Raudone Castle, Graužėnai, Lithuania

Raudonė Castle construction works started in late 16th century, during the reign of King Sigismund II August. A new renaissance castle was built on the ruins of the old one by a German knight, Hieronymus Krispin-Kirschenstein. The castle has since been rebuilt many times. The 18th century Polish owners of the Raudone estate, the family Olędzki (Olendzki) h. Rawicz commissioned Wawrzyniec Gucewicz with a renovation of the castle. The next owner, the Russian Prince Platon Zubov, acquired the estate in the first half of the 19th century and his family transformed the castle yet again. Their architect was Cesare Anichini.

Today the building is an example of 19th century neo-Gothic architecture. Its last private owners were Sophia Waxell (a Zubov) and her Portuguese husband from Madeira, José Carlos de Faria e Castro. The original castle is the setting of an East Prussian legend known as 'The White Maiden of the Bayersburg'.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in Lithuania

Address

1725, Graužėnai, Lithuania

See all sites in Graužėnai

Details

Founded: 16th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Lithuania

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.7seasons.eu
www.way2lithuania.com

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Panemune Castle (9,1 km)
Molavenai Hill Fort (42,2 km)

User Reviews

Lady N (2 years ago)
Neo classicism castle with nice charm. There is located secondary school. Not aviable for tourists visits within winter.

Tomas Gudas (2 years ago)
Beatiful castle. 16th century.

James P (2 years ago)
Just spent two weeks in Lithuania from USA. This was my second time visiting Lithuania . We have family in Kaunas We had a great time. We stopped here on the way to other areas and was amazed at the beautiful scenery . You can climb to the top for 1 euro. Its worth the climb. The views are great and theres a park nearby to walk with a huge chair , wwII statues and a pond in the shape of some mans face. Good times! Will be back soon!

Domantas Juodikis (2 years ago)
It was a really swell time that me and my friends spent there. It has a historical value and the nature view is amazing as well. It works really well for picnics and walks. Truly recomend it to anyone!

Giedre Liutikaite (2 years ago)
Beautiful red castle. There are a huge old forest to walk around the castle. You will see a small lake formed and titled as a “Napoleons hat”. A small walk around this lake called “The way of romance”. Locals are selling homemade sweets and other snacks such as meat, apples, mushrooms and etc. You may capture the picture on a huge chairs double sized as you. The parking lot is quite big to park a tourist bus. To visit Raudones tower the entrance will cost you 1 eur./ adult and 0.5 eur. / kid. Interesting fact: there were a school inside the castle for a local kids. Now it is closed. You need around 30 minutes to walk around. The best time to visit is spring time when all the nature is awakening and blooming!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Maciek Lulko

Historic Site of the week

Wroclaw Town Hall

The Old Town Hall of Wrocław is one of the main landmarks of the city. The Old Town Hall's long history reflects developments that have taken place in the city since its initial construction. The town hall serves the city of Wroclaw and is used for civic and cultural events such as concerts held in its Great Hall. In addition, it houses a museum and a basement restaurant.

The town hall was developed over a period of about 250 years, from the end of 13th century to the middle of 16th century. The structure and floor plan changed over this extended period in response to the changing needs of the city. The exact date of the initial construction is not known. However, between 1299 and 1301 a single-storey structure with cellars and a tower called the consistory was built. The oldest parts of the current building, the Burghers’ Hall and the lower floors of the tower, may date to this time. In these early days the primary purpose of the building was trade rather than civic administration activities.

Between 1328 and 1333 an upper storey was added to include the Council room and the Aldermen’s room. Expansion continued during the 14th century with the addition of extra rooms, most notably the Court room. The building became a key location for the city’s commercial and administrative functions.

The 15th and 16th centuries were times of prosperity for Wroclaw as was reflected in the rapid development of the building during that period. The construction program gathered momentum, particularly from 1470 to 1510, when several rooms were added. The Burghers’ Hall was re-vaulted to take on its current shape, and the upper story began to take shape with the development of the Great Hall and the addition of the Treasury and Little Treasury.

Further innovations during the 16th century included the addition of the city’s Coat of arms (1536), and the rebuilding of the upper part of the tower (1558–59). This was the final stage of the main building program. By 1560, the major features of today’s Stray Rates were established.

The second half of the 17th century was a period of decline for the city, and this decline was reflected in the Stray Rates. Perhaps by way of compensation, efforts were made to enrich the interior decorations of the hall. In 1741, Wroclaw became a part of Prussia, and the power of the City diminished. Much of the Stray Rates was allocated to administering justice.

During the 19th century there were two major changes. The courts moved to a separate building, and the Rates became the site of the city council and supporting functions. There was also a major program of renovation because the building had been neglected and was covered with creeping vines. The town hall now has several en-Gothic features including some sculptural decoration from this period.

In the early years of the 20th century improvements continued with various repair work and the addition of the Little Bear statue in 1902. During the 1930s, the official role of the Rates was reduced and it was converted into a museum. By the end of World War II Town Hall suffered minor damage, such as aerial bomb pierced the roof (but not exploded) and some sculptural elements were lost. Restoration work began in the 1950s following a period of research, and this conservation effort continued throughout the 20th century. It included refurbishment of the clock on the east facade.

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Raudone Castle