Old and New Castles

The ancient walls of the Old Castle, the city’s first defensive fortification, remember the devastating crusades of the Middle Ages, while the New Castle is a fine Renaissance palace built during the rule of Stephen Bathory as a royal residence. The two castles overlook the Neman River to remind its visitors of the age-old events. One of such events was the signing of the agreement on the third partition of Rzeczpospolita.