Slope restoration and topographical monitoring for heritage preservation of Gediminas Hill and Castle Tower in Lithuania

Abstract

Gediminas Hill and Gediminas Castle Tower at the centre part of Vilnius are highly important architectural monument which is symbolic of Lithuania. According to official documentary records, the Gediminas Castle was first mentioned in year 1323. Due to natural (glacial geology and hydrogeology) and anthropogenic (artificial activities and warfare) reasons, the slopes of Gediminas Hill have been associated with geotechnical risks. There have been recorded occurrences of landslides date back to early XIV century, until recently a shallow landslide happened in 2016. This paper consolidates an archival study of the geological and hydrogeological conditions of the Gediminas Hill and castle site, with particular emphasis on the stability of the slope and castle. To preserve the important heritage of Lithuania, a combination of engineering measures for slope restoration and protection are being implemented. Extensive instrumentation and monitoring as well as topographical monitoring and digitalization are conducted. Details of these works are reported in this paper.