- Type
- Castle
- Coordinates
- 54.8833°, 24.8500°
History
People have lived in the Neris valley at Kernavė since the end of the last Ice Age, leaving traces that span more than ten thousand years. In the Middle Ages a group of fortified hillforts rose above the river, with a town of craftsmen and merchants spreading out at their foot. In the 13th and 14th centuries Kernavė was one of the leading centres of the young Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and it first appears in written sources in 1279. In 1390 the Teutonic Knights burned the stronghold and the town, which never regained its former importance. Because the area was never built over again, its archaeological layers survived remarkably well, and in 2004 Kernavė was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
What to see
Paths link the steep hillforts, among them Mindaugas' Throne and Altar Hill, with sweeping views over the bends of the Neris. The archaeological museum shows finds from successive eras, from flint tools to medieval jewellery. Reconstructed farmsteads stand nearby, and in summer the site hosts a festival of living archaeology with demonstrations of ancient crafts.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q215315
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