In my opinion, summer memories are best relived during rainy days of autumn. Currently the rain is pouring outside so I decided to share some sunny pictures from this year's vacation to brighten up the mood. Jurbarkas region that me and my husband have visited this July is famous for its two castles. So let me take you along to this journey down the memory lane!
Our first stop was Panemunė Castle. Built 17th-18th century it is an example of a residential castle in Lithuania. Although the castle has looks of a defensive fortress it was never intended to be one. Because of many owners and their attempts to refurbish the building, the castle has elements of the renaissance, baroque and classicist styles.
Panemunė castle is still under reconstruction, so it is interesting to see the fully restored quarters as well as the ones that are still in ruins. Inside the castle there is a modest museum that accepts visitors from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.00–18.00. Ticket costs 4 € per person (or 10 € for a family of 1-2 adults and kids) but, honestly, there is not that much to see there, at least for now. What I really enjoyed was the restauration work on the walls as well as visiting the prison tower where a sentenced prisoner would be lowered into a 6 meters deep pit to serve their sentence. The tower that we climbed offered very limited views, especially compared with the ones that we later saw on the top of the tower in the other castle.
A bit disappointing visit to the museum aside, the castle and the surrounding park is purely gorgeous! It's a perfect place to have a picnic or just to relax with a book in the summer sunshine. I can just imagine how lovely it must look a bit later in autumn among all the yellows and reds of trees!..
Our second stop was at the Raudonė Castle. Built at the end of XVI century and based on a project by a Duch architect Peter Nonhardt this castle is also an example of a residential castle that has features both of the renaissance and the gothic revival architecture. It was rebuilt quite often and later, during the WWII German army blew up the great tower that reached over 34 meters in high. Later the castle was rebuilt and adapted to host a school which led to the loss of historical interiors. Currently it is under a reconstruction, but tourists can still climb up to the tower. So just for 1,50 € you get to see some stunning views!
Visiting both of these castles was an incredibly lovely addition to our vacation, something different to feast our eyes on. If I had to recommend which one to visit, I'd say both is worth your attention, but if you'd ask me which tower to climb my answer definitely would be the tower of Raudonė castle!
Stay tuned for more pictures from manors and other adventures!
Photos © Aesthastic
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