Panemunė Castle

Panemunė was built between 1604 and 1610 for the Hungarian noble family Eperjes on a bluff above the Nemunas, a residence in late Renaissance form around a courtyard with towers at the corners, later held by the Gelgaudas family whose name it also carries. Below the castle a series of ponds runs down the slope through a terraced park with old trees, and the composition of building, terraces and water is the best surviving example of its kind in Lithuania. Restoration has proceeded slowly over decades under the Vilnius Academy of Arts, which uses part of the building, and sections are still unfinished, so a visit shows both restored rooms and bare masonry. Events and craft workshops run in summer.

What you actually see

• The courtyard castle - corner towers around an enclosed court.
• The pond terraces - stepped water and old trees down the slope.
• Restoration in progress - finished rooms next to bare shells.
• The Nemunas bluff - the valley below the walls.

When to go

May to September for the park and open rooms; the castle keeps seasonal hours and much reduces in winter. Autumn colour on the terraces is good. Summer brings events and workshops.

Honest expectations

Restoration is incomplete and parts of the building are closed or empty. Interpretation is limited. Facilities are modest. The valley road is slow but attractive, and a car is effectively necessary.

Nearby

Raudonė castle lies west; Veliuona is east.