Gediminas' Tower

게디미나스 탑

Gediminas's Tower is the red-brick tower on a hill above the center of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It is the only part of the old Upper Castle that still stands. The Lithuanian flag flies from its top, and the tower is one of the country's most important national symbols.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Country: Lithuania
Location: Vilnius, Lithuania
Built: 1409
Height: 20 m
Type: Castle

Quick answers

Where is Gediminas' Tower?

Gediminas' Tower is in Vilnius, Lithuania.

When was Gediminas' Tower built?

Gediminas' Tower was built in 1409.

How tall is Gediminas' Tower?

Gediminas' Tower is about 20 m tall.

The red-brick octagonal tower left of Vilnius's Upper Castle atop Castle Hill, flying the Lithuanian flag as a symbol of the nation.

Visitors can climb to a viewing platform for views of Vilnius Old Town and the modern city. The tower is named after Grand Duke Gediminas, who ruled Lithuania in the early 1300s. Inside the tower is a small museum, and a rebuilt Royal Palace of Lithuania, finished in 2009, stands near the foot of the hill.

History

The first fortifications on the hill were made of wood and were built by Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, who lived from about 1275 to 1341. The first brick castle was finished in 1409 under Grand Duke Vytautas.

The three-story tower you see now was rebuilt in 1933 by the architect Jan Borowski. Parts of the old castle were restored using the results of archaeologists' digs.

The legend of the iron wolf

The old story says Gediminas was hunting in the woods and slept on this hilltop. He dreamed of a great wolf made of iron howling as loudly as a hundred wolves. A priest named Lizdeika told him it meant he should build a city here that would one day be famous around the world.

So the city was founded and named Vilnius after the nearby Vilnia river. This is a legend, not a record of what happened, but Lithuanians still tell it.

Fun facts

Lithuania's flag flies from its top as a national symbol.
The Lithuanian flag was raised on the tower again on 7 October 1988, during the movement to restore independence.
The tower was shown on Lithuania's old money, the litas.
A museum inside the tower displays castle models and objects dug up on the hill.
You can reach the hilltop on foot or by lift.