Vilnius - Valdnieku pils

Vilnius is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of about 600.000. Before WWII, Vilnius was one of the largest Jewish centers in Europe which led to the nickname "the Jerusalem of Lithuania".

The city was first mentioned in written sources as Vilna in 1323 as the capital city of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, built a wooden castle on a hill in the city. The city became more widely known after he wrote a circular letter of invitation to Germans and Jews to the principal Hansa towns in 1325, offering free access into his domains to men of every order and profession. At this time Vilnius was facing raids of the Teutonic Order, although they never captured the castle, large portions of the town were burned down between 1365 and 1383. English king Henry IV spent the full year of 1390 supporting the unsuccessful siege of Vilnius by Teutonic Knights with his 300 fellow knights.

Between 1503 and 1522, the city was surrounded by a city wall to protect it from Crimean Tatar attacks. The city reached the peak of its development during the reign of Sigismund II. Augustus, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, settled here in 1544. After the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the city experienced a further boom, as Stephen Báthory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, founded the Jesuit College of Vilnius (= Vilnius University) in 1579.

The Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania was originally constructed in the 15th century in Gothic style for the rulers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Alexander Jagiellon, who later became King of Poland, moved his residence to the palace. Later Italian architects were involved in the remodeling in the Renaissance style.

In 1655, a Russian army conquered Vilnius. Although it was reconquered six years later, the palace, which had been looted and half destroyed by fire, was not rebuilt. After Lithuania's incorporation into the Tsarist Empire, the demolition of the remains of the palace was ordered in 1801.

Since 2002, the reconstruction of the castle has been carried out - despite the reservations of numerous historians, who criticized, among other things, the long-ago destruction and also the use of modern building materials and techniques.

In 2013, the castle was opened as a museum and as a venue for ceremonial events. The Lithuanian public criticized above all the costs of the reconstruction, which also led to the further deterioration of authentic architectural monuments in the city.