Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

The Grand Duke’s Palace of Lithuania, an extension of the Gediminas Castle complex, was built in the 15th century and used as the seat of government of Lithuania and Poland in the following centuries. Destroyed in 1801, the castle was rebuilt in 2002 and opened to the public as a museum in 2009.

Archaeologists have concluded from the remains under the palace that there was a wooden structure here in the 13th and 14th centuries. The 15th century stone structure was destroyed by a fire in 1419. The palace was renovated in the following centuries and in 1832 it looked like the one pictured below.

When you enter, you will see the remains of the stone walls that were built before the current structure. Among the stone walls where you can examine the architectural and historical development of the palace, there is also a model of the upper castle and the lower castle where Gediminas Castle was located.

Artifacts used in ancient times have also been unearthed as a result of archaeological excavations and are displayed behind glass showcases.

The ceremonial rooms are among the rooms you will come across during your tour. In the large rooms, the items used by the dukes and their portraits decorating the walls reflect the splendor of the period.

The rooms where the Grand Duke’s treasures are exhibited is another section. The treasure section, where the crowns and other treasures used by the kings are exhibited, marks the end of your tour.

In the garden there is a monumental statue of the founder of Vilnius, Grand Duke Gediminas, standing with his horse and holding his sword. Erected in 1996 in Vilnius Cathedral Square, the statue is flanked by two portrait reliefs of the Grand Duke’s heirs, Algirdas and Jogailla.