Kaunas Castle

It’s the oldest brick castle in Lithuania which was built to protect from the Crusaders’ attacks in the 14^th century. A settlement started around this defensive bastion which later turned into a town – Kaunas. The castle was first mentioned in written sources in 1361 in Vygantas Marburgietis’ works. After three weeks of siege in 1362, the castle was destroyed by the Crusaders. By 1368, a new castle was built on the foundation of the former construction. The castle suffered not only from enemy attacks, but also from natural disasters. The river Nėris washed away the masonry of the castle several times. After the Battle of Grunwald in 1410, the castle lost its strategic value and remained only as a representative place. Later on, the castle was used as a prison known for its severe conditions. In 1543, Žygimantas Augustas gave the castle and the neighbourhood as a present to Barbora Radvilaitė. At the moment the castle is partly reconstructed. A branch of Kaunas Museum is located there.

Kaunas

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