Schwarzort Heritage & Arts

We are a non-profit organization that aims to develop cultural heritage nurturing and art activities in Kursiu nerija. We invite you to get acquainted with the history of the villa, Juodkrante, organized events and art residency.

Art residency

The art residency at villa “Loebel” (established by “Schwarzort Heritage & Arts”) is located in Juodkrantė, the Curonian Spit, Lithuania. Villa “Loebel” was built in year 1881 and fully restored in 2022.

Residency is open for artists of all art fields. At the villa “Loebel” artists can focus on their work in the environment of a nature friendly and peaceful small resort village in the Curonian Spit National Park. It is a perfect place to share their thoughts and experiences with colleagues, residing artists and local artists. The residence’s long-term activities are aimed at sustainable thinking and approach towards art and sustainable life practices at the residency. When hosting artists, we follow the principle of non-discrimination.

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History of Villa “Loebel”

Villa “Loebel” (orig. Löbell) was built in 1881, among the first villas in the historic quarter of Juodkrantė. Villa “Loebel” belonged to Miss Cecilia Bein, the owner of the Variškės manor near Nemunas (Tilsit county). The facades of the first and second floors of the villa had a spacious gallery decorated with openwork, which gave the building an impression of lightness and spaciousness. The owners of Juodkrantė villas at that time sought to create an image of luxury attractive to summer vacationers.Miss Bein bequeathed the villa to the city of Tilsit to be used as a summer holiday residence for orphan childred. Therefore, this villa was often called simply “The Tilsit Children's Colony”. Every summer, over a hundred orphans from the city of Tilsit resided in the villa.

Coming events

Come to Juodkrante

Juodkrante beach

Liudwik Reza cultural center

L. Rezos g. 8B, Juodkrantė

https://www.lrezoskc.lt/

Amber Bay in Juodkrante

Northen part of Juodkrante

Stone sculptures park "Earth and Water"

L. Rėzos g., pedestrians walk on promenade.

Lithuanian national museum of art - Museum of Miniature Arts

L. Rėzos g. 3, Juodkrantė

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Juodkrantė

L. Rėzos g. 56, Juodkrantė

The Lighthouse of Juodkrantė

Herons and Cormorants Colony

2.8 km from the center of Juodkrantė towards Nida

Wood sculptures of the "Hill of Witches" in Juodkrantė

The Hill of Withes

Cognitive-Dendrology Path in Juodkrante

History Juodkrante

For the first time Juodkrante was mentioned in the tax records in 1429, though then it was closer to the sea and approximately 2,5 km to the north from its present location. Fourteen fishermen families, two part-time fishermen and two lodger families lived there in 1539. Due to life difficulties, poverty and threat of moving sand, people were leaving the place. Only 6 lodger families lived there in 1593. In 1599 and 1600 the village that consisted of 13 farmsteads was almost buried with the sand. The plague took many lives in 1603. Only 6 huts still had some inhabitants. Invasion of sand didn’t stop and the Juodkrante village at the seaside was mentioned the last time in 1724.