- Type
- Castle
- Heritage
- part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (an old town or a valley, for example)
- Coordinates
- 54.6867°, 25.2908°
History
From the 13th century a group of strongholds grew up where the Vilnia meets the Neris: the Upper Castle on the hill, the Lower Castle at its foot and the timber Crooked Castle, burnt by the Teutonic Knights in 1390. The Lower Castle, with the cathedral, became the main residence of Lithuania's rulers; a brick palace was built here in the 15th century, and in the 16th century Sigismund the Old and Sigismund Augustus turned it into a Renaissance residence filled with works of art. Wrecked in the war with Muscovy in the mid-17th century, the palace fell into ruin, and in 1801 the Russian authorities had it demolished. Rebuilt on the basis of excavations and historical records, it opened as a museum in 2013.
What to see
The Palace of the Grand Dukes stands right behind the cathedral, at the foot of the hill crowned by Gediminas' Tower. The basement shows excavated wall remains and archaeological finds, while the recreated state rooms – Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque – evoke the splendour of the former court. Near the palace a path and a funicular climb to the Upper Castle, with views over the Old Town and the Neris valley.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q6598101
Popularity: articles about this site in 20 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).