Drysvyaty

Drysvyaty grew beside Lake Drūkšiai, whose largest island offered a natural site for fortification. A wooden castle and fortified manor stood there, linked to the shore by bridges. The settlement revived after the castle was restored following the Battle of Grunwald and was recorded as a town in 1514, when a wooden church was built on the island. In 1655 Swedish forces captured and destroyed the castle. Earthworks on the island preserve the outlines of this former lakeside stronghold.