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Birzai

Birzai, Lithuania

Biržai is one of the oldest and most popular towns in Northern Lithuania; it is also the capital of authentic and traditional beer. In Biržai, beer tours are offered to tourists. During these tours, a guide introduces the brewery and shows how beer is brewed, and finally offers the opportunity to taste the strong, traditional beer of Biržai. However, Biržai town is famous not only for its breweries and beer. 
One of the most beautiful architectural ensembles in Biržai is its castle, built by the duke Kristupas Radvila at the end of 16th century. At that time, Biržai castle was the largest Italian style bastion fortress of Lithuania. 
The ensemble was adorned with the Evangelical Reformed Church and the castle was fully surrounded by a defensive moat, with a wooden drawbridge providing access into the castle. Due to fighting with the Swedish kingdom the castle has been continuously knocked down and re-built. This ended in the early 18th century, when the Swedish army withdrew from Biržai and destroyed the castle completely. The current palace, including its Northern Dutch-style Lithuanian wall and the complexes of the bastion fortress, were rebuilt at the end of the 20th century.

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