With its prime hilltop location above the junction of the Neris and Vilnia rivers, Gediminas Castle is the last of a series of settlements and fortified buildings occupying this site since Neolithic times. This brick version, built by Grand Duke Vytautas in the early 15th century, offers commanding 360-degree views of Vilnius, and an exhibition tracing the history of the castle across the centuries, complete with scale models.
The original tower was a tier higher than the 20m structure that marks the spot today. Its walls were ruined during the Russian occupation (1655–61), but it was restored in 1930 to house the Upper Castle Museum, which contains shiny armour from the 16th to 18th centuries and models of the castle in former times, as well as providing panoramic views of the city
