbergas Manor has a combine harvester, Jonas the Moose, who is on duty at the playground, awaiting every visitor to get to know him. Children have the opportunity to see the inside of the combine harvester, to feel like real farmers behind the wheel and to get a high view of the farm.

The children loved the play wall, where the fun starts by spinning a wheel to generate human energy. Both the display and the sounds show when the Play Wall is charged, and then it’s time to choose one of four unique and fun games!

Next to the playground there is also a corn maze, a super fun educational activity for the whole family. The maze is not easy, but it’s all the more fun. Opening hours of the Labyrinth: July – October.

eCatamaran cruise

If you like water activities, you can take a ride on the new eCatamaran at the marina of Lake Ilgis. A luxurious deck with tables and an hour-long trip on the lake awaits you. The fun part for the kids is that the captain gives you the chance to sit behind the eCatamaran and even put on the captain’s hat. The cruise lasts for 1 hour and sails from June to October.

Ilzenbergas Manor Farm with kids

It’s no secret that we love animal farms and visit them wherever we go. So, we were delighted to be able to visit the animals at Ilzenbergas Manor.

At the entrance to the park, there are Lithuanian black-headed sheep, which were bred in Lithuania in the mid-20th century, and alpacas. Black swans are cozily nestled by the park’s small pond. Japanese KOI carp swim in the large pond. Rabbits – our children’s favorites – are nestled by the Craft House, next to the Grill restaurant, munching on salad leaves. Calves can be seen at the farm and turkeys in the poultry houses.

The whole farm is not only decorative, but also fulfils its true function as a farm – producing fresh, natural food. Eggs, dairy products, meat, as well as honey and preserves and jams from the farm travel regularly to the farthest corners of Lithuania, where they are available to everyone in branded or partner shops.

Our recommendation

We visited the manor with the whole family and loved it immensely. We were impressed with everything – the estate itself, the surroundings, the activities, the food. The day did not take us long at all. And since there was a concert by Ovidijus Vyšniauskas in the evening, we decided to stay overnight. We listened to the concert, the children played on the playground. We enjoyed the nature and planned in our minds our return here. The place is very beautiful, interesting and really exceptional, it is hard to find a mansion so beautiful and unique in its entirety.

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