At the newest branch of the National Museum of Lithuania – the Castellan’s House – visitors will soon be able to trace the history of šaltibarščiai, Lithuania’s iconic cold beet soup. During the Vilnius Pink Soup Fest, the museum will host a specially designed immersive educational program that explores the city’s culinary past.

Located in Vilnius’ Old Town at the foot of Gediminas Hill, the Castellan’s House is a place where history is not simply preserved – it is continually reinterpreted. In the museum’s permanent exhibition, Understanding Lithuania, visitors are invited to explore the ideas that shaped the country, while discussions, workshops and guided tours encourage them to experience history anew. Now, during the Vilnius Pink Soup Fest, the historic building will become the setting for a living narrative about Lithuania’s culinary heritage. According to local legends and historical interpretations, one of the earliest bowls of šaltibarščiai in Lithuania may have been tasted here. Though the original recipe has not survived, the museum will invite visitors to reconstruct what has been lost. The initiative is among the festival’s most ambitious efforts to connect gastronomy with Lithuania’s broader social and cultural history. Its debut comes as the Vilnius Pink Soup Fest continues attracting growing international attention. Residents and visitors alike are being encouraged to explore the Castellan’s House House, where Lithuanian history now comes with a distinctly pink flavor.

An Interactive Education

Unlike traditional museum programming centered solely on storytelling, the new educational experience at The Castellan’s House is built around participation. Visitors will move through a series of sensory and interactive activities designed to make history tangible. In one gallery, participants will take part in a historical trading game, bargaining for ingredients and learning how marketplaces once operated. In another, they will identify scents associated with spices and food products used in different historical periods. Visitors will also encounter the finer points of historical dining etiquette, discovering how meals were eaten, which utensils were used and what rules governed aristocratic tables. The activities are designed not only to teach history, but to allow guests to physically experience it. Each task gradually leads participants toward the program’s final goal: reconstructing a symbolic recipe for šaltibarščiai. At the end of the experience, visitors will receive a symbolic “Recipe for the First Bowl of Pink Soup,” stamped with the seal of the Castellan’s House as proof of their role in reconstructing this culinary history. Participants will also sample a modern interpretation of the dish: “Quick Pink Soup,” created by the program’s partner, Urban Food. Visitors will be able to compare the traditional recipe with its contemporary reinterpretation and taste the differences between historical and modern flavors. Today, šaltibarščiai is one of Lithuania’s most recognizable culinary symbols, but its history is far from straightforward. The dish reflects centuries of influences, adaptations and reinterpretations. That complexity is precisely what the educational program at Castellan’s House hopes to reveal. “This initiative reflects a broader trend: museums and historic spaces are increasingly becoming active creators of culture, not merely its guardians. During the ‘Vilnius Pink Soup Fest,’ history, education and experiential culture meet at the Castellan’s House,” says museum director Daina Šėmienė.

The Museum’s Festival Program

During the Vilnius Pink Soup Fest on May 30, admission to Castellan’s House will be free. From 16:00 to 19:00, visitors in the museum courtyard will be invited to sample “Quick Pink Soup,” offering an opportunity to compare the traditional recipe with its modern version. The courtyard will also host an installation titled The Castellan’s Kitchen, where a festive castle steward named Petras will appear in the midst of preparing cold soup. Organizers describe it as a distinctly pink stop on the city’s festival map – a place for visitors to pause, take photographs and immerse themselves in the celebration. The activities are intended not only to enrich the visitor experience, but also to strengthen the city’s cultural identity. In this setting, Vilnius presents itself as a city capable of creatively reinterpreting its past for contemporary audiences.

Practical Information

The educational sessions at the Castellan’s House will take place on May 30 at 16:00, 17:00 and 18:00. Tickets cost 4 euros per person, and space is limited.

Tickets can be purchased online here.

The full Castellan’s House festival program is also available online here.