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Castle Hill ( lt, Pilies kalnas) or Gediminas' Hill ( lt, Gedimino kalnas) is a hill in
'' Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia''
Lietus ir atlydys ardo Gedimino kalno šlaitą
''alkas.lt'', February 9, 2016 Slope stabilization works were carried out in 2017–2022.
Castle Hill ( lt, Pilies kalnas) or Gediminas' Hill ( lt, Gedimino kalnas) is a hill in Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...
, Lithuania at the confluence of Neris
The river Neris () or Viliya ( be, Ві́лія, pl, Wilia ) rises in northern Belarus. It flows westward, passing through Vilnius (Lithuania's capital) and in the south-centre of that country it flows into the Nemunas (Neman), at Kaunas, as ...
and Vilnia
The Vilnia (also ''Vilnelė''; , ''Vilnia'' ; ) is a river in Lithuania. Its source is near the village of Vindžiūnai, 5 km south of Šumskas, at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. The Vilnia is 79.6 km long and its basin covers 624&n ...
rivers on the left side of the Vilnia. It is best known as the location of the Gediminas' Tower, a signature landmark of Vilnius, a remnant of the fortified Upper Castle dating to the Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. Castle Hill is part of the ."Pilies kalnas"'' Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia''
Description
The hill was originally formed by erosion, but has been reshaped by man. It has been separated from the from the southwestern part of the Sapieginė erosive deposit by a canal, which forms the mouth of the Vilnia. Mindaugas Pakalnis, the Chief architect of Vilnius, remarked that hill's erosiveness contributed to its defensive value, because it is difficult to climb the collapsing slopes. The top of the hill is 142 m above sea level and 48 m above the surrounding land, with its slopes at an angle of 35 to 40 degrees. It used to be almost treeless, but from around the beginning of the 20th century trees grew on its slopes. These were cut down in 2011–2013 during slope management, when the hill acquired its current shape. The hill has an oval flat top 110–120 m long by 50–60 m wide, where the Upper Castle was built. In the 21st century the erosion of the slopes intensified and there were a series of landslides. Among the suspected reasons were the construction of theGediminas Hill Lift
Gediminas Hill Lift ( lt, Keltuvas į Gedimino kalną) — an inclined lift in up the slope of the Gediminas Hill, Vilnius, Lithuania. Opened in 2003, it is used by visitors to reach the Upper Castle (Vilniusw), Upper Castle and Gediminas Tower.
D ...
, large-scale construction works related to the restoration of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania at the foot of the hill, and economomic activities in the area, as well as a general neglect of maintenance. Weather conditions also contributed to the deterioration of the slopes.''alkas.lt'', February 9, 2016
See also
* Vilnius Castle Complex * Hill of Three Crosses, located some 300 m to the east of Castle Hill, across the River VilniaReferences
{{coord, 54.6868, 25.2915, type:landmark_region:LT, display=title Hills of Lithuania Hill forts in Lithuania Geography of Vilnius Landmarks in Vilnius Tourist attractions in Vilnius