# Panemunė Castle

- **Country:** Lithuania
- **Coordinates:** 55.099000, 22.986000
- **Location Text:** Vytėnai

Panemunė Castle, known locally as Panemunės pilis, is a historic fortress located in Vytėnai, Lithuania, situated prominently on the banks of the Nemunas River. While the site's strategic importance dates back to the medieval Lithuanian Crusade with an initial wooden fortification erected by the Teutonic Order in 1313, the current structure primarily reflects a major reconstruction undertaken between 1604 and 1610. Commissioned by the Hungarian nobleman János Eperjes, this transformation replaced earlier wooden manor houses with a durable brick-and-mortar edifice designed by the renowned Dutch architect Peter Nonhart. The resulting architecture is a distinctive blend of Late Gothic and Renaissance styles, featuring two-storey wings that highlight the artistic trends of the early seventeenth century.

The castle possesses a rich and turbulent history, having shifted from a military stronghold contested by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Order to a private residential estate. After changing hands through several noble families, including the Stankevičius-Bilevičius clan, it eventually lost its defensive role following the Battle of Grunwald. In the modern era, the property has been carefully preserved through significant restoration projects completed in 1958 and again between 2012 and 2015. Today, Panemunė Castle serves as a museum and is owned by the Vilnius Academy of Arts, allowing visitors to explore its courtyards and learn about its evolution from a wooden crusader outpost to a refined Renaissance residence.

![Photo of Panemunė Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Vitenai001.JPG)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panemunė_Castle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)