Parkas prie Agluonos

Biržai is a city in northern Lithuania, Aukštaitija region, Panevėžys County, 66 km north of Panevėžys, 201 km north of Vilnius, 27 km northeast of Pasvalys, 90 km south of Rīga, near the Latvian border. It is the center of Biržai district municipality, Širvėnos eldership, Biržai city eldership, parish center, and the regional park administration. It is an urban monument (old town and castle mound). Biržai district municipality's Jurgis Bielinis Public Library, post office (LT-41001), cultural house, and the district central hospital operate here. The Freedom Monument to those who died for Lithuania’s independence stands here, built in 1931 (sculptor Robertas Antinis). It depicts a young woman by a cross holding a wreath, popularly called Birutė, thus the monument is named Birutė's. The monument was blown up by the Soviets in 1946 and rebuilt in a new location in 1990 (sculptor Robertas Antinis Jr.). There is also a monument to J. Janonis, erected in 1976 (sculptor Konstantinas Bogdanas, architect Vytautas Brėdikis). On the southern side of Lake Širvėnas stands Biržai castle, housing the Biržai Museum “Sėla,” established in 1928 with art, history, and nature exhibits. In the northern part, Astravas manor remains, and the city still has three Biržai synagogues.