Raudonė Castle

The castle palace is now converted to Raudonė primary school. Tourists are also allowed to enter the castle tower (33.5 m high).

The castle itself has "two floors" on the lower and upper Nemunas terrace. The name of this place originates from Raudonė River flowing through the village.

After taking a steep road up to the second "floor" of the village, you will find the impressive representative second-generation Panemunė castle – Raudonė.

Krišpinas Kiršenšteinas leased out Panemunė forests from Birštonas up to Jurbarkas. After later becoming the elder of Žemaitija, Krišpinas Kiršenšteinas decided to build himself a luxurious palace on the bank of Nemunas. This idea was implemented by his son in around 1600. The forms of the original palace changed rather significantly up to the present day.

After all the Kiršenšteinai family died out, their relatives Olendskiai family settled here and rebuilt the castle several times between the 18th and the 19th century.

The castle was damaged by fire. In 1811, it was bought from Olendskiai family by Count Platonas Zubovas, favoured by Catherine the Great. The count mostly changed the castle's interior, but also reconstructed the castle, dug ponds and built a neo-Gothic style mill.

Sofija von Pirch-Kaisarova, the daughter of Dmitrijus Zubovas rebuilt the castle again according to the project of L. C. Anikini (Italian architect who came with the Napoleon's army) in 1854–1877, giving the castle neo-Gothic features and its current appearance.

In 1877, the castle was ruled by Sofija Waxell, the daughter of Kaisarova, and later by her granddaughter, also named Sofija, who was married to a Portuguese José Carloso de Faria e Castro.

The castle was heavily damaged during the Nazi occupation. On 6 August 1944, Germans blew up the grand tower which demolished part of the south wing while falling. In 1965, the castle was restored and adapted to be used as a school. The grand tower was rebuilt in 1968. Stairs were installed within the tower so that visitors could enjoy scenic views from the observation deck.

Next to the castle, there is Raudonė Park, a watermill and a natural monument – the Oak of Gediminas. This place currently has two alleys of small-leaved limes and European spruces. The park also includes a cemetery for World War II soldiers and a monument to the Red Army.