The Bastion of Vilnius City Wall
In short
The bastion of Vilnius’ city wall is one of the few surviving elements of the city’s defensive wall and is the place to discover more about the defensive wall that once circled the city with a two-and-a-half kilometre ring, with its ten gates, of which only one remains today - the Gate of Dawn.
The iconographic material in the exposition at the bastion reveals the peculiarities defence of that time, and various weapons and cannons are exhibited. The mythical creature of the bastion - the basilisk - will also be waiting for those taking part in the educational activities.
Brief History
This part of Vilnius’ defence system is often called the barbican. The bastion is an original example of Renaissance defensive architecture. It consists of a tower located on the city’s defensive wall, underground cannon premises, and a connecting corridor that turns into a 48-metre-long tunnel. The bastion was built in the first half of the 17th century by German military engineer Fridrich Getkant. This structure suffered greatly during the mid-17th century wars with Moscow. During the First and Second World Wars, the German military used the bastion to store weapons. The bastion's terrace offers a magnificent view of Vilnius Old Town.