The Bastion of Vilnius City Wall

In short

Are you ready to meet the legendary Basilisk? Fancy exploring cannons and defensive mechanisms of the 16^th century? Visit one of the few surviving elements of the city’s old defensive wall. The Artillery Bastion is filled with expositions of arms from the 15^th to 19^th centuries: artillery, cannons, armour and guns. Don’t forget to visit the observation deck on the restored ancient fortress and take in the great views of the city from its walls.

Brief History

The fortification bastion was built in the 16^th century as part of the city’s defensive wall system, which consisted of 10 gates. The wall formed a closed circle – almost two and a half kilometres in perimeter – around the entire city. The bastion suffered greatly from 1655 to 1661 during a war with Russia. In the late 18^th century, the bastion area was turned into a city dump. It was rebuilt in the 20^t century and turned into a museum in 1987.