Gelgaudiškis Manor, Neoclassical manor house in Šakiai District Municipality, Lithuania.
Gelgaudiškis Manor is a single-story neoclassical house overlooking the Nemunas River valley, featuring columns, balusters, and metal decorations on its facades. The main building underwent complete restoration in 2012 and now houses a carillon with 36 bells in its water tower.
The estate passed through the hands of various noble families until 1797, when German baron Theodor Friedrich von Keudell purchased it and commissioned the current building in 1846. This transaction transformed it into a significant noble residence with extensive grounds.
The park layout shows the nobility's preference for ordered nature with a four-row silver maple alley crossed by eight radiating clearings. This geometric design reflects how past residents spent leisure time hunting and shaped the land according to their tastes.
The estate spreads across a large park with clear pathways between the landscaped areas and surrounding forest, making different sections easy to explore. The location sits on elevated ground overlooking the river valley, so visiting in clear weather offers the best views.
The property encompasses about 118 hectares of parkland, among the largest manor parks in Lithuania, where geometric patterns gradually blend into natural forest slopes. This interplay between artificial design and wild nature reveals how past residents bridged order and wilderness in their landscape.
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