Much visited and loved by tourists, Paežeriai Manor is called the pearl of Suvalkija and described with many epithets. Some see in it a reflection of ancient Greece, others the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, taking them back to the 18th century. The classicist palace on the picturesque lakeshore was built in 1795–1799 on the initiative of the Grand Duchy nobleman Simonas Zabiela. The palace was designed by the renowned Vilnius architect Martynas Knakfusas. Classicist elements reflect its character as a residential and representative palace: a grand pediment with columns supporting a portico bearing the family coat of arms, and side avant-corps decorated with the stucco reliefs "Music" and "Painting". The graceful mouldings, both outside and inside, reflect the palace's purpose of promoting the fine arts – poetry, dance, music and painting. On the right-hand side of the first floor (second floor in Lithuanian counting), the rooms with a column-adorned bedroom and a reception hall bring joy and a wish to forget all your worries and lose yourself in the whirl of dance and the sound of music. The images of dancing, ecstatic girls in the ballroom dome, the patterned parquet and the musicians' balcony with its graceful consoles enchant with their charm and splendour. The impression is heightened by the balcony on the north side, supported by slender columns, which opens up views of the lake and park. The decoration of the palace in the first half of the 19th century is attributed to the landowner Zygmunt Gawroński, who inherited the palace, and his wife Natalia Ogińska-Gawrońska. The palace was adorned with works by Dutch painters and Louis XVI-style furniture. After the restoration of the palace in 2016, paintings and furniture brought from the Lithuanian National Museum of Art once again take visitors back to bygone times. Before the Second World War the palace passed to Jonas Vailokaitis, a signatory of the Act of Independence of 16 February. During the war the residence belonged to Adrian von Renteln, the German General Commissioner for Lithuania. After Lithuania regained independence, the Suvalkija Art Gallery opened at Paežeriai Manor in 1995, followed by the Vilkaviškis Regional Museum in 1997. Once the manor's outbuilding, observation tower and icehouse had been restored, the museum's exhibitions moved into them, and in 2004 the Suvalkija (Sūduva) Regional Culture Centre moved into the palace. In the summer of 2016 the two institutions were merged. Paežeriai Manor is known for its classical music evenings, educational programmes, the Sūduva Crafts Festival, the Paežeriai Manor Festival, the "Viva la musica" festival of early music in manors and other events. The palace grounds are brought to life by newly laid walking paths in the park and by the old manor oak, which has been cared for by specialists. In the palace, visitors can see changing exhibitions and a recreated 18th-century setting, while the other manor buildings house museum exhibitions on the notable past of the Vilkaviškis area.