Gediminas Castle and it's views, Palace of the Grand Dukes of LithuaniaGediminas Tower is the remaining part of the Upper Castle (Gediminas Castle) from 1409. The tower is mentioned in many patriotic poems and is now a symbol of Vilnius and independent Lithuania. It can be climbed to the top, after the hill it is situated on have been reached by funicular, or steep stone walkways. There is an exhibition about the history inside. The skyline of Vilnius, that can be seen from the top of Gediminas Tower and the hill where the Upper Castle is, is pretty interesting. That is because of the intact old town with it's beautiful church towers, the two rivers (Neris and Vilnia), the Lower Castle, the beautiful parks and the modern skyline with the 129m tall Europe Tower that dominates it, as well as the 329m tall TV tower from 1980, that is the 2nd tallest freestanding tower in the Baltic countries. Among all this beauty you can see many grey highrises and rundown buildings from the Soviet times. The modern skyline was created as late as in 2004, while the ancient skyline derives from more then 800 years back. The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Lower Castle, was demolished in 1801 and rebuilt between 2002-2009. It was part of the program of nation-building after the fall of the iron curtain, considered controversial among several historians. Inside the palace there is a museum with art and furniture that belonged to Lithuanian and Polish kings, and the National Museum. The ruins of the base of the palace can be seen from the basenent, and everything is explained in English. The Palace of the Grand Dukes was originally constructed in the 15th century for the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the future Kings of Poland. During Lithuania's presidency of the Council of the European Union, the palace was used as one of the main venues for the meetings of heads of European countries. |