12. Klaipėda Queen Louise Youth Centre / former Louise Gymnasium

About

Klaipėda is Lithuania’s gateway to the Baltic Sea – and the Klaipėda Queen Louise Youth Centre is a gateway for children and young people to Europe and the wider world. The Youth Centre has remained true to this mission for more than 130 years, even amid the turmoil of the 20th century. The building has housed the Louise Gymnasium since its founding, as well as a Russian and later Lithuanian secondary school, and during the Soviet era, the House of Pioneers and Schoolchildren. After the restoration of Lithuania’s independence, the Louise Children and Youth Centre was established.

The Youth Centre buildings are a legacy of the 19th century. When the first gymnasium was established in Klaipėda in 1860, it created a growing demand for a modern school. The building, designed by Christian Lüthje and constructed in 1891, had a unique layout: the two-storey rectangular structure had spacious classrooms, wide corridors, and a basement area for playing skittles. The Queen Louise Auditorium, located on the second floor, became a key gathering space for both the school and the wider community. Communal life was further enriched in 1902 with the construction of a nearby gymnastics hall. 

The building is notable for incorporating the city’s first plumbing system, and its yellow brick façade is a rare example in 19th-century Klaipėda architecture. The gas lanterns at the main entrance are still in use today – a living reminder of the engineering solutions and innovations of the period.

Could a building speak if there were no people? The stories of those who grew up and were raised here are many. Take the tour to experience the history and feel the passage of time.