Merkine Castle “Merkenpille”, “Merkenpil” has been mentioned in Crusaders' roads descriptions and chronicles since 1377. Castle stood on a rectangular hill in the confluence of Merkys, Nemunas and Stangė rivers in the area of 1200 sq m and was one of the most important in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The strategic triangle Vilnius – Kaunas – Merkinė at the time formed the main Lithuanian defence system, whose fortresses in the wooded land were interconnected by waterways (Nemunas, Neris, Merky, Vokė). The northern part of the mound collapsed and was wahsed away in 1930 with the waters from the water mill that stood on the Stangė stream. One of Lithuania's most beautiful landscapes – Merkys and Nemunas confluence – opens up from Merkinė mound.