Gediminas' Tower () is the remaining part of the Upper Castle on top of the Gediminas 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. It has a viewing platform that offers scenic views of

Vilnius Old Town The Old Town of Vilnius (), one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, as inscribed within UNESCO World Heritage Sites, has an area of 3.59 square kilometres (887 acres). It encompasses 74 quarters, with 70 streets and ...

and

Vilnius Central Business District The Vilnius Central Business District () is a rapidly developing business district in Šnipiškės eldership of Vilnius, Lithuania. It is Lithuania's most important business district and the largest of its kind in the Baltic States. Bet ...

History

The first wooden fortifications were built by

Gediminas Gediminas ( – December 1341) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1315 or 1316 until his death in 1341. He is considered the founder of Lithuania's capital Vilnius (see: Iron Wolf legend). During his reign, he brought under his rule lands from t ...

Grand Duke of Lithuania This is a list of Lithuanian monarchs who ruled Lithuania from its inception until the fall of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1795. The Lithuanian monarch bore the title of Grand duke, Grand Duke, with the exception of Mindaugas, who was crown ...

(–1341). The first brick castle was completed in 1409 by Grand Duke

Vytautas Vytautas the Great (; 27 October 1430) was a ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was also the prince of Grodno (1370–1382), prince of Lutsk (1387–1389), and the postulated king of the Hussites. In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revere ...

. The three-floor tower was rebuilt in 1933 by Polish architect . Some remnants of the old castle have been restored, guided by archaeological research. The hilltop can be reached on foot or by

lift Lift or LIFT may refer to: Physical devices * Elevator, or lift, a device used for raising and lowering people or goods ** Paternoster lift, a type of lift using a continuous chain of cars which do not stop ** Patient lift, or Hoyer lift, mobile ...

. The tower houses a museum exhibiting archaeological findings from the hill and the surrounding areas. This building is three stories tall and is made of decades-old bricks. The museum has models of Vilnius castles from the 14th to the 17th centuries, armament, and iconographic material of the Old Vilnius. Gediminas' Tower is an important state and historic symbol of the city of Vilnius and of Lithuania itself. It was depicted on the former national currency, the litas, and is mentioned in numerous Lithuanian patriotic poems and folk songs. The flag of Lithuania was re-hoisted atop the tower on 7 October 1988, during the independence restoration movement. A reconstruction of the Royal Palace of Lithuania was completed in 2009, and is located near the base of the hill upon which the tower stands.

Legend

Long ago, the Lithuanian Grand Duke

was hunting in the woods of Šventaragis Valley. The hunt was successful, and Duke Gediminas brought down a wild bull on a hilltop; but he grew weary in his limbs, and so the duke retired and spent the night there. Now Gediminas had a dream that, up on top of the same hill where he had been hunting that day, stood a great wolf made of iron, and it was howling as loudly as if it were a hundred wolves. The Duke asked the court magician Lizdeika to explain his dream to him. He interpreted it thus: this was an omen indicating that he should build a city in this place, which would later become known around the world and would become the magnificent capital city of

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

. Gediminas, obeying the will of the gods, began to build the future capital city, and a castle in the centre of it. The city was named

after the nearby river Vilnia. Gediminas' Tower is the only surviving part of that castle built by Gediminas.

References

{{reflist

External links

Visit the exposition of Gediminas tower

Photo history of the tower
Buildings and structures completed in 1409 Towers completed in the 15th century Castles in Lithuania Landmarks in Vilnius National symbols of Lithuania Towers in Lithuania Brick Gothic Gothic architecture in Lithuania Tourist attractions in Vilnius Castles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Vilnius Old Town

History

Legend

See also

References

External links