Gediminas' Hill
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Castle Hill () or Gediminas' Hill () is a hill in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
, Lithuania at the confluence of
Neris The river Neris () or Vilija (, ) 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) from the right bank, at Kaunas, as its ma ...
and
Vilnia The Vilnia (also Vilnelė; , ''Vilnia'' ; ) is a river primarily running through Eastern Lithuania. Its source is near the villages of and , 6 km south of Šumskas, nearby to the A3– M7 Medininkai–Kamenny Log border crossing complexes ...
rivers on the left side of the Vilnia. It is best known as the location of the
Gediminas' Tower Gediminas' Tower () is the remaining part of the Upper Castle on top of the Gediminas Hill in Vilnius, Lithuania. It has a viewing platform that offers scenic views of Vilnius Old Town and Vilnius Central Business District. History The firs ...
, 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 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
. Castle Hill is part of the ."Pilies kalnas"
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Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of ...
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Description

The hill was originally formed by erosion, but has been reshaped by man. It has been separated from the southwestern part of the
Sapieginė Sapieginė is a neighborhood of Vilnius located in the Antakalnis Eldership. It is completely within the territory of Pavilniai Regional Park. The area houses Interwar Polish ammunition bunkers with one of the largest bat wintering spots in sout ...
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 the Gediminas Hill Lift, large-scale construction works related to the restoration of the
Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania (; ) is a palace in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was originally constructed in the 15th century for the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the future Kings of Poland. The palace, located in the l ...
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.Lietus ir atlydys ardo Gedimino kalno šlaitą
''alkas.lt'', February 9, 2016
Slope stabilization works were carried out in 2017–2022.


See also

*
Vilnius Castle Complex The Vilnius Castle Complex ( or ) is a group of cultural, and historic structures on the left bank of the Neris River, near its confluence with the Vilnia River, in Vilnius, Lithuania. The buildings, which evolved between the 10th and 18th cen ...
* Hill of Three Crosses, located some 300 m to the east of Castle Hill, across the River Vilnia


References

{{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